Corvette DP Racing Pre-Roar Report

Chevrolet’s road to another Prototype Engine Manufacturer Championship in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) starts this weekend with the Roar Before The 24 at Daytona International Speedway. It’s a prelude to the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona and the start of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Four Corvette Daytona Prototypes are entered in the full-season championship. Since debuting in 2012, the Corvette DP program has joined elite company with its record of success – first in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the last two years in IMSA competition. Corvette DPs have won 30 times in 46 races for a 65.2 winning percentage.

In three of the previous four seasons, the Corvette Daytona Prototype won at least eight races including 2015 when it went 8-of-10 with 21 podiums and five pole positions.

“The Corvette Daytona Prototype program has met or exceeded the expectations we laid out before its start in 2012,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager for the Corvette DP. “The goal is to continue that trend in 2016, and the next step is this weekend. The Rolex 24 is the most important event on the IMSA schedule, and all our focus is on winning again at Daytona. We have the best teams and the best partners to accomplish this. There’s no better way to start a new season than with a win at Daytona.”

Three teams return to make up the Corvette Daytona Prototype contingent for 2016: Action Express Racing with two Corvette DPs, and single-car entries for Wayne Taylor Racing and VisitFlorida.com Racing.

Action Express Racing has won the last two IMSA Prototype titles. Full-season teammates Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi are back in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP in a bid for a third consecutive Driver’s Championship. The pairing won two times in 2015 as the No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP repeated as Team Champion. At Daytona, they will be joined by Scott Pruett and Filipe Albuquerque.

Dane Cameron and Eric Curran return in Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette Daytona Prototype. They were teammates for the first time in 2015 and recorded two victories. They were third in Driver’s and Team points and will drive with Simon Pagenaud and Jonny Adam at the Roar and Rolex 24.

Wayne Taylor Racing is back with another familiar pairing in its No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette. Brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor will team for the third straight year together with Max Angelelli joining in the endurance races. The Taylors were two-time winners in 2015 and also are part of Corvette Racing’s lineup at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

VisitFlorida.com Racing finished second in Prototype points last season with its No. 90 Corvette DP with wins at Laguna Seca and a second straight victory at Watkins Glen. Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will team for the full season in the VisitFlorida.com entry; Ryan Hunter-Reay will partner them at the Rolex, Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

The Corvette DP bodywork reflects the Corvette C7 production lineup. At the heart of the Corvette Daytona Prototype is a purpose-built 5.5-liter Chevrolet LS9 V-8 engine developed by ECR Engines.

Corvette Daytona Prototype Statistics

2015 TUDOR Championship – Prototype Standings (After 10 of 10 events)