Upcoming IMSA Rolex 24 Hours Race

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Corvette Racing’s influence in the Rolex 24 At Daytona continues to grow with the release of the entry list for next month’s season-opening race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Five Chevy Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are taking part in the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 on the road course at Daytona International Speedway, the largest number of production-based racing Corvettes in the race since 2007.
A total of 18 drivers, seven of them Corvette factory pilots, will drive the Z06 GT3.R, which is starting its second season of global competition.

• Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Daniel Juncadella(No. 3 Corvette); Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, Nico Varrone (No. 4 Corvette)
• AWA – GTD: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Martin Kirchhoeffer (No. 13 Corvette)
• DXDT Racing – GTD: Charlie Eastwood, Alec Udell, Salih Yoluc, Pipo Derani (No. 36 Corvette)
• Trackhouse by TF Sport – GTD PRO: Ben Keating, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch (No. 91 Corvette)

Each of the collection of Corvettes will participate in the three-day Roar Before the 24 the week before the Rolex.
The 2024 season was one of success and learning for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and its teams. Among the highlights were 11 race victories in North America one of which came from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports the Bob Akin Award (and an entry for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans) for AWA’s Fidani and the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

In addition, DXDT Racing scored 10 victories in GT World Challenge America with the Corvette, including the Z06 GT3.R’s first global win and TF Sport claimed a double-podium to close the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The Corvette brand has a deep history at the Rolex 24 and includes four GT class victories, one of those an overall win in 2000.

Corvette Racing performance and powertrain engineers made significant improvements to the Z06 GT3.R throughout its first season of competition. Much of the work focused on optimizing performance and enhancing the Corvette’s reliability.
The outright pace of the Corvette GT3 is evident with 12 pole positions across three series in 2024, and the reliability took huge steps forward in the second half of the year.

The Roar Before the 24 is set for January 17-19, with seven sessions scheduled across the three days. The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25 with qualifying on Thursday, January 23.

CORVETTE RACING FACTORY DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I am more anxious to race at Daytona than I have been in several years.
There is a lot that everyone at Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller has going for us ahead of the Rolex 24.

Obviously, we expect a lot in the second year with the Z06 GT3.R after a win and some poles last year in IMSA. The other programs in WEC and World Challenge performed really well, especially in the second half of their seasons.
The pace of the car is there, and I’m confident that so is the reliability. Our lineup should be very, very strong with having Alex and Dani having another year with this team.
There are big reasons for us to be confident, and I hope we can achieve our goal of winning another Rolex 24 in a Corvette.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s going to be really nice to go into the season with an understanding of the team that I have around me and continuity having worked with Antonio and Dani. Knowing it will be the same this year is great, along with Andy Ramsey as our race engineer.
We’ve built up a really good understanding together, so I hope we can build on that, and I feel like we might be a little bit further down the road for the first few races in terms of our understanding of one another.

It’s not going to create any massive differences in terms of performance, but it’s nice from a personal point of view to have that nice working atmosphere of who you’re going to be with.”

DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“Expectations are high for my second year in IMSA has a Corvette factory driver. Now that we have a full year of development of the Z06 GT3.R, it should make our life a lot easier. We finished the season with a test at Sebring, which was really positive in all areas.
I think we have a wonderful starting point for the season coming up. I can’t wait to go again.
Likewise, I love Daytona and starting the season with such a big event, including the Roar and Rolex 24.
I’m excited for that and to see how we fare against the competition.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“A year of racing there’s no better test of a machine and driver than a full season of racing in IMSA. I feel like we’re not worried about or thinking about having a brand-new car like we did at the start of 2024. We have a Corvette now that has had a full year’s worth of running in several series.
It’s the same car with some smaller updates to make the car more comfortable to drive and more reliable.

We’ve had that experience now and can focus on the things that are different this year, like the torque axle sensors. Luckily for us, the TF Sport guys and Corvette Racing in WEC have a year’s worth of experience with that. We’ll use that and all the knowledge that Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller have for Daytona and put that toward giving us the best chance to get a win.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“For 2025, I have good hopes because I think we are a lot further along with the development and understanding of the Corvette than we were last year. So coming into the Daytona 24 Hours, I generally do believe that we have a chance to win it, whereas last year was a little bit more of an exploration of what the car would do and where we would be. But I do believe we have a serious shot.

There are some changes from IMSA which to me are very positive. We can be a bit more focused again on racing the people we need to race. I’m personally a very big fan of that. I’m looking forward to some tough battles.
I think we will have a full grid as well for Daytona.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I can’t express how happy I am to join the Corvette team again in IMSA, now with Pratt Miller. It’s exciting to be in the GTD PRO program, and it gives me vibes of 2023 where we won the World Championship together in WEC. It’s my first time running in the U.S. in the GTD PRO car.
Furthermore, it will be really special to represent Corvette in such an important series.

