The Future of Corvette Racing: GM to Hand Over Control to Customer Teams in 2024
General Motors and engineering firm Pratt & Miller have been working together for 25 years to create one of the most successful racing teams in sports car history. Corvette Racing represents GM’s official factory racing program and has decorated its name with eight GTLM Manufacturer championships and 13 GTLM Drivers championships. In addition to their yellow Corvettes sailing across the tracks of IMSA SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship and other locations, the team also won first place in their class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last week. However, GM is set to introduce a new Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car into the mix next year, which will lead to the shut down of its entire factory effort, handing over control to customer teams.
The Future of Corvette Racing: GM to Hand Over Control to Customer Teams in 2024
“As we moved to the GT3 platform, we wanted to be able to be more customer-centric,” explains Mark Stielow, GM’s director of motorsports competition engineering, in an interview with sports365. “There was a lot of internal debate within GM and us about whether we would want our customers to compete against a factory.” Thus, the introduction of the top-of-the-line Z06 GT3.R in 2024 will initiate the beginning of a customer-centered program. While such a change may seem sudden and dramatic, the company’s goal is to increase the involvement of customer teams on the track and, thereby, increase the number of Corvettes on the racing circuit.
Keeping Customers Happy: A Hybrid Program and a New Name
Stielow revealed that after official factory efforts are retired, the company may continue to support Corvette racers by enrolling them in teams that use the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Such collaboration will further the idea of a “hybrid” program, and this method of cooperation will almost certainly attract more customer teams and lead to an increase in the number of Corvettes to be seen on the racetrack. Pratt & Miller, the engineering firm behind the Corvette Racing banner, may also become a participating team. However, the racing cars will likely carry a different name to distinguish them from the Corvette Racing team.
A New Era of Corvette Racing: Introducing the Z06 GT3.R
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R was initially unveiled in January 2021 and is set to compete against other cars in the SportsCar Championship GTD class and the comparable LMGT3 class in the World Endurance Championship in 2024. Development is ongoing, but the first deliveries are due to be made in the third quarter of 2021, giving teams sufficient time to conduct trials before the 2024 campaign.
What Does This Mean for the Future of GM’s Racing Programs?
The transition from a factory-backed racing program to an approach more centered on customer teams may raise concerns about the company’s support in the future. However, this is not the first instance of a major racing team making such a move. Other models have proven that the company can still be profitable and efficient in the world of motorsports. Stielow added that the transition from in-house to customer teams would be implemented to avoid conflicting interests and improve the speed and agility of the program. This move would allow GM to maintain its strong presence in the racing world while furthering the Corvette brand’s legacy.
Summary:
General Motors, under its factory racing program Corvette Racing, is leading the way in sports car racing after winning several championships and excelling in endurance races. However, the introduction of the Z06 GT3.R race car in 2024 will mean that the factory-backed racing program will come to an end, enabling the transition to an approach centered more on customer teams. This move will allow GM to support more customer teams and create more Corvette brands on racetracks. Pratt & Miller may become one of these customer teams, but the car they race will carry a different name to distinguish it from the Corvette Racing team. Even with this significant change, GM remains optimistic and inspired by other successful models implemented by other major racing teams to date.
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Corvette Racing, a joint effort between General Motors and engineering firm Pratt & Miller, has been one of the most successful teams in sports car racing for the past quarter century.
Their yellow Corvettes are regulars at IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship races, including last weekend. 24 Hours of Le Mans where the team does not 3 Corvette C8.R took home a class win.
However, with the advent of a new Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car next year, GM will end its entire factory effort and hand over command to customer teams. That’s according to Mark Stielow, GM’s director of motorsports competition engineering, who recently spoke with sports365.
“As we moved to the GT3 platform, we wanted to be able to be more customer-centric,” he said. “There was a lot of internal debate within GM and us about whether we would want our customers to compete against a factory.”
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car
Stielow said GM is likely to continue to support drivers by bringing them into teams that field the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in what he called a “hybrid” program. The move is likely to attract more customer teams, which would lead to more Corvettes on the track.
Stielow also indicated that Pratt & Miller may be among the teams to field the new race car, though any entries will likely have a different name than the current Corvette Racing banner.
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R was first shown in January. The car is still in development, but deliveries are confirmed to start in the third quarter of the year, giving the teams plenty of time to test the car ahead of the 2024 season.
The car’s main competition will be in the GTD class of the SportsCar Championship, as well as the comparable LMGT3 class that will be featured in the World Endurance Championship in 2024.
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1139906_gm-to-end-corvette-racing-program
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