Corvette Z06 GT3.R “Really Interesting” Prospect for EBM

Photo: Chevrolet

Earl Bamber Motorsport has signaled early interest in Chevrolet’s Corvette Z06 GT3.R, with team boss Earl Bamber expressing a possible desire to be part of the customer program once it expands to the Asia-Pacific region.

The Australia and Malaysia-based operation, which fields Porsches in numerous series including Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli, is owned by the Cadillac LMDh factory driver.

EBM has been a regular entrant in high-profile GT3 endurance races such as the Bathurst 12 Hour and CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, while the 33-year-old won this year’s Nürburgring 24 as a driver.

“As a team owner, it’s something really interesting to have a look at and get your hands on,” Bamber told Sportscar365. “But right now, I think it’s quite hot property. There’s a huge amount of interest.

“From the outside viewing, it looks like a really cool car.

“Everything I’ve heard from the drivers and stuff like that… the costs to run it is going to be a really good thing for the market.

“It’s what the GT3 market needs. We need more cars on the market because because right now you can’t buy a [Porsche] GT3 car tomorrow. I think it’s the right time for them to enter.”

Such a program would not likely be feasible until 2025 at the earliest, with GM confirming a focus on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship and Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS next year before expanding to other regions after that.

Given his GM contract, Bamber said it would at least “make sense to have a go in it” at some point as a driver.

“I’d still like to do GT races, obviously,” he said. “I think it also complements what we do here because it just allows you to get more and more track time.

“To be honest, when I put my team owner cap on, I think the Corvette is a benchmark. This year, they won the [WEC GTE-Am] championship and it was really, really quick last year.

“Clearly that organization builds really good cars. I think the GT3 car is going to be no different.

“When you look at it from the outside, the layout and everything, it’s the same group of people that’s designed the GTE and I raced against them for many years in Porsche and they beat us many, many times.

“If you look at the side of the [Corvette Racing] truck, how many times they’ve won championships.

“I think it’s going to be one of the new guys on the block but I think it’s going to be something interesting and exciting. I think they’re going to take the challenge to the stalwarts of GT3.”

Bamber Free to Contest Non-Competing GT Races As Driver

The Kiwi said he still expects to be able to contest non-conflicting GT races as a driver next year, as long as he’s not in direct competition with a Z06 GT3.R.

“They’ve been really, really cool with me,” Bamber said of GM. “They’ve allowed me to drive all sorts of things and have been really cool with it.

“Also with Porsche and any brand, as long as you’re not racing against them.

“We’re Cadillac Racing factory drivers, it wouldn’t look good if we went and raced a Mercedes and beat a Corvette. That’s not going to work.

“It doesn’t work from a branding perspective. We’re still one family. As long as there’s not a Corvette [in the field] but I think they’re going to start populating the world.”

Bamber said he doesn’t have as much of a desire of defending his N24 victory next year, although said he’d love to tackle the Nordschleife in a Corvette once it becomes feasible.

“I’ve won that race now so it’s less of a priority for me to go there,” he said. “We’re going to have a big, big season [in WEC] with adding more races. That one comes a little bit lower down the list for me.

“The big last one for me to tick is Daytona, overall or just a class win since it’s alluded me.”

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