Corvette Racing Takes Victory at VIR

Strategy and quick work in the pits – paired with a strong No. 3 Corvette C8.R – helped Corvette Racing score its second IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory of the season on Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway. 

The win in the Michelin GT Challenge was the second in four years at the GT-only event for the Team Chevy driving duo of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, while the Corvette team won it for the third time in the last four seasons.

On Saturday, Garcia qualified the No. 3 car in the third position in the GTD PRO class at the historic 18-turn, 3.74-mile road course in Alton, Virginia. He quickly moved into the second spot when the race began the following day, and the team was among the top-two runners for the remainder of the event.

Garcia brought the Corvette into the pits for the first time at the 54-minute mark and handed the controls to Taylor, who drove the rest of the way.

With the top two cars in GTD PRO having committed to a two-stop strategy, Corvette was the first to make its final stop with 57 minutes to go. After quick service, the team assumed the lead by a 3.7-second margin, but Taylor both needed to save fuel and stay ahead of the competition that pitted one lap later.

He ultimately took the victory by 2.068 seconds to score both the GTD PRO and overall race win.

“The Corvette guys made an amazing call to short-fill on the last stop to get us out front and get the track position,” Taylor said. “It was down to saving fuel and managing tires from there. I was counting down the laps from about 25 to go, so I was very happy to see that checkered flag.”

The win, which Taylor called “a classic Corvette Racing victory,” was the team’s 126th worldwide and 114th in IMSA competition.

With the triumph, Corvette Racing also remains in contention for the GTD PRO championship with just two races remaining.

As was proven on Sunday, the Corvette Racing mantra of “never give up” is in full effect as the season winds down.

Keep watching The BLOCK for more on Corvette, Chevrolet Performance and all motorsports disciplines.