Corvette Racing, a joint effort between Basic Motors and the engineering firm Pratt & Miller, has been one of the profitable groups in sports activities automotive racing over the previous quarter of a century.
Its yellow Corvettes are regulars in IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship races, together with on this previous weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans the place the crew’s no. 3 Corvette C8.R took dwelling a category victory.
Nonetheless, with the arrival of a brand new Corvette Z06 GT3.R race automotive subsequent 12 months, GM will finish its full manufacturing facility effort and go the mantle to buyer groups. That is based on Mark Stielow, GM’s motorsport competitors engineering director, who spoke not too long ago with Sportscar365.
“As we moved into the GT3 platform we wished to have the ability to be extra customer-based,” he mentioned. “There was loads of inside debate inside GM and us about whether or not we’d need our clients racing in opposition to a manufacturing facility.”
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R race automotive
Stielow mentioned GM will possible nonetheless assist drivers by getting them into groups fielding the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in what he known as a “hybrid” program. The transfer is prone to appeal to extra buyer groups, which might result in extra Corvettes on the monitor.
Stielow additionally indicated that Pratt & Miller could also be among the many groups fielding the brand new race automotive, although any entry will possible have a distinct identify than the present Corvette Racing banner.
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R was proven for the primary time in January. The automotive continues to be in growth however deliveries are confirmed to begin within the third quarter of the 12 months, giving groups sufficient time to check the automotive forward of the 2024 season.
The automotive’s essential competitors might be within the GTD class of the SportsCar Championship, in addition to the comparable LMGT3 class to be launched to the World Endurance Championship in 2024.
