General Motors is reevaluating the future of Corvette Racing amid changing class structures in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA WEC.
Laura Wontrop Klauser
The GT Le Mans (GTLM) class that Corvette Racing currently competes in full-time in the IMSA series will feature only three full-time entries this year – two of which will be entered by Chevrolet. As such, newly appointed Chevrolet sports car program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser has been busy assessing the sports car racing landscape as she tries to determine where Corvette Racing may compete going forward.
Speaking to Sportscar365, Wontrop Klauser revealed Corvette is open to participating in either the GT3 sports car or LMDh prototype classes. Chevrolet has not yet decided which route it would like to go, but it knows one thing for sure: the Corvette nameplate must continue to compete in top-level racing classes.
“We have explored all of the options and they’re still on the table,” Wontrop Klauser said. “What we need to understand is where we want to position the key brands that we have in racing, Corvette being one of them. Racing is in Corvette’s DNA. For sure we need to have Corvette on the grid somewhere, but understanding what capacity that’s going to be, that’s been part of figuring things out.”
“We’re still finalizing the details on what we want to see from a vision standpoint,” she said. “We’re hoping to be able to start having some announcements in that arena soon.”
An IMSA/ACO rendering of a potential LMDh race car
The LMDh prototype class is a joint effort between IMSA and the ACO, which is the sanctioning body that oversees the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If Corvette Racing were to develop a hybrid prototype car under the LMDh ruleset, it would be able to compete for the overall win at Le Mans, a highly appealing proposition for any sports car manufacturer. This would also allow it to compete against well-respected manufacturers like Audi and Porsche.
“The fact that [LMDh] has been a joint effort between the ACO and IMSA makes it very appealing,” Wontrop Klauser told Sportscar365. “We’ve always wanted to go back to Le Mans in the top class as we have some unfinished business there.”
“But it’s one of the things that in order to get programs like that through GM, you have to first figure out what you want to do, then get leadership on board and then leadership has to figure out ways to fund all this stuff.”
A GT3 program would look a lot different. The GT3 class requires manufacturers to build a large number of customer cars for teams to purchase and run on their own accord. A factory-backed effort like Corvette Racing could still exist under the GT3 ruleset, but Chevrolet would also have to sell GT3-spec Corvettes to other teams. Pratt & Miller has already performed a feasibility study for a GT3 Corvette program, but Wontrop Klauser did not share the team’s conclusions.
“There’s a lot going on at GM and how we need to decide how we slot in and what programs make sense financially,” she said.
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Comments
Isn’t DPi the same as LMDh? It would be interesting to see Corvette face off Caddilac.
No one is a class for Hybrids and both are prototypes. They really would have only a Corvette name such as the Cadillac has on it now.
The Future is going to be tough. GTLM is important as this is where Corvette races at Le Mans. But the class in America is dying. With the virus money is getting tight and companies will pull programs like this.
GTD is a viable option as they could do customer cars. Most would sell to collectors anyways and the factory could field a team and support private teams as Porsche has done for years. These cars could also race in Asia and Europe too with private teams.
GTD would also be more stock based than the present car. This would be good for marketing.
I just wish this car was not delayed as I would have loved to seen it race the Ford GT as that would have been a classic rivalry.
GTD/GT3 class is likely to stay around for a long time with only evolutionary changes. The ability to build more customer cars that would be sold globally is something that probably appeals to Oshkosh/PM and may keep them in racing long term if they got the contract. LMDh, I see major fluctuations in manufacturer involvement, if much at all, rules changing faster than underpants to keep it alive, and an eventual death and replacement of the class. The prototype regulations have gotten so far out there that I wish IMSA would just let it go so the manufacturers could concentrate those technologies into indycar. From a fan perspective I would rather see GTD/GT3 as the top IMSA class, something closer to TA1/GT1 rules as the support, and possibly a TA2 type car as a third class. The ability to race TA type cars in elite endurance races would be very interesting to a wide range of non factory supported competitors and many fans. Remember when Roush GTO class Mustangs and Thunderbirds were daytona 24hr winners, those were some of the best years for me.
The prototypes live due to Europe that is their first love so they exist here too. Yes they are a bit over the top compared to the old 962.
Trans Am is a great series. I have Greg Picketts.Jag hood on the wall of my garage as we speck. The car burned at Mid Ohio and I hit what was left.
