Through Saturday night, there were 5 test sessions

The No. 36 DXDT Racing Chevy Corvette Z06 GT3.R, in GTD class, encountered a clutch issue in the morning session, which was fixed by the afternoon.

5th session
The GTD class entry was 0.143 seconds quicker than
the GTD Pro pace-setting No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevy Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Nicky Catsburg.

Sunday’s action includes two final WeatherTech Championship sessions, from 9:45-10:45 a.m. ET and 2:30-4 p.m., with the final session for FIA Bronze-rated drivers only, as well as the fifth and final Pilot Challenge test session and Race 2 for VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, which gets underway at 1:20 p.m. ET with live coverage on Peacock and IMSA’s YouTube channel.

DXDT is back too, with factory driver Charlie Eastwood leading the line here in Florida. The Irishman believes the team is ready to reach victory lane for the first time in IMSA.

Why?
The team now has a season under its belt to build on and has assembled a line-up capable of fighting at the sharp end. The two Silver-graded drivers, Salih Yoluc and Mason Filippi, will benefit from the firepower of both Eastwood and IndyCar ace Scott McLaughlin.
If all goes to plan, they will form a dynamic duo, tasked primarily with taking the fight to the front-runners late in the race, should the crew emerge from the night hours unscathed.

“We think we have a really, really strong chance,” Eastwood told RACER. “We missed a bit of pace earlier in the year last year, which is fairly normal when you’re new to a championship. But by Petit, our pace was good. We’re leaving no stone unturned, and we’re as prepared as anyone at this stage.

“We actually went to Sebring two months ago to try the new Michelin GTD tire and back-to-back test it with the old one ahead of the season. Characteristically, it’s better; you get a bit more feedback from the front axle, and we feel we can load it a bit nicer. Lap time isn’t crazy different, but we found it faster. And that’s part of our drive to make sure we are ready to come here. We have a few items to check off during this weekend, and then we’ll be ready.”

McLaughlin, who briefly looked in the frame for a Porsche GTP drive due to his ties to Penske and his run in the Sanctioned Test, is energized by his late deal to join the Corvette concern.

“I felt I might get a chance with Porsche, and they went their own way with driver count,” he said. ”That was fine, but I just love this race and wanted to be a part of it. I have a pretty good relationship with GM and Corvette, and it worked out pretty well. I know the car really well, so I’m excited by what's ahead.

“We’re going to have to ask Mason and Salih to do a lot of fast times and long stints early on, then hopefully Charlie and I can push hard at the end.”

The wild card for Corvette is the newcomer to the customer stable, DragonSpeed. The U.S.-flagged team heads into 2026 off the back of a hugely impressive 2025 season in GTD PRO with Ferrari. The Elton Julian-led effort, partnered with Risi Competizione for technical support, was a title contender all the way to the end of the season with the 296 GT3.

Rather than stay the course with Ferrari for another championship push, though, DragonSpeed decided before the end of the 2025 season to switch manufacturers. Corvette and GM were chosen, and in the aftermath of Petit Le Mans, the team announced its new direction and got to work.

It’s a big change. The team is learning on the job during the Roar weekend, as the timing of its new chassis delivery meant only a short shakedown was possible before this week.
Driver Giacomo Altoe, back with the team, was positive after its first full day running the car on Friday, along with his teammates Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson and Matteo Cairoli.

“It’s amazing and a very different feeling than what I'm used to,” Altoe said after his first taste of the Corvette.
“Of course, I needed a few laps to adapt. Handling was different, but it's also very different from how I'm seated in the car with the seating position, the sound, and how the car works.

“I still need to go through all the systems, so there is a lot of homework to do. I just need to find out what the car needs, and we will keep progressing.

"I actually really liked being out there in traffic. The rearview camera works very well, it’s something I like.
Henrik is doing well, too, and is really happy with the car. It's a very positive start."

DragonSpeed’s strength is in its breadth of experience in sports car racing, operating at a high level in prototype and GT racing with a variety of cars. There’s also plenty of track time across this weekend and next week in the build-up to the race, which should allow the team enough time to get its teeth into the ins and outs of its new bit of kit.

Normally, you’d rule out a team making a switch in manufacturer just weeks out from the start of a campaign from being a force early on, but what DragonSpeed has proven in the past is that it is a fearless operation capable of springing a surprise.

The five Chevy Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs set for the Rolex 24 At Daytona wrapped up three days of valuable and successful testing Sunday with the conclusion of the annual Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
A week ahead of the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championships, the quintet of Corvette teams expressed satisfaction with the amounts of laps and data they accumulated around the 3.56-mile Daytona Road Course:

• No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Marvin Kirchhöfer – 1:47.775 (118.914 mph)
• No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – GTD PRO: Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, Nico Varrone – 1:47.810 (118.876 mph)
• No. 13 13 Autosport – GTD: Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Ben Green – 1:48.061 (118.599 mph)
• No. 36 DXDT Racing – GTD: Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi, Salih Yoluc, Scott McLaughlin – 1:47.805 (118.881 mph)
• No. 81 DragonSpeed – GTD: Giacomo Altoé, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, Matteo Cairoli – 1:48.087 (118.5671 mph)

(*Fastest drivers in bold)

Those results will give Corvette Racing and team engineers plenty to sift through before Thursday’s first official opening practice for the Rolex 24. One year ago, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R recorded a GTD class win (AWA’s No. 13 Corvette) and a runner-up finish in GTD PRO (Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 3 Z06 GT3.R).

