Callaway Competition Sidelines GT3 Program

Callaway Competition, the team that developed and raced the Corvette C7 GT3-R in Europe, has announced that it is “temporarily withdrawing” from motorsports.

The German squad, which ran Jules Gounon to the ADAC GT Masters title in 2017, will not field its independently-developed Corvette GT3 model in the upcoming edition of the German championship.

In a statement on Friday, Callaway Competition CEO Ernst Woehr said that the company is sidelining its race program to focus on road car projects.

The team joined the ADAC GT Masters grid in 2007 and won 35 races in the series, becoming a popular competitor with its unique privately-built Corvettes. 

Callaway is set to put its resources into working on a track day version of the Corvette C8 road car in partnership with the Berlin-based Kramm car dealership.

Woehr indicated that Callaway is also liaising with General Motors on being able to run a GT3-spec Corvette in 2024.

The race team was an independent operation — not with the factory Corvette Racing squad that competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with GTE and GTD-spec Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs, respectively.

“We sat down together after the season and closely analyzed the last two years,” said Woehr.

“It was with a heavy heart that we came to the decision that we would withdraw from GT Masters for the time being.

“Motorsport and especially the ADAC GT Masters was our home for a long time.

“We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all those responsible for the ADAC GT Masters and of course all our partners and sponsors who have accompanied and supported us over the years.

“But now we want and need to conserve our resources again and concentrate more on road vehicles.

“Of course, we’ll continue to keep an eye on the scene and how it develops.

“In addition, we are currently in talks with General Motors USA and are planning a return to the German GT Championship in 2024 with the new Corvette C8 GT3.”

Newly-signed McLaren factory driver Marvin Kirchhofer and Jeffrey Schmidt drove the Callaway in ADAC last year. The pair won a race at the Red Bull Ring and finished 10th in the standings.