Corvette Racing clinched the GTE Am Drivers and Teams titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship on Sunday with a fourth-place finish at the Six Hours of Monza for the trio of Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone. The No. 33 Corvette C8.R team finished ahead of its closest championship competitors to wrap up the program’s first title in WEC competition.
It’s been a dream season for Corvette Racing with three victories – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1000 Miles of Sebring and Six Hours Portimão – in addition to a runner-up finish at the Six Hours of Spa.
“Congratulations to Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone on their championship in the first year for Corvette Racing in the World Endurance Championship’s GTE Am class,” said Mark Stielow, Director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. “This was not an easy accomplishment despite the results this season. The strategy and execution by the entire Corvette Racing team – the drivers, the crew and the engineers – has been excellent throughout the season. This was a deep and competitive class and we are grateful that Corvette Racing has come out on top. It gives us great momentum going into the end of the season and 2024 when the Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer program arrives in WEC.”
There were a number of scenarios in play to clinch the title. The most straight-forward options were to win or finish second Sunday, or place ahead of its two nearest challengers – the No. 25 TF Sport and No. 85 Iron Dames entries. The latter worked just fine.
Keating set the tone for the Corvette team early. He started sixth but picked up spots on consecutive laps to run third prior to a safety-car period at the 15-minute mark. The Corvette crew elected to bring the C8.R into pitlane for a fuel top-off. By the time Keating made his second stop at 80 minutes running, he had worked his way back up to second as the varying pit strategies came into view.
He gave way to Varrone just past the two-hour mark but a rare in-race mistake meant the C8.R was called in for a drive-through penalty due to speeding in the pitlane. Varrone slid back to sixth but steadily worked his way back to the lead with strong pace and the pit stop cycle. By the time his driving time was complete just prior to the four-hour mark, the C8.R ran third but less than four seconds from the leader.
Catsburg drove the final 92 minutes but was unable to make in-roads to the podium finishers – all of which were from the same manufacturer and ran more than 100 pounds lighter than the Corvette. The C8.R carried 40 additional kilograms of “success ballast” in accordance with GTE Am sporting rules. That is due to the victory in the previous race at Le Mans, 10 kilograms for taking the runner-up spot at Spa (the race prior to Le Mans) and another 15 for leading the championship. In addition, the C8.R received 10 additional kilograms of pre-event weight by the rules-makers, making the Corvette 50 kilograms (110 pounds) heavier than how it began the season at Sebring.
The next round for Corvette Racing in the FIA WEC is the Six Hours of Fuji on Sunday, September 10.
Garcia, Taylor, No. 3 Corvette C8.R claim season’s first GTD PRO victory
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 9, 2023) – Corvette Racing broke through with a long-awaited victory Sunday at the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the team’s first win of the season in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor teamed for the victory in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which was racing for the second time at CTMP. It’s the first win for Corvette at the circuit since 2014 and gave the team an even dozen victories at the historic Canadian venue.
It’s also the 126th win all-time for Corvette Racing and 114 in North American competition. The victory capped a day where Corvette Racing clinched the FIA WEC GTE Am Drivers and Teams World Championships at the Six Hours of Monza.
The groundwork for the Canadian Corvette victory began early. Taylor began from fourth and held his position until diving in for a pit stop at the 33-minute mark. He got out and Garcia got in as the Corvette Racing crew changed tires and added fuel. The move set off a chain reaction with three other GTD PRO cars following suit, and the C8.R emerging after the cycle in third place – but second among cars in class that stopped early.
An even more critical moment came with 70 minutes remaining. Garcia moved to the lead on a restart with 70 minutes left as the two cars ahead of him fought off-track at the exit of the first corner. The Corvette held the proper line and moved by each. The championship-leading 14 Lexus suffered damage in the incident while the No. 9 Porsche emerged behind Garcia.
The top three cars ran within less than four seconds apart for the final 24 minutes with the Corvette taking the win under yellow after a late-race safety car period – the fourth of the day.
