Camaro Z/28.R teams make one final push for title

It’s all or nothing this weekend for Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R teams at Road Atlanta. The final race of this year’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge has everything on the line in the Grand Sport (GS) class for Chevrolet, and the teams and drivers campaigning the newest-generation Camaro racecar. 

With five victories this year, the Camaro Z/28.R has won more races than any other car in the GS class. Heading to Road Atlanta, Chevrolet is second in the GS Manufacturer standings – 7 points out of first place. The scenario is simple: any of the three Camaro Z/28.Rs must win Friday’s race for Chevrolet to have a chance at its first Manufacturer championship in the GS class. 

Also at stake are the Driver and Team championships with Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell in the No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro Z/28.R as challengers. Both stand second in their respective categories with a 5-point gap to the leaders. 

“In many ways, this season has exceeded nearly every expectation we had for the Camaro Z/28.R,” said Lisa Talarico, Chevrolet Program Manager for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. “Our partner teams have performed well in a field full of excellent competitors, and the Z/28.R is a better car because of that competition. The goal for Chevrolet each year is to be the Manufacturer champion, no matter the class or series. It will take another winning effort by our teams – plus some luck – but everyone in this program will do all they can to meet this goal.” 

The final race of the season is set for 1:15 p.m. ET on Friday. This is the only the second time for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Road Atlanta. Coincidentally, Stevenson Motorsports won last year’s GS race in the spring with current Stevenson driver Matt Bell – who teams this year with Andy Lally in the No. 9 Camaro Z/28.R – as one of the winning pilots. 

Road Atlanta is the home track for Davis, who lives in nearby Athens. A home-track advantage for he and Liddell could be beneficial as the pairing try for their fourth victory of the season. The pairing leads all GS drivers in wins having triumphed at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis. Davis and Liddell also were runners-up at Road America and VIR.

Bell and Lally want one more 

Bell and Lally added to the Stevenson win tally at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and CKS Autosport’s pairing of Eric Curran and Lawson Aschenbach did the same at Road America. 

The performance of the Camaro Z/28.R has been impressive in qualifying as well. Curran, Davis, Bell – all in consecutive races – and Jordan Taylor each have taken pole positions in a Camaro this year. 

Developed alongside its production counterpart, the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R  incorporates the same performance elements that make the 2014 Camaro Z/28 the most track-capable Camaro ever. To enhance grip, for example, the Z/28.R’s body shares the same downforce-generating aero package as the production model including: the front splitter, rear spoiler with wickerbill, and hood extractor vent, among other items. 

The Z/28.R is also powered by the same LS7 7.0L V-8 engine as the production Z/28 and employs the unique, helical-gear limited-slip rear differential found on the production model. It is standard in the Z/28, helping the driver put down more power to the pavement when exiting corners. 

Live race coverage from Road Atlanta is set for 1:15 p.m. ET Friday at IMSA.com. FOX Sports 1 will air the race at noon ET on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Chevrolet