General Motors and Corvette’s customer GT3 programme with the Z06 GT3.R is coming together for 2024.
Over the coming months multiple announcements are expected, confirming customer teams for programmes in IMSA, SRO championships and the FIA WEC.
Corvette has confirmed to DSC that eight cars are expected to compete in year one, with two cars in the FIA WEC’s LMGT3 class, a pair in SRO series and four cars in IMSA WeatherTech.
Laura Wontrop Klauser, GM Sports Car Racing Manager, told DSC this week: “Our desired plan has been to launch in 2024 with four cars racing in IMSA – two in GTD Pro and two in GTD – two cars in the WEC and two in SRO America.”
“Understanding the timing of the 2024 WEC race schedule helps us coordinate build schedules to ensure we can meet the race timing, assuming our WEC attendance is granted.”
In IMSA, the four cars are likely to be split evenly across the GTD and GTD Pro categories.
How the GTD Pro effort will look is still being decided, though Corvette and the Pratt Miller organisation behind it are keen to have some form of factory presence if possible.
“There is a plan in place to start confirming our customer teams, and I think fans will be very happy with the organizations we have chosen,” added Wontrop Klauser.
Tyre testing with Goodyear and Pirelli is a key part of the development phase for the car still to come. DSC understands that the Corvette hasn’t yet tested on either Pirelli or Goodyear tyres (for SRO and WEC competition), but opportunities are expected to arise over the summer months with both manufacturers.
The prospective GTD Pro team from IMSA will lead the way in terms of testing the car over the months to come.
“We’ve talked for some time that we will have factory-supported teams around the world in a number of championships with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” Wontrop Klauser confirmed. “Ensuring all our customers are set up for success is important to us.”
“One of the key elements of this is our IMSA GTD Pro team who, with our support, is taking the lead on optimizing the running of the car so we can lift all teams to higher performance.”
Feature image © General Motors