As a program, Corvette Racing has a deep and successful history at the Rolex 24 and includes five GT-class victories – one of those an overall win in 2001. In addition, Corvette’s successes at Daytona have bolstered Chevrolet’s impressive record of 125 wins at the circuit across IMSA and NASCAR’s national series.

The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 24 with qualifying on Thursday, January 22. Live coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC with full live coverage on Peacock in the United States and on IMSA.com for video outside the U.S. and global IMSA Radio coverage.

SELECT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“We may have a couple of minor issues, but both our cars have run pretty much every lap that has been available. I’m happy with it and there is a lot of data to collect. We’ll put everything together from these days ahead of Thursday. We’ll have a few things to try then or validate as well. But things are going in the right direction for next week with what we have. We just need to wait and see, but I’m happy.”

MARVIN KIRCHHOFER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“So far, so good. It’s still early days to really understand where we are. But we had a smooth Roar so far to finish up.
There is some information and some tweaks that are getting us pointed in the right direction for next week.
I’m really enjoying the time with the team. This is basically like the first week back at school for me. So I’m enjoying the challenge.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“My overarching impression after these three days is that this is the best prepared we’ve been going into the Rolex, and it’s the best this car has felt going into the race.
We obviously have a lot of notes and knowledge on the GT3 Corvette now so we’re able to hone in on something that we like faster than previous. We started by showing up with a car that we were happy with balance-wise. We’ve continued to tune on it and make some improvements, for sure. There’s a lot of continuity between the driver lineup, crew and engineering
I feel like we’re in a great place going into this race.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“For me, it’s an honor to be here. I always say this, but it is true.
I’m really proud and privileged to drive with this team and with this group. Everything is really professional and for me, it’s one of the best teams in the world.
Another season in and I know the team that much better. I think we are working better than this time last year and that makes a big difference. Having Nicky and Tommy as teammates is great.
We were really strong to close last year at Petit Le Mans. So this is a great lineup, and we’re working through different things to get it right for next week. I think things will get a little more difficult on-track as the race gets closer. Right now everyone is doing their own thing so you really don’t have the amount of traffic. Once we get to next weekend, and we get into the start and restarts, there definitely will be more chaos.”

LARS KERN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“What happened last year is always in the back of our minds. We did pretty alright here last year so we know what it takes.
But it’s a new year and a new game. We have Ben (Green) here with us and he’s doing a great job. So it’s a new combination but with a lot of known pieces.
The car is perfect with no issues so far. We’re really looking forward and ahead to next week.”

BEN GREEN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’ve really enjoyed my first laps here at Daytona.
Our Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is feeling fantastic and everyone at 13 Autosport is doing a great job and getting up to speed quickly. We feel ready for the race next week and have done everything we need to do during the course of the Roar tests to prepare ourselves well for that. I’m really excited to get going and take on the Rolex 24!”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“The jump we’ve made this year is unbelievable. So many of the crew are the same, but there are a few key positions that have changed, and I think that’s really elevated it even further.
The Roar has probably never gone better for myself over the years. The Corvette feels unbelievable. We were chasing it all of last year for 10 days and to be honest never really found it.
We arrived for the first session here pretty close, and we’ve chipped away with it. My teammates were happy with it last night, and I was happy with it yesterday afternoon. Let’s see where the track goes.

This track sort of changes over the next week and the pace goes up too. But if you have a really good base here, it helps a lot. We definitely seem to have that at the minute. We’ve collected loads of data and have a lot to process over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because we’ve run through seven sessions in three days here. But I think we’re in really good shape.”

MASON FILIPPI, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“Luckily we were able to get together and spend a few days in the shop to really get to know the team. These are my first few days in the Corvette, and it’s awesome. It’s really comfortable to drive and every single time you get back in you feel more comfortable, and you can knock down the laptime.
Everyone on the team has been awesome to work with.
Charlie (Eastwood) and Scott (McLaughlin) both know the car really well so it’s great to pick their brain and be a sponge to learn everything as I go.

“Under braking and understanding the tire a little. With the braking capability of this car, you have to utilize that, and I think that’s where I’ve been able to improve from my first few laps. We’re in a good spot. It will be a long 24 hours, but we’ll be ready to fight.”

GIACOMO ALTOE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It was a nice and smooth first session for us.
No issues at all, and that was the main target. It was my first ever laps in the Corvette. It’s amazing and a very different feeling than what I’m used to. Of course, I needed a few laps to adapt. Handling was different, but it’s also very different with how I’m seated in the car with the seating position, the sound, how the car works.
I still need to go through all the systems, so there is a lot of homework to do.
I just need to find out what the car needs and we will keep progressing.

“I actually really liked being out there in traffic. The rearview camera works very well and that was something that I like. Henrik did well and is really happy with the car. It’s a very positive start.”

CASPER STEVENSON, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s hard to know exactly where we are, but we’ve done a lot of laps; I think close to the most out of everyone.
The car has run faultlessly so I don’t see how it could have been more productive. I feel like we’ve made progress not just with the Corvette, but also the small things like seat belts, the seats and everything.

There’s still some work to do, driver change practice and all that kind of housekeeping stuff.
I don’t see any reason why we won’t be competitive next week. Matteo arrives next week, so I think we will be really strong. The biggest gains have been understanding how to drive the car.
We were lucky to do one test, and that gave me some things to think about for this time. I feel like I don’t fully know the Corvette, but I’m getting there, and it’s starting to feel more comfortable.”