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Corvette Racing said today it is expanding its roster of factory drivers that will compete in championships and events globally with the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R during the 2024 racing season. Daniel Juncadella, Earl Bamber, Charlie Eastwood and Nico Varrone will be part of the group that will race Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in either the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, or in some cases both. (AutoInformed:Corvette Racing Goes Global – IMSA, FIA WEC in 2022)
“As we move into GT3 and customer racing, it is important that we add to our roster of drivers that are available to teams,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R program manager. “We are excited about the wealth of experience in our Corvette factory lineup. Both GM and our teams will benefit from the learnings from each driver.”
The new drivers join existing Corvette factory drivers Antonio Garcia, Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Alexander Sims, all of whom will contest the full WeatherTech Championship season. The eight collectively will compete as factory drivers for Corvette Racing – the brand that encompasses all factory-supported and customer Z06 GT3.R efforts going forward.
Juncadella and Bamber each will be part of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ two-car effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class. Both drivers will race with the factory-backed program in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. Juncadella will drive with Garcia and Sims while Bamber joins Milner and Catsburg.
In addition, Juncadella will drive the Z06 GT3.R in two championships as he joins TF Sport for its full-season effort in the LM GT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans – his first year in the global series.
Bamber will contest IMSA’s endurance rounds in the Z06 GT3.R. Previously a long-time rival to the Corvette Racing program, Bamber already has tested the Z06 GT3.R, adding to a long list of GT3 cars he has driven throughout his career. He also remains under contract for Cadillac Racing’s WEC program in 2024.
In FIA WEC, Eastwood joins the Corvette factory lineup alongside Juncadella as TF Sport’s two professional drivers. It’s a familiar relationship for Eastwood, who has driven for TF Sport in the championship from 2018-20 and the current season.
Varrone, a rising star in this year’s FIA WEC, will transition to full-time IMSA duties in his first year as a factory driver. He rejoins AWA – a team with which he won this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona in the LMP3 class – and will partner with Anthony Mantella in the GTD category.
Career Highlights
- Daniel Juncadella: 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona and Petit Le Mans GTD PRO winner; 2022 Spa 24 Hours and Indianapolis Eight Hours winner; 2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup champion; 2012 European F3 champion; 2011 Macau Grand Prix winner.
- Earl Bamber: 2023 Nürburgring 24 Hours winner; 2022, 2020 Sebring 12 Hours winner; 2020 Spa 24 Hours winner; 2019 IMSA GTLM champion; 2015 and 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours overall winner; 2017 World Endurance Championship LMP1 champion; 2014 and 2016 Bathurst 12 Hours class winner.
- Charlie Eastwood: 2023 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 champion; 2022 European Le Mans Series LMP2 Pro-Am champion; 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Am winner; 2019 Spa 24 Hours winner; 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Pro-Am champion.
- Nico Varrone: 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Am champion; 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Am winner; 2023 Sebring 1,000 Miles GTE Am winner; 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona LMP3 winner.
Corvette Racing Adds Factory Drivers for 2024
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Corvette Racing said today it is expanding its roster of factory drivers that will compete in championships and events globally with the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R during the 2024 racing season. Daniel Juncadella, Earl Bamber, Charlie Eastwood and Nico Varrone will be part of the group that will race Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in either the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, or in some cases both. (AutoInformed:Corvette Racing Goes Global – IMSA, FIA WEC in 2022)
“As we move into GT3 and customer racing, it is important that we add to our roster of drivers that are available to teams,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R program manager. “We are excited about the wealth of experience in our Corvette factory lineup. Both GM and our teams will benefit from the learnings from each driver.”
The new drivers join existing Corvette factory drivers Antonio Garcia, Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Alexander Sims, all of whom will contest the full WeatherTech Championship season. The eight collectively will compete as factory drivers for Corvette Racing – the brand that encompasses all factory-supported and customer Z06 GT3.R efforts going forward.
Juncadella and Bamber each will be part of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ two-car effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class. Both drivers will race with the factory-backed program in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. Juncadella will drive with Garcia and Sims while Bamber joins Milner and Catsburg.
In addition, Juncadella will drive the Z06 GT3.R in two championships as he joins TF Sport for its full-season effort in the LM GT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans – his first year in the global series.
Bamber will contest IMSA’s endurance rounds in the Z06 GT3.R. Previously a long-time rival to the Corvette Racing program, Bamber already has tested the Z06 GT3.R, adding to a long list of GT3 cars he has driven throughout his career. He also remains under contract for Cadillac Racing’s WEC program in 2024.
In FIA WEC, Eastwood joins the Corvette factory lineup alongside Juncadella as TF Sport’s two professional drivers. It’s a familiar relationship for Eastwood, who has driven for TF Sport in the championship from 2018-20 and the current season.
Varrone, a rising star in this year’s FIA WEC, will transition to full-time IMSA duties in his first year as a factory driver. He rejoins AWA – a team with which he won this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona in the LMP3 class – and will partner with Anthony Mantella in the GTD category.
Career Highlights