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CORVETTE RACING AT SPA: Setting the Table for Le Mans
No. 33 Corvette aims to continue Imola momentum while No. 34 hopes to rebound
DETROIT (May 4, 2026) – TF Sport and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R effort are ready for a key, early-season weekend in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Although it’s only the second round of his year’s FIA WEC, the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is doubly important and an event on which both TF Sport and Corvette Racing have placed a large amount of focus.
Firstly, the Six Hours of Spa is one of the biggest endurance races of the year on one of the world’s most famous tracks. Corvette Racing entries have been present at the track since 2021 not just in the World Endurance Championship but also the Spa 24 Hours, European Le Mans Series and International GT Open.
Second, the Spa round is the last race for TF Sport with its Corvettes before the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. TF Sport finished on the LMGT3 podium in France a year ago, and Corvette Racing has nine class victories since 2001.
But onto the present. TF Sport’s No. 33 Corvette of Nicky Catsburg, Jonny Edgar and Blake McDonald arrive at Spa with solid momentum following a runner-up class finish in the season-opening Six Hours of Imola. The trio drove from 14th at the start to the race lead and eventual podium position in their first race together.
Both Catsburg and Edgar previously raced Corvettes at Spa in WEC competition; Catsburg was second in GTE Am in the 2023 season while Edgar drove the Z06 GT3.R last year in the Six Hours and placed seventh. McDonald will race in the Spa Six Hours for the first time in his second career WEC start.
The No. 34 Corvette trio of Charlie Eastwood, Salih Yoluc and Peter Dempsey – driving under the Racing Team Turkey by TF banner – are hoping to rebound from a hard-luck early retirement at Imola. Like their teammates, the No. 34 trio drove their way toward the front of LMGT3 from 10th on the grid and were in podium position before an electrical issue sidelined their challenge.
Eastwood has four podium finishes to his credit in the Six Hours – three of which were with Yoluc as his teammate in GTE Am during the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. Eastwood also was third in 2023 after a thrilling late-race battle with Catsburg. Also of note, Eastwood and McDonald are coming off a runner-up finish in their TF Sport Corvette at last weekend’s European Le Mans Series Paul Ricard round.
The 2026 season is the fifth for Corvette Racing in the WEC. In that span, Corvettes have captured six victories plus the 2023 GTE Am championships. Two of those victories came via TF Sport in 2025 – one for each of its two entries – with the team looking for new heights in its third season as a Corvette Z06 GT3.R team.
The Six Hours of Spa and second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship is set for 8 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CET on Saturday, May 9. Live streaming coverage plus timing and scoring is available through a subscription on FIA WEC Plus with additional live streaming on the HBO Max app in the U.S.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "Imola was really good, obviously. It is mega important that we started off the season with that good result. OK we will have to carry some extra weight for Spa, but it's not disastrous so I feel we will have another opportunity to score well. Of course it's a more representative track than Imola in relation to Le Mans. We will use all our time to prepare of course for Le Mans but Spa is equally as important; we need to score points. I feel now that when you have a good start of the season like that, it's perfect to focus again on having a good result at the next race."
"Blake has been great to work with. First of all, he's a very cool guy to hang out with and he's also a very fast driver. He hasn't driven for long yet and to see what he can do already is impressive. It's cool that he got this last-minute opportunity to jump in and did so well. Of course we're waiting for Ben to come back. It's cool to race with Blake but we were supposed to start the season with Ben. He's done great so far. It's been really cool."
"I remember fighting with Charlie in 2023. We actually made some contact late! That was super cool. In 2023 we had loads of great fights at the end of races, and one of those was with Charlie, and now he's in the sister car. He's fast and he's also a nice guy to work with. It's better to have him in the sister car and have less chances to hit each other!"