Corvette Racing’s next event is the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix on Saturday, July 22 from Lime Rock Park.
A partnership that has lasted a quarter century continues into 2024 and the competition introduction of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, as Chevrolet and Pratt Miller Motorsports have announced the creation of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports.
Starting with the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will campaign a pair of the new-for-2024, GT3-spec Corvettes for a full season in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The factory-supported effort is the first of two 2024 WeatherTech Championship programs that feature the Corvette Z06 GT3.R to be confirmed, with additional customer programs set to announce in the coming weeks.
The link-up between Chevrolet and Pratt Miller Motorsports (PMM), which has been developing the new GT3 car with Chevrolet and will build the cars, was expected as it’s a natural fit. The current full-factory Corvette Racing program is in the midst of its 25th season with 125 race victories to date, the most recent coming at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans for the team’s ninth class win and its first in GTE-Am.
“Chevrolet and Pratt Miller have collaborated for more than 25 years on the Corvette Racing program, and we are thrilled that we are able to continue together into the GT3 era,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager.
General Motors had previously confirmed the cessation of a factory team with the advent of its first in-house customer GT3 car. Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer teams will compete under the umbrella of Corvette Racing, which also will include customer and technical support.
“It makes sense to have Corvette Racing with Pratt Miller Motorsports lead the competition element of the Z06 GT3.R program in the GTD PRO championship starting in 2024,” Bagne said.
“We couldn’t have a better representative than the same group that has been part of the development, build and testing processes for our new Corvette racecar. The learnings we will take from testing and competition will flow to our other Z06 GT3.R customer teams to ensure that the Corvette brand is a championship contender around the world.”
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R is currently undergoing final homologation testing in Europe after nearly 5500 miles of testing since September of last year. Additional testing is planned through the summer and fall to fine-tune the car for the multiple brands of tires used in various GT3-based championships around the world such as WEC (beginning in 2024), GT World Challenge and the 24 Hour Series.
“This is an exciting time for everyone at Pratt Miller,” said Brandon Widmer, Pratt Miller Vice President, Motorsports. “We’ve experienced a lot of successes, race wins and championships with Chevrolet through the Corvette Racing program. Now we move into the GT3 era. Everyone is pleased with the progress of our testing and development programs, and new car builds are under way.
“We’re appreciative of the decades-long relationship with Chevrolet. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports is looking forward to continue showing our expertise in race operations and management to our fans, our commercial partners and new prospects as we go forward.”
In addition to the GTD PRO team and a customer team in GTD, customer teams are expected to race in WEC and Fanatec GT World Challenge America Presented by AWS in 2024. Those teams will be named at a later date, as will the driver lineup for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports.
This weekend’s Le Mans marked the 23rd start of Corvette Racing’s successful run at Le Mans. Its last victory came in 2015 with the seventh-generation Corvette, although the mid-engine C8.R led each of the last two years.
The 2022 race was particularly cruel as the No. 64 Corvette was knocked out of the race with six hours to go. Keating captured pole position Thursday, the second time this year the Corvette started a WEC race out front. Disaster struck not long after as the Corvette crew had to replace the right-front damper after Catsburg, who started the race, radioed in that something didn’t feel right. The service in the garage was a quick change but it still put the C8.R down two laps. Class pole-winner Keating – who got in the Corvette while the damper was still being fixed – began to claw back time before heavy rain pelted parts of the circuit.
Keating survived the deluge, and Corvette race engineers called him to the pitlane for wet tires. The race’s second safety car period came out moments later, giving the team hope of gaining a lap back because the C8.R would be ahead of the class leader in a train behind one of the three safety cars.
For reasons unknown to the team, a group of cars – including the GTE Am leader – were allowed to exit pit lane before the next of the three safety cars came around. The mistake meant that the Corvette was trapped behind the class leader and couldn’t advance around the track to catch back up after all the safety car queues moved. Undeterred, Varrone drove a speedy triple stint that saw him make up more than a half-lap on the field with times between four and seven seconds quicker than the rest of GTE Am.