I have friends in TA and I love the series. But the cars are just too much generic race car vs real production car. I wish even now that the present cars in GTLM were more production based.
We have likely seen each other in passing at some time. The era of the 962, Gurney, and Electomotive cars were the best prototype years, but they died and the LMDh will die too at a faster pace. It would be a mistake for GM to go that way. I agree that TA1 and TA2 are more generic race cars, and shouldn’t be the top IMSA class which is why I like the GTD/GT3 specs as the elite class which pulls the international drivers, but the 2nd and 3rd tiers need to cater more to the sportsman drivers and teams that don’t have as much or any full time staff. IMSA really needs to look at decreasing costs for equipment by at least 50% to survive. GT3 cars are $400 to $500k each, 2nd tier should be $150 to $250k, and 3rd tier should be less than $100k for a car because you spend at least 50% of the car’s value just to run one IMSA event in any tier.
I mention TA because NASCAR owns IMSA and while the next gen car which is close to and will have some V8SC spec parts looks good on paper, it wouldn’t be ideal to use your premier class in one series as an undercard somewhere else. The TA1 cars would need some upgrades to more modern power units and transaxles, a few more common body molds. For 3rd tier, the TA2 Prefix engines are old now. A stock LT2 with it’s real dry sump system, coupled with an engine mounted h pattern trans in the current TA2 spec chassis would be an awsome driver’s combination that is reliable. Just keep the active chassis controls out of the 2nd and 3rd tier classes.
I’ve pulled the drop gear cover off a Weismann more than a few times, so I know a little about the old TA and GTO cars.
The TA cars are more in common with Late model sportsman cars with off the shelf chassis and parts. It is more like a road racing version of NASCAR late models.
Trans Am is like Lazarus in that they have come back from the dead in fact more than once. Often it had to do with the lack of MFG involved and ever increasing cost.
So they went to a kit based car and are looking to the roots of being more privater teams and to be honest they put on a great show when they are crashing each other off the track. The hood I have off a Jag came back with a Mustang body and the same engine. Ernie is driving the car now If I recall.
Yes NASCAR owns IMSA but they have the international series to match to keep Daytona and Sebring alive. These races keep the need to keep the similar formulas working.
Years ago I was at Mid Ohio and there was a car there for the old GTO class. when Perless and Roush were the dominate cars. This one came from Ferrari of France. It was the first F 40 Ferrari to turn a lap in a race. The car was production in all ways accept for the dash was from an F1car the cams and turbos were larger and the tires were Goodyear slicks with front carbon air defectors to cool the brakes.
They took it out and the went through the field and got up to 2nd I belief to a tube chassis Camaro. Then it cut a tire. Then then came back to 3rd. If they had not cut a tire they would have won. That formula. was great.
Same for Trans Am when Audi showed up with Hans Stuck and with a body in white Audi sedan he dominated the series till the AWD was outlawed. Roush dominated for a while longer then pulled out and the series died again.
I understand cost vs keeping a series alive well. Also in times like this the first thing many companies drop is racing series that have limited reach. Racing attendance was down much and will drop more this year. I have a friend from Goodyear that counted the crowds and kept track years ago. She said she has never seen such small crowds than the last two years.
I think we are resigned to the fact road racing is a thing that ebbs and flows over the years. The series come and go and come back again. This is going to be a decline year and let hope the series survives. At least in the hands of NASCAR for better or worse they can help support IMSA in down years better than the past owners.
We may see some changes and I expect Chevy will remain committed. They have shown more commitment to the Corvette than any other car I have seen in a single series. Not since the 70’s and the 930-935 have we seen so much support for one car. I expect they will make the needed moves.
You mentioned Gurney. One of the greatest people not just driver, owner or builder. I got to meet him years ago and also exchanged e mails with him just a year or so before he passed. He is one of those guys you just wish you could hang out with and just listen to the stories. Then he will ask you for your stories. Such a kind soul. Even Foyt misses him today. They reconnected late and Foyt wished he has not waited so long. If AJ likes you that is saying something. LOL! I just wish other got to meet him.
Good conversation. Ernie’s car is a Meissen chassis that was built new when he moved to TA1 (sometimes called just TA) a few years ago. The spec chassis are in TA2, I know Chas Howe and family quite well. TA2 is their primary business now, and are raced globally from down under to scandinavia. Mike Skeen is the dominant US TA2 driver right now , in a camaro bodied car too, and is probably the most underrated road racer in America.
