In the middle of January, Corvette Racing returned to the Daytona International Speedway, the track where the program began racing 25 years ago. In its 12 Daytona 24 Hour starts since the first in 1999, the Corvette team has won the race four times, the most recent coming in 2021, when Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor, and Nicky Catsburg led a 1-2 Corvette Racing finish in the final Rolex 24 for the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class.
This year, for the first time in the team's long history racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, only one Corvette was entered. Though there are profound changes taking place within Corvette Racing, most notably the coming addition of a GT3 class C8 that will start racing in 2024, this year's Daytona entry looked almost identical to last year's. Once again, Chevrolet fielded a C8.R in the IMSA GTD PRO class with a waiver, which is required because the GTLM-spec Corvette isn't GT3-homologated as required by IMSA's GTD class rules.
The same highly capable crew from Team Chevy and Pratt Miller Engineering was behind this year's Daytona effort, but there was one notable change to the driver lineup: Tommy Milner joined full-season regulars Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor as the third driver. Last year, Tommy was paired with Nick Tandy in the FIA World Endurance Championship series Corvette entry, but this year he's serving as the third driver for the long IMSA races-Sebring and Petit Le Mans, in addition to Daytona. Most of Tommy's time in 2023 will be devoted to driving the new GT3-spec Corvette in testing, however.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Making Connections
Project T-top Coupe: We install a Terminator X Max for big power.
LET IT BREATHE!
Project X’s new ZZ632 big-block needed to breathe, and this do-ityourself stainless exhaust kit was just the ticket to make it happen.
TUNING OPTIMIZED
VARIABLES WITHIN FUEL-INJECTOR CONSTRUCTION CAN LEAD TO POOR ENGINE OPERATION. HERE'S HOW TO TUNE YOUR FUEL INJECTORS.
Re-Flange It!
We check out the fab skills needed to run a flat hood on a 1970 Mustang with a very unique and too-tall engine.
THE TRIBUTE FOR THE WIN
Ron Capps wins the NHRA U.S. Nationals driving a Don Prudhomme-Hot Wheels tribute Funny Car.
So Close
Following a nearly flawless performance, a pít lane penalty kept the C8.R off the top of the podium in the IMSA Sportscar Weekend.
A RADICAL SHIFT
When you're a teenager and the police know you by name, it's not usually because of your volunteer work or class-topping GPA. Not at all. That was especially true for Jeff Kainz when he was behind the wheel of his 1975 Camaro. In the '80s, while cruising his hometown in North Dakota, his buddies with police scanners often heard the police tell one another: \"Kainz is out on Main Street.\"
WILD MASH-UP
Built to long-haul the 2023 HOT ROD Power Tour, this 1984 Monte Carlo’s facade hides a performance secret!
6 TIMER!
Tom Bailey captures his 6th HOT ROD Drag Week Unlimited/Overall title with his Sick Seconds 1.0 Camaro.
JIM MCFARLAND'S INFLUENCE WENT WAY BEYOND HOT ROD MAGAZINE.
Jim McFarland, the multitalented, multifaceted Texan who enjoyed several careers in the automotive performance industry, passed away in October 2023 at the age of 88.