ULTIMATE CORVETTE

Category: CORVETTE RACING

Four Corvettes, One Effort: Corvette Racing Returns to Le Mans

The streets of Le Mans have once again been filled with race cars, team transporters, engineers, drivers, and fans, and this year, Corvette has arrived in France with its largest presence at the 24 Hours in a decade. Four Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start the 94th running of the French endurance classic on Saturday, giving the Bowtie brand one of the strongest numerical lineups in the 25-car LMGT3 field.

This is not the familiar two-car factory assault that defined Corvette Racing’s greatest years at Le Mans. The yellow Pratt Miller entries that carried America’s sports car to nine class victories are not competing as separate cars this weekend, nor is DXDT Racing entered under its own banner. Instead, the 2026 lineup represents the global customer-racing program that Corvette and Pratt Miller have spent the past several years building around the Z06 GT3.R.

TF Sport sits at the center of that effort. The British organization is fielding its two full-season FIA World Endurance Championship Corvettes, operating a third entry with Johor Motorsports Racing and supporting the North American-based 13 Autosport team. GM and Corvette Racing personnel are also embedded across the program, with the crews sharing data, engineering resources, equipment, and spare parts along the same section of pit lane.

Corvette wasted little time showing its potential during Sunday’s official Le Mans Test Day, placing three Z06 GT3.Rs among the eight fastest LMGT3 entries. Jonny Edgar put TF Sport’s No. 33 third in class with a 3:56.885 lap, while Matt Bell followed just 0.031 second behind in 13 Autosport’s Canadian-liveried No. 13. Charlie Eastwood added the seventh-fastest time aboard the No. 34, giving Corvette three cars within half a second of the class-leading pace. Test Day never tells the entire story, but the early speed provided an encouraging start to race week. (Image credit: Chevrolet)

Pratt Miller remains an essential part of the story. The Michigan organization co-developed the Z06 GT3.R with GM Motorsports Competition Engineering, builds the race cars, and provides the engineering foundation behind the global customer program. DXDT is represented indirectly through Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluc, who race the No. 36 Corvette in IMSA endurance competition and will share TF Sport’s No. 34 at Le Mans. The entry list may show TF Sport and 13 Autosport, but the combined effort draws upon experience gathered by Corvette teams racing in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

That cooperation was evident during Sunday’s official Test Day, when all four Corvettes completed two three-hour sessions on the 8.48-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. Three of the four finished inside the top eight in LMGT3, and two were separated by only 0.031 seconds.

Jonny Edgar led the Corvette contingent in the No. 33 TF Sport entry with a 3:56.885 lap, third-fastest in class and just 0.239 seconds behind the day’s quickest LMGT3 car. Matt Bell followed with a 3:56.916 in the red No. 13 from 13 Autosport. Charlie Eastwood placed the No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette seventh, leaving three Z06 GT3.Rs within roughly half a second of the class benchmark.

Test Day times at Le Mans never tell the whole story. Teams work through fuel loads, driver acclimation, tire programs, aerodynamic settings, and race simulations, while nobody is eager to reveal everything before qualifying. Still, the early pace showed that the Corvette has straight-line speed and a workable baseline. Lars Kern and Salih Yoluc were tied at the top of the LMGT3 speed traps, while Ben Keating was only fractionally behind in the No. 33.

TF Sport’s No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R emerged as the quickest of the four Corvettes during Sunday’s Le Mans Test Day, with Jonny Edgar recording a 3:56.885 lap—third-fastest in LMGT3 and just 0.239 seconds off the class benchmark. Edgar shares the car with 2023 Le Mans class winner Nicky Catsburg and the returning Ben Keating, giving TF Sport a lineup rich in both outright speed and endurance experience. The early pace guarantees nothing over 24 hours, but it confirms that the No. 33 enters race week as one of Corvette’s strongest contenders in the pursuit of its tenth Le Mans class victory. (Image credit: Luc Warnotte)

The No. 33 may be Corvette’s most complete bid for victory. Nicky Catsburg returns to a Corvette at Le Mans for the first time since helping deliver the program’s ninth class win in 2023. Jonny Edgar has already demonstrated his pace, and Ben Keating is back after missing the first two WEC rounds while recovering from elbow surgery following a mountain-bike accident.

