Corvette Racing at Sebring: Aiming for Florida Sweep

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Corvette Racing at Sebring: Aiming for Florida Sweep

Photo Credit: Richard Prince for Corvette Racing


DETROIT (March 16, 2021) – Corvette Racing seeks the second leg of sports car racing’s Triple Crown this weekend as it heads back to Florida for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts.

The two-car team is coming off a 1-2 class finish in Rolex 24 At Daytona to start its 2021 season. Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg were winners in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. They were only a handful of seconds – 3.519 to be exact – ahead of No. 4 Corvette teammates Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims.

That puts Corvette Racing and Chevrolet 1-2 in the early-season GTLM points standings. The No. 3 Corvette group leads over the No. 4 C8.R in full-season points, but the positions are switched in the Michelin Endurance Cup. The four-race championship is made of IMSA’s four long-distance races with Milner, Tandy and Sims claiming the most points at the pre-determined marks of the Rolex 24. Sebring serves as the second round of the MEC.


All signs point toward Corvette Racing contending for its 13th victory at Sebring International Raceway and 12th in the annual 12-hour enduro. The program’s last two Rolex 24 victories in 2015 and 2016 led to race wins at Sebring only weeks later.

The Sebring 12 Hours is steeped in Corvette Racing history. The event has witnessed the team take 11 class victories since 2002, and four of the six drivers have previously won there. Garcia is a three-time winner with Corvette at the event, and Tandy has won the last three years at the 12 Hours. Milner has three Sebring wins with Corvette – two in the 12 Hours plus July’s sprint race – and Taylor was part of one overall winning effort in the 12 Hours.

Corvette Racing at Sebring: Aiming for Florida Sweep


This is the third race at Sebring for Corvette Racing and the WeatherTech Championship in the last nine months. The team finished 1-2 in July’s Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring with Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin winning in the No. 4 Corvette C8.R. Garcia and GTLM pole-winner Taylor were second on their way to the GTLM Drivers, Manufacturers and Team championships; Garcia also was the GTLM pole-winner for November’s 12 Hours.

The mid-engine C8.R and Corvette Stingray street car were developed simultaneously, and the race car and production vehicle share more technology and parts than any previous-generation Corvette. When initial Corvette C8.R design and development work began more than six years ago, Corvette Racing engineers worked closely alongside Corvette production personnel with a heavy emphasis on wind tunnel and simulation testing.

Chevrolet Motorsports Display, Ride and Drive Return to Sebring

In addition to happenings on the racetrack at Sebring, fans will have no shortage of things to see and do from Chevrolet. That’s because two locations at the circuit – Chevrolet Motorsports Display and Chevrolet Ride and Drive – will be full of Chevrolet vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend.

The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 9 a.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday in the Sebring Midway. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include:

  • Coupe and convertible models of the mid-engine Corvette Stingray.
  • Additional Chevrolet products such as Blazer, Silverado, Tahoe and the Bolt EV.
  • An opportunity to receive a Team Chevy t-shirt via a QR code scan.

The Sebring Skidpad outside of Turn 17 can sample a Chevrolet vehicle for themselves at the Ride and Drive event. Starting at 9 a.m. each day, spectators have the chance to test a wide variety of Chevrolets include Tahoe, Camaro, Bolt EV, Blazer, Trailerblazer, Colorado and Silverado.

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 20. The race will air on NBCSN from 10 a.m.-noon and 7-10:30 p.m. ET. The full race will be streamed on TrackPass via NBC Sports Gold and the NBC Sports App. IMSA Radio will air full qualifying and race coverage at IMSA.com along with Sirius 216, XM 392 and SiriusXM Online 992.

