{"id":269143,"date":"2026-04-15T14:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/269143\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T14:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:35:11","slug":"corvette-racing-at-long-beach-short-and-sweet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/269143\/","title":{"rendered":"Corvette Racing at Long Beach: Short and Sweet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Corvette<\/a><\/p>\n


\nPhoto Credit: Richard Prince for Corvette Racing \n<\/p>\n

Corvette Z06 GT3.R GTD teams get the spotlight in season\u2019s first street race
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DETROIT (April 13, 2026) \u2013 Corvette Racing\u2019s three Corvette Z06 GT3.R<\/a> GTD teams are swapping coasts this weekend as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship moves to California for two upcoming rounds.
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First up is the 100-minute Grand Prix of Long Beach with the three Corvette GTD teams looking to make their marks at one of the world\u2019s premier street race events. Both 13 Autosport and DXDT Racing are returning to the 1.968-mile, 11-turn Long Beach street course while DragonSpeed will race there for the first time in its No. 81 Corvette.
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Chevrolet and the Corvette brand have been a fixture at Long Beach since the Corvette Racing program first visited Long Beach in 2007.
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In 18 visits, Corvette GT cars have captured eight victories with two additional in the Corvette Daytona Prototype era. Combined with results from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Chevrolet boasts a total of 22 victories in the Grand Prix\u2019s two premier events.
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No. 13 13 Autosport Corvette: Matt Bell\/Orey Fidani<\/p>\n

\"Corvette<\/p>\n

For the second season in row, the Bell\/Fidani pairing is coming off a strong start to the season and stands fifth in the GTD Drivers Championship after the Florida swing. Although the team name changed at the start of the year, the No. 13 Corvette contending for race wins and podiums at Daytona and Sebring did not.
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Being near the top of the GTD field in the first two rounds has helped Fidani again lead the Bob Akin standings, which goes to the highest-finishing, Bronze-rated driver at each race. As two-time and defending Akin Award winner from 2024 and 2025, he and the team are prepping for its second appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the background of the IMSA season.
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Bell and Fidani placed sixth in GTD two years ago and were in position to contend for the top-five again until Fidani was pushed wide and into one of the tire barriers around the circuit; he and Bell eventually finished 13th.
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No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette: Robert Wickens\/Mason Filippi
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\"Corvette<\/p>\n

Long Beach marks the return of Robert Wickens to racing as he embarks on his second sprint-race campaign with DXDT Racing. Last year\u2019s Grand Prix was his first in the No. 36 Corvette equipped with hand controls and an electronic braking system from Bosch, key advancements for a driver who lost the use of his legs in an open-wheel crash in 2018.
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After driving with Corvette Racing factory driver Tommy Milner a year ago, Wickens will drive this year with DXDT full-season pilot Mason Filippi. The two have been teammates in IMSA\u2019s Michelin Pilot Challenge in the past but will drive the Corvette together for the first time this weekend in Filippi\u2019s Long Beach debut. The DXDT team was in contention for GTD victories late at both Daytona and Sebring to open the season.
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No. 81 DragonSpeed Corvette: Giacomo Alto\u00e9\/Henrik Hedman
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\"Corvette<\/p>\n

Despite being punted in both of its first two races as part of the Corvette GTD lineup, DragonSpeed is making progress in its first season with the No. 81 Z06 GT3.R. The team is coming off a hard-luck Sebring 12 Hours when Hedman was pushed off the track and went hard into a tire wall early in the race. Despite the setback, the DragonSpeed crew returned to the race and logged important laps that it hopes will make a difference later in the year.
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Alto\u00e9 and Hedman each will race at Long Beach for the first time. Like Fidani in the 13 Autosport Corvette, Hedman is chasing the Bob Akin Award and an entry to Le Mans for 2027. He stands sixth in standings and 140 points behind Fidani going into Long Beach.
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The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is set for 1:05 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 18 from the Long Beach street circuit in southern California. It will air live on NBC starting at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock. IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.
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\"Corvette<\/p>\n

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTES
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MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:<\/p>\n

\u201cLong Beach is one of my favorite events in racing now. Doing this race over the last two years has been really enjoyable in the Corvette Z06 GT3 R. Last year we were competitive but unfortunately Orey was taken out early in the race which compromised our result. We\u2019ll aim for a clean race this year and see what we can do. Awesome car, awesome track, awesome event, can\u2019t wait!<\/p>\n

