Corvette Racing at Petit Le Mans: Win…and Nothing Else

10-hour race brings end of Corvette C8.R era in IMSA championship

DETROIT (October 10, 2023) – Corvette Racing will close its 25th season with a race where it badly wants to return to Victory Circle: Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and the finale of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The 10-hour endurance race isn’t just the close of the IMSA season; it also closes the era of the Corvette C8.R, which Corvette Racing has fielded since 2020. The race also marks a point of transition to a factory-supported effort for what will become the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer program for 2024 – including two Corvette GT3 cars for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports.

But first things first. There’s no better way to end the season and the life of the C8.R by winning Petit Le Mans for the first time since 2010. Full-season teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor welcome back Tommy Milner with the trio sharing the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category.

Garcia and Taylor – twice winners this year – still have a remote chance to secure the GTD PRO Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams titles for themselves, Chevrolet and the No. 3 C8.R squad, respectively. A second-place points finish looks more likely as the No. 14 entry only needs to start the race to win the championship.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to race for in the Corvette camp. A victory at 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta would mean a first victory in Petit Le Mans for both Garcia and Milner, plus give Taylor a victory in his final event with Corvette Racing before returning to prototype competition next year.

A total of 53 cars in five classes make up the entry list for the Road Atlanta round, including eight entries for GTD PRO. Add that to the roller-coaster nature of the track – plus going from day to night – and the risk for incidents and accidents goes up. That will put a premium on car consistency and reliability in addition to patience by each of the three Corvette drivers.

Chevrolet On Display at Road Atlanta

In addition to the many series and events competing during the Petit Le Mans weekend, race fans will have plenty to see and experience from Chevrolet. The Chevrolet Motorsports Display will be full of Chevy vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend.

The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 8 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and is located in the Fan Midway above the Road Atlanta main paddock. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include:

• The 2024 Corvette GT3.R race car that will compete next year in IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship at SRO’s GT World Challenge
• The 2024 Corvette E-Ray convertible and cutaway chassis, plus a Corvette C8.R engine
• Additional Chevrolet products such as Colorado ZR2, Camaro ZL1 1LE, Silverado 1500 RST, Traverse Premier Redline and Tahoe Z71, plus a variety of Chevrolet Performance parts and accessories
• An opportunity to receive a 2023 Chevrolet Motorsports t-shirt

The 10-hour Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 14. The race will air live on USA beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET and with the full race stream beginning at 11:35 a.m. on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Thursday’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

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

“This is the same situation as last year. Not being able win this race in the past is always in the back of my mind. We’re also coming off a poor performance at Indianapolis, which wasn’t a very promising preview. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I’m definitely going to go for the win. I hope we have a chance; that’s all I ask. Just to have a chance and then it’s up to us if we can manage to win or not.”

End of the C8.R era: “The average results with this car have been really, really good. We managed to win very important races like Daytona, Le Mans, Sebring… I’ve managed to win two championships with Jordan and win the big races. I’m happy that I’ve been part of this project since Day One. I started testing in the simulator several years ago. Being part of the whole process of developing that car was special. I’m happy that what we’ve built and developed has gone on to win so many big races and championships.”

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

“Ever since I’ve been Antonio’s teammate, this one has always been on the top of my list and it’s been on the top of my list, as well. Usually the races you go for every year are Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans plus the championship. Those all kind of stand alone as ones you want to win because they are big-ticket items. Corvette Racing hasn’t won at Road Atlanta in many years, and this must be the only race on the planet that Antonio hasn’t won; I know how badly he wants to win it. And with this being my last race with the team and the program, it would be amazing to have a nice send-off like that. Everyone is fully focused with the championship out of reach, so we can take all the risks on track and on strategy to go for the win. The C8.R has won every major endurance race that it’s done – it’s just missing Petit Le Mans. It would be amazing to check off that last box on this last weekend for this car.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“It’s always felt busy around Road Atlanta because of the nature of the track, which is what makes it fun to drive and fun to race on. When you add 50-something cars, it’s going to be chaotic for sure. With it always being the last race of the year, championships on the line, and drivers and teams who are planning to get a little bit of experience before the next season show up, it all makes the race very hectic and even the practices hectic. Bu it’s always been one of my favorite events. The track is amazing and it provides an awesome atmosphere. I’m excited to back in the Corvette. I’ve been away from racing since March although I’m watching everything. But it’s different when you’re directly involved. I’m looking forward to getting back in the C8.R, go racing again and getting back into the rhythm of it.

“Thankfully I haven’t been just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs during the season. I’ve been in the test car and doing quite a bit in that. More than anything, I’m excited about getting back in a racing environment. I haven’t had that since March. The urgency of getting up to speed, the urgency of getting a read on the racecar and getting back into the rhythm of having traffic to deal with… those will all be good to get back into that rhythm again. From driving the racecar, I don’t think that will be any difference. The intensity of a race weekend is what I’ve missed.”

2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO
(After 10 of 11 events)

Driver Standings
1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 3,495
2. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3,307
3. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 3,268
4. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 3,230
5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 3,122

Team Standings
1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 3,495
2. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 3,307
3. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 3,268
4. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 3,320
5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 3,122

Manufacturer Standings
1. Lexus – 3,495
2. Chevrolet – 3,307
3. Mercedes-AMG – 3,268
4. Porsche – 3,230
5. Aston Martin – 3,133

Source:
Corvette Racing at Chevrolet

Related:
Corvette Racing at Indianapolis: Difficult Brickyard Return
Corvette Racing at VIR: All the Right Calls in Overall Victory
Corvette Racing at Road America: Back on the Podium

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