Chevrolet has taken its Corvette to a new level of racing: today the manufacturer of America’s oldest and most iconic sports car introduced a Daytona Prototype version of the Corvette to race in Grand Am’s Rolex Sports Car Series.
“Racing and performance are the founding principles of Chevrolet, and bringing the Corvette Daytona Prototype to Grand Am is a tremendous opportunity,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports in a company press release. “Sports car and endurance racing is an outstanding platform for manufacturers like us to test and learn.
“The design of this race car incorporates iconic Corvette styling cues and will be immediately recognized by sports car enthusiasts and fans of Grand Am road racing.
Corvette has traditionally competed against both U.S. challengers and fabled foreign factories like Ferrari, Aston Martin, BMW and Porsche in GT-class racing, using modified road cars. The New Corvette DP is a purpose-built race car, with a carbon-fiber and fiberglass body and steel tube frame, with the bespoke 5-liter V8 engine behind the driver for better balance.
This is not the first mid-engined racing Corvette. Chevrolet supported a Corvette Prototype in the IMSA GTP series from 1984–1989. As with that car, the Corvette DP was designed and built mostly by a racing factory for Chevrolet, and like that car, the new Corvette DP shares very little but shape with the street version.
“The 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype was developed by a multi-faceted effort involving Chevrolet, Corvette Designers, Pratt & Miller and GRAND-AM, and Chevrolet also worked closely with chassis builders Riley, Coyote and Dallara,” said Mark Kent, GM Racing Director in the press release.
“The IMSA GTP Corvette Prototype campaigned by Hendrick Motorsports in the ‘80s was the inspiration for this new Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype. And, like the GTP Corvettes, the new Corvette Daytona Prototype contains numerous styling cues from the street version of the Chevrolet Corvette.”
So far four teams have signed on to run the new Corvette in 2012: SunTrust Racing, Gainsco/Bob Stallings, Spirit of Daytona, and Action Express, which will run two cars. SunTrust will run a Dallara-Corvette, Spirit of Daytona and Action Express, Coyote-Corvettes, and Gainsco a Riley-chassied Corvette. The new bodywork fits all approved chassis.
In the Rolex Daytona Prototype class, the new Corvette could face challengers using chassis built by Riley, Lola, Dallara, and Coyote, powered by engines from all over—Ford, BMW, Porsche, Lexus, Honda and Infiniti and Chevrolet are approved as engine suppliers. Daytona Prototype is a very competitive class and the new car will face stiff competition.
The new Grand Am Corvette will make its racing debut at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona on January 29—a tough initiation for Chevrolet’s latest competition offering. The new Corvette will be tested on both performance and endurance at this twice-around-the-clock classic, matched against teams like four-time champion Telmex Ganassi, which won the Rolex in 2011, in its BMW-powered Riley.
The Riley Mk XX is by far the most successful chassis in Grand Am, with 75 wins since 2004, and championships in every year. Can Corvette measure up in its first outing? Jim Campbell thinks so.
“We are excited to see the Corvette DP compete in the legendary Rolex 24 at Daytona next January,” he said.
The new Corvette Daytona Prototype will begin testing at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, November 16.