The heroics continued into the overnight session as Keating drove a triple-stint in the middle of darkness and kept hope going for a miraculous turnaround. It eventually came – albeit gradually – through fast laps by all three drivers, quick decisions by the engineering team and fast pit stops by the Corvette Racing crew, which never had to bring the C8.R back in the garage, change brakes or do anything much beyond adding fuel and tires. Daybreak saw the Corvette come alive as the gap came down to one lap, then two minutes, then less than 60 seconds as the drivers, crew and engineers worked their magic. Critically, the No. 33 C8.R gained a full pit-stop advantage over the other GTE Am contenders inside the final hours to give Corvette Racing a lead they didn’t relinquish the rest of the way.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the FIA WEC is the Six Hours of Monza – where it won a year ago in GTE Pro – on Sunday, July 9.
Industrial robotics leader collaborates with Mortenson, JLG Industries, Array Technologies, and Pratt Miller to complete validation of system designed to enhance safety and efficiency in solar field construction.
SALT LAKE CITY— March 8, 2023—Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (“Sarcos”) (NASDAQ: STRC and STRCW), a leader in the design, development, and manufacture of advanced robotic systems that redefine human possibilities, announced today that it has successfully completed final validation of its Outdoor Autonomous Manipulation of Photovoltaic Panels (O-AMPP) project. During this field trial, Sarcos collaborated with Mortenson, JLG Industries, Array Technologies, and Pratt Miller to achieve this critical project milestone at a Mortenson project site, which validated the Sarcos robotic solar field construction solution.
“Achieving this market validation and field test milestone is a mission-critical step on our path to commercializing our robotic solar field construction solution and, ultimately, enhancing safety and productivity in the solar field construction industry,” said Kiva Allgood, president and CEO, Sarcos. “I am grateful to the teams at Mortenson, JLG Industries, Pratt Miller, and Array Technologies for their support, expertise, and resources throughout this process, and we look forward to collaborating in the future as we prepare to make this solution readily available to the industry.”
“The solar construction industry is facing unprecedented labor shortages while simultaneously facing an increase in demand for solar energy,” said Trent Mostaert, vice president, industrialization, Mortenson. “We believe the O-AMPP system can address these challenges while improving safety, productivity, and efficiency for our workers. It will also enable solar project developers to scale output and production to the levels needed to achieve the Energy Department’s 2030 and 2050 renewable energy goals. We are excited about the possibilities and potential impact of the O-AMPP system in solar construction.”
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), annual solar installations will need to increase by 60% between now and 2030 in order to meet the Biden administration’s climate targets of solar energy reaching 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. To meet this solar installation goal, SEIA estimates that an anticipated workforce expansion of nearly 900,000 new workers will be required. Given current labor force limitations—the U.S. solar industry employed approximately 230,000 workers in 2020—and a labor-intensive solar installation process, the solar field construction market represents a potentially massive addressable market for robotic technology.
The O-AMPP project, which began in 2021 with funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), aims to streamline the process of solar field construction into one harmonized robotic system to deliver, detect, lift, and place photovoltaic modules in the field. The benefits for energy companies implementing the system for solar construction include lower soft costs for projects, the ability to engage in more projects simultaneously, improved construction timelines and quality, and a safer worksite that reduces the risk of injuries, including lifting and fatigue-related injuries.
During the validation of this system, a proof-of-concept O-AMPP system consisting of an Autonomous Working Vehicle (AWV) featuring the Guardian® XM robotic system, and an Autonomous Delivery Vehicle (ADV), was used to optimize the flow of photovoltaic modules from delivery to installation. Sarcos collaborated with several leading companies involved in the renewable energy industry to complete this testing, including:
Mortenson provided critical subject matter expertise and a validation site. JLG Industries supplied the mobile elevating work platform used for the AWV, onto which the Guardian XM robotic system was mounted and integrated. Array Technologies supplied the tracker technology used in the project along with engineering resources. Pratt Miller provided the mobile base, leveraging their Flexible Robotic Platform with the PM-ADS™ autonomy system, on which the ADV prototype was built. Sarcos expects to commercially launch its robotic solar field construction solution in 2024. For more information on Sarcos and its robotics technologies, please visit www.sarcos.com.
