No. 3 C8.R going for back-to-back GTD PRO victories, team’s 12th class win in 12 Hours
DETROIT (March 14, 2023) – For 24 years, Corvette Racing has written chapter after chapter in its lengthy storybook of success at Sebring International Raceway. It’s a book that covers thousands of laps and tens of thousands of miles around the historic road course in central Florida.
Now Corvette Racing returns to contest the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for the 25th time in search of its 13th victory in the event. The most recent came a year ago in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category with the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
Full-season teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor were part of the stunning 2022 class victory, and they will team this year with Tommy Milner in the 12 Hours. It will be the second of two enduros for Corvette Racing this week at Sebring as it also contests the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the FIA World Endurance Championship in the GTE Am category.
The three Corvette drivers have combined for eight class wins in the 12 Hours – nine when adding a sprint-race victory for Milner and then-teammate Oliver Gavin in the 2020 season. The No. 3 C8.R trio and team also are coming off a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season.
There are eight entries from eight manufacturers in GTD PRO for this year’s Sebring 12 Hours, with a total of 28 GTD cars total when combined with the race’s regular GTD class.
Chevrolet Motorsports Display, Ride and Drive Return to Sebring
In addition to the many happenings on the racetrack at Sebring, fans will have plenty to see and experience from Chevrolet. That’s because two locations at the circuit – Chevrolet’s Motorsports Display and the Chevrolet Ride and Drive – will be full of Chevy 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:
• The 2023 Corvette E-Ray and a rolling cut-away example of the E-Ray
• The 2023 70th anniversary Corvette Stingray
• Additional Chevrolet products such as Silverado ZR2, Blazer RS, Colorado ZR1 and Bolt EUV Premier
• A Corvette Racing C8.R showcar
• The Garage 56 Next Gen Camaro ZL1
• An opportunity to receive a 2023 Corvette Racing t-shirt
Also beginning Thursday, fans visiting 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 including Blazer RS, Bolt EUV Premier, Camaro Convertible SS, Silverado 1500 and 2500, Tahoe High Country, Traverse High Country and Trailblazer RS.
The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 18. The race will air on USA Network from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock at 10:05 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning at IMSA.com along with SiriusXM 392, SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:
“We have a year advantage against last year going into Sebring with the GTD PRO Corvette. So I’m sure we will be OK. Sebring always has been a track where we have tested and raced many times, so we know it well. It’s still early in the year so you don’t know how competitive everyone else will be coming into that race with still-new cars. Those should be stronger than last year. Those are just some of the question marks. Until we get there, we’ll wait to see where we are.
“Sebring is one of the premier events we do at Corvette Racing each year. It seems the event gets bigger each year, especially now with WEC again. The track is special for us as a team with the history and race wins we have achieved over the years with our Corvettes. We have many miles of testing and competition to draw from for both the IMSA and WEC events. It will be tough on all of us, but that is why we come to Sebring.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:
“Last year’s race was unexpected for us to be as competitive as we were. When we left Daytona last year, we had a lot of question marks but we did a test at Sebring and learned a lot about the tire we were on there. That was a big kick-start to our season and winning the 12 Hours was proof of our development in that short span of time. From the 12 Hours on, we learned a lot more and that showed at Daytona. I think we’ve learned a lot through 2022 that was successful at Sebring, so hopefully we can go there with a little stronger package. It seems like the competition is just as strong if not stronger so it will still be a tough event.
“Corvette Racing has been so successful at Sebring over its 25 years of existence. I’m glad we were able to check that box. It’s a race that you could do 100 times and not win. There are so many little things that can go wrong to prevent you from winning or even getting on the podium. For everything to go right was amazing. We pretty much had a flawless performance. We didn’t have the fastest car throughout the day. We just stayed out of trouble and the guys called a great strategy and executed the plan. It was a classic Corvette Racing win.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:
“Corvette Racing has always been fast at Sebring. It’s a track that has been very good to us over the years, and this car won last year in this current spec of car. We’ll go back and try to defend the race win. It will be difficult as always. We saw at Daytona that the competition in both GT classes is tough, and it’s an uphill battle with just the one Corvette but we’ll show up and do our best as we always do.”
“The most fun race I can remember at Sebring is 2013 when we came from way back on the Ferrari and made a pass for the lead with about 20 minutes to go in the race. We lost a couple of laps early but kept at it. The Corvette that year was very, very good in the evening, and that’s what you want at Sebring. That’s one I’ll remember for a long time.”
Source:
Corvette Racing at Chevrolet
Related:
Corvette Racing at Sebring: No Place Like Home
Corvette Racing at Sebring: Antonio Garcia Zoom Transcript
Corvette Racing at Daytona: Close… but Second in Rolex 24
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I will be there! I hope it will be a good race.
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