The previous round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS season at Sebring International Raceway brought forward an exciting new chapter for DXDT Racing as the team unveiled their all-new No. 08 FENEX Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Adorned with a striking blue and green livery, the Pro-Am entry quickly became a fan favorite as it continued to turn heads across the paddock.
As the team prepares for the arrival of their Pro class entry at the upcoming race weekend at Circuit of The Americas, with Corvette factory driver Tommy Milner and Alec Udell co-driving the No. 63 KÜHL Corvette Z06 GT3.R, teammates Bryan Sellers and Scott Smithson provided their initial thoughts on the program following the Corvette’s first appearance in global SRO competition.
“Coming into this program, you expect nothing but the best from GM and Pratt Miller,” said Bryan Sellers. “There's always a learning process that comes with getting a new car, whether it's the driving aspect, the crew and setup work, or even just running the car through tech. Right now we're in the process of assessing all those things and trying to get those things to run as smoothly as possible.”
“The whole platform is new and different for me,” added Scott Smithson. “I've been really impressed with how drivable it is, especially as an Am driver, it’s been great to be able to just jump in and go immediately quickly in the car.”
The DXDT Racing duo have already shown great promise of what’s to come, as they proved they were already in a position to challenge for podium results, at one of North America's most challenging circuits no less.
“We're super, super happy with the product that has been delivered to us,” exclaimed Sellers. “It's a lot of fun to drive and we just couldn't be more pleased with the relationship that has started with GM and Pratt Miller.”
When touching on the experience of the Team Chevy partnership, heightened levels of collaboration and knowledge-sharing were common themes that continued to remerge, further emphasizing GM and Pratt Miller’s direct involvement in the project.
“For all the years I’ve spent racing against them, I’ve known what a professional organization they are,” Sellers affirmed. “Now that we've got the opportunity to work hand in hand with them, what is most impressive is their capabilities and their understanding of the car, and then their ability to share that information with us. Their willingness to step in and educate us has really shortened our learning curve.”
“We are not quite yet where we want to be, but I can imagine we'd be a lot further behind without their help,” he continued. “I think that's a telltale sign of a great relationship – the openness and willingness to help your customer. For them, this is a new venture in customer racing, and we're just happy to be one of the first ones to be a part of this program.”
“GM and Pratt Miller dove right in and have been so willing to help,” echoed Smithson. “You can tell all of them are committed to doing the best job they can. It has made this transition as easy as it can be, but I also think that the future is really bright with how much support they've given us and how far I think we can come in even a single season.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the team remains optimistic yet pragmatic when setting goals for themselves to achieve.
“It would be super cliche to say that you come into every weekend wanting to win, but it's always the truth,” Sellers said candidly. “But you also have to have to be realistic when you come into a new program with a new car. For me, the objective would be to run an error-free race that we execute to the best of our abilities. At this point in time, our focus is less about how fast the car is, or how good the results are, but more about trying to over-deliver from where we started.”
With the mindset of aiming to build a strong foundation in which they can continuously build on, Smithson concluded by saying; “It takes a lot to get up to speed with a new car, so for me personally, I’m doing everything I can to learn and figure it out. My goal is to avoid mistakes and do my best, and smooth out this process as much as we possibly can each and every week.”
