Pratt Miller Motorsports to Campaign Corvette Z06 GT3.R Team in 2024 IMSA GTD PRO
Pratt Miller Motorsports and Chevrolet have announced the creation of the “Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports” effort for the 2024 racing season. Pratt Miller has already been an engineering and motorsports partner with Chevrolet for 25 years, and this relationship will continue into 2024, as Pratt Miller Motorsports will campaign a 2-car racing effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD PRO class with the brand new Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R factory homologated racecar.
Pratt Miller helped develop the new C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R platform throughout an intensive multi-year effort that included working closely with Forgeline to engineer the car’s new Forgeline one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels. Based upon their long relationship with Chevrolet and their existing expertise with the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R, it makes sense that Pratt Miller would also be one of the first teams who are confirmed to be competing with the new platform.
Pratt Miller worked with the team at Forgeline Motorsports for several years to develop an application-specific version of Forgeline’s center-locking one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheel that was engineered to deliver optimized performance metrics (in terms of mass, deflection, strength, and durability) specifically for the new Corvette GT3.R. Each Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R will compete on 18×12.5/18×13 Forgeline one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels finished in Gloss Black.
“Chevrolet and Pratt Miller have collaborated for more than 25 years on the Corvette Racing program, and we are thrilled that we are able to continue together into the GT3 era,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager. “It makes sense to have Corvette Racing with Pratt Miller Motorsports lead the competition element of the Z06 GT3.R program in the GTD PRO championship starting in 2024.”
“This is an exciting time for everyone at Pratt Miller,” said Brandon Widmer, Pratt Miller Vice President, Motorsports. “We’ve experienced a lot of successes, race wins and championships with Chevrolet through the Corvette Racing program. Now we move into the GT3 era. Everyone is pleased with the progress of our testing and development programs, and new car builds are under way. We’re appreciative of the decades-long relationship with Chevrolet. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports is looking forward to continue showing our expertise in race operations and management to our fans, our commercial partners and new prospects as we go forward.”
“We’ve enjoyed a long relationship with Pratt Miller, and we’re very proud to have worked with them to develop the SS1R-GT wheel for the new C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” said Forgeline Global Sales Manager Steve Schardt. “It was a long collaborative effort that resulted in an exceptional wheel and an incredible racecar, so we’re excited to see what they can accomplish in competition.”
The new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is expected to be delivered to customers in 2023 and to take the green flag for the first time at the 2024 IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona. In addition to the Pratt Miller Motorsports IMSA GTD PRO team and another customer team who will be competing in IMSA GTD, other customer teams are also expected to race in WEC and Fanatec GT World Challenge America Presented by AWS in 2024.