BLAKE McDONALD, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I'm excited to get back to Spa. It's one of the best tracks in the world and one of my personal favorites. It has everything you want as a driver... high speeds and fast corners along with some big brake zones. It's great to do this coming off our runner-up finish in ELMS at Paul Ricard, which has some of the features that we'll see this weekend. My two races so far this year with TF Sport and the Corvette have been awesome experiences. I'm hoping I can make it three in a row and keep our momentum in WEC from Imola going."
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 34 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I love racing at Spa and it helps that I’ve had a lot of success there. I haven’t won there yet in the WEC but I’m confident that we can challenge for that this week. Our Corvette was strong at Imola and I think we could have been in the mix had we not had to retire there. As a team, we have good momentum not just from there but also with our ELMS finish last weekend. The team is operating at a high level, which is really important for not just Spa but also looking ahead to Le Mans.”
IN HIS OWN WORDS: TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT TEAM OWNER
As a whole, were you pleased with the entirety of the Imola event? How is the mood in the team coming out of that and into Spa?
“As a whole, yes. However the race was bittersweet as the pace of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R was really strong, and without a technical issue I think we could have had the 34 car finish third or fourth. I also believe we had the speed to win the race with the 33. But that's motorsport. Overall it was positive. The team operated well and we had a strong showing through the week.”
Do you place additional importance on this race given it is the last one before Le Mans and some of the track characteristics are similar?
“Yes. Having Qatar moved means we only have two races in the season pre-Le Mans, so we have a lot of work to do on the team side in the background. Spa is a good circuit to race ahead of Le Mans, as you mention, because of the track nature. But we have to remember that it is the same for everyone. Our aim is to get both cars to have a strong finish and have a clean race from the team side. We had a strong test there back in March before it snowed! Let's hope that carries forward… except the weather!”
There are a few new faces both in the driver lineup and within the team. From your perspective of team owner and manager, are there benefits to having fresh faces come in on this level of program?
“From the team side we are a pretty similar group. There are a few youngsters this year to keep the old ones on their toes, but the core is very similar. In terms of drivers it's a mixture, but one I'm very happy with. I mentioned earlier that I believe we had the lineups to get both cars into the top-four, and on the WEC grid that is no mean feat. On the 33, it’s great to have Nicky on board as he brings a lot of experience. Jonny was mega at Imola and did what we know he can do. Blake did a great job in the race and I'm sure we will see more of him at Spa now he's found his feet. On the 34, Peter surpassed all expectations, Salih did a great job in the opening two stints, and it was just a shame not to see Charlie close the race out fighting for a podium. Fingers crossed for a sunny dry Spa where we can make the most of it!”
2026 FIA World Endurance Championship Points
LMGT3 Drivers Standings
1. Anthony McIntosh/Dan Harper/Parker Thompson – 25
2. Blake McDonald/Jonny Edgar/Nicky Catsburg – 18
3. Riccardo Pera/Richard Lietz/Yasser Shahin – 15
4. Ayhancan Guven/James Cottingham/Timur Boguslavskiy – 12
5. Augusto Farfus/Darren Leung/Sean Gelael – 10
16. Charlie Eastwood/Peter Dempsey/Salih Yoluc – 0
LMGT3 Teams Standings
1. No. 69 Team WRT – 25
2. No. 33 TF Sport – 18
3. No. 92 The Ben Manthey – 15
4. No. 91 Manthey DK Engineering – 12
5. No 32 Team WRT – 10
16. No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF – 0
CORVETTE RACING BY THE NUMBERS: Spa-Francorchamps
• 1: As in one manufacturer and one model of car for the 28th consecutive year in sports car racing: Chevrolet and the Corvette
• 4: Previous starts for Corvette Racing-affiliated entries at Spa-Francorchamps. The program’s best finish was runner-up in 2023 GTE Am (Catsburg/Varrone/Keating)
• 6: Podium finishes in eight years for TF Sport in the Six Hours of Spa
• 7: Previous starts for Corvette Racing-affiliated entries at Spa-Francorchamps in WEC. The program’s best finish was runner-up in 2023 GTE Am (Catsburg/Varrone/Keating)
• 15: Drivers who competed in Corvette Racing entries at Spa in 2025 (WEC, ELMS, Spa 24 Hours, International GT Open
