Chevrolet Corvette C8.R

Last updated
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R
DSC8983 (51577943248).jpg
Category IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD Pro
FIA World Endurance Championship LMGTE Am
Constructor Flag of the United States.svg Chevrolet (Pratt Miller)
Designer(s) Vlad Kapitonov
Predecessor Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
Successor Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
Technical specifications
Chassis Aluminum monocoque
Length182.3 in (4,630 mm)
Width80.7 in (2,050 mm)
Height45.2 in (1,148 mm)
Wheelbase 107.2 in (2,723 mm)
Engine LT6.R [1] 5.5  L (336  cu in) 90° V8 naturally aspirated, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission Xtrac P529 6-speed sequential manual
Power500  hp (373  kW) @ 7,400 rpm
Fuel TotalEnergies (WEC)
VP Racing Fuels (IMSA)
Lubricants Mobil 1
Competition history
Notable entrants Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing
Notable drivers Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Gavin
Flag of Germany.svg Mike Rockenfeller
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marcel Fässler
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Tandy
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexander Sims
Debut 2020 24 Hours of Daytona
First win 2020 WeatherTech 240
Last win 2023 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR
Last event 2023 8 Hours of Bahrain
RacesWins Podiums Poles F/Laps
5722502314
Teams' Championships3 (2020 & 2021 IMSA), 2023 FIA WEC)
Constructors' Championships2 (2020, 2021)
Drivers' Championships3 (2020 & 2021 IMSA), (2023 FIA WEC)

The Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is a grand tourer racing car built by Pratt Miller and Chevrolet for competition in endurance racing. It serves as the replacement for the Corvette C7.R, using the C8 generation Chevrolet Corvette as a base. Corvette Racing fielded the C8.R in the IMSA SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class starting with the 2020 season. [2] [3] The car was built to LM GTE specifications as per GTLM rules.

Contents

In 2022, the GTLM class in the IMSA SportsCar Championship was replaced by the GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) class using GT3 machinery. As Corvette did not have any GT3 cars on the market (with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R not debuting until 2024), the C8.R was allowed to run in the GTD Pro class using a GTD kit. This year Corvette Racing would also field a full season entry in the WEC for the first time.

Racing history

2020

The Corvette C8.R made its competitive debut at the 2020 24 Hours of Daytona. The best of the Corvettes, the no.3, finished 4th in the GTLM class and 16th overall with 785 laps. The second car, no.4, finished the race in last place, after running into multiple issues. Throughout the rest of the season the Corvettes managed to score 6 class victories at Daytona, Sebring, Road America, Virginia, Mid-Ohio and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The #3 corvette would end up taking the Championship. Corvette also made their WEC debut at the 2020 Lone Star Le Mans in the GTE pro class. [4] Initially Corvette also entered the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, but had to withdraw due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [2]

2021

At the beginning of the 2021 Corvette took a class victory in the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona. They also won their class at 6 other races, with the only opposition coming from Weathertech Racing and BMW. Corvette also returned to the WEC with a single entry at the 6 hours of Spa. [3] This year also saw the C8.R's debut at the 24 hours of Le Mans, with the #64 Corvette managing to take 2nd place in class not far behind the winning Ferrari.

2022

For 2022 Corvette entered only one car for the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar championship, their other car entering full season in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship in the GTE Pro class. [5] For IMSA the team developed a GTD kit, as the GTLM class had been replaced by GTD Pro. For the first race at Daytona the Corvettes faced a lot of reliability issues and BoP issues, meaning it wasn't very competitive. The squad however, quickly bounced back to win at Sebring, but would fail to earn a second trip to victory lane for the rest of the season. Eventually, the team settled for third in the final championship standings, behind the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche and Vasser-Sullivan's Lexus.

The FIA WEC half of the operation would earn a victory at Monza, and would place second at Sebring (separate from the 12 Hour-enduro IMSA race they won) and at Bahrain, but the Tommy Milner-Nick Tandy piloted entry was routinely outpaced by AF Corse's Ferrari and Porsche's factory effort. As a result, the two Corvette wheelmen wound up tied for sixth in the final points table.

2023

For 2023, Corvette Racing are continuing with their modified C8.R in GTD Pro. Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia will drive at all events, with Tommy Milner joining them in the endurance rounds. [6]

With the GTE-Pro class being eliminated for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. Corvette's squad moved to GTE-Am. As a result of having to alter its driver lineup to meet the class regulations, Platinum-rated Nicky Catsburg will lead the squad, joined by Ben Keating, a Bronze-level driver, and Nicolás Varrone as their silver driver. [7] [8] Catsburg, Keating and Varrone won the GTE-Am class in the C8.R, in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary race. [9]

On Sunday, July 9, at the 2023 WEC 6 Hours of Monza, Corvette Racing claimed the FIA World Endurance Championship's GTE Am division [10] with two races remaining in the series.

