Latest news with #CorvetteZ06GT3.R
The Star
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Nice birthday gift for King as JMR triumph in Thailand
PETALING JAYA: It was a great week for Johor Motorsports Racing's Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim and English racer Ben Green as they secured a double podium finish in the GT World Challenge Asia championship. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R drivers were in fine form as they finished first in Race 2 at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand yesterday.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Corvette Conquers Qatar Securing First FIA WEC Win for the Z06 GT3.R
TF Sport and Chevrolet have done it. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R has officially conquered the FIA World Endurance Championship, claiming its first-ever series victory in a Qatar 1812Km battle. Behind the wheel of the No. 33 Corvette, Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar, and Ben Keating pulled off a spectacular comeback, storming from 13th on the grid to take the checkered flag by less than half a second. This wasn't just any win—it was a statement. Corvette Racing's new GT3 challenger had already flexed its muscles by taking the GTD class victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and now it's added an FIA WEC trophy to its rapidly growing collection. For Juncadella and Edgar, it marked their first triumph in both the WEC and a Corvette, while Keating, ever the endurance racing veteran, notched his eighth WEC win—four of those now with America's favorite sports car. Keating set the stage with a charge from 13th to sixth in the opening three hours, shaking off any rust from his time away since winning the 2023 GTE Am title. Edgar then took the baton, making his WEC debut and pushing the 'Vette further up the order as the sun set over Lusail. Juncadella carried the team into the class lead past the halfway mark, and from there, it was all about holding off the chasing pack. With 90 minutes to go, Juncadella strapped back in for the final run, making a strategic stop for fuel and left-side tires while the second-place McLaren opted for a full set of fresh rubber. The result? A white-knuckle final 30 minutes of nose-to-tail racing, with Juncadella fending off relentless pressure while slicing through faster traffic like a seasoned fighter pilot dodging missiles. Meanwhile, things weren't as rosy for the No. 81 Corvette, which suffered a heartbreaking mechanical failure just an hour into the race. But let's not dwell on that—this day belonged to the No. 33. Over in the Hypercar class, Ferrari's AF Corse squad locked out the podium in a dramatic 1-2-3 finish, with Antonio Fuoco holding off Robert Kubica to take the win in the No. 83 Ferrari 499P. BMW, Toyota, and Cadillac all had flashes of brilliance, but Ferrari's trio proved too strong. Back in LMGT3, Juncadella's heroics weren't just about surviving; they were about thriving. He withstood relentless attacks from McLaren's Grégoire Saucy in the dying moments of the race, sealing Corvette's second win of 2025 in as many major endurance events. 'Looking at my heart rate, I think I was 35bpm higher in the last stint than in the first one, so that tells you pretty much everything!' Juncadella quipped post-race. 'We were hoping for a solid start to the season, maybe a top five, but winning? That's something else.' The Corvette Z06 GT3.R has officially arrived in the FIA WEC, and it's not just here to make up the numbers. Next stop: the 6 Hours of Imola, where the 'Vette will look to keep the momentum rolling.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Thefts mar tradition of souvenir hunting at Rolex 24
It's a time-honored tradition for fans of racing to take home broken car parts as the ultimate souvenirs, and last weekend's edition of the Rolex 24 At Daytona presented plenty of opportunities for memorabilia hunters to add to their collections. Brand-new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant DXDT Racing was a popular source for race-used parts after its Corvette Z06 GT3.R caught fire with Charlie Eastwood onboard the No. 36 GTD entry. The resultant damage forced DXDT out of the race, and with many of the components of the rear-engine car unusable, fans were treated to a bevy of large and burnt bodywork to make their own. 'Unfortunately, I saw a bit of a flame through the second part of the road course and entering Turn 6, and by the time I got on to the banking, the flames were getting bigger,' Eastwood said. 'Thankfully the fire team here are insanely good, and they were at the car before I even got out. We're lucky we still have a car here, based on them, so thank you. They're the best in the business.' From the trash pile that accumulated in front of DXDT's garage space, fans took a crispy bumper, which left its new owner with soot-covered hands, and another, with possibly the largest piece of memorabilia to carry away, had the Corvette's roasted diffuser to transport out of the facility. Elsewhere, a fan had a broken brake disc from an unknown source in hand as they walked through the paddock, and leaving the track after the race, another was seen carrying what appeared to be an undamaged LMP2 rear wing element as they exited the Turn 4 tunnel. Many fans – including this one – obtained their souvenirs with the blessings of the relevant team. Others simply helped themselves. Photo by Marshall Pruett According to DXDT team manager Bryan Sellers, fans were invited to pick through their damaged Z06 GT3.R components and leave with whatever they wanted. The same can't be said for AO Racing, whose No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr — Rexy — and its No. 99 ORECA 07 LMP2 entry — Spike — were dealt on-track blows and had a pile of broken parts amass in their garage that fans helped themselves to without permission. With dozens of teams focused on the 24-hour race, theft-minded attendees have exploited their absence and plundered all manner of parts, tools, and sundries while crews are on pit lane. In planning for IMSA's return in 2026, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the addition of garage-based security staff, either supplied by the track or hired independently by teams, to ensure teams' belongings remain in their possession. 