Corvette Racing Enters a New Era in 2024

After 25 years as a full factory team, the Corvette Racing program is set to shift its focus to customer racing with the Z06 GT3.R in 2024. However, Corvette teams will have a larger presence than ever on both the North American and global stage.

Notably, when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicks off with the Rolex 24 At Daytona in late January, four Corvettes will be on the grid for the twice-around-the-clock affair at Daytona International Speedway. Two each are set to compete in the GTD PRO and GTD ranks.

In IMSA’s GTD PRO class, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will field a pair of factory-supported Corvette Z06 GT3.R machines for the full season.

“Chevrolet and Pratt Miller have collaborated for more than 25 years on the Corvette Racing program, and we are thrilled that we are able to continue together into the GT3 era,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager.

The cars replace the C8.R models that have competed since the 2020 campaign. But while the model is different, the cars will still carry the famous yellow livery to which Corvette fans have grown accustomed over a quarter century. The cars will sport the familiar No. 3 and No. 4 numbers as well, and they will be filled with Corvette factory drivers.

In the No. 3 car, longtime Corvette pilot Antonio Garcia is set to be joined by Alexander Sims for the full season. Sims has worked with Corvette Racing on multiple occasions in recent years. Daniel Juncadella will serve as the car’s third driver in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

“I’ve been a witness to what it means to be a Corvette driver in the U.S., that means a really big fan base,” Juncadella said in regard to joining the Corvette camp for the first time. “That’s pretty exciting, to be honest. At every autograph session in IMSA that I’ve been sitting next to the Corvette tent, there is a queue of 100 people waiting to get an autograph from their drivers, and we were just sitting around! That’s very exciting, I have to say, to see the legacy that Corvette Racing has created in the U.S. and to see the amount of awareness about the brand is very exciting. It makes me proud and it feels quite unique to be a Corvette factory driver.”

Meanwhile, Corvette stalwart Tommy Milner returns to the seat full-time in the No. 4 car in 2024 after serving as a third driver in IMSA last season. Last year he also worked closely with both Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering and Pratt Miller to develop the Z06 GT3.R. Milner will be paired with Nicky Catsburg as he comes off a title-winning effort with Corvette Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Earl Bamber will join Milner and Catsburg for the endurance contests at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta. Although he has often competed against Corvette in his career, Bamber was part of the General Motors sports car program in 2022 and 2023 as he drove in prototype categories for Cadillac Racing.

For Milner, the chance to race again full-time with a stout Corvette lineup is enticing.

“I’m very excited about being back full-time again, especially in this new era of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, with the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R and all that it brings – customer race cars and more Corvettes racing on the track,” Milner said. “It’s an exciting time for us as drivers and an exciting time for Corvette fans. As this team has shown for 25 years, the Corvette Racing name means a lot to sports car racing. So, to see more examples of Corvettes racing around the world is really exciting and something we are looking forward to.”

Among those additional Corvettes on the track are two from Canadian outfit AWA (Andrew Wojteczko Autosport) which will campaign the full season in IMSA’s GTD class after most recently competing in the LMP3 ranks. The team will fall under the Corvette Racing umbrella, which offers customer and technical support.

AWA’s No. 13 car will see drivers Orey Fidani and Matt Bell behind the wheel for the full season, with Alex Lynn and Lars Kern serving as additional drivers in endurance races. Fidani and Bell were paired in AWA’s LMP3 entry in 2023 and steered to a third-place points result. Lynn meanwhile piloted prototypes for Cadillac Racing during the past two seasons.

Anthony Mantella and Corvette factory driver Nico Varrone will drive the sister No. 17 Corvette Z06 GT3.R for all of 2024. The duo won the Rolex 24 last year in LMP3, while Varrone also helped drive Corvette’s championship-winning effort in WEC. They will be joined for the longer races by Thomas Merrill (who was also part of the LMP3 win at Daytona) and Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood.

“First of all, it’s a big honor to be a factory driver for Corvette,” Varrone said. “It’s also nice to be back in IMSA next season with everyone at AWA. These are people that I know from this year and doing the endurance races in LMP3. It was a good year. We won Daytona and had great performances throughout the season. It will be a big challenge with the new car, not only for our team but everyone in the entire Corvette program. But this is also a completely new class for AWA. It will be a challenge, but we will be prepared to make the most of it and get some wins with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and have a great season.”

In FIA WEC, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R will make its first appearance in global competition as the LMGT3 class replaces GTE Am. Last season, the factory Corvette Racing team dominated the final year of GTE Am racing, winning the class in three events – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans – on its way to the championship. For 2024, however, GTE machinery has given way to GT3-based race cars.

British team TF Sport will field two cars in the LMGT3 class, with Corvette factory drivers Juncadella and Eastwood competing in both the IMSA and WEC ranks. Eastwood will be paired with Rui Andrade and Tom van Rompuy in the No. 81 car, with Juncadella piloting the No. 82 with Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud.

Eastwood, who drove for TF Sport both last season and from 2018-2020 when the team was with a different manufacturer, is looking forward to the opportunity with the iconic Corvette brand.

“This certainly ranks up there for me, joining such a brand like Corvette and an organization like GM,” Eastwood said. “It’s what so many drivers wish for their whole career. It seems to be an amazing place to be, and you can see that because so many drivers stay for so long. I’m really looking forward to that opportunity to learn from the best in the business and push on together to achieve great things for many years to come.”

DXDT Racing will also compete under the Corvette Racing banner in the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge America season with a driver lineup to be announced.

All of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R race cars are powered by a 5.5L, DOHC LT6 V-8 engine. Each one shares more than 70 percent of its parts with the production Z06 power plant, and both the race and roadgoing engines originate from the GM Performance Build Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The race engines are then delivered to the GM Propulsion Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, Michigan, where they receive a variety of race-specific components.

In addition, the Z06 GT3.R’s aluminum chassis frame comes from GM’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant, the same place where all Corvettes are built. The Z06 GT3.R chassis then goes to Pratt Miller in New Hudson, Michigan, where a roll cage and other updates are made to make it into a race car. Pratt Miller is responsible for the construction of each Z06 GT3.R, ranging from those competing for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports to customer teams.

For many years, Corvettes competing on the track and those on the road have shared a close relationship. As Corvette Racing enters a new era, that close connection remains, while teams also now have a brand-new option to go racing with “America’s Sports Car.”

Be sure to keep watching The BLOCK for coverage of Team Chevy, Chevrolet Performance and all motorsports disciplines throughout the season.