Corvette Racing # 63 C8.R is runner-up at Le Mans as changes lie ahead
Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg trailed the winning PRO class # 51 Ferrari 488 EVO GTE by just 40 seconds when the twenty-four grind finally came to an end, streamed live on the Motor Trend channel.
They drove double stints and fortunately did not need to change out the brakes which kept them on the lead lap.
As for the ill-fated # 64 C8.R sister car, James Calado, driver of the winning Ferrari, said he was blinded by rain and fog on the formation lap and apologized for the hit. Lengthy repairs to the rear diffuser and clutch and alternator issues dropped it to 6th by the end.
The highly acclaimed C8.R, trimmed in low drag aero kit had been tested and delivered the power, traction and balance to go for the win, even after missing Le Mans last year.
C8.R 003 was piloted earlier at SPA earlier in May by Antonio Garcia and the retired Oliver Gavin to be eligible and as a way of testing. It remained in Europe while C8.R 005 was newly built and shipped over to Le Mans.
In perspective, since 1999 the Corvette Racing Team created by GM has put up the best record in sports car Pro racing.
Focused on PRO racing exclusively (and often supporting EUROPEAN customer teams that acquired older models), the Team prospered for over 2 decades led by GM Program Manager Doug Fehan working closely with Pratt & Miller.
Le Mans served this year for GM to showcase its new C8 ZO6 “fastest Corvette ever” fresh from testing at the Nurburgring.
The pandemic put a damper on the pageantry, parades and ceremonies that make the build-up to the race so special.
The 50,000 who gained admission constituted only 20% of the “normal” crowd of 250,000.
Now for some observations as Pro Sports Car Racing faces the new reality
Coming in 2023 from the governing groups are new policies that (a) Abolish PRO Classes in order to cut costs; (b) Prohibit teams owned by manufacturers; and (c) Pair up Pro and Amateur drivers in cars built to lesser performance GT3 spec (gaining acceptance worldwide).
In IMSA, the main venue for Corvette Racing, the Pro category has already been undermined as Porsche and BMW withdrew. Nonetheless both of these manufacturers have supported customer teams with ongoing success.
And keep in mind Ferrari’s AF Corse customer team managed to win both GTE Pro and Am classes at Le Mans.
Literally and figuratively, there seems to be no reason why a new regime of Corvette customer racing teams can’t attract the paddock fanatics and uphold the GM brand.
Klauser says GM is trying to find “the total program,” taking into account the brands that currently race and “what’s coming down the pipeline, what makes sense to pair them with the brands and how they’d be perceived and used as a marketing tool.”
Photo credits to Richard Prince and others.
