Keating to Defend Le Mans LMGT3 Win in Third TF Corvette

Photo: Charly López/DPPI

Ben Keating will defend his LMGT3 victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, having confirmed to Sportscar365 that he will take up TF Sport’s third Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R entry for next year’s French endurance classic.

The 55-year-old Texan, who is stepping back from full-season competition at the end of this year, will be the designated FIA Bronze-rated driver in the entry, which was secured by the Tom Ferrier-owned team for winning this year’s European Le Mans Series LMGT3 title.

Charlie Eastwood, Alec Udell and Blake McDonald won the championship by only two points over the No. 75 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, in a battle that came down to the wire in last month’s season-ending 4 Hours of Portimao.

Keating has been one of the most successful drivers at Le Mans in recent history, having taken three class wins in the last five years.

“I’m doing Le Mans,” Keating told Sportscar365. “I’ve never paid as close attention to an ELMS race yet. It was close but they were able to pull out a win.

“I knew that Blake wanted to take my seat in WEC, so I really wanted him to win ELMS because I knew that would give me a chance to do Le Mans.”

With McDonald expected to take Keating’s seat as a full-time WEC driver next year with the team, and driver lineups yet to be finalized throughout the LMGT3 paddock, Keating said he’s still waiting to see what his squad will look like.

“It’s all still up there [in my head],” he said. “There’s way too many unknowns still. It’s more about lineups being finalized.

“There’s so many people who are still jockeying around for position for a full season of WEC. I don’t know who I’m going to be able to choose from yet.”

Keating won this year’s Le Mans with Corvette factory driver Nicky Catsburg and Jonny Edgar, with Edgar currently leading the WEC LMGT3 championship entering this weekend’s season-ending 6 Hours of Monza.

He praised TF’s efforts for securing an additional auto-invite for the second consecutive season, which has enabled him to continue his Le Mans campaign, despite no longer being a full-time WEC driver.

“It’s so hard to get into,” he said of securing a Le Mans entry. “If TF hadn’t won the auto entry, then I probably would have tried to do it in LMP2.

“I was talking to a few teams. But talking to them and getting in, knowing you have a seat, is totally different.

“I’m really grateful to be in the position I’m in.”

The Texan, meanwhile, confirmed he’ll start his 2027 campaign at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January in a LMP2 car and will also contest the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in a program that’s yet to be announced.

A return to the U.S. Intercontinental GT Challenge round, which has been relocated to Circuit of The Americas, is also in the cards, according to Keating, after winning last month’s Desder Indianapolis 8 Hour in the GT3 Am class.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John