Every IMSA Corvette driver has a standard to uphold this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Four generations of Chevrolet Corvette GT racing cars run by the works Corvette Racing team have won at the course formerly known as Mosport a combined 13 times over the years, including a stretch of eight wins in nine years from 2001–2009.
A 2016 victory for an Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype makes it 14 for the brand in total, heading into the Chevrolet Grand Prix on Sunday.

The most recent chapter in that success story was co-authored by Alexander Sims. Sims and Antonio Garcia won GTD PRO last year to give the newest Corvette Z06 GT3.R its first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win in a Corvette 1-2 finish and both drivers' second career wins at CTMP.

Sims and Garcia haven't won this year in IMSA, yet, the yellow No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R sits on top of the GTD PRO standings with three second-place finishes and another third. That's been enough to edge out AO Racing's Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler by 52 points (with a maximum 154-point swing at CTMP).

"Our points lead hasn't been through race wins, but we've been there or thereabouts in most races. It's been really nice," Sims said after the first practice session on Friday afternoon. "It doesn't change anything for us this weekend. We obviously come here trying to get the win but it's the same as always – maximize the package that we have on the weekend, and that's all we can do.

"We're always trying to tweak things and find some performance within the package. Maybe some of that wasn't working as well today as I had hoped from a balance perspective. We've got all the learnings from the No. 4 car today, as well as last year, so I'm sure we can get our Corvette tuned back in and be better tomorrow."

Going into the weekend, Sims downplayed the notion that their points lead has come as a big surprise.

"We go into every race as everybody else does, basically – trying to win – but there's only ever one winner," he said. "We came third in the championship last year, and we're leading now, so it's not like the lack of a win has been because we've been uncompetitive the whole time.

"Pratt Miller and Corvette are a pretty good force together, so we hope we can get back to our winning ways this weekend. But as we've seen so far this year, I would probably take another second or third place as well."

It's a special weekend for Robert Wickens, too. Twice a winner at CTMP during his Michelin Pilot Challenge tenure, Wickens is back for his third IMSA WeatherTech series sprint in his hand-controlled No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette.

"Obviously, it's a home race for me, one that I've had circled on the calendar all season," he said earlier this week. "I've had success in TCR in the past, winning there twice and finishing second in the other.

"The first two races that I've done this year in the WeatherTech series haven't been amazing, to say the least. We've shown potential, but just at the wrong time. Hopefully we can put together a good strong weekend, from first practice right through the checkered flag on Sunday."

DXDT's Corvette ran tenth-fastest in class in practice, but it's worth remembering that this is the team which captured the Corvette Z06 GT3.R's very first win in GT World Challenge America, months before its first IMSA win with the works team. Executing a quick driver change and running a clean race will be paramount.

Wickens is hoping to channel the positive energy of racing in IMSA's top series for the first time in front of his home fans.

"I think, since coming back from my injuries and racing in support series with IMSA, I've always been trying to get back to racing on Sundays, on that headline event. To do it at home in front of a hometown crowd, it's gonna be a really great feeling," he said.

In his youth, Wickens looked up to countryman and Corvette Racing great Ron Fellows, which was one of the many reasons why he gravitated towards DXDT and Corvette for his step-up to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

"What's special is, I grew up with Ron Fellows being being like a mentor of mine," Wickens recalled. "Obviously, his history in the No. 3 Corvette that Alex drives, seeing all the success he had, and the role that Ron has at Canadian Tire Motorsport now and on the whole Canadian motorsport community... I think there's an extra bit of pride for me, driving a Corvette around that track this weekend.

"The Canadian fans are always passionate, always super-loyal, and it's gonna be awesome to see everybody out there."