OSHKOSH, Wis. (July 26, 2021) — The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) announced that it has selected Oshkosh Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), to participate in the Concept Design Phase for the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program. The OMFV will replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), which has been in service since 1981.
As part of the Concept Design Phase, Oshkosh Defense will develop initial concepts supported by Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A), which will inform OMFV requirements up to a System Functional Review (SFR).
The Oshkosh Defense consortium includes Pratt Miller Defense, Hanwha Defense USA, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, QinetiQ Inc., and Plasan.
“As a leading innovator of defense technologies, Oshkosh Defense is committed to providing the best possible solutions to the U.S. Army for its evolving modernization priorities,” said Pat Williams, Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Each of our industry partners will contribute their own best-in-class expertise in ground combat vehicles, turrets, armor, and autonomy. Together, we will provide a modular OMFV solution designed to defeat emerging threats with flexibility and room for growth to accommodate evolving requirements.”
Oshkosh’s OMFV concept leverages the proven capability of Hanwha’s Redback chassis and Rafael’s SAMSON family of turrets. The Redback is one of two contenders for Australia’s Land 400 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), while the SAMSON family of turrets serves as the foundation for Oshkosh’s recently awarded Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) contract with the U.S. Army.
About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a global leader in the design, production and sustainment of best-in-class military vehicles, technology solutions and mobility systems. Oshkosh develops and applies emerging technologies that advance safety and mission success. Setting the industry standard for sustaining fleet readiness, Oshkosh ensures every solution is supported worldwide throughout its entire life cycle.
Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
Learn more about Oshkosh Defense at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
About Pratt Miller
Pratt Miller, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Defense, is a ground-breaking product development company that solves its customers’ most technical and complex challenges in the Motorsports, Defense, and Mobility industries.
Pratt Miller Defense (PMD), one of the company’s three core business lines, provides complete vehicle integration, from concept to production. PMD specializes in Platform Development, Robotics, Advanced Concepts, and Technology Integration.
Learn more about Pratt Miller at www.prattmiller.com.
About Oshkosh Corporation
At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs more than 14,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™, Oshkosh® Airport Products, London™ and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.
®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.
About Hanwha Defense
A defense business arm of Hanwha Group, Hanwha Defense is the leading wheeled and tracked combat vehicle and weapons systems developer in South Korea with a half century of accumulated experience, advanced capabilities and technology in multiple proven direct and indirect fire solutions. Expanding its global vision, Hanwha Defense has provided over 8,500 cutting-edge combat vehicles to South Korea and countries around the world, including Malaysia, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Turkey and India.
Learn more about Hanwha Defense at www.hanwha-defense.co.kr/eng/index.do
About Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Rafael is an established leader in RWS technology, recognized for delivery of high-performance systems in support of customers’ needs. For the past 40 years, through intensive joint development with the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Rafael has gained considerable expertise in the development and production of Weapon Stations for light tactical vehicles, armored combat vehicles and naval vessels, and is currently the main supplier of RWS for the IDF. This extensive experience enables Rafael to continuously implement lessons learned and to improve our products in order to supply optimal solutions, meeting ever-changing operational challenges.
About QinetiQ Inc.
QinetiQ Inc. is a leading defense and security company in the U.S. providing mission-led innovation at pace. We support our customers worldwide with mission-critical solutions to create, test and use the latest technologies to deliver real world advantage. QinetiQ Inc. operates as the U.S. arm of QinetiQ Group PLC (QQ.LSE), a global integrated defense and security company focused on mission-led innovation for defense, security and civil customers around the world.
We are 6,000 people creating new ways of protecting what matters most; testing technologies, systems, and processes to make sure they work as expected; and enabling customers to deploy new and enhanced-existing capabilities with the assurance they will deliver the outcomes required. QinetiQ’s 750 U.S. employees are based predominantly in Virginia and Massachusetts.
