Jeff Seabrook

• View photos in the gallery:  Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Corvette Racing’s new Chevrolet Corvette C8.R finished its maiden race with a fourth-place finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg led the team’s effort Saturday and Sunday in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which had a mostly trouble-free run in its competition debut. The trio completed 785 laps for 2,794.6 miles – the greatest distance for any Corvette entry in Rolex 24 history.

The No. 3 C8.R led twice and was in contention for victory in its first race for the majority of the 24. The performance showed the potential of the mid-engine Corvette, which was developed simultaneously with the 2020 Corvette Stingray.

"It was a tremendous honor to debut the Corvette C8.R at the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona – 22 years after we debuted the C5-R in the same location,” said Jim Campbell, US Vice President Performance and Motorsports. “I'm so proud of our team and how they prepared and executed the race with the 2020 mid-engine Corvette. I can't wait for the rest of the season and watch the excitement from our fans grow with every race."

The No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler underwent multiple trials Saturday and Sunday, but the trio ultimately finished the race as well. While things looked optimistic in the first eight hours with the team racing inside the top-five, an oil leak near the ninth hour forced the No. 4 Corvette into the garage for extensive work. Complicating matters, the leak was in an area that required the team’s crew to remove the engine in order to make the repair.

Diligent and non-stop work for nearly nine hours brought the Corvette back into the race with the aim of evaluating tire settings and setup options to help the No. 3 for the end of the race.

“The Rolex 24 At Daytona is a demanding race, so to even finish here with a brand-new car with a brand-new engine is a major accomplishment,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet Director of Motorsports Competition. “To have both of the new Corvette C8.Rs finish – and one of them nearly finish on the lead lap – is a tremendous reflection of the strength of this car and this program.”

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 19-21 at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway.

• View photos in the gallery

DETROIT – Chevrolet took over the Raceway at Belle Isle Park today to celebrate Corvette Racing’s dominant 2020 season by introducing the 2022 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition.

In left-hand drive markets, Chevrolet will release just 1,000 of these distinctively styled Corvettes, which resemble the No. 3 and No. 4 Corvette C8.R race cars. These special edition supercars were designed to commemorate the mid-engine Corvette C8.R’s inaugural season. In 2020, Corvette Racing swept IMSA’s sports car championship series, taking the Manufacturers, Drivers and Team titles.

Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia drove coupe and convertible No. 3 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Editions across Belle Isle’s MacArthur Bridge and onto the track. Teammate Nick Tandy led on track in a Corvette Stingray convertible, the official pace car of the 2021 Detroit Grand Prix. Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner followed the group in the No. 4 Corvette C8.R race car.

“Racing has been part of the Corvette’s DNA from nearly the beginning,” said Laura Klauser, General Motors Sports Car Program manager. “Both the Corvette Stingray and C8.R have seen tremendous success capitalizing on the benefits of a mid-engine platform – and we’re just getting started.”

Corvette Racing shined during IMSA’s 2020 sports car championship series, capturing six victories and seven pole positions, and setting the fastest class race laps in six events. During the 2020 series, Chevrolet won the GT Manufacturers title – its 13th since 2001. Taylor, Garcia and the No. 3 Corvette C8.R crew won the GTLM Drivers and Team championships.

The C8.R races on home turf in Detroit for the first time Saturday, June 12. The Chevrolet Sports Car Classic will air live at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

DETROIT – 2023 marks the 70^th anniversary of Corvette, the longest running nameplate of any car on the road today. For eight generations, Corvette has pushed the boundaries of technology, performance and style while remaining an attainable cultural icon.

The 2023 model year Corvette Stingray and Corvette Z06 will celebrate this milestone with a special 70^th Anniversary Edition package.

“Passion for Corvette runs deep at Chevrolet and this anniversary is extra special because of the excitement and sales success we’ve achieved with the eighth generation of America’s iconic sportscar,” said Steve Majoros, vice president, Chevrolet marketing. “Even after 70 years, Corvette still makes hearts race and kids dream of the open road.”

70^th Anniversary Edition Corvettes will stand out in one of two exterior colors unique to this package – an all-new White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat or Carbon Flash Metallic. Optional stripes are available in complementing colors – Satin Gray with the White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat and Satin Black with the Carbon Flash Metallic.

The 70^th Anniversary Edition Corvettes feature distinct wheels with commemorative wheel center caps. While Stingray and Z06 each have separate wheel designs, the wheels share a similar dark finish and Edge Red stripe.

Inside the cockpit, drivers will find two-tone Ceramic leather GT2 or Competition Sport seats, red stitching throughout, red seatbelts, and sueded microfiber seat inserts and steering wheel.