There are a lot of fans at the races in America, so it will be super fun. I also get to share again the weekends with the mechanics and engineers that I know. I love all those people that make up the team, and I’m looking forward to giving my best and being in the best form of my life to bring the results that the Z06 GT3.R deserves. The car in its first year showed a lot of potential.
Hopefully we can put it together in 2025 for some of these big race wins.
It will be tough work to join Tommy and Nicky, but I think we have a great lineup to fight for big things. I’m super-excited and looking forward to it.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m really looking forward to joining DXDT Racing. I think the lineup with have in GTD is as strong as any on paper. We had a strong test with the team at Daytona. There is an amazing bunch of guys and girls within the team.
You can see why they had so much success in GT World Challenge America in 2024 because they have so many great qualities and so many great people working within the team.

I was looking forward to the season before the test, and now I can’t wait to get started since the test.
I think we have an excellent chance to get some big results, which I’m gunning to make sure that I make sure to do in 2025 and my second year with Corvette.”

 

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With the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona less than two months away, Trackhouse Racing announced today it will be competing in the Florida race with a new partner, TF Sport, in a Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
The race team will be known as “Trackhouse by TF Sport.”

“Participating in the Rolex 24 has been a dream since the inception of Trackhouse Racing,” Trackhouse owner and founder Justin Marks said.
“We wanted to make sure we could enter with a top-notch partner in Chevy and TF Sport, as well as a driver lineup that could compete for the victory. We feel like this group we have put together can compete for the trophy.”

The entry into the GT Daytona (GTD) Pro class for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will mark Trackhouse’s first attempt in that series, after successfully competing in NASCAR Cup Series since 2021 and the MotoGP motorcycle series in 2024.

Drivers in the No. 91 Corvette at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, slated for January 25-26, will be Trackhouse NASCAR drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, joining Indycar star Scott McLaughlin and veteran sports car racer Ben Keating.

They’re familiar faces in the racing world, with Van Gisbergen taking 80 wins and 47 pole positions, along with winning the Supercars Championships three times. He’s also the first driver since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 to debut with a win in the Cup Series.

Meanwhile, Zilisch, just 18 years old, captured the LMP2 class at the Rolex 24 this year and also took victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Watkins Glen International, and several ARCA and CARS Tour events.

McLaughlin earned back-to-back-to-back Supercars titles from 2018-20 and has taken seven wins in the INDYCAR Series since 2021.
He earned five poles this year, including the fastest four-lap qualifying speed in the history of the Indy 500.

Keating, who owns 30 car dealerships in Texas, has several wins under his belt, including the Rolex 24 in the GTD class in 2015, the IMSA Championship in LMP2 in 2021 and 2023, and the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2022 with TF Sport and in 2023 with Corvette.
He’s also the 2022 and 2023 WEC World Champion.
“We set out to become an international company with a global brand,” Marks said, “and we took a big step in 2024 adding MotoGP.

Today marks another step as Trackhouse enters one of the most prestigious motorsports races in the world with two Americans (Zilisch and Keating) and two New Zealanders (Van Gisbergen and McLaughlin) behind the wheel.”

Next year will mark the second season of competition at the Rolex 24 for the Z06 GT3.R, which is based on Chevy’s production vehicle with the same aluminum frame and a 5.5-liter, flat-plane crank V8 engine said to be 80 percent production.
The Z06 GT3.R won 11 races this year, captured 12 poles, and earned the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD Pro Manufacturers Championship for Chevy.

 

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Trackhouse Racing is combining forces with WEC Chevrolet Corvette competitor TF Sport to field a Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the GTD PRO class in the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona next month.

Addiing Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch from Trackhouse’s NASCAR portfolio, the entry also brings IndyCar Series racer Scott McLaughlin and veteran IMSA racer Ben Keating into the effort that will carry No. 91 on the door and run under the name ‘Trackhouse by TF Sport’.
It marks the first entry into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Trackhouse, a NASCAR powerhouse that also counts a MotoGP team in its portfolio.

“Participating in the Rolex 24 has been a dream since the inception of Trackhouse Racing,” said Trackhouse owner and founder Justin Marks, whose first professional race as a driver came at Daytona in 2001 and peaked when he went to victory lane in 2009. “We wanted to make sure we could enter with a top-notch partner in Chevrolet and TF Sport, as well as a driver lineup that could compete for the victory.
We feel like this group we have put together can compete for the trophy.”

Van Gisbergen’s resume includes Supercars championships in 2016, ’21 and ’22, plus 80 wins and 47 pole positions. He also won the Bathurst 1000 in 2020, ’22 and ’23. Van Gisbergen won his debut NASCAR Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago in 2023 and captured three Xfinity Series victories in his first full season this year.