Corvette Racing at Sebring: Aiming for Florida Sweep


ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Getting the Rolex 24 win is the best way we can start the season. We now have that elusive endurance win for the Corvette C8.R. Naturally we want the next win to be Sebring. This always has been a fantastic event for Corvette Racing. We have completed many miles in testing, practicing and racing. I feel like I’ve been over every bump around the circuit! The 12 Hours is always a really big challenge for what lies ahead of us for the balance of the year. This is another excellent chance to test ourselves.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“The Sebring 12 Hours last year was crucial to the success we’ve already had this year. Development-wise from a performance point of view, we learned a lot of stuff throughout that weekend. Sebring is a great test track. From a reliability and durability point of view in 2020, an endurance win was the only thing missing. The Sebring 12 Hours last year set us up perfectly. It pointed out some of our weaknesses and things we needed work on. It forced us to do that and learn and develop. Already in 2021, that’s showing in our success at Daytona. It’s exciting for us to start the season so strong that like, and it gives us more confidence going into Sebring.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“It will be a thrill going back to Sebring again after a few visits in recent months. I feel like the Corvette continues to get stronger but there is nothing you can take for granted at Sebring. It is the hardest, most physical 12 hours of racing we will do this year. The bumps, the layout of the track and the heat this time of year can take a lot out of a driver. But I personally feel very prepared just like everyone at Corvette Racing. Even though we finished 1-2 at the Rolex 24, we all feel like we have something to prove again at Sebring.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“To be honest, this feels normal… going to Sebring in March for the 12 Hours. That feels normal to us. It doesn’t feel weird going back already. We’re not too far removed from the 12 Hours, but there have been quite a few changes for us with new drivers and a renewed push on the engineering side to buckle down and tighten up all the issues we had in November. One thing we always do at Corvette Racing is learn lessons from the past and use those to improve ourselves. Daytona obviously was a strong race from both cars and the team as a whole. The cars were quite reliable on all fronts. With two new teammates, it’s all very different driving with Alexander and Nick. They both have so much experience at big events like Sebring that it doesn’t feel like a big change from the driving aspect. We’ve had a couple of tests at Sebring with everyone, so it should be business as usual for everyone once we get to the race.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“I’ve won the last three 12-hour races there and hope to keep that going to make it a fourth. The first few times I raced the 12 hours, it wasn’t my favorite event because we never got on particularly well. Recently, it just seems to be a race that has come to me at the end of it. There have been situations and circumstances that suited me, along with a bit of luck. Being able to be around to pick up the pieces and be quick when needed is key. I’m hoping to bring some of that magic and use it this year.”

“The thing about Sebring is that it is the toughest track on man and machine that we go to. It’s normally pretty hot that time of year. Starting in the day and going into the night makes it a long race. What has made it special to me is the people that are there and the ones that create the atmosphere around Sebring. It’s been one of the most fun events I’ve competed at over the years.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Sebring is one of the big events that I have looked forward to since joining Corvette Racing. The track and event have a fantastic history, and the fans there create a great atmosphere. It’s a shame we can’t interact with them like normal but hopefully that day is coming soon. The race itself is one of the toughest any driver can do around the world. It’s an absolutely brutal lap around Sebring but also one of the most memorable the times you get it right. The bumps and tarmac changes present challenges you don’t find anywhere else in motorsport. It will be good to get back there.”

Corvette Racing at Sebring: Aiming for Florida Sweep


2021 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM
(After One of 10 Events)

Driver Standings
1. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 382
2. Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 355
3. Augusto Farfus/Jesse Krohn/John Edwards/Marco Wittmann – 325
4. Davide Rigon/James Calado/Jules Gounon – 308
5. Bruno Spengler/Connor De Phillippi/Philipp Eng/Timo Glock – 286
6. Cooper MacNeil/Gianmaria Bruni/Kevin Estre/Richard Lietz – 280

Team Standings
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 382
2. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 355
3. No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 324
4. No. 62 Risi Competizione – 308
5. No. 25 BMW Team RLL – 286
6. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 280

Manufacturer Standings
1. Chevrolet – 385
2. BMW – 348
3. Ferrari – 330
4. Porsche – 312


Source:
CorvetteRacing.com

Related:
Return to Le Mans Highlights Corvette Racing’s FIA WEC Program
[VIDEO] Jordan Taylor Nearly Crashed the Corvette C8.R During His Celebratory Post-Race Burnouts
Corvette Racing at Daytona: Rolex 24 GTLM Victory for No. 3 Corvette C8.R

 



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