Expect growth from within as the Corvette Z06 GT3.R continues to get better with each passing season.
That’s the official word from Corvette Racing program manager Jess Dane in a recent interview with Sportscar 365.
Since last year’s launch, 17 Pratt Miller-built Z06 GT3.Rs have been competing across top-tier global series like the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, European and Asian Le Mans Series, and GT World Challenge in America, Asia, and Europe.
Dane says the customer base won’t expand next year, but she still expects growth through the purchase of additional cars by existing clients like TF Sport (expanding into Asian Le Mans Series next year) and DXDT Racing (which added the WeatherTech Championship this year as it continued in GTWC America).
“I’m pleased to say that the majority of our car allocation is actually going to our existing teams,” Dane said. “Our existing teams are really keen to grow their fleet. Of the projected car allocation in the near future, we have more cars going to existing teams. We might have one or two cars crop up elsewhere, but it will still be small and quite boutique and bespoke. Nobody’s going to see a massive injection of cars around the world next year.”
She credits the transparency of the Corvette Racing program, which shares knowledge across all its teams, with the success of the Z06 cars so far.
“If one of our customers experiences any kind of issue or has an idea for an improvement,” Dane said, “the system that we run with the level of transparency is that everyone can see that. Nothing is hidden; all issues are open, and all updates and improvements are rolled out to the fleet as a whole.”
Corvette Racing Program Manager Jess Dane
Adding more teams this year, like GTWC America and GT America powered by AWS entrant Chouest Povoledo Racing, Steller Motorsport, and Johor Motorsports JMR, has also helped contribute to the database of knowledge about the car, according to Dane.
Pratt Miller has already reached the 20-car minimum imposed by the FIA after two years of the car’s homologation, she added.
The results on the track have also been pleasing to the Corvette Racing leader.
“I honestly couldn’t be more proud of how all of our customers have done this year,” she said. “We have seven teams around the world now, and every single one has had at least one podium. We have teams with multiple wins, and the feedback from the customers has been really strong.”
Dane said Corvette Racing has focused on “maintaining a connection” with all of its customers while “treating it as a partnership,” not the usual customer-manufacturer relationship.
“The results are one thing,” she said, “but the feedback and the relationships with the team are separate but equally the relationships have formed part of that success. I’m really happy where it’s at at the moment.”
Source:
Sportscar365.com
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“We’re building more cars….but we’re not adding more teams to our existing client base”.
There, fixed it for you.
Funny; I have never heard such self-limiting cross-talk garbage from Maranello, Modena or Stuttgart. And this self-righteous talk is precisely why Corvette will never be taken as a serious threat at any given race track, because see, unlike GM, whose sole interest in motorsport is purely in advertising, every other OEM comes to the track to do one thing and one thing only- win.
Maybe they should put more effort into reversing the factory team’s most overt talent over all these years- snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Just saying.
Progress…. Nice….
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