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Nearly 65 years later, Corvette Racing returns to Sebring
with a record that is the envy of any other racing program:
11 class victories and 46,383.64 racing miles completed
across three generations of Corvette race car.
“It’s such a cool event,” Magnussen said. “The track is very
challenging, but there is a great party going on all around.
The first thing that comes to my mind is the atmosphere of
Sebring. It’s a cool place - from Wednesday when campers
start coming in until the end of the race. It’s great.”
Now it’s time for the team to write a new chapter with the
mid-engine Corvette. As has been with each previous generation
of Corvette, Sebring has played a key role in testing
and development of the C8.R during the last two years.
“It is helpful to get as much time as possible at Sebring, so
I’m glad we have a positive test there last month,” Fässler
said. “You cannot simulate a lap around Sebring anywhere
in the world. To me, that is one of the things which makes
this race challenging and enjoyable. Our goal for sure is to
return to the Winner’s Circle at Sebring and position Corvette
Racing high in the championship.”
The C8.R is based on the strong foundation of the 2020
Corvette Stingray, which will serve as the Official Pace Car
of Sebring. There is a deeper level of technology transfer
between the race car and production Corvette than ever
before, which helps contribute to many of its advancements.
As a result, the C8.R shares the highest percentage
of parts between the production and race car than any previous
generation.
“It was important for us to develop the new race car alongside
the production car, so that each product could properly
take advantage of the new architecture,” said Ed Piatek,
Corvette chief engineer. “The benefits of this mid-engine
supercar, including its incredible balance and connectedto
the-road feel, will be obvious on the street and the track.”
Since certain features of the 2020 Corvette Stingray aren’t
necessary in a racing environment, the engineering and
design teams found innovative ways to get benefits out of
every part of the vehicle. For example, on the C8.R, a single
centrally mounted radiator was placed in the area used as
the front storage compartment on the production Corvette.
Ultra-bright racing headlights were packaged on the race
car where the radiators are located on the production car.
In compliance with IMSA engine displacement rules, the
C8.R will feature a 5.5L naturally aspirated flat-plane crank
V8 engine, producing 500 hp and 480 ft.-lb. of torque.
A new compact Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox was
developed in order to provide room at the rear of the C8.R
to package a race car specific diffuser.
“We have looked forward to racing a production-based
mid-engine Corvette for a long time,” Campbell said. “The
debut of the C8.R is the result of immense collaboration between
GM Engineering, Propulsion, Design and the Corvette
Racing team. As Corvette Racing enters its third decade of
competition, we’re excited to begin the next chapter.”
Improving aerodynamics, increasing stiffness and decreasing
weight from the previous generation car were all
primary focuses of the C8.R development.
The use of computer analytics made it possible to start the
design of the race car well in advance of any production
Corvette components being available. Chevrolet’s state of
the art Driver in the Loop Simulator was heavily utilized
to evaluate numerous chassis and aero design concepts.
The engineering and design teams produced thousands of
3D-printed rapid prototype parts for chassis and wind tunnel
testing. The use of these development tools resulted in
a race car with improved aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics
and weight distribution.
The C8.R utilizes a production 2020 Stingray chassis structure
produced in the Bowling Green Assembly plant. The
chassis is then modified to meet race series requirements.
The new C8.R chassis structure is significantly stiffer and
lighter than its predecessor.
With a lower center of gravity and more even weight distribution
on the wheels, Corvette Racing worked closely with
Michelin to optimize the tire compound and construction
to best support the unique traction needs of a mid-engine
race car. The C8.R will ride on 18-inch MICHELIN® Pilot®
Sport GT competition tires.
“This will be the biggest adjustment the program has ever
had to make with an all-new car,” Milner said. “But with the
time, effort and testing spent so far, I’m confident we will
be ready to take on all challenges. Everyone at Corvette
Racing is eager to get back to winning races and championships
with this new C8.R.”
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