Newly signed Corvette GT3 customer TF Sport gets its first look at the Z06 GT3.R this week in the US. The British team drives one of Chevrolet’s test chassis at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
TF Sport owner Tom Ferrier and a group of six team members are currently at the circuit for two days on a test organized by Ganassi to get a feel for the operation of the Z06 GT3.R before next testing a pair of WEC chassis received year. The test will also be used to allow TF Sport to assess potential driver talent for next season.
“The cars are coming in quite late for us,” team owner Tom Ferrier told DSC before heading to the United States. “We are planning a delivery in early January.
“The CoTA test will be good for the crew and for potential customers who want to race a Corvette in the WEC. It’s not cheap, so you should try the car first.
“If we need further testing, we will go again with one of their cars. But it depends on who signs, what our test program looks like. We could receive the delivery in America and test it in a warm place there.”
While TF Sport will benefit from Corvette’s technical support and factory drivers on loan next season in the FIA WEC, Ferrier made it clear to DSC that his team is responsible for all decisions surrounding driver line-ups, track operations and finances behind the effort.
After the first delivery in January, TF Sport won’t have to wait long before TF Sport can expand its GT3 program with the Z06 as it will get a third car next summer. Where will there be races? There are no concrete plans yet, although Ferrier has all but ruled out an IMSA appearance in 2024.
“We’re the exclusive Corvette WEC team for two years, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take part in the Asian Le Mans, for example,” explained Ferrier when asked if the company could use its WEC cars in more events next year . “The problem is the freight, you don’t have a lot of opportunities to do a lot else.
“But we’re thinking about a third car next summer, so maybe we’ll try to do something with it, like the Spa 24.”
“Do they (Corvette) also want to race Pro cars and IGTC cars? I believe we are in a good position to support this and help grow the customer side.”
Aside from the confirmed effort with Corvette next year, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes at TF Sport to expand its schedule with additional programs in LMP2 and GT3 racing.
In the ACO area, TF is still working with Aston Martin and could also compete with the Vantage AMR GT3 in other series in the future. A program in an SRO paddock is also possible.
“Part of the thing about Corvette is that they initially build a small number of cars,” Ferrier said. “They couldn’t give us four cars at first, so that was part of a deal that was exclusive to the WEC. So if the opportunity arises and someone wants to do something with an Aston in ELMS or World Challenge, we are free to do so.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but if we have the equipment and we’re not in direct competition with Corvette, there’s no reason we can’t do it.”
TF’s plans for prototype racing are now much more ambitious in the short to medium term. It currently leads the Racing Team Turkey entry in the ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am and leads the championship after two class wins at Barcelona and Paul Ricard.
The team recently acquired a second ORECA 07 chassis for use in next year’s ELMS. It plans to redouble its efforts in the ACO’s European series, which is expected to see a significant increase in LMP2 numbers in 2024.
In addition, TF Sport is eyeing a future move to the FIA WEC Hypercar class. Obviously, the new relationship with GM could open up a way for Cadillac to compete at the top tier of the FIA WEC, especially as the V-Series.R hypercar program now has a permanent base in Europe. DSC understands that the Ganassi WEC team will be housed in a workshop formerly used by DTM team HWA in Stuttgart, Germany, with ample space to prepare more cars.
“Definitely,” Ferrier said when asked if TF Sport’s LMP2 expansion was a step towards a top-notch bid in the future.
“Part of the enlargement is to replace everything we lose in terms of Aston. But obviously LMDh and Hypercar are currently booming. If we’re doing a good job in LMP2, then why are we different from WRT and PREMA who got those hypercar performances by doing a great job?
“It’s something we’re definitely looking forward to in the future. It’s another support for us. If we can win LMP2 in ELMS and WEC in Corvette then you are in a prime place. Who knows? There’s nothing wrong with putting your team in the best possible situation to capitalize on an opportunity if it does present itself.”
Although the relationship between TF Sport and Corvette is still in its early stages, it is clear that GM Motorsport boss Laura Wontrop Klauser and Corvette Z06 GT3.R program manager Christie Bagne have high expectations of TF Sport, especially at Le Mans where the Corvette brand has a long track record.
“Taking the baton is great,” Ferrier said. “They want us to build on that success, they even want us to take the horn to Le Mans and continue that tradition, that’s our responsibility now!” They are also keen that the interaction with fans continues .
“It’s exciting because nobody knows where it might lead. We hope it’s a special place. It would be nice to get a Cadillac one day, but that’s not being talked about yet…”
Keep an eye on DSC for an additional feature on the past, present and future of TF Sport in the coming days…
Photo credit: SRO & Corvette.
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