If you ever make it to Livonia, go to see the Roush Collection, it’s heaven for TA and GTO cars from the 80’s and 90’s. Unfortunately, none of the Protofab camaros and Vettes in ford land though.
Byes sorry TA2 are the Howe Chassis. They brewing back old memories as we ran a Howe when I started working on cars as a kid. I had a neighbor who raced and got me started.
That was back when Ed Howe was still racing and would come to the local track once a year and blow everyone away.
I would like to go to Jack’s house. It’s not far from me.
Local here we have Aaron Quine. We had his Camaro on display at work about a year ago. Amy is located not far away. A buddy works for one of the tire companies helps out on her team once and a while. Then Kryder Racing is just up the street from me here. I got to know Reed a while back and my buddy worked with him at Goodyear.
We got to know Adam Andretti. One of his crew is a friend of one my buddies. I like going to these races as you get to know people. I even was handed a wrench once and got to help a little. That was cool.
I had connections to Stevenson racing before they went out. And Potter racing in IMSA. Also got to know Dan BInks from Pratt and Miller. Super nice guy. He would let me in the garages at Mid Ohio and get some good photos. Not many will let you do that.
TA racing is great. They ran with the Xfinity cars at Mid Ohio and generally put on a better race. Too bad so many miss them racing.
I loved it when they would give out the posters and every driver signed them. I would take it over to Aldo Andretti to get it signed. He always laughed that I wanted his signature. I will miss him.
C8.R, u seem to be in-the-know, wasn’t P&M already in design planning stages for a Corvette GTD with the withdrawal of F-GTs and then the Porsche announcement?
Seems to me I remember a story that Doug and John Doonan & Co were in discussions about what it would take, how they would organize GTD into GTD-Am and GTD-Pro catagories.
Obviously, all that might have changed with the sale of P&M, albeit, the engineers at P&M/Oshkosh would already be well on their way to a GTD platform.
Thanks,
Mike Waal
Chestertown, MD
These are thing often not public.
But any team and mfg is always looking into options.
Yes the sale could change things. Racing was not P&M’s primary income.
GM is set for this season and by June we should know if there are other moves coming with testing of a new class car or other mfg coming to GTLM.
The one remaining Porsche is a token car by IMSA to draw others for the series sponsor.
IMSA have come and gone like most road racing in America. We are still far from what it was in the late 80’s. Those were some great years.
Actually they will keep it quiet on what GM may do if they are trying to save the class. No one will build a car if GM Is leaving and BMW is not committed.
Years ago you would have had a number of unsponsored 935’s running but we just don’t have that many drug smugglers racing anymore the the Paul’s Whittington or Lanier.
GT3 is the best marketing track to take. The prototype cars are too formulaic and dont have enough carry over to the cars being sold daily.
I’d like to see some US race team purchase the Reeves Callaway, Callaway Competition, C7 GT3 that is for sale right now state-side. Callaway Competition is very successful in the ADAC. Their C7 GT3 is race-ready, complies with IMSA GTD rules®s.
The Callaway C7 GT3 has been available for customer purchase for a few years, but no US based race team took the baton and ran with it.
I would presume Callaway Competition is working on a C8 GT3, and that would be available for customer purchase.
GM should have seen this coming once the corvettes became competitive these other teams closed up shop. this happened before and the racing associations had a class just for the C-4 corvettes that were pretty close to stock.
Motorman the. 7 was competitive. BOP makes sure everyone has a shot and to reduce cost.
The Ford was announced it was leaving for a while. Then Porsche generally never lingers in one class. They like the Prototype class as this is the top of the podium at LeMans.
The timing was just unlucky. But it’s is not the first time this has happened.
IMSA is working yo bring in more MFG but the virus is hurting all racing right now.
The C4 racing was the Corvette Challenge after it was banned in showroom stock. That is not going to happen as no one cares for single series racing.
corvettes were not competitive as they won a championship without winning a race. winning is all that counts. i am not anti corvette as i have owned 11 new ones and supported corvette racing as much as anyone. also i was race engine builder and winning is the only thing that counts as 2nd place is first loser.
You don’t win championships with out being competitive.
Well I have sat around in the lounge area of a Championship GTD team hauler and discussed the tactics and the rules with the people who have to follow them or get around them in some cases.
IMSA for the most part is a level playing field. It has to be or no one would come due to the high cost.
