Photo Credit: Spy Photos Credit: Brian Willams / SpiedBilde



As you can imagine, the peeps we talk with are very excited about the reveal of the C8 Corvette on July 18th at a still undisclosed location. And it got me to thinking, will Chevrolet also reveal the C8.R alongside the C8 street car as they did at 2014’s NAIAS for the reveal of the C7 Z06 and the C7.R?

After all, we’ve more than heard once from Chevrolet and Corvette Racing about cascade engineering and track to street technology transfers that come from its racing efforts. The two yellow sports cars on the Chevrolet stage at NAIAS made a great photo to ram that point home: that each car on its own would not be there without the other.



Of course, things were a little different in 2014 that it is today. Namely, Chevrolet had to get the C7.R out ASAP so that it could race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona later that month. This year, Corvette Racing is already committed to a full-season effort with the C7.R which basically guarantees another half a year of testing and further development of the next-gen race car.

With an IMSA race schedule for the weekend of July 19-20th at Lime Rock Park for the Northeast Grand Prix, I think the key principals of the race team (Gary Pratt and Doug Fehan) will be busy with the race schedule to do a C8 press event the night before. At the C7.R reveal, both were present along with GM’s racing director Mark Kent.

And so to answer my own question which asked if the C8.R would also be revealed alongside the C8, I think it’s going to be a no. The C8.R will probably be revealed at another date.



Here’s a cool idea though and the Corvette team is free to borrow it:

Corvette Racing should schedule a “tire test” for the C8.R at Lime Rock Park following the ISMA race (Pro Tip: Look for three Corvette Racing transporters at the track). Then, after the reveal of the production C8 Corvette on Thursday, July 18th, one of Corvette Racing’s drivers does a couple laps in the C8.R race car between practice sessions that weekend like they did in 2007 with the C6 ZR1 at Monterey. Chevy can then do a full reveal of the C8.R at a later date as the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech Season begins.

I actually doubt a C8.R lap will happen too, but a Corvette Racing fan can dream, right?



Related:

[SPIED] Spy Photos of the Mid-Engine Corvette C8.R Offers the Best Look Yet at the Upcoming C8

[PICS] Corvette C8.R Spy Photos Inspire New Renderings of the Mid-Engine Corvette

[VIDEO] The 2020 Corvette Drives Through The Streets of New York City

