IMSA Laguna Seca this Weekend

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Trio of Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs seek to deliver first wins of the IMSA season

Following GTD-only round last month just down the California coast, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is back in full this weekend just off the Monterey coast.

Scenic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca plays host Sunday to the Motul Corse de Monterey and the first standard-length race on the IMSA calendar, two hours and 40 minutes. The event also is the first for IMSA on a track surface that was repaved last summer and has received rave reviews from Corvette drivers and their competitors.

The three Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in IMSA the No. 3 and No. 4 GTD PRO entries from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and the No. 13 GTD entry from AWA spent two days testing at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit in April to get a head start on car setup and understanding tire degradation levels with the increased grip level in the new blacktop.

The goal is twofold, to give each team the best chance of scoring their first victories with the first-year Corvette Z06 GT3.R and to extend the Corvette brand’s record of success at the circuit. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is one of three tracks, Sebring and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta later this year is the others to play host to Corvette Racing entries every season since the program’s debut in 1999.

The track record in Monterey is impressive: eight class victories for Corvette Racing since 2004 and 12 total manufacturer wins for Chevrolet.

The AWA and Pratt Miller teams have differing levels of experience at Laguna Seca. The GTD PRO squad will race there for the 26thh consecutive year and its drivers have a combined six victories at the circuit, including Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner with multiple wins.

On the AWA side of the paddock, the first-year Corvette team has never raced in Monterey, and only Orey Fidani has previous race experience there 2021 in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

The Motul Corse de Monterey is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET / 12:10 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 12. The race will air live on NBC with full streaming coverage also on Peacock. IMSA Radio will air Saturday’s final practice and qualifying plus Sunday’s race at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS

PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R

"I always enjoy going to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and it’s a pleasure to drive. We had a good test there with the Z06 GT3.R and experienced the new asphalt on the track. There is a ton more grip in the track but it is unknown how the race will play out with the combination of the grip level and tire degradation. We have had strong runs there the last two years so hopefully this is the year we can break through for another win.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s been several years since my last GT race at Laguna Seca, although I had a good experience racing the Cadillac there last year in GTP. I always enjoyed competing there as the track presents a massive challenge with grip and tire degradation, even with a new surface. The Monterey area is fantastic and is always enjoyable. I’m looking forward to going back there, this time with the Corvette. We’re right on the cusp of breaking through with this new Z06 GT3.R. Hopefully this is the weekend.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m happy to go back to Laguna Seca. I’ve been away from the Monterey area for a couple of years so it will be nice to get familiar with the track and that part of the world again. There have been some positive changes to the facility since the last time I was there, including the new track surface, which looks pretty good based on what I’ve heard from both Antonio and Nicky.
That’s always nice for us as competitors and it makes for good racing for the fans, as well. The last time I raced there, we came away with a win in the No. 4 Corvette. I’m hoping it’s our turn again this weekend.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It was very eye-opening to test at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. I hadn’t been to the track since 2019 in IGTC. But I was very happy to be back and to drive the Corvette again. This is a great track and is an example of why it’s fun to race in America. The elevation changes are massive and there are real penalties for going off-track.
Everyone talks about the Corkscrew and while it is very iconic, there are a lot of sections of the track that you have to nail in order to put together a good lap. So I would say we are optimistic going into this weekend and hopeful for a first win for the Z06 GT3.R.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’ll be another new experience for me at Laguna as I’ve never raced there before, same as Long Beach. The Long Beach weekend was very strong for the team, and the car was really strong, so we’re aiming to take that momentum into this weekend. We want our first GTD podium!”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“I think Laguna Seca is a track that every driver wants to race at and looks forward to driving on. I’m excited to be returning here. It’s a track I’m particularly fond of, and myself and Matt have been putting in a lot of work to make sure we’re coming into this round well-prepared and ready to hit the ground running.
We had a good result last time in Long Beach, and we’ve been steadily improving at each event, so our goal is to continue that progress and challenge for another top finish with our Corvette.”

