Repairs and a bad break drop # 63 C7.R Corvette to 8th in GTE PRO in WEC opener at Sebring
# 63 C7.R Corvette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Mike Rockenfeller was a one-off entry in the WEC FIA 1,000-mile race at Sebring starting 4pm on Friday. Followed by the # 3 & # 4 Corvettes in the traditional IMSA 12 hr running Sat from 10:40 am to 10:40 pm. Track management reported record crowds for the big doubleheader, the first of its kind and hoped to become a fixture.
The # 63 Corvette qualified 4th but fell to 8th because of time lost to replace the right door whose number lights stopped working; and a second time to change out a set of tires that blistered (cause unknown).
Nigel Scott Dobbie reports # 63 got screwed by a Safety Car entering at the wrong point that slowed it to 50km/h while the rest of the GTE PRO class got new tires and fuel and came out ahead.
Dedicated WEC pits were set up on an expanse of concrete in the southeast portion of the paddock with ample pit lane entry and exit from the long straight between turns 16 & 17.
The # 63 Corvette comprised an 11-car field that included Aston Martin plus Ford (rumored to be quitting), Porsche, BMW and Ferrari it faces in IMSA GTLM.
IMSA officials and their WEC counterparts strive for balance of performance. Even with slight differences in weight and air restrictors, qualifying times for GTE LM Pro and GTLM classes were about the same.
Sebring marked Corvette Racing’s third appearance in the FIA WEC’s 2018-19 “Super Season” joining last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Six Hours of Shanghai where Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner teamed in a Redline-themed Corvette.
At the end of the day (literally), both the winner # 91 Porsche 911 Carrera and runner up # 81 BMW M8 emerged from the pack.
There was no time to rest. Prep for the 12 hours of Sebring began shortly after midnight by the crew and just hours later for the drivers.
Photos courtesy of Nigel Dobbie
Results compiled by Wayne Ellwood
Sebring Wrap-up video: https://youtu.be/WNcLFImhmPc
The Corvette’s next race sanctioned by the WEC is at the 24 hours of Le Mans on June 14-16, 2019.
This Corvette race report reflects opinions, observations and information gathered from a variety of unofficial sources and may differ from other accounts.