AWA Racing suffered a setback in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as Anthony Mantella left the team, leaving them with only one participant, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R #13. The #17 car, which was one of the two new Corvette cars in the GTD category, faced significant reliability issues at the 24 Hours of Daytona and suffered an alternator failure at the recent 12 Hours of Sebring. These problems resulted in the car not finishing either of the races, completing only two laps at Sebring. Despite this setback, AWA Racing confirmed that the #13 car will continue as planned and compete in the next round in Long Beach.
Anthony Mantella, owner of the #17 Corvette, was joined by Thomas Merrill, Nico Varrone, and Charlie Eastwood at Sebring. However, Mantella has now put the turquoise and red/white striped #17 Corvette up for sale on Instagram, describing it as “Rarely used” and highlighting that it “Did not finish a race.” He also mentioned that the car is a collector’s item and a rarity for the public.
As a result of Mantella’s departure, the #13 Corvette will be driven by Matt Bell and Orey Fidani throughout the season, with Lars Kern joining them for the Endurance Cup rounds. The next race on the IMSA calendar is the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will take place on April 20. This race will feature an exclusive 1 hour and 40-minute sprint race for GTP and GTD cars on the street circuit.