About Plasan
As a global company based in Israel, Plasan Sasa Ltd. (http://www.plasan.com), along with its American subsidiary, Plasan North America (www.plasan-na.com), is a worldwide leader in the design, development, and manufacture of holistic survivability solutions for the defense, homeland security, automotive, and aerospace markets. Plasan’s advanced survivability solutions can be found on more than 32,000 armored platforms fielded worldwide, including, most recently, Hanwha Defense’s Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle as part of the Australian Land400 program. Plasan’s capabilities include design and prototyping, advanced ballistic lab & field tests, real-time advanced FEA simulation, and state-of-the-art Michigan-based manufacturing
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities and others to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economies and the Company’s customers, suppliers and employees; and the cyclical nature of the Company’s Access equipment, Commercial and Fire &Emergency markets, which are particularly impacted by the strength of U.S. and European economies and construction seasons.
– Garcia, Taylor, Catsburg team for Corvette Racing’s fourth Rolex 24 win
– Milner, Tandy, Sims finish second in landmark Corvette 1-2 result
– Two Corvettes combine to lead 716 of 770 laps
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “This is both one of the best days of my career but also one of the most frustrating and disappointing. I did have COVID in late December with some symptoms. I isolated until I fully recovered, and followed all Spanish and CDC protocols to be cleared for traveling. It’s frustrating but there are protocols that are in place for this. It’s painful not to be able to celebrate with Jordan, Nicky and the rest of the team. We worked so hard over the past months and weeks to achieve an endurance win like the Rolex 24. We didn’t make mistakes, we had good pace with the Corvette. After winning the championship a year ago, this was the type or result we all wanted for the start of a new season.
“Ever since we started at Daytona with this new car, we knew it would be fast and competitive. Obviously, the preparation we had last year wasn’t enough to win this race. But after the lockdown, that gave us an opportunity to develop the C8.R and we went on to win six races as a team and the championship. Last year, we didn’t manage to win a long race so it was still in our minds to get this, and now we’ve started with a big one like the Rolex. We proved today that Corvette Racing was the strongest team.
“I have to say this was a flashback to the 2016 race (a runner-up finish in a Corvette 1-2). It was pretty nerve-wracking when it looked like it could happen again but I’m glad we came out on top this time.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “It was an amazing day. All 24 hours in this class are always intense. I think every year you kind of forget how intense it is until it starts again. All the cars were within 10 seconds all race long. No one could make a mistake; any little mistake would put you on the back foot. For us, we had a flawless day at Corvette Racing. The No. 3 I don’t think missed a beat the whole race. All the drivers did a perfect job, the team did a perfect job, and it’s great for Corvette Racing to get its first endurance win with the Corvette C8.R. Last year, we won six sprint races and the championship but one thing that was missing was an endurance win. To start off 2021 with the Rolex 24 win is amazing. To do it with Antonio and Nicky… it’s our first win as a trio so that was definitely special and makes us want to be a little more hungry to win the Sebring 12 Hours on our next time out.”
ONCE YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT ANTONIO, WERE YOU CONCERNED YOU WOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO FINISH: “No, I wasn’t too concerned. Corvette Racing takes safety and health very seriously. The protocols we have are super serious. The drivers don’t really interact. I didn’t see Nicky all race long. We pretty much just pass the car off to the next guy and then we see each other after the race. For me and Antonio, I saw him before the race and that was the last time. We’re always social distancing. We’re always observing the correct protocols. Surface-to-surface, we’re wearing gloves, we’re wearing balaclavas and helmets in the cars. So nothing in the car could be at risk for us. We didn’t have too much concern. We took the lead from IMSA and NASCAR to trust ourselves. We’re here to compete. They gave us this platform to race and to be here, so the last thing we want to do is break their protocols and do something unsafe and unhealthy. We stick to what they say. It’s definitely disappointing and sad that Antonio wasn’t there for the end. He was a huge part of our victory today. He leads this 3 car and has been here for years. He started the race off so well for us. It was sad he couldn’t share it with us at the podium, but we’ll definitely see him in a couple of weeks when he’s clear and we can go celebrate.”