Keating’s return adds another layer to the weekend. He arrived late at scrutineering after two canceled flights, then completed multiple runs and a full stint during Test Day. His endurance may still be tested over 24 hours, but the car has already scored a runner-up finish at Imola with substitute Blake McDonald and enters Le Mans fourth in the LMGT3 championship. With double points available, a clean race could dramatically reshape the title picture.

The No. 34 carries a different kind of urgency. Eastwood, Yoluc, and Peter Dempsey scored their first championship points of the season with a ninth-place finish at Spa, but the results have not yet reflected the group’s potential. Eastwood finished on the Le Mans podium last year and has repeatedly proven himself in long-distance competition. Yoluc is an experienced Bronze-rated driver and a former Le Mans class winner, while Dempsey adds another steady hand to a lineup built for consistency rather than outright qualifying theatrics.

For Corvette followers in the United States, the DXDT connection gives the No. 34 an added point of familiarity. Eastwood and Yoluc have both contributed to DXDT’s IMSA Corvette program, carrying lessons from Daytona, Sebring, and other North American endurance races into TF Sport’s European operation. That cross-pollination is exactly what Chevrolet envisioned when the Z06 GT3.R replaced the single factory-centered model with a customer platform capable of competing worldwide.

TF Sport’s No. 2 Corvette Z06 GT3.R sweeps through the streets of Le Mans carrying one of the newest stories in Corvette’s four-car 2026 campaign. The entry was secured through TF Sport’s 2025 European Le Mans Series championship and combines the British team’s experience with personnel from Johor Motorsports Racing. Prince Jefri Ibrahim and Ben Green will make their Le Mans debuts alongside Lorcan Hanafin, the trio’s only driver with previous race experience at the Circuit de la Sarthe. For JMR, the dark-blue Corvette represents the fulfillment of a seven-year ambition to compete in endurance racing’s most celebrated event. (Image credit: Chevrolet)

The No. 2 Corvette is the newest and least experienced of the four. TF Sport earned the automatic invitation by winning the 2025 European Le Mans Series LMGT3 championship, but the Le Mans entry is being run jointly with Johor Motorsports Racing. Roughly 70 percent of the crew comes from JMR and 30 percent from TF Sport, with the organizations sharing management, equipment, and technical support.

Prince Jefri Ibrahim and Ben Green are making their Le Mans debuts, while Lorcan Hanafin was added to the lineup only days before the event as a replacement for Afiq Ikhwan Yazid. Hanafin raced at Le Mans in 2025 and has previous experience in the Corvette, making him the only driver in the No. 2 with prior knowledge of both the circuit and the car. The entry finished 23rd on Test Day, but its weekend is less about a single lap and more about shortening the learning curve before Saturday afternoon.

The fourth Corvette belongs to 13 Autosport, the renamed successor to the AWA-supported operation that raced here last year. Orey Fidani earned the invitation by winning his second consecutive IMSA Bob Akin Award, and he returns with Matt Bell and Lars Kern after the trio finished 10th in its 2025 Le Mans debut.

Draped in a striking red-and-white Canadian livery, 13 Autosport’s No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R returns to Le Mans with Orey Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern sharing the cockpit for a second consecutive year. Formerly competing as AWA, the team earned its return invitation after Fidani captured a second straight IMSA Bob Akin Award. The same trio finished 10th in LMGT3 during its 2025 Le Mans debut and now returns with a year of hard-earned experience at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Bell’s fourth-fastest class time during Test Day further demonstrated that the Canadian Corvette has the speed to become a serious contender.

Their red Canadian Corvette was already one of the visual standouts of race week, but this is a far more experienced group than the one that arrived twelve months ago. Bell’s Test Day speed confirmed the car’s potential. Fidani and Kern have also spoken openly about lessons learned from slow zones, traffic procedures, and penalties—small details that can erase minutes and destroy a race long before mechanical reliability becomes a factor.

All four Corvette crews will face a crowded and highly competitive LMGT3 field. Corvette is the second-most represented marque in the class behind Ferrari, and the opposition includes entries from Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche. The Z06 GT3.R brings a production-derived aluminum chassis and a 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank V8 that shares extensive content with the road-going Z06, but Le Mans will ultimately reward execution: staying out of trouble, controlling brake and tire wear, avoiding penalties and keeping the car on the lead lap through the night.

