Corvette Racing successfully completes its dress rehearsal before the 24 Hours of Daytona

After three days of testing on the 5,73 km road course of Daytona International Speedway, the five Corvettes entered have accumulated mileage, data, and confidence just days before the first major event. IMSA of the season.

Lined up in both GTD Pro and GTD, the various teams operating the American GT3 all highlighted the reliability and consistency of the Z06 GT3.R, already victorious in GTD last year and second in GTD Pro at the Rolex 24 2025.

Solid times and thorough preparation

The two official Corvettes of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports posted similar performances, confirming their status as benchmarks in GTD Pro. The crew of the No. 3 (Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Marvin Kirchhöfer) set their best time of 1:47.775, just ahead of the No. 4 of Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner and Nicolas Varrone (1:47.810).

In GTD, the hierarchy is just as tight with the No. 36 DXDT Racing (Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi, Salih Yoluc, Scott McLaughlin) credited with a best lap of 1:47.805, while the Corvettes of 13 Autosport and DragonSpeed ​​also maintained a competitive pace, all under the 1:49 mark.

Beyond the lap times, the main focus was elsewhere: gaining experience in real-world conditions, validating basic settings and working on traffic management, a key parameter at Daytona.

A shared sense of confidence among the pilots

At Corvette Racing, the conclusion is clear: preparations for the 24 Hours of Daytona appear more complete than ever. Tommy Milner even speaks of the best preparation the team has ever experienced on the eve of the Florida classic, highlighting the continuity between drivers, engineers, and mechanics, as well as the maturity acquired by the Z06 GT3.R.

The same sentiment was echoed by the highly experienced Antonio Garcia, who was satisfied with the amount of driving and the data collected, while Marvin Kirchhöfer mentioned a learning process that was already well advanced, despite a hierarchy that was still difficult to read at this stage.

In GTD, new faces like Ben Green (13 Autosport) and Giacomo Altoé (DragonSpeed) quickly found their footing, praising the Corvette's predictable handling and adaptability. Charlie Eastwood, for his part, made no secret of his enthusiasm after what he described as his best Daytona Roar, convinced that the DXDT team now has a very solid foundation.

Corvette and Daytona, a lasting story

Historically, Corvette Racing has a special relationship with Daytona. The program boasts five GT class victories at the American classic, including an overall win in 2001, and contributes more broadly to Chevrolet's impressive record at the Florida track, which stands at 125 victories across all series.

The next step will take place on Thursday with the official pre-race tests, before the start of the Rolex 24, scheduled for Saturday, January 24 at 13:40 PM (local time). One thing is certain: after this Roar, the Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs appear ready to be contenders.

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