Chassis Won Six Times, including Rolex 24 and Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2015
By Mark Robinson
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Fans of Corvette Racing, sports car aficionados and car collectors in general have an opportunity to take home a prized piece of the revered IMSA program’s history, with one of the fabled Corvette C7.R chassis currently up for auction on bringatrailer.com.
Constructed in 2014 by Pratt & Miller Engineering – which has designed, built and operated the Corvette Racing program for two decades – chassis No. C7RGT-003 is one of just seven made of that specification to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
And compete, it did. Spanning two seasons in 2014-15, the chassis on the auction block won six times in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, including classic endurance events the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts – both in 2015. The same car also raced in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing fourth in the GTE Pro class.
Racing as the No. 3 Corvette C7.R, the primary drivers were Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen. Ryan Briscoe joined them for the 2015 Daytona and Sebring triumphs.
Through its six-year run, the seven C7.R chassis used totaled 17 WeatherTech Championship race wins. Garcia and Magnussen won the GTLM team and driver championships in 2017 and ’18, on the heels of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner claiming the same titles driving the No. 4 Corvette C7.R in 2016. Chevrolet was the GTLM manufacturer champion in 2016 and ’17.
Garcia continues with the Corvette Racing program today, still driving the No. 3 but in the C8.R mid-engine version that debuted in 2020. But the C7.R chassis up for auction holds a special place in his heart since it was the first Corvette of that generation that he drove.
In its first year out of the gate in 2014, he and Magnussen won on the Long Beach street circuit as well as a diverse array of permanent road courses in WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen International and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
“The first car of any generation is special, and this C7.R chassis is no different,” Garcia said Thursday. “I had a lot of great memories with Jan Magnussen in this chassis. We realized the potential of the C7.R fairly early with wins at a variety of tracks in the first year.
“The first (win) for the C7.R at Long Beach and Watkins Glen stand out from that first year,” the Spaniard continued. “We really hit our stride with the No. 3 car the next year with the wins at Daytona and Sebring – the ‘36 Hours of Florida’ – and we were close to a Le Mans win in 2014. It’s a very successful car and I hope it finds a good home.
“I wish it was going back with me!”
The C7.R up for bid maintains the famous “Velocity Yellow” Corvette livery and includes all the racing bells and whistles. It is powered by a recently rebuilt 5.5-liter, V-8 engine with an Xtrac six-speed sequential transaxle; carbon fiber bodywork covering an aluminum monocoque from the production version of the Corvette Z06; adjustable rear wing; a racing cockpit that includes a professional racing steering wheel with paddle shifter; BBS black 18-inch, center-lock wheels; Michelin Pilot Sport GT racing slicks and more.
According to a dynamometer report supplied by Pratt & Miller, the engine’s peak output is 575 horsepower at 6,100 rpm.
Interested bidders shouldn’t waste any time and need a hefty bank account. The auction ends Monday, March 1.
The high bid as of Thursday was $450,000. Check out the listing and place your bid HERE.