Things are starting to get interesting for the future of IMSA and GT Sportscar racing as race organizers announced the new GTD PRO class for IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship beginning in 2022.
According to IMSA, the GTD PRO class will be replacing GTLM (GT Le Mans) which will cease racing at the end of the 2021 season. GTD PRO race cars will be built to FIA GT3 technical specs and the class is aimed at attracting factory teams and professional drivers. New FIA GT3 technical regulations will debut in 2022 as well.
“The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has long been regarded as featuring the world’s greatest GT manufacturers, teams and drivers and some of the world’s most exciting and competitive professional GT endurance racing through the GTLM class,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “We believe the move to GTD PRO offers the best opportunity for manufacturers and teams to continue that legacy well into the future. We expect considerable manufacturer participation when we kick off the GTD PRO class a year from now in the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona.”
A GT3 Corvette program has been rumored over the years but has never come to fruition. Perhaps with the successful launch of the C8 Corvette (and success of the C8.Rs) that this is the path forward for the team which has seen a number of class changes and new technical specs implemented over the years. A GT3 program does require homologation which I believe is currently 20 cars built within two-years.
Corvette Racing’s new program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser recently commented on the pending changes to GT sports car racing, saying “We’re going to have to pivot here and possibly adapt, and that’s what we’re working through. We’re figuring out, ‘Where do we want to play?’ What makes sense for the company, for the brand? How do we incorporate all of this into a universal budget and get the best bang for our buck in terms of exposure, learnings, and fan interaction?”
IMSA says there are currently nine manufacturers participating in IMSA with GT3 cars in the GTD class. Those manufacturers will have the option of competing in either GTD PRO or the standard GTD Class.
Wontrop Klauser also suggested that GM is looking at the LMDh prototype class that would allow Corvette to compete for the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Source:
IMSA.com
Related:
Corvette Racing’s Laura Wontrop Klauser and the Future of GT Racing
[PODCAST] Listen to the C8.R’s Flat-Plane Crank V8 as it Laps Sebring
Chevrolet Names Laura Klauser as First Sports Car Racing Program Manager
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You came in with a new car the C8R and ISMA can’t stand that no factory teams wants to run against you but BMW so they are just changing all the rules so Porsche will come back from Stuttgart and Race GT3, they already have the cars and just need to show up. Corvette will pivot and position itself where they will perform best GT Pro might be the new home or not but I have little doubt where ever they come down after the rules and class change to take them out of it, they will Win!
Maybe I missed it reading the article two or three times, but would GT3 Pro-spec Corvette Racing still be racing in the 24 hours of LeMans for the 2022 season?
Take the C8R FPC 5.5 liter down to 4 liters and add twin turbos for Racing presto C8R GT3. They might even grandfather you with the naturally aspirated 5.5 but the point is they don’t want you to beat Porsche almost every time!
Sounds like was it the late 80″s early 90’s when the Chevy Indy car engine was cleaning up. Tony George just ruled the engine until it was no longer competitive? I would prefer the Corvette move becase we have seen all of the other big boys take their toys and go home. Ford and Porsche.
I knew this is what was holding up the ZO6. GM has no problem telling there dealers to keep taking money from there customers on a car that they have no intentions of building. I have always been a big race fan, even one of the 30 people that goes to the Indy GP. Racing is done. People don’t even know what IMSA is let alone care. Chevy keeps playing there stupid games while Cad makes a big deal about there new cars at a race even though nobody even knows there is Cad in the race.
They keep talking about a “Super Car”. They claim they want to make 40,000 Stingrays a yr. Your Stingray will be worth 40 to 50,000 at best when it’s 2 yrs old. That’s not what super cars do.
Chevy keeps putting off the ZO6 because they don’t even know what it is going to be. Forget about racing and make some cool cars. So much for getting my new ZO6, any body want to buy one of my 7 Chevys that I have always been so proud of and worked so hard to have. I’m glad they don’t care about long term customers and keep bragging how many first time buyers they have. Keep sending hundreds of C8s to some dealers and none to others even though you told them they have allocated them cars that they have deposits on.
Guess what Corvette, your not the only people making nice cars.
Now Corvette can sell a GT3 Z06, put a 4 liter twin turbo Blackwing in it for racing and the street
As soon as I heard that they were changing that class I thought that would screw up when I would get my ZO6. Guess I will be waiting for the ZR1 if it doesn’t take to long. Really not interested in a heavier car with less power. Very sad.
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