Corvette arrives with nine class victories at Le Mans, including the final GTE-Am win in 2023, and the GT3-spec car earned its first Le Mans podium with a third-place finish last season. Four entries increase the opportunities, but they also demonstrate how much the program has changed. What was once a single American factory team has become a coordinated international network, linked by one car, shared engineering, and a common objective.

The opening sessions begin on Wednesday, followed by qualifying and Hyperpole on Thursday. The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts Saturday, June 13, at 4:00 p.m. in France—10:00 a.m. Eastern and 9:00 a.m. Central—and runs through the same time on Sunday.

How to Watch or Listen

This weekend, Corvette Racing returns to Le Mans with four Z06 GT3.Rs and one goal: conquer the world’s greatest endurance race. Let’s go racing.

U.S. television coverage will air on truTV, with streaming available through HBO Max. FIAWEC+ will carry live and on-demand coverage of race-week sessions in supported territories, although regional restrictions may apply. Live timing is available through the official FIA World Endurance Championship platforms.

Radio Le Mans will provide live English-language audio throughout the event. SiriusXM will also carry Le Mans coverage beginning Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on channel 202 and channel 965 through the SiriusXM app.

Corvette Racing arrives at Le Mans with four Z06 GT3.Rs, four international teams and one shared goal: another class victory in France. From TF Sport and Pratt Miller to DXDT and 13 Autosport, here’s how Corvette’s largest Le Mans effort in a decade is taking shape.
Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca

Corvette Racing did not leave Laguna Seca with the GTD PRO win, but it left Monterey with something nearly as important this early in the IMSA season: control of the championship conversation.

The No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg finished second in GTD PRO after starting eighth in class, turning a difficult opening position into one of the team’s strongest results of the year. It was not a straightforward afternoon. Milner had to manage the usual Laguna Seca traffic and early contact, while the Pratt Miller crew quickly recognized that the race would likely be decided as much by pit timing and fuel strategy as outright speed.

That call proved critical. By moving the No. 4 Corvette onto an alternate strategy, the team gave Catsburg a chance to bring the car back into contention during the second half of the race. As the GTD PRO field cycled through stops and fuel-saving strategies began to unravel late, Catsburg was positioned to capitalize. He came home second, just behind the winning Ford Mustang GT3, securing another podium for the No. 4 team.

For the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R, Laguna Seca was a championship-building afternoon. Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg turned an eighth-place starting position into a second-place GTD PRO finish, using smart pit strategy and a disciplined closing run to stay in contention as the race became a fuel-and-timing exercise. The result gave the No. 4 Corvette its second straight podium and moved Milner, Catsburg, Chevrolet, and the Pratt Miller entry into the GTD PRO points lead. It was not the win they wanted, but it was the kind of measured, high-value result that defines a serious title campaign. (Image credit: Autosports.com)

More importantly, the finish moved Milner and Catsburg into the GTD PRO drivers’ championship lead. The No. 4 Corvette also took over the team standings, while Chevrolet moved to the top of the manufacturers’ championship. For a program still in the early stages of the Z06 GT3.R era, that is a meaningful marker.

The sister No. 3 Corvette of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims also delivered a solid points-paying result, finishing fourth in GTD PRO. Their strategy played out differently, with Sims among the drivers trying to stretch fuel late in the race. When the caution they needed never came, the No. 3 Corvette slipped out of podium position but still gave Corvette Racing both factory-supported entries inside the top four.

DragonSpeed’s No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R had a quieter but useful afternoon at Laguna Seca, bringing the car home 11th in GTD after a cleaner run than some of its earlier-season outings. It was not the breakthrough result the team is chasing, but for a customer Corvette program still building rhythm with the Z06 GT3.R platform, finishing the race and gathering data represented a step in the right direction.

The customer Corvette programs had a more mixed afternoon. DragonSpeed’s No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R finished 11th in GTD, giving the team a cleaner result after a difficult start to the season. The No. 13 13 Autosport Corvette retired with a mechanical issue, ending its day early.

Laguna Seca was not perfect for Corvette Racing, but it was productive. The Z06 GT3.R showed pace, the Pratt Miller pit stand made the right calls, and Corvette left California leading the GTD PRO title fight.

