DXDT Racing has confirmed that its Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R programme will begin at the next GT World Challenge America round at Sebring International Raceway on 3-5 May.
This weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway will be the last race for the #08 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO driven by Scott Smithson and Bryan Sellers before the #08 crew transitions to the new Corvette.
This news will be a relief to Corvette Racing fans who’ve seen the Corvette Z06 GT3.R go through some severe teething pains in its first months of racing. While the car has been fast in the hands of Pratt Miller Motorsports in IMSA and TF Sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship, it has also suffered its share of unfortunate mechanical issues to start 2024 across both series.
Recently, IMSA GTD customer team AWA announced that it would be scaling back to a single car after one of its customers, Anthony Mantella, abruptly put his Corvette Z06 GT3.R up for sale and stopped his 2024 programme.
However, DXDT has reaffirmed its commitment to the new venture – and if the car is ready for Sebring as intended, it will be ahead of the team’s original projection of a debut at Circuit of the Americas.
Despite the arrival of the new Corvette, DXDT will maintain a full-season Mercedes-AMG programme this year. Mercedes works driver Philip Ellis will race alongside Utah’s Jeff Burton in the #91 Mercedes, which is running for the Pro-Am championship.
“I’m really excited to have Philip join our team,” said DXDT Team Principal David Askew yesterday. “He’s had so much success with the car as a factory driver.”
The arrival of Daytona and Sebring winner Ellis has also led Askew to fortify the team this year.
“I am sort of ‘rebooting’ our programme, and part of that is adding personnel from other successful AMG efforts to see what we can learn,” he said. “We are working hard, and we expect to see results on the track this season.”
Feature image © Lanky Turtle; additional images © SRO Motorsports America
