Things are as hot as ever for our beloved iconic brand, with the first hybrid AWD Corvette fresh off pacing the Indy 500 just a week ago. And now the exciting new E-Ray was set to pace the first race on the streets of Detroit for the new Z06 GT3.R, as Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and its two Z06 GT3.Rs were prepared for a street fight at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic.
And street fight they got. The team at Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports came back home and kicked off the weekend with a bang, with a one-two qualifying effort, but things went sideways on race day. In today’s Corvette Racing Recap, we’ll give you a quick recap of the race with notable highlights, share the always-interesting driver quotes, celebrate some of the recent milestones, and show you a few of our favorite photos from the busy weekend! Let’s dive in!
Race Summary:
The No. 3 and No. 4 Corvettes finished 10th and 9th in the GTD PRO class, respectively. Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 Corvette led the Z06 GT3.R effort, followed by class pole-sitter Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims. The pair of yellow Corvettes began the race first and second in class, hoping to finish that way for the Z06 GT3.R’s first win in IMSA.
The disappointments struck first and at the start for the No. 3 Corvette when Garcia had to pit at the end of the first lap with an alternator problem. By the time the repair was completed, and he rejoined the race, he and Sims were well down the order, so they turned the rest of the race into an extended test session for the first-year Z06 GT3.R Corvette.
That mess moved Milner to the class lead, where he promptly opened a lead of more than two seconds in the opening 20 minutes and set the fastest GTD PRO race lap along the way. He then made the No. 4 team’s only pit stop with a little more than an hour to go and handed over to Catsburg, who rejoined after taking just fuel but under a full-course caution period. Unfortunately, on the restart, Catsburg was spun from the lead at the end of the Detroit circuit’s long backstretch. The Z06 GT3.R suffered damage to the front-left corner but was able to continue to the end of the race.
Comments Directly From The Drivers:
- Antonio Garcia, #3
“Not the day we wanted. The most difficult part of the race was the start with all the GTPs and GTD PROs together. But we got through it 1-2 which is what we wanted. To me that was 50 percent of the race. But then to be called into the pits, I couldn’t believe it. A very tough and cruel day for us.”
- Alexander Sims, #3
“These are never going to be easy events, but it seemed like in practice and qualifying that we were going to have a nice, sensible race at the front of the field. Not long after the start, it became obvious that this wasn’t going to be the case on our car. It was a huge disappointment and tough. Everyone is working hard but we can always find ways to get better.”
- Tommy Milner, #4
“We can look at the weekend as a whole and be proud of what we showed and how good these Corvettes are. Obviously in the race you have a wildcard, especially on a street track where we are put in situations that encourage those kinds of accidents. Unfortunately we were on the wrong end of it. Every single one of the people on this team can hold their heads high for what we achieved this weekend. We showed the car is very fast, and it was really impressive how good it was on the streets here. We were just unlucky in the race.”
- Nicky Catsburg, #4
“I would say that we didn’t get the result we deserved. But we also have to look at ourselves and be better. In my case, I guess I should have known that the 14 was going to send it the way he did and should have anticipated it. Some other issues we had in regards to tire pressure could have been avoided as well. I think we deserved more. We had a fast car. I feel like we deserved to come away with an awesome result in our home race. It didn’t work, but it never really helps to blame everyone and everything around you. We can look in the mirror and try to be better next time.”
What’s Next For IMSA?
Corvette Racing and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R head to the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 23.
CorvSport Celebrates Corvette Racing’s Recent Milestones
- Nicky Catsburg grabs first pole position in the No. 4 Z06 GT3.R at Raceway Laguna Seca,
- The No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Racing climbed the GTD PRO podium for the first time this season as Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner finished third at Raceway Laguna Seca (read Scott Kolecki’s full Raceway Laguna Seca feature here),
- At Laguna Seca, for the first time, all three Z06 GT3.Rs finished the race,
- DXDT Racing secures the first race victory for the Z06 GT3.R as Corvette factory driver Tommy Milner and Alec Udell won the first 90-minute race of GT World Challenge America’s event at Circuit of The Americas on May 18th.
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Additional Sources:
Photo Gallery
(All images credited to Richard Prince for Corvette Racing)
