In the long and storied history of Corvette Racing, no single racetrack has witnessed more success for the program than venerable Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The track just to the east of Toronto has been the backdrop for 13 Corvette class victories dating back to 2001.
The 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit, formerly Mosport International Raceway, is the backdrop for what Corvette Z06 GT3.R team's hope is another winning weekend during the Chevrolet Grand Prix. This year’s race, in which the Corvette GT3 car scored its first win in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, features four Corvette entries across the two GT classes: Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO along with AWA and DXDT Racing in GTD.
All 13 victories for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing at CTMP have come from the Pratt Miller-run team, including last year’s dominating weekend for Garcia now a three-time winner there – and Sims.
The pair led a 1-2 finish as Sims claimed pole position and set the fastest race lap along the way. Garcia and Sims also come into this weekend with additional momentum from four podium finishes in five races and the GTD PRO championship lead.
Along with a runner-up finish at Watkins Glen for the No. 3 Corvette, Milner and Catsburg recorded their best finish of the season in the No. 4 Z06 GT3.R – fourth place in class and just missing the podium. The duo was the closest challenger to the sister car at CTMP a year ago. Milner is a past class-winner at the track with Corvette Racing, and Catsburg made his first start at the circuit last year.
AWA (GTD)
• No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani
AWA’s Fidani and Bell aim to make up for last year’s race at CTMP, where a collision forced the No. 13 Corvette out of last year’s Chevrolet Grand Prix. This time around, the team will contest its home race in the special Canadian-themed livery that proved immensely popular last month at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In addition to posting a solid result in its home race, AWA hopes to use the CTMP round to bolster its chances in claiming a second consecutive Bob Akin Award for Fidani. The honor goes to the highest points-scoring Bronze driver in GTD and was AWA’s ticket to Le Mans after winning the season-long championship in 2024. AWA also has given the Corvette Z06 GT3.R its only IMSA win this year at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.
DXDT Racing (GTD)
• No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Alec Udell, Robert Wickens
The Chevrolet Grand Prix marks Robert Wickens’ return to DXDT Racing’s No. 36 Corvette that is equipped with the newest generation of Bosch’s electronic braking system. Wickens made his high-profile debut in the Corvette and in the WeatherTech Championship at Long Beach and also competed at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
A two-time winner at CTMP in Michelin Pilot Challenge, Wickens rejoins Alec Udell in the DXDT Corvette following a near-miss at Watkins Glen. Udell qualified on the GTD front row for the second year in a row, and the team challenged for the class win until a mechanical issue sidelined the No. 36 Corvette with 10 minutes to go.
The Chevrolet Grand Prix is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13.
The race will air live on the USA from 2 to 5 p.m. with full streaming coverage on Peacock inside the U.S. and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER PRE-EVENT QUOTES
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“I think we can challenge for the win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. I don’t know if we will have enough or not, but we will definitely go for it. We just need to wait and see what we actually have. We’ll do what we always do and go as fast as we can with whatever we have.
Furthermore, we’ll try to find our weak spots and especially where we might be ahead of our competition so we can take advantage of that.
We just need to play things smart again and see what this race brings.”
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“Honestly, I enjoy every single event in IMSA, but this is really the sweet spot in terms of hitting awesome tracks week after week. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is up there with the absolute best of the tracks in North America for me personally. I love it there.
It’s where we were able to put it on pole and win last year, and it would be amazing if we could do the same again this time around. We’ll just have to wait and see if that’s realistic or not.
“These are the standout tracks and why I want to come and race in IMSA. It’s a really nice part of the year. CTMP also is important in this phase to maximize each race and keep the championship challenge going. But from that point of view it’s about focusing on every single race.
We’ll focus on the moment and enjoy what we’re doing.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“This is the real meat of our schedule. Watkins Glen obviously set off a nice sequence of just classic North American road courses. Next for us is Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, which is consistently my answer for whenever I’m asked what is my favorite racetrack. It just has all the right characteristics, all the right rhythm and flow and challenge and everything that you want in a racetrack.
It’s a lot of fun, especially these days in these GT3 cars. We’ve been successful there. I think it really suits the Corvette. It’s a place where the fast-flowing, high-speed nature of the track really is this car’s sweet spot. I’m hoping that that continues to stay true.
We’ve seen all last year and still this year that we struggle a little bit in straight-line speed, but hopefully we have just enough to keep anybody behind us if we are toward the front.
But yeah, just love racing there. The fans there are great, as always, real diehard sports car racing fans.
It’s just a big challenge – one that I think every lap, you kind of hold your breath in a couple places, and that’s what makes it fun.”
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“I got to discover CTMP for the first time last year, and the track is just incredible. It’s another of the classic North American tracks that I really enjoy. I would say that it lived up to my expectations last year with the fast corners, elevation changes and a really nice flow.
Certainly, we were fast there last year in the Corvette, which is encouraging.
The team obviously knows the track really well and has a lot of wins and experience. So all that makes me pretty confident going into the weekend. We had what I would say was a decent result at Watkins Glen so let’s see if we can make the improvements we need to be higher up the order.”
MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is one of my favorite tracks from anywhere in the world, and we’ve been eagerly waiting to race there again! I’m really looking forward to the team’s home race and to bringing back the fan-favorite livery from Le Mans.
We felt we had a very strong car at CTMP last year, so I’m confident we’ll be competitive.
Hopefully we’ll be able to bring the Canadian-flagged Corvette Z06 GT3.R over the line with a strong result in front of a great crowd.”
OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“This race means so much to the whole team. CTMP is an extremely special place for me, it’s where this whole journey began, and it’s very sentimental to be able to compete at my home track in front of friends and family. After seeing the massive amount of support we received in Le Mans, we knew we had to bring back the red livery for the Canadian crowd.
I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car, and we’ll be doing everything we can to put on a good show and get a great result here.”
ALEC UDELL, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“I’m excited to return to a sprint format together with Robert in the DXDT Corvette Z06 GT3.R. It’s a race on home turf for him, and it’s been a good place for the Corvettes in the past. It feels like we’ve got a lot of positive momentum coming into the race, so I can’t wait to get on track and give all Robert’s supporters up there, and our DXDT team, an effort to root for!”
ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“I couldn’t be more excited about being a part of the headline race, driving a Corvette Z06 GT3.R at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It’s a big race for myself, as well as my team, DXDT Racing. We feel like a podium is just around the corner, and there is no place I would rather achieve that than at home at CTMP.
The Corvette has always been a fan favorite. Ron Fellows put Corvette Racing on the map in Canada with all of his success with Pratt Miller. Ron has had a huge influence on CTMP and on my career. He’s someone I’ve always looked up to from a very young age, and he’s helped me, and other Canadian drivers, progress from karts to cars.
Now to return and drive a Corvette just like Ron has done for so many years holds a special place for me.”