New Corvette C8.R needs work to catch Porsche, say drivers
Although both Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner were reasonably happy with the qualifying laps that earned the new Corvette C8.R third and fourth on the grid for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, both feel there is more work needed to catch the heavily updated Porsche 911 RSRs.

Garcia’s best effort in the #3 Corvette, which he’ll share with Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg, was a respectable 0.338sec shy of Nick Tandy’s pole-winning time for Porsche, with Milner a further quarter-second in arrears.
Before tonight’s session started, Garcia commented: “It's not bad… I'm happy with my laps. Before the rain we were still working on setup. I don't know if that is where we will end up racing. What is important is there is still 2.5 hours left of practice time. We definitely need to use that time to improve the Corvette a little bit. Porsche is still faster than us so we definitely need to work a little bit more and I'm sure there is room for improvement…
“It is a good comparison to know where we are in the field. We still have practice and we have a long race in front of us. The main thing about this race will be the actual pace.
“I'm sure this C8.R will be good but I think we will learn as we go along. We need to be prepared for that and be ready for the race."
Milner, who will be joined in the #4 Corvette by Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fassler, said: “Third and fourth... not bad for the Corvette C8.R’s first qualifying effort. I think we were shooting for a little bit more, but all things considered not too far off. We still have work to do for sure. We are learning every time we take this Corvette out on the track.
"This was another learning experience for us. We made some setup changes in practice and we wanted to stick with that, but we may have gone the wrong way. I'm not unhappy by any means. Third and fourth are good starting places.
“Best of all, we learned more about the car and getting ready for the race is the most important thing. We gave it a good shot in qualifying we were looking for some more but definitely not disappointed. Thankfully I can trust the guy who is starting next to me!
“As always, it is a long race so where you start doesn't matter too much. We use these opportunities whether it is a 24-hour race or a two-hour race; we use those opportunities to keep learning."
Corvette Racing’s first Rolex victory came in 2001 with the Corvette C5-R, and the team went back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 with the Corvette C7.R.

Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images

Previous article
Rolex 24: Jarvis takes pole for Mazda, Taylor shunts Acura
Next article
Rolex 24: Cadillac goes 1-2-3 in night practice

About this article
Series | IMSA |
Event | Daytona 24 |
Drivers | Jordan Taylor , Marcel Fassler , Oliver Gavin , Tommy Milner , Antonio Garcia , Nick Catsburg |
Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
New Corvette C8.R needs work to catch Porsche, say drivers
Trending
24 Hours of Daytona Video Recap
24 Hours of Daytona: Fourth Place for Ferrari
Watch the entire Rolex 24 in just over a minute
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
Nine things to watch at the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitters Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Motorsport.com to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best.
Tony Kanaan’s top 10 races – in his own words
The 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan probably hasn’t yet driven his final IndyCar race, but we still asked him for the 10 most significant races of his career. He explained his choices to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why the GTE ruleset looks to have run its course
The GTE ruleset has served sportscar racing in both Europe and the United States well over the past decade. But now there are clear signs that the end of its life is in sight as manufacturer support continues to fade.