• 15: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 17: Wins in 2025 for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R across six different series. Three came via TF Sport across the FIA WEC and ELMS
• 33: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Fuji, Houston, Imola, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 40: Number of drivers to win races in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Tom Van Rompuy at Fuji in September for TF Sport
• 73: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 84: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. TF Sport’s Peter Dempsey joined the list at Imola in the WEC season-opener
• 154: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing starting the 2026 season – 118 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, five in the FIA WEC, 13 in GT World Challenge America, three in GT World Challenge Asia and GT America and two in the European Le Mans Series
• 372: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
• 10,910.30: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries in each of its eight appearances at Spa-Francorchamps across four championships
• 489,816.51: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. The program should surpass the half-million mile mark midway through this season
Corvette Racing at Spa-Francorchamps
2021 – No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Oliver Gavin – 4th in GTE Pro
2022 – No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTE Pro
2023 – No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone – 2nd in GTE Am
2024 – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 7th in LMGT3 (WEC)
No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Dani Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi – 8th in LMGT3 (WEC)
2025 – No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Dani Juncadella/Jonny Edgar/Ben Keating – 7th in LMGT3 (WEC)
No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 6th in LMGT3 (WEC)
2025 – No. 99 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Prince Jefri Ibrahim/Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – 12th in Pro-Am (GT Open)
2025 – No. 2 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Alexander Sims/Jordan Love/Prince Jefri Ibrahim/Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – 12th in Bronze (Spa 24 Hours)
No. 24 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Matisse Lismont/Lorcan Hanafin/Daniel Ali/Olivier Hart – 8th in Silver (Spa 24 Hours)
2025 – No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Hiroshi Koizumi – 8th in LMGT3 (ELMS)
Ryan Smith
CORVETTE RACING AT SPA: Setting the Table for Le Mans
No. 33 Corvette aims to continue Imola momentum while No. 34 hopes to rebound
DETROIT (May 4, 2026) – TF Sport and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R effort are ready for a key, early-season weekend in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Although it’s only the second round of his year’s FIA WEC, the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is doubly important and an event on which both TF Sport and Corvette Racing have placed a large amount of focus.
Firstly, the Six Hours of Spa is one of the biggest endurance races of the year on one of the world’s most famous tracks. Corvette Racing entries have been present at the track since 2021 not just in the World Endurance Championship but also the Spa 24 Hours, European Le Mans Series and International GT Open.
Second, the Spa round is the last race for TF Sport with its Corvettes before the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. TF Sport finished on the LMGT3 podium in France a year ago, and Corvette Racing has nine class victories since 2001.
But onto the present. TF Sport’s No. 33 Corvette of Nicky Catsburg, Jonny Edgar and Blake McDonald arrive at Spa with solid momentum following a runner-up class finish in the season-opening Six Hours of Imola. The trio drove from 14th at the start to the race lead and eventual podium position in their first race together.
Both Catsburg and Edgar previously raced Corvettes at Spa in WEC competition; Catsburg was second in GTE Am in the 2023 season while Edgar drove the Z06 GT3.R last year in the Six Hours and placed seventh. McDonald will race in the Spa Six Hours for the first time in his second career WEC start.
The No. 34 Corvette trio of Charlie Eastwood, Salih Yoluc and Peter Dempsey – driving under the Racing Team Turkey by TF banner – are hoping to rebound from a hard-luck early retirement at Imola. Like their teammates, the No. 34 trio drove their way toward the front of LMGT3 from 10th on the grid and were in podium position before an electrical issue sidelined their challenge.