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO NOW: “I’m fine to go sit in my house by myself for as long as it takes and caress my Rolex for awhile! I’ll get tested and make sure I’m safe. I just live with my dog we’ll be alright.”
WILL YOU QUARENTINE? IF YOU WANTED TO DO GO KNOCK ON YOUR DAD’S DOOR AND CELEBRATE WITH THEM, WOULD YOU? “Tonight I probably won’t. Every year after the Rolex, the tradition is our family gets pizza together. I think that one will be broken this year, which is unfortunate since we both won. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ll go home and celebrate in the quiet, make sure I’m healthy and safe, and then I’ll go knock on my parents’ next door and congratulate them when I’m all clear.”
MORE DETAILS ON TEAM PROTOCOLS: “We’re in the same room part of the time, but not for an extended period of time. We wear our masks. Everyone sanitizes when then enter and exit the trailers. Safety is a huge concern. When we meet with the engineers, it’s super brief. It’s actually kind of odd how little interaction there has been in the past year with our engineers. A lot of it is via text, email and exchanges like that. We try to get in a couple of quick meetings throughout the weekend in-person. Even those are quick with masks, and we stay as safe as possible.”
WINNING IN THE NO. 3 CAR ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EARNHARDTS DRIVING FOR CORVETTE RACING: “It is amazing. I think everyone is a fan of Dale Sr., and Dale Jr. When I joined Corvette Racing in 2012, I was in the No. 3 car and obviously the No. 3 is so symbolic and historic, especially here at Daytona. Doing it in a Chevrolet it is super special. Dale Sr. had unbelievable success here at Daytona. Today we were making our passes on the high banks so maybe we had a little bit of Dale Sr. in the car with us this weekend.”
GETTING A ROLEX WIN THE SAME WEEKEND YOUR BROTHER DOES, AS WELL AS COMING 25 YEARS AFTER YOUR DAD’S FIRST WIN: “I didn’t realize it was 25 years. For me and Corvette Racing, it’s awesome to get a win. From a family point of view, it is amazing that my Dad and my brother won overall. I don’t know what that is…like three out of four years they’ve won or four out of five. It is amazing what my Dad has built over there at Wayne Taylor Racing and the success they’ve had, especially at this event. They are so strong in at Daytona and in endurance races. They’ve only had those cars for a month or two to prepare them with no testing except for the Roar last week. I think that speaks volume to the personnel there – the engineers, the mechanics, the crew, and all the drivers obviously did a great job. I don’t think they had the ultimate pace in the race, but it came down to strategy and execution. That is what that team is known for. So it’s an amazing day for the Taylor family. These days are so rare that it’s hard to imagine them; it could easily be the last time it happens that we both win on the same weekend. You have to savor these moments.”
IMPACT ON DRIVER ROTATION WHEN ANTONIO GARCIA COULDN’T CONTINUE: “It wasn’t great news, to be honest. I had finished my triple stint in the morning or whenever it was. I got out and was supposed to be done, go have a massage, relax and watch Nicky and Antonio go race. I was so excited to go just relax and then they said Antonio can’t get back in the car. To be honest, I was in shock. I was like, there is no way. Antonio is our guy and our finisher. That’s who we want in the car at the end. I was so disappointed for Antonio because I know how much this races means to him, how much he wanted to win it and finish the race. It was sad, but thankfully we train well. We have good support from the doctors here and keep us healthy and keep us fit. The physicality of it wasn’t too bad. It was more the mental strain that was difficult.”
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “It means a lot to win this race, to be honest. Last year I joined Corvette, and they won the championship and races, but every time I was there we didn’t win! So I’m really happy to get this out of the way. I have my win so we can continue doing that! In all seriousness and like Jordan said, the team did an amazing job. The drivers did well, the strategy was nice, the C8.R was great. So it was a great day for us and I’m really proud of winning this great event.”
