Michael Accardi 
Chevrolet has appointed Laura Wontrop Klauser as its newly created Sports Car Racing Program Manager, which will include the job of Corvette Racing boss. Up until this week, Klauser had been at the helm of the Cadillac DPi-V.R effort since its inception in 2017, along with managing the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R customer program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Klauser’s increased role sees her absorb engineering and technical oversight of Corvette Racing and its pair of mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R race cars. The job was previously held by long-time Corvette Racing boss, Doug Fehan, who was unexpectedly let go in December 2020.
The move is being billed as a shift towards an engineering-based approach throughout the company’s motorsports programs. The company is looking to streamline the technical learning process and make it easier to convert lessons from the track into valuable road car developments.
“It’s a huge honor to move into this role with Corvette Racing,” said Klauser, who has been part of General Motors’ racing activities for the last five years. “It unquestionably is one of the premier programs in all of sports car endurance racing.
“The rich history of Corvette’s successes in IMSA is something of which everyone at Chevrolet can be proud. At the same time, this motorsports management restructure is a great opportunity to rethink how Chevrolet operates on IMSA weekends.”
Klauser holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in engineering. She began her career at General Motors in 2008 on the production side including design work on the Corvette C7 and Cadillac CT6, before shifting over to the motorsports side as program manager for the Cadillac ATS.V-R.
In 2017, Klauser was part of the team that launched the Cadillac DPi program, which has enjoyed two manufacturers championships, four Michelin Endurance Cup titles, and 18 wins including four consecutive victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The new Corvette Racing boss is no stranger to Corvettes though, as she’s previously worked as Corvette team representative at the National Corvette Museum and Corvettes at Carlisle. The Detroit native also hotfoots her 2013 Corvette Grand Sport at local track days.
