Catsburg “Always Wanted” Full Season Corvette IMSA Drive

Nicky Catsburg says his inclusion in Corvette Racing with Pratt Miller Motorsports’ full-season GTD Pro lineup in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship serves as the fulfillment of an ambition he has held since first becoming a factory driver with the American manufacturer.

The Dutchman was confirmed as part of the four-man roster that will pilot the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the full WeatherTech Championship campaign next year, along with Antonio Garcia, Tommy Milner and Alexander Sims.

“I’ve done three years as the third driver and then I became a full time driver but in WEC, and my goal was obviously always to do a full season in IMSA with Corvette,” Catsburg told Sportscar365. 

“That was kind of what the aim was and already this year it became clear that there’s a very good opportunity that that’s what is going to happen.

“I’m super happy that it’s happening now because some people find this strange, but it’s going to be my first full season in IMSA. 

“So many tracks, probably at least half of the calendar, I haven’t been to. It’s just something that I would just always wanted to do. 

“I’ve always watched these races, some of the bigger races there and now I’m finally going to do it. That’s very cool. I’m very happy with that.”

Since joining Corvette, Catsburg has exclusively competed in longer races, both in WEC and in North American enduros like the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Despite that, the Dutchman does not expect much difficulty in transitioning to the two-hour and 40-minute format used for the shorter WeatherTech Championship events.

“It’s absolutely not a topic,” he said. “I just feel like I’ve done plenty of GT sprint races. 

“A three- or four-hour SRO event, I feel like it’s going to be quite similar to doing these sprint races in IMSA. 

“Of course, it’s a different approach to a 24 hour race but I don’t feel like it’s going to require a lot of adjustment. Even WEC sometimes, like six hours, is more of a sprint race if you see some of the battles.

“The only thing that is different is that some of the driver changes in some of the tracks like Long Beach or Lime Rock.

“Where sometimes you want to get rid of one driver quickly so you’re in a better position for strategy and then the driver change needs to be like in ten seconds. 

“That’s definitely something you need to specifically practice for.”

Catsburg: “Never Say Never” on GT3 Races Elsewhere

Catsburg remained cautious about the prospect of combining his IMSA duties with other GT3 races elsewhere, adding that the GTD Pro program will require “a lot of dedication and attention.”

This season, the Dutchman dovetailed his WEC commitments with efforts in several high-profile endurance events in GT3 machinery from other manufacturers.

He won the Nürburgring 24 in a Frikadelli Racing Team Ferrari 296 GT3 and took a Pro-Am class victory with SunEnergy1 Racing in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

When asked about the prospect of such plans in 2024, he stated that his WeatherTech Championship commitments would take priority over any races elsewhere.

“I always want to drive but doing a full IMSA [season] is going to require a lot of dedication and attention,” he said.

“It’s a lot of traveling. It’s a lot of testing. It’s a lot of effort and we’ve already seen that there’s loads of clashes. 

“So for sure it will be difficult to even do other stuff around it, but never say never. 

“Maybe if there’s a good opportunity and everyone’s happy with me doing it, I would love to. 

“But I can’t really say anything about that right now because I just haven’t got anything yet that I would want to consider. So you never know.”

Catsburg went on to point to the 24 Hours of Spa as an example, although the event currently clashes with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

“24 Hours of Spa, Corvette will not be there,” he added. 

“Maybe there is no clash eventually and then maybe I can do it with someone, but I simply do not know yet. 

“For me, my main focus now is definitely IMSA, getting ready for the season, getting ready for the Daytona.”

“2024 seems far away, but it’s not far away. It’s a new car, so a lot of focus is going into finishing the WEC season now and then focusing on IMSA.”