When the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship kicks off with the 1000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, March 17, a new trio of Corvette Racing teammates will be set to take on the series' seven-race calendar slated for venues around the globe.

This year, Dutch driver Nicky Catsburg, American Ben Keating and young Argentinian Nico Varrone will pilot the naturally aspirated V-8-powered Corvette C8.R in WEC competition.

In 2023, WEC will only contest one division for GTE-spec cars – known as GTE Am – after the FIA discontinued the GTE Pro class in which the mid-engine C8.R competed last season with Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy. 

GTE Am regulations stipulate a team must consist of only one professional (Gold or Platinum-rated) driver along with at least one Bronze driver and a second Bronze or Silver competitor as rated by the FIA. The result of those rules is a new group of Team Chevy drivers have been tapped to pilot the newly renumbered No. 33 car.

Pro driver Catsburg is no stranger to the Corvette Racing team, having competed in endurance races for the organization in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition since 2020. Since then, he's stood on the top step of the podium at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

In 2023, Catsburg will contest a full calendar for Corvette Racing for the first time, a fact he addressed in advance of the season-opening Sebring event.

"It's definitely going to be different," Catsburg said. "I was always the third driver at Corvette so I was filling in for the few endurance races – Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Le Mans. So this is the first time I'm doing a full season with Corvette Racing with two new teammates. I feel like I'm the one with the most experience in the car, which is a first for me. It's definitely going to be a change. But I feel with this team and the support I have from my teammates in the past years, I hope I can do the same job now for Ben and Nico."

Ben Keating meanwhile is regarded as one of the most talented privateers across all of sports car racing, having competed in prototypes and GT cars for a variety of teams with a wide range of crown-jewel race wins and podium finishes to his credit since his career began in 2006. 

Due to his experience driving for many different manufacturers across multiple classes, he admittedly struggled to find pace during his initial tests at the Bahrain International Circuit with the C8.R last fall. However, at the recent Sebring test, the automobile dealership mogul from Victoria, Texas, found his stride.

"I felt very comfortable in the car, and I feel like I made some huge steps in learning how this car likes to be driven," said Keating, who has a Bronze driver rating. "It's significantly different than all the others. For me personally, it's taken a little bit to get used to. I've been in a turbo car for the last couple of years, and the big V-8 has a lot more torque instantly at low RPMs than having to wait for that big turbo to wind up, so you don't have that lag which takes a little while to get used to. 

"After Bahrain I was worried, but after Sebring I'm excited! I made the transition and was really happy with my performance after the test. After that, I've been testing in the LMP2 there as well, and I feel there is a decent crossover between the two cars at this particular track. I'm ready."

The Silver-rated Varrone rounds out this year's Corvette Racing WEC lineup and comes to the team with a background in karting and single-seaters, along with more recent success in multiple sports car disciplines, having scored wins in both prototypes and GT cars.

"This will be one of my best experiences ever," Varrone said. "To be joining Corvette Racing is a dream for me to be part of a factory team with Ben and Nicky. It will be amazing. I'm really excited about it. I did some laps in Bahrain and Sebring, and I was really comfortable with the car.

"With the Corvette, I feel there is something special in the first moments. It suits my driving style. We have a really good lineup and a really good car. I hope we can have a clean race, a clean weekend and take the most out of it."

The notoriously bumpy and flat 17-turn, 3.74-mile Sebring circuit in central Florida will provide a test for the trio's first race together, but the team is well aware of the unique challenges posed by the track built on the old Hendricks Army Airfield.  Last year, Milner and Tandy drove to a runner-up finish in the Sebring WEC round. 

In 2023, Keating is relishing the chance to race in his native country, which has only added to his high level of anticipation for the event. 

"It's obviously my first race with Corvette Racing, and that's enough anticipation on its own," he said. "Then in addition to that, it's the only WEC race that is on home soil in the U.S., which puts a little more importance up there for me."

The Sebring event is the first main event of an endurance-race doubleheader during the event known as Super Sebring, with the IMSA-sanctioned Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring set for Saturday, March 18. In that race, Jordan Taylor, Antonio Garcia and Milner will look to steer the No. 3 Corvette C8.R to its second consecutive victory in the GTD PRO class at the 12-hour classic and extend the team's standing as the winningest team in the historic event. 

After the season-opening Sebring race, the FIA WEC calendar will contest a total of six more events at some of the world's most famed courses throughout the year, highlighted by the 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans at Circuit de la Sarthe on June 10-11.

This year's GTE Am regulations provide a new challenge for the Corvette Racing team and its drivers, but for an organization whose motto is "Never Give Up," it's also another opportunity for success of the highest kind as the team celebrates its 25th anniversary season. 

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