Corvette Conquers Endurance Cup, AWA Secures Le Mans Berth

In a thrilling conclusion to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, Corvette Racing's teams faced a mix of triumphs and challenges at the Petit Le Mans event. While the No. 3 and No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs encountered various issues, the Chevrolet program celebrated significant accomplishments, including a Manufacturers' title and a coveted Le Mans entry for the AWA team.

Corvette's Endurance Dominance and AWA's Le Mans Ticket

Chevrolet Clinches Endurance Cup Manufacturers' Title

Chevrolet's Corvette Z06 GT3.R program has once again proven its endurance prowess, securing the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers' Championship for the fourth time since 2015. This impressive feat marks the first time Chevrolet has won the prestigious Endurance Cup in the GTD PRO class, a testament to the car's reliability and performance in the series' premier long-distance races."It is very gratifying for Chevrolet to win our fourth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers' Championship," said Mark Stielow, Director of Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. "We are very proud and pleased as a company to achieve this in the first year of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in IMSA's premier long-distance races."This championship victory underscores Chevrolet's commitment to developing a world-class endurance racing platform in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, which has consistently proven its mettle against the competition.

AWA Secures Automatic Le Mans Entry

In a remarkable achievement, the No. 13 AWA team and driver Orey Fidani clinched the coveted Bob Akin Award, which grants the winner an automatic entry into the following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fidani, along with co-drivers Matt Bell and Lars Kern, finished 12th in GTD and fourth among Akin-eligible cars at the Petit Le Mans event, securing the season-long award."Congratulations to Orey Fidani and all of AWA on securing the Bob Akin Award and an automatic entry into the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans," said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager. "To see their hard work and effort lead to this accomplishment is something in which they and everyone at Corvette Racing can take a high level of pride. We're excited for AWA's future and can't wait to welcome them to Le Mans next summer."This opportunity to compete in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans is a significant milestone for the AWA team, and it showcases the depth of talent and dedication within the Corvette Racing program.

Corvette Racing's Petit Le Mans Challenges

While the Chevrolet program celebrated its endurance achievements, the two GTD PRO Corvettes from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports faced a challenging race at Petit Le Mans. The No. 3 Z06 GT3.R, driven by Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, and Daniel Juncadella, finished fifth in class after encountering brake issues that required additional pit stops."It looked really good from the start until we had our first brake issue that put us a lap down," said Garcia. "We kind of kept it there and with the lack of yellows, that's all we could do... just carry on and stay there. It was a gut-check race the whole way."Despite the setbacks, the No. 3 team's result was enough to secure third place in the GTD PRO Drivers' and Teams' standings for Garcia, Sims, and the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports squad.The No. 4 Corvette, driven by Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg, and Earl Bamber, faced even greater challenges. Milner was hit by an LMP2 car, causing significant damage to the front and rear suspension on the right side of the car. The crew worked quickly to repair the car, but the No. 4 Corvette finished 12th in class, more than 50 laps down."The incident earlier is kind of what I thought happened," Milner said. "I got caught up in someone else's accident. That was unfortunate, for sure."Despite the setbacks, the Corvette Racing team demonstrated their resilience and commitment to the program, working tirelessly to keep the cars on track and in contention.

Looking Ahead to the Rolex 24 at Daytona

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R program will return to IMSA competition at the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona, where the teams will look to build on their endurance success and continue their pursuit of championship glory.With the Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers' title secured and the AWA team's automatic entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Corvette Racing program has set the stage for an exciting 2025 season. The teams will undoubtedly be eager to capitalize on their achievements and push for even greater success in the year ahead.