DXDT Racing has announced that Corvette Racing factory driver Tommy Milner will drive the team’s second Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R alongside Alec Udell for the remainder of the 2024 GT World Challenge America season, starting on 17-19 May at Circuit of the Americas.
Milner was the Corvette Z06 GT3.R’s lead development driver and tested the #63 DXDT Corvette recently at Sebring International Raceway. Since joining GM in 2011, Milner is a class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hours, and Sebring 12 Hours as well as a two-time IMSA class champion. He also drives the #4 Corvette for Pratt Miller Motorsports in the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events this year.
His co-driver Udell won the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GT Cup title and the 2019 GT4 European Series Silver class championship. The 28-year-old from Austin, Texas raced full-time in IMSA last season, competing in the GTD class for KellyMoss with Riley and scoring three podiums last year in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I can’t wait to go racing with the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R with DXDT,” said Milner. “David Askew and his team have been working very hard over the last few seasons to improve in all areas and this opportunity to make the final push to the top with the new Corvette is coming at the right time.
“We had a very good first test with the cars at Sebring and I’m looking forward to working with Alec, Bryan (Sellers), Scott (Smithson), and the rest of the team to make this a successful debut season for the Corvette.”
“I’m really looking forward to driving with DXDT in GTWCA this season,” added Udell. “David and Erin (Gahagan, Team Manager) have assembled a fantastic group of people. Investing in talented minds within the team and partnering with Pratt Miller and Corvette is no small feat. It’s a well-meshed group and it seems like they’re starting to hit their stride.
“Also, being able to learn from Tommy and Bryan is a huge plus, and I’m excited to soak up all the knowledge available. At the first test, I really enjoyed hopping into the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and getting into SRO with the car, I’m sure there’s competitive results coming. Having been in and out of SRO in the US and Europe over the years, it’s great to be a part of that story again!”
Meanwhile, the #08 Corvette of Smithson and Sellers is set to make its global SRO and GT World Challenge America debut this weekend at Sebring. Today, in addition to the new driver line-up of Milner and Udell, DXDT also revealed the blue and green livery for the #08 Corvette.
Smithson and the #08 DXDT Corvette are also entered in this weekend’s GT America Powered by AWS races – though the car will likely only run in practice and qualifying to gain additional experience with the car.
“We are proud to see DXDT Racing debut the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GT World Challenge America,” said Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager Christie Bagne. “The anticipation for this first race has been building since our initial announcement at the Indy 8 Hour last year and we’re looking forward to the green flag at Sebring.
“The collaboration between the DXDT Racing team and Corvette Customer Support is strong and the team has been in lockstep with us to benefit from the learnings from our IMSA and WEC programmes.”
“I’m just super excited,” said DXDT Team Principal David Askew. “When the opportunity was coming into focus and we were able to get the deal with them, I knew it was going to be daunting and there was a lot of work we would have to do. But, the team stepped up, and they’ve been doing a lot of work even before we got the cars.
“I’m just really looking forward to working with one of the best teams in the world in Corvette Racing. They’ve made pretty much all of their resources available to us, and we’re going to take advantage of that. Their equipment, their know-how, their people, they’re all stepping up to help us, and I’m just super excited to be a part of it.”
Images courtesy of DXDT Racing
