Almost a win for the # 3 Corvette at VIR IMSA race

Jordan Taylor liked his chances going into this race, due to the Corvette Racing Team’s long experience at VIR, a flowing road circuit with two long straights and a mix of low/medium/high-speed corners.

Antonio Garcia qualified the # 3 Corvette second in hot humid weather, give or take some credit to the right setup.

The odds looked even better when the pole sitter # 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 incurred a drive-thru penalty for a pit crew infraction that erased its chances.

The Corvette’s race strategy called for Garcia to pit at 47 minutes, take less fuel, change drivers and gain track position early into the 2-hour 40-minute race. 

Taylor led by a healthy 10 seconds after the rest of the field pitted, only to lose that advantage from a full course yellow to clear debris from the track.

The Corvette needed a long fill that dropped Taylor to 4th behind Mathieu Jaminet in the # 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R, John Edwards in the # 25 BMW M Team RLL M4 GT3 and Ben Barnicoat in the # 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC.

With other cars in fuel-saving mode to go the 86-lap distance, Taylor closed right up on the bumper of the # 9 Porsche which notched its fifth win of the season.  The Porsche drivers are set to win the 2022 season IMSA GTD Pro title simply by starting at the Petit Le Mans finale at Road Atlanta.

VIR was a race where the # 3 Corvette had the strategy and speed to win were it not for that full course yellow.   

Photo credits Richard Prince, John Dagys