“This is a dream come true to get to drive alongside Scotty, Connor and Ben,” said van Gisbergen.
“I love the 24 Hours of Daytona, and it’s awesome to do this with this team. Justin, Chevy and TF Sport have done a great job putting this all together.”

Zilisch, whose resume includes Mazda MX-5 Cup and a variety of stock car racing, is already a Daytona winner in the LMP2 class, having taken victory with Era Motorsport in January. He won his debut Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International and several ARCA and CARS Tour events.

“I can’t wait for the 24 Hours this year,” Zilisch said. “This will be cool, and I really think we can win this race. I love my Rolex and if I can get another one, I might wear one on each wrist. It takes so much to win this race, and I think everyone in this group brings something to the table that will help get us to victory lane. I know our Corvette will be fast.”

Like van Gisbergen, McLaughlin is a Supercars veteran, having also won three titles across 2018-’20, including a Bathurst 1000 triumph in 2019, and owns seven victories in the IndyCar Series where he has competed full time since 2021. McLaughlin has two Rolex 24 at Daytona starts, as well as a Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring victory in LMP2 with Tower Motorsports.

“When the opportunity came up from General Motors to run with Ben, Connor and Shane, I jumped at it straight away,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve always wanted to run an endurance race in a Chevrolet Corvette, and I could not imagine a better group to join. I am confident we have a real chance of winning a Rolex with this team.
Shane and I have so much history racing against each other, including some time as teammates. He is one of the best racers I’ve ever competed against, so it’ll be great to be on his side again for Daytona. Connor is a young star who’s going to be around for a long time, and Ben has won Le Mans and a world championship in a Corvette. We’re going to have some fun.”

Keating, the owner of 30 car dealerships across Texas, won the Rolex 24 in the GTD class in 2015 as well as the LMP2 championship in 2021 and ’23. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 with TF Sport and again in 2023 with Corvette.
Keating was also the 2022 and ’23 WEC world champion in GTE-Am.
He will once again be pulling double duty, simultaneously entered in LMP2 as well.

“I’m really excited for this. I’ve won Le Mans in a Corvette and won a World Championship in a Corvette,” Keating said. “I’m thrilled to be back with TF Sport, a team that I know very well and one where we won a lot of races and a championship together. I’m teaming with some phenomenal Chevrolet drivers in Shane, Scott and Connor, which should be a lot of fun.

This will be a big challenge, but one that I know we are all looking forward to and are up for.”
The quartet will lean on the ability of the TF Sport team, founded by Tom Ferrier and headquartered in England. The team has enjoyed a winning pedigree since 2014, claiming multiple championship titles in the British GT Championship, the GTWC endurance championship and the Michelin Le Mans Cup. TF Sport claimed victory at the Spa 24 Hours in 2019 and two wins at Le Mans 24 Hours in 2020 and 2022.
The team was also crowned World Endurance champions in 2022.

“This is a fantastic way to kick off our 2025 racing program with Corvette Racing,” said Ferrier. “This team is a combination of sports car, IndyCar and NASCAR all joining together for a common goal, which is to win the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. It is such a great event, and we cannot wait to get started with this talented team.”

The entry brings the Corvette’s GTD PRO presence to three, adding to Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ two entries, and five total, with GTD entries from AWA and DXDT.

“As much as the cars and equipment, motorsport is about relationships.
We are happy to deepen ours with Trackhouse Racing, TF Sport and Ben Keating as they combine for this special entry into the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Eric Warren, GM executive director global motorsports' competition.
“This effort brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and professionalism into the race, especially TF Sport with its FIA WEC experience with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Adding a fifth Corvette to the opening race for 2025 is something that will excite our Corvette owners and Corvette Racing fans.”

In 2024, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R won 11 races around the world, claimed 12 pole positions, and captured the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship for Chevrolet.”

The team will make its debut in the Roar Before the 24 test weekend on Jan. 17-19 prior to the Rolex 24 at Dayton on Jan. 23-26.

 

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The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team is, ready to tackle the Rolex 24 our 26th consecutive run at Daytona’s iconic twice-around-the-clock race

As Corvette Racing fans get ready to witness the most Corvettes on the grid at Daytona since 2017, Pratt Miller Motorsports has announced the official driver line-up for the 2025 GTD Pro campaign.

Rolex 24 Drivers – #3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R:
• Antonio Garcia
• Alexander Sims
• Daniel Juncadella

Rolex 24 Drivers – #4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R:
• Tommy Milner
• Nicky Catsburg
• Nico Varrone

Anchor drivers for the balance of the season will continue to be Antonio and Alex in the #3
and Tommy and Nicky in the #4.