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CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Taking the (Overall) Spotlight

Corvette brings strong history to IMSA season’s only GT-only race

 
DETROIT (August 21, 2024) – Corvette Racing’s summer stretch in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wraps up with the series’ lone GT-only race of the season – the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR. 

Three of the first-year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are set for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint race: Nos. 3 (Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims) and 4 (Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg) for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO plus AWA’s No. 13 GTD entry (Orey Fidani and Matt Bell). 

The trio of Z06 GT3.Rs will look to continue Corvette Racing’s incredibly strong history at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course that sits on the Virginia-North Carolina border.

Corvettes have made a habit of being at the front and – more often than not – winning at Virginia International Raceway. The program’s IMSA factory team has won six times at the circuit since 2012, and DXDT Racing swept both rounds of GT World Challenge America there earlier this year with Milner, a Virginia native.

He ranks second in IMSA VIR wins among active drivers with three. The only driver with more is Garcia with four, including last year with Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R. In addition, Sims (2018 GTLM) and Bell (2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge) have one VIR victory to their credit. Meanwhile, Fidani is set for his first WeatherTech Championship start at VIR, and Catsburg will make his debut at the circuit.

A victory this weekend by either Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports or AWA would give the Z06 GT3.R its second (or third in the event of a sweep) IMSA win this year. The GTD PRO effort also is on a streak of two consecutive pole positions and four in the last five races, a strong showing for the first-year Corvette.

In GTD, AWA is coming off a season-best, fifth-place finish the last time out at Road America. A repeat – or besting that result – at VIR would solidify Fidani’s lead in the Bob Akin Award standings, with the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of the year earning an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 25. The race will air live on USA starting at noon ET with live streaming on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday afternoon’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I can divide VIR into three parts - from Turn One to before the Esses, then from there to the Oak Tree corner. I really like the last part of the lap from the backstretch all the way to start/finish. It's very challenging with how aggressive you need to at the end of the backstraight, and down the hill into the last corner is really challenging but fun. I love it there. We've had a lot of success there. I've won with Jan there and with Jordan. It's another great track for Corvette Racing, so let's see if we can add to that this week."

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "It has been a few years so I’m looking forward to going back to VIR. I’ve won once and probably should have won twice. I really like the place. It has a lovely flow to it. From Turn Three pretty much all the way up to Oak Tree Corner, it’s so fun and challenging. Some are flat-out and some are ones where you have a small lift to balance the car. The entry off the backstretch is great with compressions, crests, camber changes and things. It’s really cool.

“There are a bunch of complicated corners that you need to get right and compile them all to get a good laptime. They’re tough corners where if you get it wrong, you can hemorrhage two- or three-tenths without blinking. It’s a very unforgiving track, which is great. It adds an extra dimension where you know you have to get it right. As with other American tracks, it’s a place where sometimes you have to be brave and step into the slight unknown to get the performance. If something goes wrong, you’ll know very, very quickly, which is good.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is a reason for a lot of drivers why VIR ends up being one of their favorite tracks – because there are so many sequences of corners and sections of the track that are all unique in their own way. They all present their own challenges, and it all culminates in the challenge of driving these cars and getting the most out of them. It’s a place where if the car isn’t just right, you can have big moments. It’s a fun, fun sequence of corners all the way around. The car and the driver are doing a lot of work. VIR is a playground for these racecars to do that for the whole lap.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I’m really excited to go to VIR. It’s a track that I’ve never been to. I’ve done quite a lot of laps on the simulator and it seems pretty awesome with cool, flowing corners, high speeds and elevation changes. It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for awhile. I’ve always watched the races from there. I remember some cool moves from Nick Tandy shoving a Porsche out of the way not too long ago when he was in a Corvette, which was awesome. It’s always a challenge going to a new track but it should be good. VIR seems like a unique place – one of the American tracks that stands out and that drivers love. I usually enjoy these types of tracks so I’m looking forward to it.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The last time I was at VIR, I won! So I’d like to do that again. I was in the 2020 LMP3 championship. It’s been a good circuit for me. I’ve tested there a few times but that was the only time I’ve raced there, and I’m one-for-one so let’s see if we can do the same.”