Eastwood has four podium finishes to his credit in the Six Hours – three of which were with Yoluc as his teammate in GTE Am during the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. Eastwood also was third in 2023 after a thrilling late-race battle with Catsburg. Also of note, Eastwood and McDonald are coming off a runner-up finish in their TF Sport Corvette at last weekend’s European Le Mans Series Paul Ricard round.
The 2026 season is the fifth for Corvette Racing in the WEC. In that span, Corvettes have captured six victories plus the 2023 GTE Am championships. Two of those victories came via TF Sport in 2025 – one for each of its two entries – with the team looking for new heights in its third season as a Corvette Z06 GT3.R team.
The Six Hours of Spa and second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship is set for 8 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CET on Saturday, May 9. Live streaming coverage plus timing and scoring is available through a subscription on FIA WEC Plus with additional live streaming on the HBO Max app in the U.S.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "Imola was really good, obviously. It is mega important that we started off the season with that good result. OK we will have to carry some extra weight for Spa, but it's not disastrous so I feel we will have another opportunity to score well. Of course it's a more representative track than Imola in relation to Le Mans. We will use all our time to prepare of course for Le Mans but Spa is equally as important; we need to score points. I feel now that when you have a good start of the season like that, it's perfect to focus again on having a good result at the next race."
"Blake has been great to work with. First of all, he's a very cool guy to hang out with and he's also a very fast driver. He hasn't driven for long yet and to see what he can do already is impressive. It's cool that he got this last-minute opportunity to jump in and did so well. Of course we're waiting for Ben to come back. It's cool to race with Blake but we were supposed to start the season with Ben. He's done great so far. It's been really cool."
"I remember fighting with Charlie in 2023. We actually made some contact late! That was super cool. In 2023 we had loads of great fights at the end of races, and one of those was with Charlie, and now he's in the sister car. He's fast and he's also a nice guy to work with. It's better to have him in the sister car and have less chances to hit each other!"
BLAKE McDONALD, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I'm excited to get back to Spa. It's one of the best tracks in the world and one of my personal favorites. It has everything you want as a driver... high speeds and fast corners along with some big brake zones. It's great to do this coming off our runner-up finish in ELMS at Paul Ricard, which has some of the features that we'll see this weekend. My two races so far this year with TF Sport and the Corvette have been awesome experiences. I'm hoping I can make it three in a row and keep our momentum in WEC from Imola going."
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 34 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I love racing at Spa and it helps that I’ve had a lot of success there. I haven’t won there yet in the WEC but I’m confident that we can challenge for that this week. Our Corvette was strong at Imola and I think we could have been in the mix had we not had to retire there. As a team, we have good momentum not just from there but also with our ELMS finish last weekend. The team is operating at a high level, which is really important for not just Spa but also looking ahead to Le Mans.”
IN HIS OWN WORDS: TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT TEAM OWNER
As a whole, were you pleased with the entirety of the Imola event? How is the mood in the team coming out of that and into Spa?
“As a whole, yes. However the race was bittersweet as the pace of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R was really strong, and without a technical issue I think we could have had the 34 car finish third or fourth. I also believe we had the speed to win the race with the 33. But that's motorsport. Overall it was positive. The team operated well and we had a strong showing through the week.”
Do you place additional importance on this race given it is the last one before Le Mans and some of the track characteristics are similar?
“Yes. Having Qatar moved means we only have two races in the season pre-Le Mans, so we have a lot of work to do on the team side in the background. Spa is a good circuit to race ahead of Le Mans, as you mention, because of the track nature. But we have to remember that it is the same for everyone. Our aim is to get both cars to have a strong finish and have a clean race from the team side. We had a strong test there back in March before it snowed! Let's hope that carries forward… except the weather!”
There are a few new faces both in the driver lineup and within the team. From your perspective of team owner and manager, are there benefits to having fresh faces come in on this level of program?