Corvette Racing turned a challenging Laguna Seca weekend into a championship-building result, with the No. 4 Z06 GT3.R landing on the GTD PRO podium and taking the points lead. The win slipped away, but Corvette’s two-car factory effort showed pace, strategy, and resilience when it counted.
Corvette Racing Battles Through Challenging 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – What began as a promising title defense for Corvette Racing in this year’s 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona has unfolded into a dramatic endurance spectacle, with fortunes swinging wildly in both GTD PRO and GTD competition as the iconic 24-hour event nears its conclusion.

Corvette Racing, campaigned by Pratt & Miller Motorsports, entered two factory-supported Corvette Z06 GT3.R machines in the GTD PRO class — the No. 3 of Antonio García, Alexander Sims and Marvin Kirchhöfer and the No. 4 driven by Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone. The team arrived off a strong off-season and secured GTD PRO pole with the No. 3 Corvette, marking a high point for the program before racing began.

Drama Strikes the No. 3 Corvette

After running strongly through the first 19 hours of the race, Corvette’s championship hopes took a severe blow with a mechanical failure on the No. 3 Corvette. While running second in class and still well in contention with roughly five hours remaining, the right-rear suspension of the car gave way. The car limped back to the garage for repairs, effectively knocking the No. 3 Corvette out of contention for a class victory.

The incident was a stark reversal of fortune for the trio of García, Sims and Kirchhöfer, who had led much of the race from the front row early on and appeared set for another strong Daytona result. This marks one of the most significant GTD PRO setbacks of the 2026 event.

No. 4 Corvette Keeps Fight Alive

While the No. 3 car’s misfortune dominated headlines, its sister entry, the No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, has continued to run competitively in the GTD PRO class following the setback. At the time of the latest updates, the No. 4 Corvette was reported to be leading the GTD PRO battle, holding off rivals as strategy and attrition begin to shape the closing hours of the race.

This performance underscores the depth of Corvette’s GT3 program: despite one car falling out of contention, the remaining factory entry remains very much in the hunt for a class victory.

GTD Class: Corvette Customers in the Mix

The GTD class — populated with privateer and customer Corvette Z06 GT3.R entries — has seen intense competition throughout the 24-hour race. At the latest checkpoints, the GTD class lead was held not by a Corvette but by the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO, riding a solid margin over rivals.

Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer efforts — such as DXDT Racing’s No. 36 Corvette — had shown strong pace in qualifying and throughout the event, with Corvette machinery historically competitive in GTD. However, as of the latest timing, the top spots in GTD had been shuffled by incidents, strategy calls and ongoing punishing night conditions.

Race Conditions and Overall Standings

The 2026 Rolex 24 has been heavily influenced by weather — including dense fog that delayed action overnight — and a string of cautions that have kept the field tightly bunched across classes. Prototype entries such as Porsche Penske Motorsport’s factory 963s have asserted dominance overall, but the GT battles have remained dynamic and unpredictable.

With approximately one and half hours remaining in the race, competition across GTD PRO and GTD remains fierce. The AMG, Porsche and Ferrari GT3 entries are pressing the Corvettes hard, while strategy, tire life and pit execution will be decisive in the final run to the flag.

With just 90 minutes remaining in the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the race has shifted from endurance to execution. What began as a promising, multi-car charge for Corvette Racing has been reshaped by overnight drama, mechanical heartbreak, and a relentless GT battle that refuses to settle. As the field sprints toward the checkered flag,…
Corvette Teams Deliver Strong, Diverse Qualifying Results for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona set the stage for another hard-fought endurance classic, and the five Corvette-entered teams produced a mix of headline-grabbing pace and strategically solid starting positions across both GTD PRO and GTD. With the grid now finalized, Corvette Racing and its customer partners head into the twice-around-the-clock marathon positioned to contend from multiple angles.

Corvette Racing celebrates a statement-making moment in Daytona Victory Lane after securing GTD PRO pole position for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R delivered the pace when it mattered most, setting the tone for the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic. A strong qualifying result, a confident crew, and a Corvette ready to lead the field into one of the toughest races in motorsports.

The most eye-catching result came in GTD PRO, where Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked down class pole. In the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Alexander Sims delivered a blistering lap to secure the Motul Pole Award, placing the car at the head of the GTD PRO field for Saturday’s start. Sims shares the No. 3 with Antonio Garcia and Marvin Kirchhöfer, and the trio’s qualifying performance reaffirmed Corvette’s outright speed in IMSA’s premier GT category.