 

[teamzr1]

Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship
IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship

Race Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
Circuit Length: 2.238 miles
Monterey, CA May 10-12, 2024

Entry by Class: n/a

GTP
GTD Pro
GT Daytona

Qualifying: Saturday, May 11, 2024

Live Streaming: IMSA: TV | IMSA

Peacock Streaming: Unavailable In Your Region

7:35-7:50 pm ET Qualifying - WeatherTech Championship (GTD Pro/GTD

48:00 pm - 8:15 pm ET Qualifying - WeatherTech Championship (GTP)

Race Broadcast: Sunday, May 12, 2024

US

TV-NBC: 03:00 -6:00 PM ET NBC
Online-Peacock TV: 03:00-6:00 pm ET

Unavailable In Your Region

International: 03:05 to 5:50 PM ET

IMSA: TV | IMSA

Online Coverage

IMSA.com (includes live images, in-car cameras and announcers)

IMSA: TV | IMSA

LIVE TIMING:

Scoring | IMSA

Live Timing for mobile device:

http://scoring.imsa.com/mobile.html

Radio:- XM-not posted

1) Streaming on IMSA TV & Radio Le Mans:

IMSA: TV | IMSA

http://radiolemans.0157.org/nplayer.php

2) XM 207

3) SiriusXM Online 992

PIT NOTES:

http://twitter.com/ @CorvetteRacing, @IMSA, @IMSAlive, @WeatherTechRcwy, @PrattMillerMS, @AWARacing

Corvette Racing Fans


TICKET INFO: https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/gov...et-information

Corral ticket info: https://www.pvca.org/wp-content/uplo...una24Flyer.pdf

Official Schedule: https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...S-050124-1.pdf

Spotters Guide:

Official 2024 IMSA Spotter Guide

BoP

https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/05/01/TB-IWSC-24-40-Laguna-GT-BoP-05012024.pdf

Entry List:

https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...Entry-List.pdf

Track Map:https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...-Track-Map.pdf

Pit Lane Assignments

https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...gnments-V2.pdf

WEATHER:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...1#.U1ancvldWSo

Corvette Corral

General Admission & Paddock ticket must be purchased separately.

Corvette Parade laps: 6:45 to 7:05 PT

 

[teamzr1]

First practice completed

There is two ZO6 GT3.R in GTD-Pro and 1 in GTD classes

 

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Second practice results

The 2 Z06 GM GT3.R were 2nd and 5th in GTD-Pro class
The AWA team from Canada in GTD class was 7th in their ZO6 GT3.R

Jack Hawksworth led GTD PRO with a 1m20.376s (100.24mph) lap in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, taking advantage of the fresh asphalt to post a time nearly three seconds better than the existing track record.

Nicky Catsburg was 0.088s off Hawksworth’s best in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R.
Marvin Kirchhöfer showed well for Pfaff Motorsports, turning a 1m20.614s lap in the No. 9 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO for the third-best time in GTD PRO.

Laurin Heinrich (No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R), Antonio Garcia (No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R) and Madison Snow (No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3) were the next three cars in GTD PRO, but all were behind GTD leader Kyle Marcelli in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo22. Marcelli was nearly three seconds better than the GTD track record at 1m20.637s.

Anders Fjordbach was second in GTD, 0.380s off Marcelli, in the No. 86 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, with Loris Spinelli third at 1m21.049s in the No. 78 Forte Racing Powered by USRT Lamborghini. Albert Costa Balboa was fourth in the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, turning his best lap before the car suffered a right-rear suspension failure in the Corkscrew.

The Conquest crew found a couple of sheared bolts on the car and repaired it without leaving pit lane. Manny Franco returned the car to the track to finish the session. Frederik Schandorff completed the top five in the No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren.
The session was interrupted by a single brief red flag for the No. 43 Andretti Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R stopped on track.

Qualifying takes place at 4:35 p.m. local time, 7:35 ET and will be streamed on IMSA.tv and on Peacock.

