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Garcia Hopeful of Being in “Better Position” in GTD Pro

Corvette Racing hoping for improved pace at Daytona compared to last year’s run…

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Antonio Garcia is hopeful that Corvette Racing will be able to fight for the GTD Pro class win in next weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona in the second year of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD program.

The Pratt Miller-run squad, which celebrates its 25th year in IMSA competition this year, will again field a solo full season GTD Pro entry for Garcia and co-driver Jordan Taylor, who finished third in the championship last year with only single win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to their credit.

Garcia and Taylor will team up with fellow factory driver Tommy Milner for this year’s long-distance races, beginning with Daytona as well as Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

“Going for the second time in GTD Pro at Daytona will be a little bit different,” said Garcia. “We have a year of experience now.

“A year ago, it was hard for us and hard for IMSA to know what to expect from the performance of our car.

“I hope we are in a better position this time around, especially at Daytona. We were lacking a ton of performance and we were not competitive and couldn’t fight for wins.

“I hope things change. The team has one year of experience in this category. We know our weaknesses and where we are strong. I hope we have a chance to win.”

Garcia, Taylor and Nicky Catsburg recorded a sixth place class result in the 2022 season opener after struggling for pace with its GTE-spec car adapted to GT3 regulations, which included the use of customer Michelin S9M tires.

It proved to be a common trend over the course of the season, with the team unable to mount a championship fight to the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.

“Heading into the season, the motivation is win as much as we can,” Taylor said. “That starts with the Rolex 24. Last year we had a tough race in our first event in GTD.

“Getting an understanding about what the car needs and what the drivers need is a lot to learn.

“Having done the whole season a year ago, we can take what we learned into practice and hopefully we can hit the ground running strong.”

Taylor said the increased field of GTD Pro entries — at nine cars — for Daytona will present an even greater challenge.

Unlike last year’s two-car effort at Daytona, only the No. 3 Corvette C8.R has been entered, with GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser having cited supply chain challenges and chassis availability as the reason to focus on a single car.

The class is represented by eight manufacturers, although that number is expected to be reduced to five manufacturers and teams that are committed to the full season.

“With the GTD Pro class growing as much as it has, Daytona will be such an important event for us,” Taylor said.

“We’ve got so many manufacturers from around the world, and it’s a big deal to represent Corvette and Chevrolet on our home turf.

“We won the race in 2021 and hopefully we can come back with a strong car in GTD after learning what we did a year ago. We’re definitely hoping for another watch this year.”

Garcia added: “For Corvette Racing, Daytona is a key part of our season,” he said. “We’ve been lucky enough to win it a few times.

“Last year wasn’t a great year for us but I hope we have a chance to be up there, work for it and maybe win the Rolex again.”

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

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