Returning to the track for the six hours of Watkins Glen Sunday, Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia and Nick Tandy look to continue their winning ways at the Glen. This will be the first time back to the track since it was canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Garcia, driver of the No. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM Chevy, has yet to secure a race victory at Watkins Glen despite having won other endurance races including Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. The Corvette driver will look to change that this Sunday, as The Glen is a track he has circled on his bucket list.
“The Glen is one of my favorite events since I discovered it back in 2006, I think,” Garcia said. “I really liked it and really wanted to win that race. I think I have only won it once or twice, I can’t remember. But every time I am there, I really like the event.
“The whole atmosphere with all the race fans around the area is really, really good. So hopefully we have a really good crowd over there. And it is going to be nice during the races this year just to have more and more crowds and get more involvement between us drivers and the fans. I think we are going in the right direction so looking forward to this weekend for sure.”
Despite not yet winning that race, Garcia has had experience racing in the former Grand-Am Series sprint races which could provide helpful information when he steps into the car.
“There are a few differences,” Garcia added. “We will run into the night (during the July 2 sprint race). From what I remember, the racetrack seems to change quite a lot during the cool-down of the day and going into dusk. There are a few things we will need to learn because it’s the first time we will have run there at that time.
“The experience of Corvette Racing will be good enough to help us analyze and anticipate what the car will do. It will be new for us, though, and we need to see how the track develops. It won’t be the same as it will be in the Six Hours. You just need to react to what the track conditions are. Strategies probably will change a tiny bit. But even in the Six Hours, when it comes to the final two hours it’s basically like a sprint race so nothing much will change.”
Garcia’s teammate, Nick Tandy, a Corvette Racing newcomer, is a former and defending race winner at The Glen in the GTLM category. Tandy is coming off the race victory at Detroit and has confidence that he will have a strong car this weekend.
“Yes (laughing), I guess so,” Tandy said. “My confidence level is growing all the time with each day I spend with the team and each race I do in the car. We had a great Detroit event for the team with both cars. The cars were competitive. The cars were reliable. The team did a good job and we had a good fight with speed in the race and also strategy. This got us kind of back going into the swing of things going racing. It’s good to know we’ve had that kind of week of practice if you like.
“As for Watkins Glen, I remember the last time we were there. It basically came down to a fight with my car and this other chap that is next to me in the video in a yellow Corvette. I’m kind of hoping it will come down to that again in the next race, but this time it is the two Corvettes out front fighting it out for the last couple of hours. Yes, it’s just great to think about the fact of going back. Driving a fast car around Watkins Glen, it’s always a pleasure. So we’re looking forward to going back to compete and hopefully bag another win for the No. 4, and if not, then for our buddies in the No. 3.”