#4: Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, Corvette Z06 GT3.R, GTD Pro: Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg, Nico Varrone

The sister No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, also entered by Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, qualified eighth in class. With Nicky Catsburg handling qualifying duties, the No. 4 crew—completed by Tommy Milner and Nico Varrone—secured a mid-pack starting spot that keeps the car within striking distance once endurance strategy and traffic management come into play.

The No. 36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R flashes its qualifying pace at Daytona during sessions for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. A strong lap placed the DXDT Corvette near the sharp end of the GTD field, underscoring the team’s speed heading into the 2026 endurance classic. With qualifying complete, the focus now shifts from outright pace to execution, strategy, and survival over 24 demanding hours on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

In the highly competitive GTD category, Corvette customer teams showed encouraging pace and depth. DXDT Racing led the way for the customer entries, qualifying fourth in class with Charlie Eastwood setting the time in the No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The result places DXDT firmly among the GTD frontrunners heading into race day.

#81: DragonSpeed, Corvette Z06 GT3.R, GTD: Henrik Hedman, Giacomo Altoė, Casper Stevenson, Matteo Cairoli

Close behind, DragonSpeed continued its early progress with the Corvette platform by qualifying sixth in GTD. The No. 81 Corvette—shared by Giacomo Altoè, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, and Matteo Cairoli—earned a solid grid position that provides flexibility for pit strategy during the opening hours.

The No. 13 13 Autosport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R heads down pit lane during qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. While the qualifying result placed the team deeper in the GTD field, Daytona has never been about a single lap. With 24 hours ahead, the focus now turns to clean execution, strategy, and endurance—areas where 13 Autosport has repeatedly proven it can fight its way forward when it matters most.

Rounding out the Corvette contingent, 13 Autosport qualified 16th in GTD with Orey Fidani behind the wheel. While the starting spot is deeper in the field, 13 Autosport enters the weekend with proven Daytona endurance credentials and will rely on consistency and clean execution to move forward over 24 hours.

Collectively, qualifying underscored the breadth of Corvette’s presence at Daytona: a class pole in GTD PRO, competitive top-10 pace throughout GTD, and multiple teams positioned to capitalize as the race inevitably evolves. When the green flag waves, all five Corvette entries will shift focus from outright speed to durability, traffic management, and strategy—hallmarks of success at the Rolex 24.

Sources
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Official Qualifying Results
Corvette Racing / Pratt Miller Motorsports – Team Communications
CorvetteBlogger – Rolex 24 Qualifying Coverage
NBC Sports – Rolex 24 at Daytona Qualifying and Grid Reports

Qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona offered the first true competitive snapshot of where Corvette Racing stands heading into IMSA’s biggest endurance test. Across five Corvette Z06 GT3.R entries—spanning factory-backed efforts and customer teams—the results revealed outright speed, strategic starting positions, and the kind of depth that defines success at Daytona. This article breaks…
Corvette Racing Names Andrea Hidalgo Named PGM for the 2026 Season

Corvette Racing has appointed Andrea Hidalgo as its new Program Manager, a pivotal leadership role within the storied Chevrolet motorsport organization, as the 2026 racing season gets underway. Hidalgo steps into the position at one of the sport’s most critical junctures — just days before the Roar Before the 24 and the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona — as Corvette continues its evolution in global GT competition.

The announcement, confirmed by both IMSA.com and RACER, marks a significant internal promotion for Hidalgo, who has spent the better part of two decades advancing through technical and racing-oriented engineering roles at General Motors and within the Corvette racing ecosystem.

A long-time GM engineer and Corvette specialist, Andrea Hidalgo brings deep technical and competitive experience to the program manager post. Before her promotion, she served as Senior Race Engine Calibration, Development, and Track Support Engineer for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program at GM’s Performance and Racing Center, a role that saw her deeply involved in engine calibration and customer team support for GT3 competition.

In that capacity, Hidalgo supported Corvette customer teams like TF Sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship for the past two seasons, as well as in select European Le Mans Series (ELMS) events in 2025, providing a blend of on-site engineering acumen and program-level strategic execution.

Her responsibilities included not only calibration and development but also helping implement controls strategies — work that was important as Corvette customer programs worked toward meeting evolving FIA GT3 engine regulations worldwide.