“From the team side we are a pretty similar group. There are a few youngsters this year to keep the old ones on their toes, but the core is very similar. In terms of drivers it's a mixture, but one I'm very happy with. I mentioned earlier that I believe we had the lineups to get both cars into the top-four, and on the WEC grid that is no mean feat. On the 33, it’s great to have Nicky on board as he brings a lot of experience. Jonny was mega at Imola and did what we know he can do. Blake did a great job in the race and I'm sure we will see more of him at Spa now he's found his feet. On the 34, Peter surpassed all expectations, Salih did a great job in the opening two stints, and it was just a shame not to see Charlie close the race out fighting for a podium. Fingers crossed for a sunny dry Spa where we can make the most of it!”
2026 FIA World Endurance Championship Points
LMGT3 Drivers Standings
1. Anthony McIntosh/Dan Harper/Parker Thompson – 25
2. Blake McDonald/Jonny Edgar/Nicky Catsburg – 18
3. Riccardo Pera/Richard Lietz/Yasser Shahin – 15
4. Ayhancan Guven/James Cottingham/Timur Boguslavskiy – 12
5. Augusto Farfus/Darren Leung/Sean Gelael – 10
16. Charlie Eastwood/Peter Dempsey/Salih Yoluc – 0
LMGT3 Teams Standings
1. No. 69 Team WRT – 25
2. No. 33 TF Sport – 18
3. No. 92 The Ben Manthey – 15
4. No. 91 Manthey DK Engineering – 12
5. No 32 Team WRT – 10
16. No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF – 0
CORVETTE RACING BY THE NUMBERS: Spa-Francorchamps
• 1: As in one manufacturer and one model of car for the 28th consecutive year in sports car racing: Chevrolet and the Corvette
• 4: Previous starts for Corvette Racing-affiliated entries at Spa-Francorchamps. The program’s best finish was runner-up in 2023 GTE Am (Catsburg/Varrone/Keating)
• 6: Podium finishes in eight years for TF Sport in the Six Hours of Spa
• 7: Previous starts for Corvette Racing-affiliated entries at Spa-Francorchamps in WEC. The program’s best finish was runner-up in 2023 GTE Am (Catsburg/Varrone/Keating)
• 15: Drivers who competed in Corvette Racing entries at Spa in 2025 (WEC, ELMS, Spa 24 Hours, International GT Open
• 15: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 17: Wins in 2025 for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R across six different series. Three came via TF Sport across the FIA WEC and ELMS
• 33: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Fuji, Houston, Imola, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 40: Number of drivers to win races in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Tom Van Rompuy at Fuji in September for TF Sport
• 73: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 84: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. TF Sport’s Peter Dempsey joined the list at Imola in the WEC season-opener
• 154: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing starting the 2026 season – 118 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, five in the FIA WEC, 13 in GT World Challenge America, three in GT World Challenge Asia and GT America and two in the European Le Mans Series
• 372: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
• 10,910.30: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries in each of its eight appearances at Spa-Francorchamps across four championships
• 489,816.51: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. The program should surpass the half-million mile mark midway through this season
Corvette Racing at Spa-Francorchamps
2021 – No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Oliver Gavin – 4th in GTE Pro
2022 – No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTE Pro
2023 – No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone – 2nd in GTE Am
2024 – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 7th in LMGT3 (WEC)
No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Dani Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi – 8th in LMGT3 (WEC)
2025 – No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Dani Juncadella/Jonny Edgar/Ben Keating – 7th in LMGT3 (WEC)
No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 6th in LMGT3 (WEC)
2025 – No. 99 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Prince Jefri Ibrahim/Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – 12th in Pro-Am (GT Open)
2025 – No. 2 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Alexander Sims/Jordan Love/Prince Jefri Ibrahim/Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – 12th in Bronze (Spa 24 Hours)
No. 24 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Matisse Lismont/Lorcan Hanafin/Daniel Ali/Olivier Hart – 8th in Silver (Spa 24 Hours)
2025 – No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Hiroshi Koizumi – 8th in LMGT3 (ELMS)
Ryan Smith
