Corvette C8.R Race Team clinches GT Le Mans Manufacturers Title at Sebring

While not everyone has the money to own a 2021 Chevy C8 Corvette or take one racing, Chevrolet's success on the race track has long translated into better cars, trucks, vans and SUVs for Chevy customers all over America. With performance, heat and mechanical stresses pushed to the max. racing is a great way to subject parts, materials and new ideas to the most punishing real-world conditions imaginable. If a part or design can survive racing, chances are it'll live a long and happy life under the much-less-demanding conditions experienced by the same part in your Chevrolet truck or sedan.

That kind of thinking has made Chevrolet a winner on the race track and on the highways and byways of America for over 110 years now, which is why we're always excited to pass along the latest successes by the Chevrolet Performance Racing teams. A checkered flag today translates to better, more reliable, more durable Chevy vehicles of tomorrow.

The latest big win by Chevy racing: Chevrolet's 2020 Corvette C8.R race team recently clinched the GT Le Mans Manufacturers title in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a start at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in Florida. A triumphant end of the first season for the mid-engine Corvette C8R race team, the win by team drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor marks Chevrolet’s 13th Manufacturers title in IMSA GT competition since 2000.
 

"The first season for the Corvette C8.R has shattered all of our expectations,” said Mark Reuss, GM president. "The success of the Corvette Racing team wouldn’t be possible without the close link between the crew and the Corvette engineering team. It has been great to watch these two teams work closely together to learn from each other. I can’t wait to see what next season brings.”

Similar to the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray, the C8.R is a full-race variant of the new mid-engine Chevy Corvette, and benefits heavily from the C8's near-perfect weight distribution and sharper handling. Developed parallel to the production C8, the C8.R Race Car is giving Chevrolet engineers and designers valuable, real-world insight as they prepare to introduce higher-horsepower, higher-performance variants of the C8, including the mighty ZR-1 and Z06 C8 Corvette models.
 

2020 marks only the second time that an introductory-year model of a new Corvette design won the IMSA championship, following up a 2005 Championship by the then-new Corvette C6.R. In addition, the Corvette C8.R has claimed seven pole positions and posted the fastest GTLM race lap at five events.

Racing wins like this give us a double reason to celebrate: both another checkered flag for Chevrolet, and more innovations and insight that will lead to better Chevy vehicles of tomorrow. Come share our pride! Stop in today at Landers Chevy of Norman to test drive our full selection, pre-order a 2021 Corvette C8 in Norman. Or you can shop us online at our website. We look forward to helping you find the vehicle of tomorrow you can drive today, only at Landers Chevrolet of Norman! 

 
Source: blog