Daytona Prototype Will Debut in
GRAND-AM Road Racing Series Rolex 24 in January
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Chevrolet unveiled
its 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype at Daytona International Speedway.
The Corvette Daytona Prototype will make its competitive debut in the
50th anniversary of the GRAND-AM Road Racing Series Rolex 24 at Daytona
next January 26 - 29, 2012.
“Racing and performance are the founding
principles of Chevrolet, and bringing the Corvette Daytona Prototype to
GRAND-AM is a tremendous opportunity,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet Vice
President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The opportunity for
innovation is what makes the Daytona Prototype Class such a good fit for
Chevrolet. Sports car and endurance racing is an outstanding platform
for manufacturers like us to test and learn. The design of this race car
incorporates iconic Corvette styling cues and will be immediately
recognized by sports car enthusiasts and fans of GRAND-AM Road Racing.
We are excited to see the Corvette DP compete in the legendary Rolex 24
at Daytona next January.”
The new Corvette Daytona Prototype will
participate in a GRAND-AM test at Daytona International Speedway on
Wednesday, November 16.
“GRAND-AM’s new Daytona Prototype concept
is aimed at allowing manufacturers to showcase their brand in an
exciting, cutting-edge fashion,” said GRAND-AM President Tom Bledsoe.
“Chevrolet, with its new Corvette DP, has done just that. The
anticipation of seeing this new Daytona Prototype compete is building
each and every day. This announcement has immediate and far-reaching
implications, with the potential to change the face of sports car
racing.”
Four teams will campaign the Corvette
Daytona Prototype in 2012: No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing; No. 10
SunTrust Racing; No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing; and the No.’s 5
and 9 Action Express Racing teams.
“The 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype was
developed by a multi-faceted effort involving Chevrolet, Corvette
Designers, Pratt & Miller and GRAND-AM, and Chevrolet also worked
closely with chassis builders Riley, Coyote and Dallara,” said Mark
Kent, GM Racing Director. “The IMSA GTP Corvette Prototype campaigned by
Hendrick Motorsports in the '80s was the inspiration for this new
Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype. And, like the GTP Corvettes, the
new Corvette Daytona Prototype contains numerous styling cues from the
street version of the Chevrolet Corvette.”
