cor123
Well-known member
PRESS RELEASE:
The drive back through the GTE Am field still under way
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Sixteen-Hour Update
The drive back through the GTE Am field still under way
LE MANS, France (June 11, 2023) – Dawn broke at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with
Corvette Racing continuing to scratch and claw and fight its way back onto
the lead lap of the GTE Am category.
Ben Keating drove a triple-stint in the middle of the night, and Nico
Varrone added a double as the sun came up at the Circuit de la Sarthe with
the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R and Nicky Catsburg
running seventh in class. That was a far cry from 21st barely two hours in
when the Corvette went into the garage to replace a broken right-front
damper.
That and a safety car miscue by race officials – allowing a group of cars
including the GTE Am leader leave the pit exit ahead of the Corvette instead
of behind – put the C8.R down more than two laps, but solid driving by all
three drivers before, during and out of the night had the Corvette charging
toward the class leader and – finally – the lead lap.
The next Corvette Racing update will come after the race.
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "I love doing
long runs at Le Mans. I literally think I would do my whole six hours at
once if they'd let me. I get into a groove then go and go and go. It's not a
track that's super physical so I don't have a problem going a long time. I
feel like doing a triple at Sebring is a big deal, but doing a triple here
is no big deal. It's a weird year in terms of the rules. In the all the
previous years with the old safety car rules, you never get a chance to make
up a lap. I'd always do all of my drive time at the end of the race. Because
of the new safety car rules, we decided to try and switch it around. Because
of the rain, I did an hour and 15 minutes, and I didn't want any more! It
felt like the car was really hard to drive. The plan was to wait until it
got light on Sunday morning to use Nicky and Nico back-to-back-to back to
get our lap back because when the sun comes up, I can be quicker than I can
be quicker than I can at night. So it wasn't ideal but we did what we needed
to do. Nico wasn't feeling good (after his first stint). The good news is he
is feeling a lot better and is quick in the car. We're hanging around. At
this point in time, you don't want to give up any time that you have to go
give up. I think we would have been in a better position if I had done my
drive time in the daylight, but we didn't have that luxury. We're rolling
with the punches, and we'll see where that ends up."
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It's nice
out there. I started in the night and now we're in daylight, which is nice
to see the sun come up and us back in this position. I think everyone is
pushing and we are doing the same. We are pushing and have to catch up.
There is no time to rest or time to do anything except go as fast as we can.
Those were two good stints, I think. Our team has done a great job. We need
to keep pushing and see where we end up.”
Ryan Smith
Judy Kouba Dominick
The drive back through the GTE Am field still under way
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Sixteen-Hour Update
The drive back through the GTE Am field still under way
LE MANS, France (June 11, 2023) – Dawn broke at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with
Corvette Racing continuing to scratch and claw and fight its way back onto
the lead lap of the GTE Am category.
Ben Keating drove a triple-stint in the middle of the night, and Nico
Varrone added a double as the sun came up at the Circuit de la Sarthe with
the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R and Nicky Catsburg
running seventh in class. That was a far cry from 21st barely two hours in
when the Corvette went into the garage to replace a broken right-front
damper.
That and a safety car miscue by race officials – allowing a group of cars
including the GTE Am leader leave the pit exit ahead of the Corvette instead
of behind – put the C8.R down more than two laps, but solid driving by all
three drivers before, during and out of the night had the Corvette charging
toward the class leader and – finally – the lead lap.
The next Corvette Racing update will come after the race.
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "I love doing
long runs at Le Mans. I literally think I would do my whole six hours at
once if they'd let me. I get into a groove then go and go and go. It's not a
track that's super physical so I don't have a problem going a long time. I
feel like doing a triple at Sebring is a big deal, but doing a triple here
is no big deal. It's a weird year in terms of the rules. In the all the
previous years with the old safety car rules, you never get a chance to make
up a lap. I'd always do all of my drive time at the end of the race. Because
of the new safety car rules, we decided to try and switch it around. Because
of the rain, I did an hour and 15 minutes, and I didn't want any more! It
felt like the car was really hard to drive. The plan was to wait until it
got light on Sunday morning to use Nicky and Nico back-to-back-to back to
get our lap back because when the sun comes up, I can be quicker than I can
be quicker than I can at night. So it wasn't ideal but we did what we needed
to do. Nico wasn't feeling good (after his first stint). The good news is he
is feeling a lot better and is quick in the car. We're hanging around. At
this point in time, you don't want to give up any time that you have to go
give up. I think we would have been in a better position if I had done my
drive time in the daylight, but we didn't have that luxury. We're rolling
with the punches, and we'll see where that ends up."
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It's nice
out there. I started in the night and now we're in daylight, which is nice
to see the sun come up and us back in this position. I think everyone is
pushing and we are doing the same. We are pushing and have to catch up.
There is no time to rest or time to do anything except go as fast as we can.
Those were two good stints, I think. Our team has done a great job. We need
to keep pushing and see where we end up.”
Ryan Smith
Judy Kouba Dominick
