Two Corvette Racing entries took on the GTD and GTP-only IMSA race at Long Beach on April 12th, 2025, and neither one left with much to show for it. Both the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and the No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R – the latter of which features hand controls for its paraplegic driver – suffered damage from contact during the race.
The No. 36 Vette, shared between Tommy Milner and Robert Wickens, is fitted with a Bosch hand-controlled braking system specially installed for Wickens. The pair started from an eighth-place qualifying position, and Wickens managed to pick off the seventh-place car before the Corvette Racing team’s first pit stop. Wickens pitted and Milner took control, heading out in 10th place. Milner advanced four positions in less than 15 minutes, but while he was attempting to complete an overtake in the track’s difficult Hairpin Turn, he tangled with another car.
The No. 36 Vette suffered damage to its left rear, which bent part of the bodywork back. Series officials forced Milner to pit with 16 laps left, losing valuable track time and dropping the Milner-Wickens duo to a 15th-place finish.
“I’m disappointed with the result, but I am proud of what we achieved,” Wickens said. “It definitely wasn’t the end to the weekend that we wanted. Qualifying dictated the weekend for us, unfortunately. We knew it was going to be a track-position race. Qualifying was not what we deserved; we know we had more speed than that, but it is what it is. This is a competitive championship, and we did what we could in the race.”
He added, “The Bosch hand-control system worked flawlessly, DXDT Racing gave us a great Corvette. The car was very good all weekend and I feel like we had one of the cars to beat. We just couldn’t maximize it, and that is what hurts right now.”
The No. 13 Corvette Racing team suffered a similar fate. Fidani was running 10th when another GTD competitor forced the No. 13 Vette into the tire barrier. Fidani returned to the pits to the attention of the crew, losing a lap before returning back to competition. Fidani and Bell were able to continue racing and raced back onto the lead lap, but only had a 13th-place finish to show for it.
“Things started off well. It looked like it was going to be a positive day until it wasn’t,” Fidani said. “Unfortunately I got sent off into the wall which put us down a lap. We managed to get that lap back but it just wasn’t enough today. It’s tough but we’ll go onward and upwards into Laguna.”
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