Sponsorship in road racing is a major issue and it needs the MFG’s support to exist. If a company needs to spend ungodly money to win they will never get budgets approved. They don’t get F1 ratings.
I work in the racing industry and I see the numbers and the budgets. I see the return that is expected by sponsors. It used to be easy years ago but today most companies can not justify racing and no one can afford this themselves. Unless they are into something illegal.
Corvette got a championship the hard way and that is what gets budgets approved for the next season.
Companies do not so this for the love of racing. It is a business like any other and you have to prove your self every year.
Winning is good but exposure is the only thing that counts. If there there is no TV broadcast, no fans, no spectators. and no marketing that is what matters and the only thing that counts. Winning is only a bonus if you get it right.
There is only one winner per race and companies know that often they will be lucky to win only one race if any. As long as they are seen by millions that is a win.
i can tell you from experience if your engines don’t win you lose customers to people who build the winning engines. fans don’t go to the races to see their favorite race team come in second. as a chevy fan of NASCAR who went to 10/12 races a years i was not happy if the best best chevy came in second.
Building engines and selling them is not the same as marketing a model.
GM splashed all over the web, print and TV the Championship you snub.
When people look back they have no idea who won the races just the ones that took home the championship.
What do you think the chase in NASCAR is all about. They create a artificial way to win a championship with out being the best all year.
Kyle Bush sat out half a year and win the whole thing.
I don’t agree with it but at the ends of the ratings and sales are what really matter.
The reality is there is only one winner per race but several PR arms from MFG that will take a championship over any win.
You are like me a racer at heart. The racing business is run by marketers and that is what we see and why.
This is not 1948 anymore. Once the names went on true competition has declined ever since.
Wher do you think the BOP came from?
Not saying are wrong to feel this way. Just saying this is the way it is today.
GTD & GT3 is where is at, many manufactures, customers and worldwide series to race in with cars that look like what you can buy. If GM wants the top step at LM24 then let Cadillac try to take it as none of their street “cars” are what could race in GTD/GT3.
Caddy in Prototype racing, Chevy in “stock” type racing. And make the Customer want to buy the C8r, make it as good a value proposition as the street car is. No reason tracks across the world aren’t filled with racing GT3/GTD/GT4Corvettes
Easy decision Ms. Wontrop Klauser
The one true problem in GTD is we would lose some of our drivers. In GTD you have to have a pro and then what is seen as amore amateur driver.
I was with a GTD team a few years ago and they said how they skit the rule by getting so called amateur driver that is pretty much a pro that just has not gone to the higher levels.
Like at Potter Racing they have a pro driver and then Andy Potter the owner drives. While Andy is listed as an amateur he is good enough he could drive in any IMSA class.
The problem with the Corvette team is they have 4 and two part time very pro drivers.
I would hate to break up the team.
Rules could change if they lose the GTLM class.
Unless John Doonan & Co create GTD sub-categories; a true GTD-AM and a true GTD-Pro, with enuf aero and engine performance BoP differences to separate the two catagories, with lap times similar to current GTD / GTLM.
The real thing I think needs done is IMSA and the folks in Europe need to get together and try to bring a new rules package that would make the GTLM cars lower cost and more stock.
They need to get with mfgs and see what they could do to get new mfgs in to the series in both places.
Your idea is maybe a place to start. Base both cars on production cars but give the pro cars more power and stronger parts. Also no requirement for a specific number of cars.
Make the GTD cars a specific HP and then add 200 more for the GTLM cars.
But to make this work you need to get everyone into one discussion to supply cars and rules that will bring interest.
Many forget there was one year in AMLM series the Bette only raced themselves..
I did attend a race a few years ago at a Trans Am event. It was the one the Cadillac production cars raced in. Pirelli series? I forget. But they had Cadillac, McLaren, Lamborghini , Ferrari Porsche, Audi and even Bentley who by the way won a race. It was an interesting race and a very competitive series. Just no money. This was a good formula. Even the Cadillac ATC coupes were body in white off the line. They sounded like Pro Stock cars. I was talking to Johnny O Connell and he said they were as much fun as the Vettes to drive.
Corvette does need to race somewhere. I prefer race cars that are close to the street version. I cannot count the times I heard the Corvette teams say the technologies transfer between the race team and production. This would not be as likely with racing in LMDh. I do not remember the European GT series I was watching but they solved the pro/Amateur driver issue by having classes within the over class. Some teams had all Pro drivers and some were mixed.