General Motors sportscar racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser told reporters at the Daytona Roar before the 24 that Corvette will show a “sneak peak” of the company’s new Z06 GT3 car next weekend at the Rolex 24, and hinted it may race in Europe next year.
“We are so excited to be working on the GT3 car and getting ready to launch that. We’ll have a sneak peak for that car coming up next weekend,” she said.
Corvette has been working on a GT3 car since it was decided by IMSA that the existing Corvette C8.R, originally a GTLM car but retrograded to comply with the GTD Pro class rules, would not be eligible to compete in the GTD Pro class past this year.
Corvette released renders of the car last year, and shakycam videos of the car testing were also released, but a full reveal has not yet taken place.
“Everything we’ve learned with the C8.R has been transferred into that, and continues to be transferred into that,” Wontrop Klauser continued. “So every time we’re running a race car, we’re learning. And being able to work with the current race cars in IMSA and WEC [FIA World Endurance Championship], getting ready for the GT3, is great,” she concluded.
Speaking of WEC, Wontrop Klauser expanded on Corvette’s WEC and European operations, and hinted we may see the Z06 in European competition next year.
“Considering all the chaos it is to ship cars around the world, the team did such a great job last year. We have a really nice working relationship with Larbre, who supports us with that, and we wanted to continue forward with them,” she said.
Corvette will compete in 2023 in the WEC with a single car in the GTE Am category, with American gentleman driver Ben Keating as one of the drivers, alongside Nicky Catsburg and an unannounced driver.
“So it made sense to continue with that in 2023,” Wontrop Klauser continued. “We’ll evaluate for GT3 as we get the European operations started for that. That might change some things. But for this year it’ll be the same as 2022.”