'Don't get me wrong, we love the exposure and the amount of fans that we've gained over the last couple of years, but people generally at the race track, seemed to be way more emboldened than they were five-10 years ago,' AO Racing team principal Gunnar Jeannette told RACER. 'At points in the night, there were people that just walked into our trailer thinking that that was okay. We had a couple of people just wander into our pit box. One guy's in the middle of the pit box, standing there, and I walked up to him and said, 'Hi, excuse me, but who are you with?' And he said, 'Oh, I've got this pit pass, I thought I could just go anywhere.' I was like, 'Sorry, we need to keep this area open for our pit crew to work.' And, he said, 'Oh, okay. Do you have any parts that I could have?' And I just looked at him with a disgusted look on my face, and was like, 'No, man, we're in the middle of a race. That's kind of a ridiculous question to ask.' 'In our situation, the track services dropped off the remnants of Rexy bumper and somebody just walked off with it. They dropped it off in our garage, and all of a sudden it just disappeared. It says a lot about humanity. It's unfortunate because with IMSA, it's great being able to give people access that doesn't exist in other series, but right now, we're absolutely seeing the negative side of that.' Story originally appeared on Racer
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Daytona drew AWA Corvette's lucky No. 13
While everyone at Pratt Miller — and Trackhouse by TF Sport, for that matter — will exit the paddock Sunday frustrated after Ford's Mustang prevailed in GTD PRO, AWA's achievement in the 22-car strong GTD class is still reason for the General Motors concern to celebrate. Mirroring the Mustang GT3, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R has a 24-hour win under its belt now, too, after enduring a tough debut marred by mechanical woes at last year's Daytona event. The difference is this achievement came via the efforts of a private team. For Corvette Racing's young customer program, the win could prove to be vital for the car's future in GT3 racing globally. Ahead of the race, everyone at AWA was confident not only in the capabilities of their car but also in their level of preparation. The team looked entirely at ease with the car and the event this year, snatching the win in a huge 22-car field stacked with high-quality teams from nine manufacturers. British pro driver Matt Bell was in at the end of the race and, frankly, put in the most impressive performance of his racing career, fending off attacks from multiple cars including Heart of Racing's Aston Martin driven by the hard-charging Mattia Drudi. 'Honestly, I can't remember a thing,' he said when asked to recall his winning move. 'There were PRO cars, there were GTD cars… I don't remember that. I'll have to watch the video later. Every time there was a car in front of me, I was trying to overtake it. I asked the guys to stop giving me updates on the radio. Fidani, Bell, Kern and Kirchhofer were harried at Daytona, but their victory may be a sign of what's to come later this year. Jake Galstad/Lumen 'I just saw a GT car and wanted to pass it; that's all I was focused on. I can't thank my teammates and everyone enough. That's one beat-up Chevrolet Corvette, but they make them tough in Detroit. 'This means absolutely everything,' Bell, continued. 'To me, to my teammates Orey (Fidani) and Lars (Kern) and Marvin. Everybody on this team has worked so hard. To think where we were this time last year and how far we've come now… it's so much hard work to do this. 'From the minute the checkered flag fell at Petit Le Mans, no one took a rest. No one took a break. It's been 24/7 since then to get a car that is capable of winning the Daytona 24 Hours. 'AWA gave the four of us a car to do it. 'IMSA is the hardest championship in the world. Our competitors gave us a hell of a run. I had to work so hard to get on top of those guys but we managed to make it work and bring it home in the last 10 minutes. 'This all feels like a dream — a dream that we hope won't end.' The result is massive for the championship, the brand, the car and the team's future. Now, as a result of its performance this weekend, AWA finds itself in with a chance to achieve something truly special in June. 'This is a huge boost for the team and myself heading to the 24 Hours Le Mans for our debut,' 2024 IMSA Bob Akin Award winner Orey Fidani said. 'If we can win this one, I think Le Mans also is a possibility as well. We'll take that energy from here and roll it forward into that.' That's for tomorrow, though. Right now, it's time for the team to pop the champagne corks stateside. Story originally appeared on Racer
