Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor, Tommy Milner, and GM Sports Car Racing Manager Laura Wontrop Klauser met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway on Friday during the opening day of the Roar Before the 24. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
JORDAN, THIS IS THE 25TH SEASON OF CORVETTE RACING AND IT KICKS OFF THE WITH THE ROLEX 24. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO THE TEAM?
Jordan Taylor: “It’s a big deal. It’s also the last year for the C8.R before the new GT3 Corvette comes out, so we’re hoping to have a big send-off for it. The Rolex 24 is the perfect place to do that. We won it in 2021 so it’s been a couple of years. Whenever you come to the Rolex, you race for the win; you’re not really thinking of the championship or anything like that. With this being Corvette Racing’s 25th season, it’s a big achievement. The team has an amazing history in endurance events so I think when you look at what caters to this team, it’s usually these types of events where you need to execute for all 24 hours. Whether its pit stops, strategy or driver execution, the team is known for those as a staple. We’re looking forward to getting through the Roar and getting the raceweek started.”
TOMMY, YOU’RE BACK IN IMSA WITH ANTONIO AND JORDAN AFTER RUNNING THE ROLEX LAST YEAR AND THE FIA WEC. WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING PART OF THIS SQUAD THIS TIME AROUND?
Tommy Milner: “It felt a little funny to see Antonio this morning in my car – I say my car! – but I last drove with him 2011 so it’s been a long time. But we’ve all been teammates and have been for a long time, so part of it feels very normal. They’re both are great guys on and off the racetrack. I’m excited to do this one, Sebring and Petit Le Mans with them this year. Then it’s lots of testing for me this year with the Corvette GT3 car coming up both in the simulator and on the racetrack testing, so that will take up a lot of my time this year.”
ANTONIO, YOU’VE BEEN PART OF CORVETTE RACING THE LONGEST OF YOUR TEAMMATES HERE. WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR MOST SPECIAL MOMENTS SO FAR WITH THIS PROGRAM?
Antonio Garcia: “Definitely being able to win twice here with Corvette Racing was very special. The first one (in 2015) was kind of normal. The last one (2021) was a little bit odd because I was out in the parking lot watching my car win! So that was different. I’m looking forward to have another go at it and see if we can win another race with Tommy. The last time we raced together, we were able to win Le Mans so I think we can win this one together, too.”
LAURA, YOU’RE WEARING A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT HATS BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CORVETTE ONE. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS PROGRAM TO EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON WITH GENERAL MOTORS AND CHEVROLET?
Laura Wontrop Klauser: “We’re so excited to be working on the Corvette GT3 and getting to launch that. We’ll have a sneak peek at it for those that are here next week for those that want to see it. So that’s exciting. Everything we’ve learned from the C8.R has been transferred into that and will continue to transfer into that. Every time we run a racecar, we’re learning. Being able to work with the current cars in IMSA and the WEC in getting ready for the GT3 is great. We have a great heritage of winning races, and we do count them! We’re hoping to put some more on the board and get ready for the new car and show the world how cool it is, too.”
WHAT WILL THE LOGISTICS LOOK LIKE FOR THE CORVETTE WEC PROGRAM THIS YEAR? WILL IT BE THE SAME AS IT WAS IN 2022?
Laura Wontrop Klauser: “Considering all the chaos of getting a car all over the world, the team did an amazing job last year. We have a really nice working relationship with Larbre Competition, who supports us with that. We wanted to continue with that. We found our groove and it made sense just to keep on grooving that way for 2023 since we know how to do that. We’ll evaluate that for GT3 when we get the European operations started for that. But for this year, it will be same as for 2023.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING IN PRACTICE?
Jordan Taylor: “We had a steering issues, and the guys are looking into it. We left the Bus Stop and didn’t have many options. There isn’t a lot of room for error there and we had some contact. It’s definitely unfortunate to kick off the week that way, but we’d rather do it now than later this week or next week during the Rolex.”
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE SEASON, THERE ARE SOME NEW CARS FROM YOUR COMPETITORS COMING IN. HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION?
Antonio Garcia: “The same way. Last year for us was a learning experience for us all the way. We didn’t have a lot of knowledge of this car on the GTD tire, so we were learning race-by-race how the car interacts with that customer tire. Every race was new for us. This year will be a little different with some more knowledge. It’s true that many manufacturers have a new car so it’s difficult to know where they will be stronger than us. We need to carry on with what we have. Tommy will focus on having a really nice Corvette for the following year. From now on, we just need to do what we’ve been doing. Last year we only won Sebring but this year should be better. Hopefully we can win some races – some of the big ones – and be in the championship.”
IN THE TIME YOU HAD ON THE TRACK THIS MORNING, HOW MUCH OF A CHANCE DID YOU HAVE TO MINGLE WITH THE NEW GTP CARS VERSUS THE DPi AND IF THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE IN THE WAY THAN USUAL.
Antonio Garcia: “Not in the way. If we were in the GTLM spec that was five to seven seconds faster (per lap) than we are now, maybe we would have more interaction in the infield, But now we are way slower than them anyway. I can see when they go by on a straight line that they are way faster. It’s not bad that they aren’t very aggressive in the field. Maybe we’ll be less in the way of each other going forward.”
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO WIN THE ROLEX 24 TO START THE 25TH SEASON OF THIS PROGRAM?
Tommy Milner: “That’s why we’re here. This is one of our biggest races of the year. For this team, Le Mans is big but Daytona is right up there. It also sets these guys (Antonio and Jordan) up well for the championship. Daytona is a huge part of our goals of the season – to win big races. It would be a big deal and would be great do it in the 25th season of this program. You only get to 25 years as a partnership with GM and Pratt Miller by having success and both sides growing together. They’ve done a great job in the past and no reason to think we won’t do it again this year.”
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