Corvette Racing: “IMSA Battle on The Bricks” Brings Podium Finish For Pratt Miller Motorsports

As this unpredictable season marches towards the last race, the new 2024 Z06 GT3.R continues to face highs and lows, depending on the team and venue. The recent Six-Hour Battle on the Bricks at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway was no exception, where the sun only shined on one of the three Corvettes during the rain-riddled race. After the racing recap, we’ve included our summary of the highs from the first year Z06 GT3.R, in case you needed a reminder of what this remarkable race car has accomplished this season despite some of its teething issues. Now, onto our coverage!

The IMSA Teams And Drivers For The Battle on The Bricks

♦ GTD PRO: Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports

• The No. 3: Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims
• The No. 4: Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg

♦ GTD: AWA

• The No. 13: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, and Lars Kern
• The No. 17: Anthony Mantella, the owner of the No. 17 car, quits after just two races; more details are here.

Race Results:

• The No. 3 Z06 GT3.R of Garcia and Sims finished THIRD in the GTD PRO class; a podium finish!
• The No. 4 Z06 GT3.R of Milner and Catsburg finished 11th in the GTD PRO class
• The No. 13 Z06 GT3.R of Bell, Fidani, and Kern finished 6th in the GTD class

Race Highlights:

• Garcia and Sims’s podium finish was their first since their remarkable win in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
• Three full-course yellow flags kept the field close and made racing difficult during the first 100 minutes of the race.
• Despite the first half of the race being plagued by rain, the No. 3 of Garcia and Sims worked their way to the front and stayed there for most of the race remainder.
• The No. 3 Z06 GT3.R decided to lose the slicks and swap to wet-weather tires during the first round of pit stops. This move helped Sims navigate the slippery track and put him in a position to take the lead after another pit stop.
• In the face of a third caution slowing the field for nearly an hour, Sims remained in the lead until the rain finally fizzled out at the halfway point in the race.
• When Garcia took control of the No. 3, he was left battling the No. 14 Lexus and the No. 23 Aston Martin for P3 in the final 60 minutes. On the final restart, with 55 minutes left on the clock, Garcia slipped to fifth but fought his way back to fourth place with just five minutes left. Then, with only two laps left, he made the pass that landed the Pratt Miller Motorsports on the podium!
• The No. 4 duo of Milner and Catsburg weren’t so fortunate. Late-race contact with the right rear of their Z06 GT3.R required lengthy repairs and led to their 11th-place finish in the GTD PRO class.

Notable Quote From the Podium Finishing Team:

• Antonio Garcia, No. 3 Z06 GT3.R

“Those last laps were tough… We had a good call to pit before a yellow, but the way things unfolded it kind of helped the ones that stayed out. So we lost a little track position to some of the cars that were ahead of me when we got to the last restart. The restarts with these guys and being so close is not easy. I made up a few places, but with how hard the race was for everyone, there were times where I got caught in traffic and lost some spots…”