Corvette Racing took on two races over the weekend, dominating the IMSA event at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP) and scoring the first win for the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car. Much further south, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, another pair of Vette racers turned laps for the FIA World Endurance Championship race, and while they didn’t win, they made progress for The Bow Tie brand’s racing efforts.
Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia conquered CTMP on July 14th, 2024, crossing the line first in the GTD Pro class. Sims and Garcia, splitting duties behind the wheel of the No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, started from the pole position and led all but four of 112 laps. The duo finished 0.408 seconds ahead of the second Corvette Racing entry, the No. 4 Vette of Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner.
Garcia maintained a healthy lead of over five seconds heading into the final quarter hour of the race, but a full-course caution neutralized the field for a restart. Garcia and Catsburg fought tooth and nail to hold a one-two result, navigating slower traffic as they held their positions to the line.
“This is huge for the entire Corvette program,” Garcia said after the race. “I’m glad that we could finally get the first win in IMSA for the Z06 GT3.R and to get my first win with Alex [Sims]. We just need to carry on like this and build on the things we have been doing. More wins will come. This ranks pretty high in my career. I got the first win for C7.R and C8.R, so this is brilliant!”
Meanwhile, the No. 13 Corvette, under control of Orey Fidani at the time, wrecked out early in the race after making contact with the tire barrier. The team attempted to repair the car and return to the race, but it was too heavily damaged, forcing its early retirement.
In Brazil, TF Sport’s twin Corvette Racing entries endured a challenging WEC race. Tom Van Rompuy, Rui Andrade and Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood drove the No. 81 Vette to an eighth-place result, their best since Imola. The result might have been even better had the No. 81 Corvette not spun off the course after contact with a competitor, forcing the team to fight back to regain lost ground.
The No. 82 Z06 GT3.R of Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud didn’t fare so well. The entry had to serve a drive-through penalty, and just as things were looking up, the No. 82 Corvette suffered a mechanical failure that could not be repaired, ending its race after 133 laps.
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What automobile brand won?