“It’s a pretty iconic circuit. You have a lot of high-commitment corners. The Esses obviously are pretty famous. Hogpen – the last two corners – is my personal favorite section of the track coming into the frontstraight. It’s a high-commitment track. Corvettes have had a lot of success there in the past. I’ve had some fun watching old videos of IMSA there the last few years and the Corvettes battling the Porsche there and knocking them down a peg or two. So yeah, I’d like to go and do the same.

“You have a technical Sector One where you have to really piece it together to make sure you’re on the right part of the track at the right time. Then it’s a big commitment for Sector Two up through the Esses at high-speed into Turn 10 – a high-speed left where if you get that wrong, you’re in for a world of hurt! Then you have the tricky last sector with Hogpen at the end. It still takes a pretty big commitment with the elevation change, and that always makes a circuit, and there’s plenty of it there. It’s another gem in the IMSA schedule.” 

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to coming back to VIR. It’s been a few years since I last raced there, I’ve spent time in the simulator getting back up to speed on the track. It is a true rollercoaster ride, and a lot of fun to drive. Following our strong finish at the last race in Road America, we’re eager to keep building off that. We continue to learn more and more about the car after each round, and we’ll be doing all we can to see further improvements.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD PRO Drivers Standings

1. Laurin Heinrich – 2256

2. Ross Gunn – 2180

3. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2083

4. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2066

5. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 2023

6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 1961

 
GTD PRO Teams Standings

1. No. 77 AO Racing – 2256

2. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2180

3. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2083

4. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2066

5. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 2023

6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 1961

 
GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

1. Porsche – 2304

2. Aston Martin – 2216

3. Chevrolet – 2154

4. Lexus – 2139

5. McLaren – 2019

 
GTD Drivers Standings

1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 2396

2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 2128

3. Parker Thompson – 1870

4. Mikael Grenier – 1796

5. Albert Costa Balboa/Manny Franco – 1781

12. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 1559

 
GTD Teams Standings

1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 2396

2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 2128

3. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 1796

4. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 1781

5. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan – 1677

10. No. 13 AWA – 1283

 
GTD Manufacturers Standings

1. Mercedes-AMG – 2500

2. Aston Martin – 2027

3. Lexus – 2022

4. BMW – 1970

5. Porsche – 1963

9. Chevrolet – 1798

CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: By the Numbers

• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at VIR since 2012 – Corvette C6.R (2012-2013), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and the mid-engine Corvette C8.R – which raced at VIR for the final time in IMSA competition in 2023 – and Z06 GT3.R, both of which are eighth-gen Corvettes

• 6: IMSA class wins at VIR for Corvette Racing. Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin won in ALMS GT competition in 2012, and Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won overall in 2016 and 2017. Garcia and Jordan Taylor drove the C8.R to a win in 2020 and 2023 with Milner and Nick Tandy victorious in 2021.

• 6: Overall VIR race wins for Corvette Racing – 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. The first five came in IMSA competition with DXDT Racing winning once overall in June’s GT World Challenge America’s event as it swept the Pro class

• 13: Number of VIR victories in IMSA for Chevrolet since 2002, including the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series; that’s the most among manufacturers

• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001

• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen

• 51: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Bryson Morris joined the list at Road America in GT World Challenge America

• 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year

• 135: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and seven in GT World Challenge America

• 301: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA

• 6,448.44: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 12 previous events at Virginia International Raceway

• 386,963.37: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

Corvette Racing at VIR (wins in bold)

2012

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 8th in GT (Garcia fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Clinched ALMS GT title)

2013

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GT (Clinch GT team, manufacturer titles)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GT

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 7th in GTLM (Taylor replaced Magnussen – injury)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GTLM

2015

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM

2016

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen pole)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GTLM (Gavin fastest race lap)

2017

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2018

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2019

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM

2020

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM 

2021

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Milner pole)

2022

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTD PRO (Taylor fastest race lap)

 
2023

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTD PRO

 
2024 – GT World Challenge

No. 63 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Alec Udell – 1st,1st in Pro

No. 08 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Bryan Sellers/Scott Smithson – 6th, 3rd in Pro-Am

Ryan Smith
Judy Kouba Dominick

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