Rebel Rock Expands Program for Final Year of Camaro GT4.R

Rebel Rock Racing will expand its involvement in IMSA competition next year, widening its focus to compete full-time in two championships.

In addition to fielding the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R in a bid for the title in its fifth full season in Michelin Pilot Challenge, Rebel Rock will prepare a similar Camaro for the debut season of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.

Robin Liddell and Frank DePew will again co-drive in the ten-race Pilot Challenge season, with DePew also taking part in the new-for-2023 VP Racing Challenge, which consists of a pair of 45-minute sprints on six weekends.

“We’re really focusing on running for the [MPC] championship,” DePew said. “That means keeping our nose clean as much as possible. We’ve been testing to improve our reliability, and I’m working on improving my driving.

“We’ve been able to contend at every track; we’ve just messed up a little bit here and there, which hurt us.”

DePew has cut back his work schedule to enable him to spend more time concentrating on his race craft.

I’ve slowed down a bit at work, so I’m going to have more time,” he said. “Additionally, I’m going to compete in the VP Challenge.

“We’ll be bringing two identical Camaros to the track – one set up for each race – and that’s really going to help me.

“Up until now, I’ve had very limited track time prior to races, and we haven’t had much opportunity to test. I’m also working on getting in better shape to be ready for the season.

“One thing that’s interesting is the different mindset from being the starting driver in an endurance race – where you need to preserve the car – and running in sprint races.”

The 2023 season will mark the final year for the Camaro GT4.R, which will be phased out of competition.

“It will be the last year of homologation for the GT4.R,” Liddell said. “In the bigger picture, it’s the end of an era.

“A number of us on the team – myself included – have raced Camaros from Day 1 of the modern era.

“In 2010 we debuted the [Rolex Series] GT car along with the RS car, and we’re been running them ever since with a couple of gaps.

“We’ve won a lot of races, with the Z-28, SS, ZL1-GT4, all the different models.

“With no plans for GM to build a GT4 car for the foreseeable future, we have longevity with the car and our people, and if we put everything together and stay consistent for next year, I think there’s every possibility that we can win the championship.”