Corvette reveals 2023 WEC GTE Am entry for Catsburg, Keating

The American manufacturer will field a solo C8.R in what will be the WEC’s sole remaining GT class for 2023 after the axing of the GTE Pro division in which it is competing this year.

Catsburg moves into a full-time seat after three seasons driving for Corvette in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's long-distance endurance events, while top bronze-rated driver Keating, who currently leads the GTE Am points, will make the move from the TF Sport Aston Martin squad.

A third member of the team, most likely a silver-ranked driver, will be revealed at a later date.

Catsburg said that he is “super-happy and proud that I can call myself a full-time Corvette driver”, which he described as his goal since joining the team in 2020.

Keating, who owns a chain of car dealerships, revealed that he’d had the ambition “to race a Corvette for a long time and have been chipping away to make this happen because I want to race what I sell”.

 

The move into GTE Am was described by Corvette as a “transitioning”, which hints at its forthcoming involvement in customer racing when its GT3 car comes on stream in 2024.

Next season marks the final year of eligibility for the GTE version of the C8.R before the WEC moves to a pro-am GT3 formula for 2024.

One car in IMSA, GT3 development continues

Alongside its WEC programme, Corvette will continue to field a single C8.R modified to race against GT3 machinery in IMSA's GT Daytona Pro class in 2023.

Full-timers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, who finished runner-up in the class this year, will be joined by Tommy Milner for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans.

There will be no second C8.R for the Rolex 24 as there was at the start of the current season.

Milner, who is sharing Corvette's WEC GTE Pro entry with Nick Tandy this year, will also spearhead development of the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R, which ran for the first time last month at GM’s Milford proving ground.

The test programme then moved on to Mid-Ohio this month for running on a proper race circuit.

Laura Klauser, GM sportscar programmme manager said: “We learned a great deal this year about running dual programmes in both IMSA and the FIA WEC – all of which will benefit the Corvette brand going forward.

“In IMSA, we will return to GTD Pro against a very competitive group of manufacturers while laying the groundwork for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

“Similarly, Corvette Racing’s FIA WEC programme allows us the opportunity to continue growing the global presence of Corvette in a world championship.”

Tandy set to return to Porsche

Corvette's announcement of its 2023 plans makes no mention of Tandy, who joined the marque ahead of the 2021 season.

His absence appears to provide the final confirmation that he will leave Corvette to return to Porsche, with which he won the Le Mans 24 Hours overall in 2015 in the middle of an eight-year stint as a factory driver.

Porsche has so far announced eight drivers for its two Penske-run programmes with the 963 LMDh across the WEC and IMSA, which leaves two full-time vacancies.