RACING: C8.R Confirmed for 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans

Corvette Racing Returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 2021 Season!

Both of the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R race teams have confirmed their participation in the 2021 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on August 21 and 22, 2021.   The race, which has been pushed back from its traditional mid-June dates, is expected to have 62 entrants at the time of this publication, making this one of the largest, strongest race fields in years.

Last year, Corvette Racing withdrew from the event.  In a statement from Jim Campbell, vice-president of motorsports and performance, he explained “several factors played into our decision, including current conditions and the re-scheduled timing.”  He also stated that the decision to withdraw from the event was “not an easy one.”

The current conditions Campbell referred to centered around the ongoing global COVID health crisis.  Additionally, the IMSA SportsCar Championship calendar in which Pratt & Miller (Corvette Racing) competes, prevented the Corvette Racing team from participating in the re-scheduled 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, which had been moved from June to September 19-20, 2020.   The team’s absence from this event marked the first time since 2000 that Corvette Racing was absent from the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For the 2021 running of the race, the GTE Pro-class C8.R Corvettes will once more carry their traditional #63 and #64 race numbers and will be driven by their regular drivers.  The No. 63 Corvette will be piloted by Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor.  They will be joined by Nicky Catsburg as their third driver for the 24-hour endurance event.  The No. 64 will be piloted by Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner, with Alexander Sims joining as their third.