Andrea Hidalgo brings a deeply technical, engineer-driven perspective to her role as Program Manager for Corvette Racing. With years of hands-on experience supporting the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program—spanning engine calibration, trackside development, and customer racing operations—Hidalgo represents the modern evolution of Corvette Racing leadership: rooted in data, shaped by competition, and focused on execution. Her appointment signals General Motors’ continued emphasis on technical continuity and engineering excellence as Corvette competes on the global GT3 stage.

Before ascending to her most recent engineering leadership roles, Hidalgo spent multiple seasons embedded within the factory Corvette Racing program, particularly during the C8.R era, contributing across myriad technical disciplines. Her résumé extends back to 2008, when she first joined General Motors as an intern and subsequently became part of GM’s production engineering team in 2010 — laying the foundation for her later motorsports work.

Her technical expertise spans a broad engineering portfolio, including combustion, drivability, aftertreatment, diagnostic systems, and transmission development, a diverse skill set that has anchored her progression through increasingly complex roles at GM.

Academically, Hidalgo is grounded in rigorous mechanical engineering training: she holds a Master of Engineering in Global Manufacturing and Automotive Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Stony Brook University in New York. During her undergraduate years, she was an active member of the Stony Brook Motorsports SAE Baja team — an early indicator of her sustained commitment to motorsports engineering.

Her new leadership role comes amid organizational turnover within the broader Corvette Racing program. Hidalgo replaces Jessica Dane, who departed General Motors earlier in January 2026. Reports from multiple outlets note that Corvette Racing has now seen three different program managers in as many years, reflecting broader shifts within GM Motorsports leadership over the past several seasons.

The 2026 IMSA season roars to life next weekend at Daytona International Speedway, where the world’s top sports car teams converge for the Roar Before the 24 and the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona. As the first true test of the new season, Daytona sets the tone with equal parts speed, endurance, and unpredictability—demanding precision from cars, crews, and drivers alike. Under the lights and over 24 relentless hours, reputations are forged, weaknesses are exposed, and championship ambitions begin their long march forward. For Corvette Racing and its rivals, Daytona isn’t just the opener—it’s the proving ground.

Dane, who joined GM in 2024 after relocating from Australia, had been instrumental in expanding Corvette Racing’s GT3 presence on the global stage before her exit, including strategic involvement in expanding the program to major international events such as the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Hidalgo’s first official assignment as Program Manager will be overseeing Corvette Racing’s campaign at the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24–25, a marquee endurance race that serves as the season opener for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Corvette’s program manager position is pivotal, combining managerial oversight with close technical interaction across engineering, strategy, and race operations. Past program managers, such as Doug Fehan — who led the team through much of its earlier success — helped shape Corvette’s legacy in endurance racing, including multiple overall and class victories at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans.

Hidalgo’s appointment signals Corvette Racing’s intent to maintain technical continuity and competitive rigor as it continues to navigate the complex demands of GT3 competition globally. Her combination of trackside experience, engineering depth, and institutional knowledge could prove integral as Corvette competes against a deep field of international manufacturers in 2026 and beyond.

Sources:

IMSA.com — “Andrea Hidalgo Appointed as Corvette Racing Program Manager.”

RACER — “Corvette Racing appoints Hidalgo as Program Manager.”

Sportscar365 — “Hidalgo Replaces Dane as Corvette Program Manager.”

V8Sleuth — “Jess Dane leaves General Motors.”

MidEngineCorvetteForum — Corvette historical context on program managers.

Corvette Racing has appointed Andrea Hidalgo as its new Program Manager, a pivotal leadership role within the storied Chevrolet motorsport organization, as the 2026 racing season gets underway. Hidalgo steps into the position at one of the sport’s most critical junctures — just days before the Roar Before the 24 and the iconic Rolex 24…

Category: CORVETTE RACING

Four Corvettes, One Effort: Corvette Racing Returns to Le Mans

How to Watch or Listen

Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca

Corvette Racing Battles Through Challenging 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona

Drama Strikes the No. 3 Corvette

No. 4 Corvette Keeps Fight Alive

GTD Class: Corvette Customers in the Mix

Race Conditions and Overall Standings

Corvette Teams Deliver Strong, Diverse Qualifying Results for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona

Corvette Racing Names Andrea Hidalgo Named PGM for the 2026 Season