\u201cWith these first four races, you see what makes the IMSA great and why so many drivers enjoy being here. You start with two long-distance, but vastly different tracks in Daytona and Sebring, now to a 100-minute street event at Long Beach and then a sprint race at a place like Laguna Seca. All four tracks and events test the teams, the cars and us as drivers. You don\u2019t get this variety really anywhere else in the world. It\u2019s great fun and why and I enjoy being back here year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re feeling really good coming into Long Beach. We\u2019ve had two really strong results in the opening endurance rounds, and we\u2019re confident we can carry that over into the upcoming sprint races. The Bob Akin award is always ultimately our main focus heading into each race, and to be leading in those standings early into the season is a great reflection of the way our team has been executing so well. Long Beach will be no different even though it\u2019s a change of pace. We know what we\u2019re setting out to do, and I\u2019m really looking forward to our time on the West Coast.\u201d<\/p>\n

ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I wasn\u2019t in Daytona and Sebring, I was still in constant dialogue with the team manager, Bryan Sellers, with pretty much all of the DXDT endurance drivers. So even though yeah I wasn\u2019t driving the car, I am well aware of where the team\u2019s at currently, where the strengths are, where we need to work. I think that the best way to prepare is just through good communication. I am probably going to find time here in my private life to try to do a little bit of iRacing to remind myself what Long Beach is like in a Corvette. But apart from that, it\u2019s just a lot of watching onboard videos and stuff from 2025 when I did the race. So little refreshers on that, little laps of data to understand your gears and stuff, minimum speeds for each corner. And it\u2019s pretty much all you can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

MASON FILIPPI, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am extremely excited for Long Beach as it is a new track for me. I spent a few days in the shop prepping with (DXDT program manager) Bryan Sellers who has had great deal success around Long Beach, as well as on the sim with Robbie. Robbie and I have been good friends for a long time, and there\u2019s a huge synergy between us. It will be fantastic to be back in the car with him. The last time we were together was at the Nurburgring 24 which was awesome to finish on the podium after 24 hours. Every lap in the car is a moment to learn the extremely good Corvette platform. Sebring was great and I know that DXDT Racing has what it takes to fight for the win every single week.\u201d<\/p>\n

HENRIK HEDMAN, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are really excited to be heading to Long Beach for the first time. It\u2019s such an iconic venue, with a unique atmosphere and a challenging street circuit that demands precision and confidence. As a driver, these are the kind of tracks you always look forward to discovering, and I\u2019m fully motivated to get up to speed quickly and make the most of the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe start of the season has been frustrating, with a series of unfortunate incidents that were unfortunately out of our control. However, we\u2019re staying focused and positive. The pace is there, and we know the potential of both the car and the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working with a strong and committed group of people, and there\u2019s a real sense of determination to turn things around. Hopefully Long Beach will be the right place to build momentum, and kickstart a more positive run of results.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Corvette<\/p>\n

2026 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points<\/p>\n

GTD Drivers Standings

\n1. Dudu Barichello\/Tom Gamble\/Zacharie Robichon \u2013 690

\n2. Lilou Wadoux Ducellier\/Simon Mann\/\/Antonio Fuoco \u2013 661

\n3. James Roe\/Lin Hodenius\/Scott Andrews \u2013 581

\n4. Spencer Pumpelly \u2013 564

\n5. Matt Bell\/Orey Fidani\/Lars Kern \u2013 559

\n14. Charlie Eastwood\/Salih Yoluc\/Mason Filippi \u2013 409

\n18. Giacomo Alto\u00e9\/Henrik Hedman\/Casper Stevenson \u2013 347<\/p>\n

GTD Teams Standings

\n1. No. 27 Heart of Racing \u2013 690

\n2. No. 21 AF Corse USA \u2013 661

\n3. No. 80 Lone Star Racing \u2013 581

\n4. No. 13 13 Autosport \u2013 559

\n5. No. 57 Winward Racing \u2013 544

\n13. No. 36 DXDT Racing \u2013 409

\n16. No. 81 DragonSpeed \u2013 347<\/p>\n

GTD Manufacturers Standings

\n1. Aston Martin \u2013 710

\n2. Mercedes-AMG \u2013 694

\n3. Ferrari \u2013 684

\n4. Chevrolet \u2013 602

\n5. Porsche \u2013 580<\/p>\n

Source:

\nCorvetteRacing.com<\/a>

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Related:

\nBen Keating to Miss First Two WEC Races Due to Injury During Training<\/a>

\nCorvette Racing at Sebring: Podium for No. 4 Corvette<\/a>

\nCorvette Racing: Charlie Eastwood to Defend ELMS LMGT3 Title with TF Sport<\/a>

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