Corvettes 1-2 in GTLM at Daytona
The Race
As predicted, the Corvettes were the class of the GTLM field finishing 1-2 at the 2021 24 hours of Daytona on Jan 30-31, 2021. Jordan Taylor was first in the yellow # 3 C8.R chassis 003 followed by Tommy Milner in the silver # 4 C8.R chassis 002.
Few spectators were allowed in. # 3 Corvette driver Antonio Garcia tested positive during the race. Super-driver and merry prankster Jordan Taylor superimposed Antonio on the podium clad in a hazmat suit to cheer things up.
Nick Tandy in the # 4 earned the pole by winning the Motul 100, a new qualifying race to spice things up a week ahead off this 59th edition.
There were no major incidents over 24 hours and the pit strategy worked out perfectly, mainly because fewer stops were necessary due to more efficient fuel consumption.
Video final pass: https://twitter.com/i/status/1355964175386861581
Jordan Taylor victory burnout: https://youtu.be/SznWid4NrUw
Leading at every hourly interval was not quite like the excitement of the 1-2 finish in 2016 but quite re-assuring to Corvette lovers.
Big Changes
The # 79 Porsche was recently entered by IMSA Series WeatherTech sponsor to beef up the GTLM class.
Competition has shrunk with the departure of Ford and now Porsche. BMW will contest just the 4 long distance races out of 9 scheduled.
Aging Corvette heroes Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin were replaced by top notch Brits Nick Tandy cut loose by Porsche and Alexander Sims cut loose by BMW.
Doug Fehan, GM Program Manager for Corvette Racing and 2021 Corvette Hall of Famer is gone. Doug loved his job and put his whole life into it. His great passion helped build a huge following thanks to his outsized presence, business acumen and marketing savvy. Doug is replaced by engineer Laura Wontrop Klauser in the role of GM Program Manager for Sports Car Racing including Cadillac.
Laura’s promotion signals a more technical approach and the job to convert the Corvette from GTLM to GT3 specs to race in 2022 against 5 different marques in IMSA GTD. GM providing Corvettes to privateer teams are for the first time ever part of the plan.
20 years ago
Legions of Corvette fans have every right to brag about the most successful team in sports car racing over the last 20 years.
20 years ago, a Riley & Scott prototype encountered problems. In a rare feat, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Chris Kneifel and Franck Freon emerged as OVERALL winners driving # 2 C5.R in the GTS production class on Feb 3-4, 2001.
Dale Earnhardt Sr, Dale Jr and Andy Pilgrim in the # 3 C5.R were 4th. Just 2 weeks later the great Dale Sr was killed in turn 4 on the final lap of the Daytona 500. A HANS device, then not widely used, most likely would have saved him.
Photos thanks to team photographer Richard Prince and others.
Results compiled by Wayne Ellwood.
We hope you enjoy this report. Please keep in mind it reflects observations and opinions from a variety of sources and is subject to errors and omissions.