 

[teamzr1]

Nicky Catsburg not only obliterated the GTD PRO track record, he put a three-tenths gap on the rest of the field as the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.Rs locked out the front row of the GT field. Catsburg, in his first qualifying session since joining Corvette Racing, posted a 1m19.727s (101.05mph) to claim the GTD PRO and overall GTD pole in the No. 4 Corvette, 0.311s better than Antonio Garcia in the No. 3.

“It was my first qualifying in IMSA and I must say I was a little bit nervous before the session, so it was very nice to come back with a good result,” said Catsburg. “The guys had a very difficult day; they had to change the engine after practice for qualifying, so they did an amazing job.
We made some small changes to the setup as well, trying to get it dialed in for qualifying.
We knew that track position is going to be very, very important here because it’s not so much of a drop-off anymore.
The track is much faster and the tires will last a lot longer, so it was important to us to do that.”

Pfaff Motorsports, which had been the only team to score a GTD PRO pole at Laguna Seca, will start on the inside of the second row courtesy of Marvin Kirchhofer’s 1m20.244s in the No. 9 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO. Jack Hawksworth put the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 alongside the McLaren on the outside of the second row. Seb Priaulx (No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R) and Mario Farnbacher (No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) will occupy the third row, and the last GTD PRO cars before the quickest of the GTD qualifiers.

 

[teamzr1]

MONTEREY, Calif. – The new pavement at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was a perfect match for the new Corvette,
which earned its first pole position with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R model that debuted this season.

Nicky Catsburg won the Motul Pole Award in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) with his record-setting lap of 1 minute, 19.727 seconds (101.054 mph) in the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

In fact, Catsburg was followed by Antonio Garcia in the team’s sister car, the No. 3 Corvette, at 1:20.038, giving Corvette a sweep in the first IMSA race at WeatherTech Raceway since its off season repave.

While Corvette was dominating GTD PRO, Danny Formal took charge of GTD with a lap of 1:20.866 in the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 – the first pole position for the team as a full-season GTD program.

In part because of the new surface, pole position was an important target for Catsburg and co-driver Tommy Milner, along with Garcia and his co-driver, Alexander Sims.
“We really put our emphasis on qualifying,” Catsburg said. “We know track position is going to be important here. It’s a low-degradation track now. We put a lot of effort into it, and it worked. The car felt amazing, so it was pretty much just doing some laps and letting the time get toward me. It worked out.”

Marvin Kirchhoefer recorded the third-fastest lap (1:20.244) in GTD PRO in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO he shares with Oliver Jarvis.
Normal talked about WTRAndretti’s effort to get the Lamborghini up to speed in a short time frame.
“I’m just so happy with my teammates,” said Formal, who co-drives the No. 45 with Kyle Marcelli. “
Everyone has been working so, so hard to get this program from zero to a pole position in three races. It’s pretty incredible.”

The temporarily renumbered No. 557 Turner Motorpsort BMW M4 GT3 co-driven by Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley landed alongside the WTRAndretti Lambo on the front row in GTD with Gallagher’s lap of 1:20.995. The number celebrates the team’s 557th race with BMW – the most by any team in the world.

The WeatherTech Championship GTD points-leading No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 co-driven by Russell Ward and Philip Ellis will start third in GTD. Ward and Ellis are looking for their third victory in four races this season after claiming GTD honors at both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

NBC’s live network coverage of the two-hour, 40-minute race begins Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m. ET with live-streaming also available on Peacock.

 

[teamzr1]

Race completed
The 2 ZO6 GT3.Rs in GTD-Pro class started the race in 1st and second place and ran like that for about the first hour.
Bad pit stops did not help and here is how they finished in 3rd and 5th place

The AWA team out of Canada has been crap after getting the 2 Z06 GT3.Rs to run in the IMSA GTD class and of course
pulled one out early in year to never return and the 1 left finishes towards last place

Results

 

[teamzr1]

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports climbed the GTD PRO podium for the first time this season as Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner finished third Sunday at the Motul Corse de Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R led the Corvette GT3 effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s annual stop in Monterey. Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims finished fifth in GTD PRO in the No. 3 Corvette, which had its race compromised by an early full-course caution.
In GTD, the AWA duo of Matt Bell and Orey Fidani placed 11th in class, with the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R but won the Bob Akin Award, which goes to the highest-finishing GTD entry with a Bronze driver.

