ULTIMATE CORVETTE

Tag: GTD Pro

  • Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca

    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
    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

    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,…