Competition History

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
YearEntrantClassDriversNo.Rds.RoundsPts.Pos.
123456789101112
2020 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing GTLM Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
3All
All
1, 9, 11
DAY 1
4
DAY 2
1
SEB 1
2
ELK
1
VIR
1
ATL 1
5
MOH
1
CLT
1
ATL 2
2
LGA
2
SEB 2
5
3511st
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Gavin
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marcel Fässler
4All
All
1, 9, 11
DAY 1
7
DAY 2
5
SEB 1
1
ELK
2
VIR
4
ATL 1
2
MOH
2
CLT
4
ATL 2
4
LGA
6
SEB 2
6
3153rd
2021 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing GTLM Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
3All
All
1-2, 12
DAY 1
2
DAY 2
1
SEB
4
BEL
2
WGL 1
1
WGL 2
1
LIM
1
ELK
2
LGA
2
LBH
2
VIR
2
ATL
6
35491st
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Tandy
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexander Sims
4All
All
1-2, 12
DAY 1
1
DAY 2
2
SEB
5
BEL
1
WGL 1
4
WGL 2
2
LIM
2
ELK
3
LGA
1
LBH
1
VIR
1
ATL
4
34482nd
2022 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing GTD Pro Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
3All
All
1-2, 12
DAY 1
6
DAY 2
6
SEB
1
LBH
3
LGA
4
WGL
6
MOS
2
LIM
4
ELK
3
VIR
2
PET
5
3rd3194
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Tandy
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
Flag of Denmark.svg Marco Sørensen
41
1
1
DAY 1
7
DAY 2
10
SEB
LBH
LGA
WGL
MOS
LIM
ELK
VIR
PET
35th234
2023 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing GTD Pro Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
3All
All
1-2, 11
DAY
2
SEB
5
LBH
2
MON
4
WGL
3
MOS
1
LIM
4
ELK
3
VIR
1
IMS
5
PET
7
3rd3579

Complete World Endurance Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
YearEntrantClassDriversNo.Rds.RoundsPts.Pos.
12345678
2019–20 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing LMGTE Pro Flag of Germany.svg Mike Rockenfeller
Flag of Denmark.svg Jan Magnussen
635
5
SIL
FUJ
SHA
BHR
COA
6
SPA
LMN
BHR
0NC
2021 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing LMGTE Pro Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Gavin
631, 4
4
4
1
SPA
4
POR MON LMN
2
BHR BHR 0NC
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Tandy
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexander Sims
644
4
4
SPA POR MON LMN
6
BHR BHR 0NC
2022 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing LMGTE Pro Flag of Spain.svg Antonio García
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Taylor
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
633
3
3
SEB
SPA
LMN
RET
MZA
FUJ
BHR
0NC
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Tandy
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Milner
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexander Sims
64All
All
3
SEB
2
SPA
4
LMN
RET
MZA
1
FUJ
5
BHR
2
1026th
2023 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing LMGTE Am Flag of the United States.svg Ben Keating
Flag of Argentina.svg Nicolás Varrone
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
33All
All
All
SEB
1
POR
1
SPA
2
LMN
1
MZA
4
FUJ
2
BHR
7
1731st

Race Victories

YearNo.Race TitleCircuitClassSeries
20201 WeatherTech 240 Flag of the United States.svg Daytona International Speedway GTLM IMSA
2 Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring Flag of the United States.svg Sebring International Raceway GTLMIMSA
3 IMSA SportsCar Weekend Flag of the United States.svg Road America GTLMIMSA
4 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Flag of the United States.svg Virginia International Raceway GTLMIMSA
5 Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Flag of the United States.svg Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course GTLMIMSA
6 MOTUL 100% Synthetic Grand Prix Flag of the United States.svg Charlotte Motor Speedway GTLMIMSA
20217Motul Pole Award 100 Flag of the United States.svg Daytona International SpeedwayGTLM IMSA
8 Rolex 24 at Daytona Flag of the United States.svg Daytona International SpeedwayGTLMIMSA
9 Detroit Sports Car Classic Flag of the United States.svg The Raceway on Belle Isle GTLMIMSA
10 Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen Flag of the United States.svg Watkins Glen International GTLMIMSA
11 WeatherTech 240 at the Glen Flag of the United States.svg Watkins Glen InternationalGTLMIMSA
12 Northeast Grand Prix Flag of the United States.svg Lime Rock Park GTLMIMSA
13Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship Flag of the United States.svg WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca GTLMIMSA
14Grand Prix of Long Beach Flag of the United States.svg Long Beach Street Circuit GTLMIMSA
15Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Flag of the United States.svg Virginia International RacewayGTLMIMSA
202216 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Flag of the United States.svg Sebring International RacewayGTD Pro IMSA
17 6 Hours of Monza Flag of Italy.svg Autodromo Nazionale di Monza LMGTE Pro WEC
202318 1000 Miles of Sebring Flag of the United States.svg Sebring International RacewayLMGTE Am WEC
19 6 Hours of Portimão Flag of Portugal.svg Algarve International Circuit LMGTE AmWEC
20 24 Hours of Le Mans Flag of France.svg Circuit de la Sarthe LMGTE AmWEC
21 Chevrolet Grand Prix at CTMP Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canadian Tire Motorsport Park GTD Pro IMSA
22 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Flag of the United States.svg Virginia International RacewayGTD ProIMSA

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References

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