Catsburg led early in GTD PRO from pole position and a strong pace early with Garcia right behind. The two Corvettes consistently ran within one second of each other while building a gap of upwards of three seconds to the third-place car in the class.
Catsburg was the first of the Z06 GT3.Rs to make its first stop with four tires, fuel and a driver change to Milner at the 45-minute mark.
But an issue on the pit stop and then a full-course yellow near the 50-minute mark turned the race on its head.

Garcia was set to pit the No. 3 Corvette when the yellow came out but had to wait until the GT pits opened with the field behind the safety car. He handed over to Sims, who left the pits in seventh place and mired in out-of-class GTD traffic. Meanwhile, Milner restarted second in class but was shuffled back to third by the eventual class-winner not long after the green flag dropped.

The No. 3 Corvette was the first of the GTD PRO contenders to make its final stop, opting for right-side tires and fuel with less than 70 minutes left. The strategy pushed Sims from sixth when he entered the pitlane to fourth after the class pit cycle ended. Milner came back in for four tires and fuel about 10 minutes later after inheriting the lead and re-emerged third. The rest of the race went green, with the Corvettes unable to make up ground in traffic.

The AWA Corvette had a noteworthy day, as well. Fidani drove the first 46 minutes from the seventh row of the GTD grid, and Bell moved the car into the top-10 just past the midpoint of the race. The team had to serve a drive-through penalty after its final pit stop due to a pitlane infraction, but Bell raced his way up three spots to secure the Akin award for AWA. Winning the season championship is the main objective for the team, which would earn an automatic entry into the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The next IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program is the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the streets of downtown Detroit on Saturday, June 1.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s always tricky trying to plan out your pit strategy. It’s typically not preferred to pit early. You make it hard on yourself at the end of the race, but you’re also exposed if you don’t pit if there’s a yellow. We saw that today with the 3 car.
They did the preferred strategy if there’s no yellow that comes out, but unfortunately for them there was in that window. So it did work out for us there.

We had a little bit of a slow stop on our first stop. I think we probably had the car for second, but it looked like the Porsche was a little bit too quick for us today. I’m happy for these Corvette Racing guys to get this Corvette Z06 GT3.R on the podium for the first time.
The pole was great, and we were looking strong at the start of the race. We just have a little bit more to go in order to get that first win.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I think the Corvette did everything fine today. We had good balance.
I think we lost the chance to finish P2 at our first stop when we had an issue with our refueling and lost about four seconds. I think P1 was destined for the Porsche. They were way faster than we were.
The second was possible, but we will see what we need to do in order to make sure those things don’t happen again.
I think from our side, we did everything we could. I’m pleased with our first podium.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“We were covering the 9 car because we split strategies between our cars. The McLaren pitted a lap before us, I don’t think they anticipated the yellow and the team told me to push because we were pitting on that lap. I came out of Turn Nine and saw the yellow coming.

And that was our race. It looked really good before that. It wouldn’t have been a nice battle with the 77, the 9 and the 4. I’m sure we would have cycled to the front after that. It’s a shame they didn’t allow everyone to pit before it went yellow for a little piece on the track. It really dictated our race.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“The yellow dictated everything for us. We were all quite happy with the situation beforehand. I was up on the pit wall with the team ready for Antonio to come in that lap but saw the pit closed light come on. I was hoping Antonio was just immediately around the corner and had made it in.
So unfortunately that compromised us significantly and put us at the back of the group.
Then we went to a more aggressive fuel strategy and pitted early. That did cycle us back forward a bit, but we were up against it fuel-wise and had to save every lap as no yellows came out. There were some nice battles, but it was unfortunate that we got caught out early.”

