Spirits were riding high for the Corvette faithful going into the final race of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Everything seemed to be getting back to normal with this year’s Motul Petit Le Mans returning to its customary slot in the racing season order.
But just like in the past two seasons, there was a caveat. Because this race took place more than a month later than its typical first Saturday in October, the ratio of daylight racing vs. nighttime racing was now close to 50/50.
Under the best of circumstances, the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a challenging racecourse to close the championship series. Many seasoned drivers consider this challenging 12-turn 2.54-mile course to be one of the highest-risk tracks of the year.
Still, for the C8.R factory team, there was room to be optimistic.
Simply by starting Saturday’s race, the Corvette Racing program once again completed a sweep of the GTLM Manufacturers, Drivers, and Team championships. This is Chevrolet’s 14th Manufacturers title in GT racing.
The immensely talented duo of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor also wrapped up their second straight class Drivers Championship in their No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
Under the picturesque azureous blue North Georgia sky, hundreds of Corvette admirers also reveled in the optimism. But, as racing fate would have it, neither the Corvette Racing team nor their legion of devoted fans would be celebrating at day’s end.
Fate Decides Race For #3
Going into this year’s Motul Petit Le Mans, momentum decidedly favored Chevrolet and Corvette Racing. They had won seven times in IMSA coming into this final race including, 1-2 finishes in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the three most recent rounds of the championship series.
Corvette Racing also grabbed pole position in each GTLM race heading into this final race. So on paper, the weekend was shaping up nicely for Chevrolet.
Fate, as it turns out, had different ideas.
This year’s 10-hour Road Atlanta event boasted the largest starting grid since 2014. The one foreboding footnote was that the 43-car field featured almost 40 rookie drivers throughout its five classes.
Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia clinched the 2021 GTLM championship for a second consecutive time for Corvette Racing by starting Saturday’s race. Neither expected a crash would spoil the celebration at the start of the fifth race hour.
Taylor was at the wheel for a restart when he was abruptly swept into an accordion-style eight-car accident. After cresting the blind hump that precedes the downhill braking zone for Turn 10, Taylor found the track blocked by a group of slower cars and nowhere to go.
Traveling at over 110 mph, he crashed heavily into the back of a GT Daytona entry that had spun and stopped only seconds before.
According to Taylor, “I don’t know what happened on the restart, I came over the hill flat-out in fifth gear, because everyone was flat-out, and then as soon as I came over the crest, the Porsche I was battling with went left, and as it opened up I saw three cars that were basically stopped in front of me.
“To be honest, the racing out there was a nightmare,” Taylor told a reporter for NBCSN. “Some of it was just unbelievable how slow and clueless some guys were.”
“The quality of the field today wasn’t great. I think we need to do some better work on how we allow some drivers to get in these high-profile races,” he remarked.
Thankfully Jordan Taylor was examined and released from the infield care center with only soreness and a stiff lower back.
#4 Pushed Off The Track
After the big crash, Corvette Racing’s hopes of a ninth Motul Petit Le Man’s victory rested on the shoulders of their sole remaining C8.R. By all accounts; the #4 of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy, and Alexander Sims were up for the challenge.
All told, the #4 Corvette led a race-high 313 laps, with all three taking turns at the front of the field.
While down in overall performance, they made up for it with a brilliant strategy. The team combined fuel-saving measures with quick pit stops that proved to be a recipe for success.
The pit crew also did their part by gaining 11 spots during the first six pit stops in the race.
Unfortunately, while running second in class, Tandy was hit and pushed off-track by a prototype racecar during a fight for track position. The resulting impact broke the left-front suspension.
The #4 Corvette left with only 10 minutes remaining in the race.
GM Hospitality On Display
The Corvette Corral served as ground zero for lovers of Americ’s Sportscar during race week. GM’s hospitality pavilion served not only food but also pertinent information on all things Corvette.
C8 engineers were also on hand to give various presentations and handle questions. Special thanks to the GM team of Josh Holder, Ed Moss, and Mike Klakulak for making the trip down to Braselton, Ga, and for patiently answering all of our questions.
While we’re thanking people, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank the Classic Glass Corvette Club volunteers from Marietta, Ga. These club members volunteered to direct the parking and keep everything flowing smoothly in the busy corral area.
Well done and much appreciated!
Successful 2021, Changes For 2022
When it’s all said and done, 2021 will go down as another successful year for Corvette Racing. Jordan Taylor is now a four-time IMSA champion with two in GTLM to go along with a pair of Prototype titles.
Taylor had five pole positions to add to his resume’ this season – all consecutively from the Watkins Glen Six Hours to Long Beach. Not to be outdone, Antonio Garcia won his fifth IMSA title, tying Oliver Gavin for the most among all Corvette Racing drivers.
The #4 Corvette C8.R teammates Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy finished second in GTLM points. They were also contributors in the Manufacturer’s Championship standings with three victories and two pole positions.
2022 brings with it some significant format changes. The factory Corvette Racing team will return to IMSA for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the new GTD PRO category in January.
Corvette Racing has confirmed it will enter next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship with one full-time Corvette C8.R in the LMGTE Pro category, with a two-car effort planned for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy will take on the six-round WEC calendar with the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which will continue in the LMGTE Pro category against similar factory entries.
The presence of Corvette Racing in the WEC means Chevrolet will fight for the GT Manufacturers’ World Championship alongside Ferrari and Porsche in 2022.
While it’s the nature of racing to evolve, one constant has been the success of America’s Sportscar on road courses around the world. Regardless of the track, Corvette’s home remains in the winner’s circle.
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