Laura Wontrop Klauser will move into a new role as Chevrolet Sports Car Program Manager, which will place her in charge of the Pratt & Miller-run Corvette Racing effort.
Wontrop Klauser previously served as the program manager for the Cadillac DPi-V.R and Camaro GT4.R customer racing programs. In her expanded role, Wontrop Klauser will be tasked with improving “the level of engineering and technical direction for Corvette Racing as it sets a course for its future with the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, along with all the Chevrolet road-racing programs.”
Wontrop Klauser will replace former Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan, who was let go from the team at the conclusion of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech season. Fehan had managed the hugely successful sports car racing outfit for 25 years.
“It’s a huge honor to move into this role with Corvette Racing,” she said in a prepared statement. “It unquestionably is one of the premier programs in all of sports car endurance racing. The rich history of Corvette’s successes in IMSA is something of which everyone at Chevrolet can be proud. At the same time, this motorsports management restructure is a great opportunity to rethink how Chevrolet operates on IMSA weekends. My goal is to promote more synergy between our racing programs and funnel our technical learnings back to GM so we continue to make and sell better cars to our fans and customers around the world.”
The Detroit resident started at GM in 2008 after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Engineering. She worked in the automaker’s production engineering department before a spot with the Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3 effort opened up in 2016. Wontrop Klauser then helped spearhead the launch of the Cadillac DPi-V.R, which has been hugely successful in top-level IMSA competition since the program first started at the beginning of 2017.
Not only is Laura Wontrop Klauser well-prepared to lead Corvette Racing into the future, she’s connected to the Corvette community, having previously served as a coordinator for National Corvette Museum events. She also enjoys driving her 2013 Corvette Grand Sport in track day events.
“We are pleased to have someone as enthusiastic and experienced as Laura as our Sports Car Racing Program Manager,” said Chevy’s director of motorsports competition engineering, Mark Stielow. “Corvette Racing and GM’s road-racing efforts will benefit from her engineering experience with both the Corvette and Cadillac production cars, and her relationship with a large number of our fans and Corvette owners.”
Laura Wontrop Klauser’s first event at the helm of Corvette Racing will be the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 30th, 2021.
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Comments
Congrats! It seems as if she is deeply qualified for the position and was not simply handed the reins because of her gender.
As a C7 GS owner and someone that is deeply involved with IMSA, I have no problem with this move by GM.
It’s a C6 Grand Sport.
But yes, no problem with this move! 😀
I was speaking of myself: I own a C7 GS and am very involved with IMSA.
Thank you.
Ah NVM then!
It reads she is a talented engineer, and I’m sure a very nice person, owning a C6 GS aside,
albeit, given Doug’s close, very close, relationship with Corvette Racing Nation,
the way GM/Chev UNCEREMONIOUSLY ousted Doug, rather than a departure with the distinction
and class send-off he deserved and should have been rewarded with,
Corvette Racing Nation should boycott every Corvette Corral.
Just proves that if someone wants u gone, no matter how much good u did for them. They can and will get rid of u. Stuff like that happens all the time, in business or personal relationships. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.
Well, that’s seals the end of the good old boys reign at GM performance, both figuratively and literally. Probably not a bad thing.
“…Doug Fehan, who was let go from the team..” seems a little strong. I thought Fehan retired?
Doug was unceremoniously ousted, make no mistake.
Ageism? Not like he was doing a bad job.
There is much more involved here than you or I know. Odds are we will never know.
Also note the brains of the crew retired last year Dan BInks. He had more to do with the cars performance than Doug. He was worn out with traveling and stuck around till the new car was track ready.
He won championships with Tommy Kendall in GTU, with several Roush Drivers in Trans Am, and nearly all the. Corvette Championships and Lemans wins.
If I had to guess GM wanted changes and Doug was not on board. Knowing Stielow he is a very advanced engineer so I suspect they have new tech coming to be used and new ways of development.
Mark was the guy who tuned the last Z28, Cobalt SS turbo and other cars. He was the main suspension guy for the GM Performance Division.
GM is moving things in house a little more. Mark Stielow is one of the best engineers in the business. He is a racer and hot rodder. He has build some incredible cars over the years and the racing division is in good hands.
Laura is not just a token Woke appointment. She was well known for her work at Cadillac and did a good job in a tough series. She will do fine here.
The greater issue is finding more cars to race the Corvette in IMSA.
I wonder if GM could move Corvettes into other series to race in along with IMSA. We now have a leader with SCCA and other experience.
Yea, I know about Laura. It’s just when I think about Corvette Racing I think Fehan.
I think Dan BInks as he was the one who really had the most to do with the cars.
BInks is the guy who saw Roush through in Trans Am and help sent Tommy Kendall up as GTU champion.
He retired last year to focus on restoring historic race cars.
Good guy and smart guy. He had as much to do with the teams performance at the track as anyone.
Corvettes are currently raced in the ADAC GT Masters series by Callaway Competition, with a decades long tradition of winning championships there. There are a number of Corvette teams in the Trans Am, too, in a couple of different classes. Lou Gigliotti/LGMotorsports, Amy Ruman/Ruman Racing, just to name a couple
Yes They are in Trans Am. Amy lives near by and I am only a couple miles from Kryder Racing where they used to field a Corvette.
But there are a number of classes where they could enter and race.
I still believe if they could negotiate a car for GTD in IMSA would be good as it would be closer to stock.
There are some options out there yet that could be explored.
That would be a welcome return. Maybe even Lou Gigliotti could be convinced to come back to the series….
Lou is back and races in Trans Am Series, TA2 Class I believe, and is doing very well.
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. Beautiful car, sorted and race ready.
Callaway Competition C7 GT3 is very successful in the ADAC, as u know.
Their C7 GT3 complies with IMSA GTD rules & regs.
The Callaway C7 GT3 has been available for customer purchase since inception, but no US based race team took the baton and ran with it in IMSA GTD.
That probably would have created some havoc and discontent within GM/Chev, a Tums moment.
I would presume Callaway Competition is working on a C8 GT3, and that would be available for customer purchase.
so long corvette
The Corvette should remain the sport vehicle it was developed to be and not used to have different variations .
“Very nice” *in Borat’s voice*
Women taking over GM ? Guess there’s no men with the balls and brains to get the job done anymore
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