AWA POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“Normally in races, I have a fairly decent idea about what’s going on around me, but today I just had my head down and drove hard.
The AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R was excellent. We saw that in practice and qualifying.

I had a nice car in the race to try and wrestle with people and move up. I stayed focused and kept pushing. We moved up from where we started.
The No. 1 objective today was achieved, which was winning the Bob Akin award and taking that points lead.
Our quest for Le Mans in 2025 is really starting to gear up, and we’ll keep marching forward.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“The track was consistent throughout the weekend.
I was fighting a high tire-pressure skew in my stint, which made the car have an oversteer imbalance on entry and made it hard to get consistent turn-in points. So I was struggling to push through that and kept going to give the car over to Matt to get to the end.
Overall, it was a good result for us at the end with the Akin award for today.”

 

[teamzr1]

AO Racing has been knocking on the door of victory since moving to GTD PRO with its No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R, and finally got it in a race where it seemed least likely.
Starting fifth behind a front row of two Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.Rs that seemed to have the pace to control the race, AO moved up steadily and used an early pit stop strategy to get the car to the front at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Once there, Laurin Heinrich in his third IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start and Seb Priaulx claimed victory in the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N and the GTD PRO points lead.

“Before the race, we were talking about passing on this track, which is historically not so easy,” said Heinrich. “I was preparing quite a lot before, looking at many IMSA races from the past, looking over videos. You just have to set it up right. We had a good car, and we were purposely focusing on having a car to follow other guys, now that we knew we were starting from the third row so we had to overtake some cars.

I think our engineers and the whole AO Racing crew did a great job to give us exactly the car that we needed. It was not particularly easy in clean air, but that’s not what you need. You know, as soon as you’re first at Laguna, it’s much easier to stay there than to get there.”

Nicky Catsburg put the No. 4 Corvette on the GTD pole with Antonio Garcia alongside in the No. 3 as the Corvettes looked like they might have the first victory for the Z06 GT3.R on their hands. However, Pfaff Motorsports put the No. 9 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO running a red-and-white livery in honor of Ayrton Senna into the lead after the first round of pit stops, the first time the car has led since Pfaff switched to McLaren.
The No. 3 Corvette was caught out when the only full-course caution came 50m into the race, still not having pitted.

Heinrich, having taken over from starter Priaulx, was third at the restart, and quickly took second from Tommy Milner, now in the No. 4 Corvette. He took the lead from Marvin Kirchhofer as he passed the McLaren in Turn 6 a few laps later.
The AO crew then brought the Porsche in first, and they cycled back to the lead after the second round of stops, a lead they would never relinquish as Heinrich drove to a 9s margin of victory over Kirchhofer and Oliver Jarvis in the No. 9 McLaren.

“AO Racing did an absolute awesome job today – and not just today, the whole year, and they’ve been improving each time,” said Priaulx. “It’s just absolutely great to see, and they’re really hard-working guys. Qualifying pace wasn’t right there yesterday, but today, Laurin did a great job and just absolutely awesome to win our first race. For the team, a massive confidence boost and great for them to feel that. They’ve worked very hard.
We’ve been unlucky with some stuff, but I’m just really, really proud of them all.”

“I think it was clear that the Corvettes had the upper hand in qualifying; there was no way we were going to reach them even with a perfect, perfect lap,” added Heinirch. “Seb did a good job of placing us ahead of all the GTD cars, which was crucial for us to stay in our GTD PRO game. He did a good start, kept the nose clean, overtook the Heart of Racing Aston Martin. Halfway into his stint, I could see that he was starting to be faster than the cars ahead of him, so I knew we had something on our hands here.

The race was without many full-course yellows, so it was more about long runs. I think that was exactly our strength.”
Catsburg and Milner claimed third in the No. 4 Corvette, with Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth finishing fourth in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. Garcia and Alexander Sims rounded out the top five in GTD PRO in the No. 3 Corvette.
With the victory, Heinrich and Priaulx move into the GTD PRO points lead with 981 points, 56 more than Barnicoat and Hawksworth in second. Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow are third for Paul Miller Racing at 888.