Milner, Tandy seek to rebound from heartbreaking Le Mans in C8.R’s Italian debut
DETROIT (July 5, 2022) – With the heartbreaking memory of Le Mans in the rearview mirror, Corvette Racing is looking to regroup as it heads to Italy for the first time ahead of the Six Hours of Monza in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
As they have for the previous three WEC races, Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy will share the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which is on its maiden globe-trotting tour in 2022. It’s the first “new” event for the Corvette WEC program, having previously been to Sebring, Spa and – of course – Le Mans.
The 3.60-mile, 11-turn circuit is one of the fastest in the world with multiple long straights and huge braking zones for the four WEC categories. Even without having set foot inside Monza Park – where Autodromo Nazionale Monza sits – there already is data from the long straights and slow corners at Le Mans that Corvette Racing engineers can refer to when establishing a baseline for this weekend.
Input also will come from Tandy, one of the few Corvette Racing team members who has previous experience at the circuit. This will be the case for Fuji and Bahrain to close the WEC season, although Milner has accumulated several hours of simulator work ahead of his first race at the Italian circuit.
The No. 64 Corvette opened the WEC season with a strong second-place showing at the rain-shortened 1,000 Miles of Sebring. Things were trending the right way for the Tandy/Milner pairing at the Six Hours of Spa before a red flag just past the one-hour mark wiped out the team’s first planned pit stop and effectively put the Corvette a lap down before finishing fourth.
Le Mans was the cruelest blow with the No. 64 C8.R eliminated while effectively leading just shy of the 18-hour mark.
The Six Hours of Monza for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for noon CET/6 a.m. CET on Sunday, July 10 from Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy. Qualifying is set for 5:30 p.m. CET/11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 9. The race will air live on MotorTrend with live streaming coverage of the race and qualifying on the MotorTrend Plus app. Radio Le Mans will broadcast qualifying and the race.
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:
“It’s another classic track that we’ve never had a chance to compete at before and it’s one I’m looking forward to. Based on what Nick has said about the area and especially the history of the track makes it something special to compete there. So I’m excited for that opportunity. I’ve had a chance to do some laps in the simulator. Looking at the track layout, it seems fairly simple in some ways but driving it has its own unique challenges. It’s fun to drive, too. The corners are quite different where you have some very slow chicanes and some pretty quick third- and fourth-gear corners. There is a wide variety of track sections. The slowest part of the track is preceded by a very long straightaway, which will be great for racing. It’s exciting. I enjoy the historic part of the sport so the chance to see the old Monza banking is something I can’t wait to see.”
NICK TANDY, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:
“Monza is another classic place. When anyone speaks of Monza, it’s one of those iconic names and venues. The word just strikes passion into motorsport. Any series that races there is a top event, and it’s a privilege to race at the circuit and in Monza Park. It’s not a normal setting for a racetrack near a city but in an actual park. Even from driving into the circuit, it’s a different experience. When you get to the track, it’s unlike any other circuit. It’s short but it’s so defined by the fast straightaways. It’s a bit like Daytona in that sense. It’s fun.”
More Monza: “It’s a normal lap time but there are effectively six corners – three corners and three chicanes. From that point of view, it’s not the most technical circuit for a driver. On the other hand, for the car and engineering crew, trying to get a window where your car operates is critical. Of course you have to be fast in a straight line but the car has to be really good under braking. This is a huge thing about Monza. … It’s a real tricky one to kind of figure out for what is best for ultimately making laptime out of your car. Of course, we are new as it will be the first time that Corvette Racing has been to Monza. I’ll be relaying my experience from previous years to the team and try to help out. Past that, we’ve already started our prep and started running on the sim before Le Mans. We’ve figured out a few options we can take with us to find what’s best. But I’m also looking forward to seeing everyone’s faces and the people who have never been and have a chance to go to Italy and have a look around this amazing facility and amazing town.”
Source:
CorvetteRacing.com
Related:
Corvette Racing at Spa: Tough Day for No. 64 Corvette
Corvette Racing at Sebring: Runner-Up in WEC Opener
Corvette Racing at CTMP: No. 3 Corvette Back on Podium
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Once upon a time I had a Corvair Monza…:-)
I had a Monza too. ’62. Two speed lever shift on the dash. Rear engine of course. Between that and my ’64 Plymouth Valiant with push-button shift on the dash… they were two cars ahead of their time… and could probably compete at Monza today… giving the C8’s and the Porsches a run for their money. Well… maybe just a run to the washroom… but “Monza lore” none the same. 😃
Good luck Tommy & Nick, go Chevy Corvette Racing!
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