AWA has been reduced to a single #13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R entrant in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after Anthony Mantella departed the operation with the #17 car.
As one of the two new Corvette Z06 GT3.R entries competing in the GTD category, the #17 suffered major electronic-related reliability woes at the 24 Hours of Daytona and an alternator failure at the more recent 12 Hours of Sebring.
This led to the car not finishing both races after completing only two laps in the latter event.
A statement from AWA Racing said: “Anthony Mantella has elected to step away from the GTD program at this moment in time.
“The #13 car will continue to proceed as planned and will be present at the upcoming round in Long Beach.”
Mantella, who owns the #17 Corvette, was joined by Endurance Cup driver Thomas Merrill and reigning WEC GTE Am champion Nico Varrone at Sebring, with the addition of fellow Corvette works driver Charlie Eastwood at the season-opener.
On Instagram, Mantella has offered the teal blue and red/white striped #17 Corvette for sale using such descriptions as “Used very infrequently” and “Hasn’t finished a race”.
The post continued: “Perfect for the collector who wants the latest iron from Pratt Miller/Corvette Racing [who run two GTD Pro cars].
“Not a perfect race car but unobtainium to the public.”
As a result of this circumstance, the black and yellow #13 will continue in the hands of Britain’s Matt Bell and Canada’s Orey Fidani for the full season, and the addition of Germany’s Lars Kern at the Endurance Cup rounds.
The Grand Prix of Long Beach will be the third round on the 2024 IMSA schedule, hosting a 1-hour and 40-minute sprint race with solely GTP and GTD cars around the street circuit on 20 April.
