Corvette Racing has decided to announce their 2022 plans, at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale.
The team will once again run in IWSC, but will have to rebuild their current C8.R to GT3-alike specifications, since the GTLM category closes, and turns into GTD Pro. The team has already tested an ABS system, when they raced at Detroit earlier this year, which was a non-championship round for GTLM.
But the C8.R model in GTLM/GTE spec will not be packed away just yet, but will go on a world tour instead. The team has chosen to enter the FIA World Endurance Championship, where one car will run the full season, and a second car will be added for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The six current drivers are retained for 2022, with Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia focusing on the IMSA championship in car #3 (plus Le Mans in car #63), with the added help from Nicky Catsburg at the endurance rounds, while Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy will be doing the FIA WEC in car #64, with Alexander Sims as an addition at the longer races.
Photo: JJ Media
That puts the car count in the FIA WEC GTE Pro category to a minimum of five, in the final season of that category. ACO has chosen to close the category following the 2022 season, since the LMDh cars are coming in from 2023, with full focus from the car manufacturers. Corvette Racing has GT racing as their focus within General Motors, since Cadillac has been chosen as their LMDh brand, just like they currently are doing DPi.
Last but not least, there is an announcement, that they will build a real GT3 car for 2024, with the designation Z06 GT3.R. This will be the very first time, that Corvette Racing builds a real GT3 car. There are a few privately built cars out there, with the Callaway cars being the most successful and prominent ones. The factory hasn’t allowed a global car, so they have to stick to doing ADAC GT Masters only. Corvette Racing will sell their brand new car to customer teams, so it can race all over the world.
The six drivers are all competing this weekend, at the 10 hours race named Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
