“This isn’t how we wanted our Le Mans race to end.” Laura Klauser, GM Sports Car Racing Program Manager, was evidently disappointed as she summed up Corvette Racing’s  24 Hours. It had all begun so promisingly too with the #64 Corvette C8.R sitting in the LMGTE Pro Hyperpole position on the grid with its sister car alongside. The first quarter of the race showed little indication that things were about to change. After nightfall, however, the left rear suspension of the #63 C8.R collapsed. Significant mechanical damage at the rear of the car eventually forced retirement. Corvette Racing switched its full focus to the #64 yellow GT.

Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims were quickly making up for time lost due to an earlier setback with the front brakes. Sims was fighting to regain the LMGTE Pro class lead just before the 18-hour mark when he found himself on the far left of the Mulsanne Straight with two LMP2s passing by. François Perrodo in the AF Corse #83 Oreca 07-Gibson suddenly veered left, striking the #64 Corvette. The contact flung the American machine nose-first into the guardrail.

The British driver got out of the car unassisted and was fine on returning to the paddock. Sims had earlier set the fastest in-race lap time in LMGTE Pro (3:48.771), a mark subsequently eclipsed by Kévin Estre in the #92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 (3:48.356).

“We’re all proud of the dedication of everyone on the Corvette Racing team to give us the absolute best chance for our ninth class victory,” Klauser continued. “At the end of the day, we’re all proud to be part of the One Team effort that is Corvette Racing. We’re glad Alexander is OK and that the C8.R kept him safe. Our focus now is on our two full-season efforts in the WEC and also the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”

With 40 points, Chevrolet lies third in the GT Manufacturers FIA World Endurance Championship behind Porsche (165 points) and Ferrari (139).