# 33 C8.R wins the GTE AM class WEC 1,000-mile race at Sebring
Drivers in a new # 33 C8.R GT3 Corvette won the FIA World Endurance Challenge (WEC) series at Sebring International Raceway. They prevailed in GTE AM, one of three classes totaling 39 entries in a seven-race series starting at Sebring in March, going to Le Mans in June and ending in Bahrain in November.
On its busiest weekend in memory and under perfect skies, an estimated 75,000 fans packed into the historic Sebring circuit in central Florida for its seventy-first season. The FIA WEC 1,000-mile race was held on Friday March 17; followed by the IMSA traditional 12-hour race on Saturday March 18. Each series had their own designated paddock and pit area.
New rules for production-based GT3 spec cars this year require drivers classified as amateurs. The Corvette team is led by Ben Keating (USA) along with Nico Verrone (Argentina) and Nicky Catsburg (Dutch). Keating and Verrone also raced IMSA LM Prototype 2 & 3 cars the following day.
At the top Prototype level, new rules were written to embrace high-tech hybrids and EVs from Toyota (overall winner), Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac, Puegot with more manufacturers coming on board.
The # 33 Corvette finished first in GTE AM after 8 hours of racing, two laps ahead of the # 77 Porsche 911 RSR-19, the # 57 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo and ten other also-rans.
The new chassis C8.R 006 is homologated based on the latest C8 ZO6 Corvette for sale at dealerships. (Good luck getting one at list price).
The GM backed Corvette Racing Team as we knew it is now in its 25th consecutive and final year. They have mastered like none-other the bumps and quirks of Sebring from daylight to dusk and darkness.
The new group now heads abroad to un-charted territory, supported by Team Larbre, an experienced French team that has bought and raced C6.R and C7.R Corvettes in the past.
Next is a six-hour race on April 16 at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.
The IMSA race the following day is covered here: https://rcrc.squarespace.com/keeping-track/2023/3/15/imsa-sebring-12-hour
Photo credits Richard Prince, Charley Robertson, Nigel Dobbie, Frederick Rendu
