Larbre Competition, the French-based team, hopes to field a Corvette C7.R in the GTE-Pro class in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2017.
Larbre has been competing in the GTE-Am class with Corvettes for several years but wants to move up to the top GT category next year, hoping that it will get more factory support from GM and Pratt & Miller.
In preparation for the change, Larbre has upped the ante – signing GM factory driver Ricky Taylor for its Jack Laconte-led team for the second half of the WEC season and hiring a dedicated Pratt & Miller engineer.
Now that the evaluation process for a WEC GTE-Pro program in 2017 has been finished, Leconte says the outlook for approval by GM to enter a Corvette in the Pro class is “very promising” after six years of partnership with Corvette Racing.
“Over the past three months, the work we have accomplished with the Pratt & Miller engineers, and the experience Ricky Taylor gained in Mexico, Fuji, Shanghai and Bahrain – which will be again on the 2017 calendar – does not leave anything to chance for next year,” Larbre said.
Apparently a proposal is in place for Taylor and his 2016 season-long co-driver Pierre Ragues to return for the move to the Pro class, though it all depends on GM’s decision.
If approved for the switch, Larbre would have to upgrade its existing Corvette C7.R or buy an all-new car from GM.
Source:
Sportscar365.com
Related:
Larbre to Pass on GTE-Pro Corvette for 2016 FIA WEC
Wayne Taylor Racing and Larbre May Join for GTE-Pro Corvette C7.R in 2016 FIA WEC
Larbre Competition Campaigning the “French American” Corvette C7.R at Le Mans
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[…] to upgrade its existing Corvette C7.R or buy an all-new car from GM. Source: Sportscar365.com Larbre Competition May Field GTE-Pro Corvette C7.R in 2017 World Endurance Championship – Corvette: … John Fortunate owner of "WRP SPD," our Z06! [7M, stage 2+ coupe]. List of mods here:Hidden […]
Would be great
This is great news! For too long, WEC was practically unknown to American racing fans, and Larbre only a distant step-child to Corvette Racing. I began watching the series only this year, but I can say it is even more exciting than IMSA with the lone Larbre #50 Corvette battling hordes of Ferraris, Porsches, and Aston-Martins. Ricky led the class for awhile@the Baharain finale for awhile, until mechanical glitches made the team drop back. So, “Go Larbre Racing, Go Corvette and Go Ricky!”
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