WINNING IN THE NO. 3 CAR ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EARNHARDTS DRIVING FOR CORVETTE RACING: “To be very honest, obviously I know about Dale Earnhardt and Junior, as well. I didn’t know so much about the history of the No. 3 car. I do now, and it is definitely a special feeling. I am very proud to be part of this. I always dreamed about racing in America. Now I’m here with a big race under my belt now and just looking forward to getting more.”
WINNING AT DAYTONA COMPARED TO 24-HOUR RACES AT SPA AND NÜRBURGRING: “I think it fits right in line with the other big events. It’s a race which is part of this lineup of big races: Le Mans, Spa, Daytona, Sebring, and now I have a couple of them. So hopefully we will do Sebring as well, then Le Mans later in the year. So I am just happy to write this one off the list.”
FINDING OUT ABOUT ANTONIO GARCIA: “I think it was after the 17th hour in the race. I’m not exactly sure, but I think it was the 17th hour. Me and Jordan did the rest of the race. For me, I also tested on Saturday and I tested negative. I will do another test tomorrow before I can go back to Europe. For me, I feel safe and I never felt any threat from his positive result.”
IMPACT ON DRIVER ROTATION WHEN ANTONIO GARCIA COULDN’T CONTINUE: “I fully agree with Jordan. To be honest, I was kind of tired from the triple stints. I also think we are one of the only crews that drives with three drivers, and then all of a sudden we were two. So it is definitely heavy. I must say, in the last bit of the race, I asked if I needed to do another stint and they said, ‘Yes, you need to do another stint.’ I thought, ‘Oh no, here we go again.’ But obviously it was it super nice and we made it happen. We had some support from a physio here. I feel fit actually.”
IT WAS VERY CLOSE WITH THE 4 CORVETTE BEFORE THE BALANCE CHANGED SUNDAY. DO YOU KNOW THE REASONS? “I think the 4 car was better suited to the softer compound tire. I think their car balance was a little bit different compared to ours, and that kind of has to do with what drivers like and what they prefer. Our car really came alive on the medium tire in the warmer conditions. Obviously that is when it needs to be done. I guess we got lucky there. It was super cool to fight our teammates the whole race. I remember in one of my stints during the night fighting Alexander Sims, who I also know from other places than Corvette Racing. I had a good fight with Philipp Eng as well, and it was just super cool to be so close for the whole race. That’s what GTLM is about – close racing and the best race drivers in the world. It’s so much fun to be part of it. It’s such a shame that we are going to have to say goodbye to it.”
ISSUE WITH A SLOW STOP LATE: “The car didn’t want to rev up. It’s almost like we had an engine issue and we weren’t really sure how to solve it. I just kept trying to start it up and eventually it worked. I think we got quite lucky there. A 24-hour race is always a big stress on your equipment and material. Corvette Racing builds great race cars, and this one survived and we won the race.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “The race for us in the No. 4 Corvette and for us as a team really couldn’t have been better. Maybe on our side it could have been a little bit better in the last two hours… but we had a really, really fast car. We probably we had the car to beat for the first 20 hours of the race. Then the last four hours of the race, for whatever reason, we lost some of that pace in the car. We still did everything right. We had good pit strategy. Alexander and Nick both drove fantastic races. In the end when a yellow bunched us all back up again, the No. 3 car once the sun was beating down on the racetrack, it seemed like they were just a little bit better than us and everybody else. They had a great car at the end and definitely executed in the end. Congratulations to Jordan, Antonio, Nicky and all the No. 3 car guys. They did an awesome job.
“Certainly it stings a little bit to be that good for that long and not come away with first place. For us, we’ve at times spent time a little bit behind the eight-ball in certain situations. Today we were at the front for pretty much the whole race, so we can be proud of that and all the work and the effort that goes into trying to find what we were missing in the past. We’re just making sure we are doing everything right from every angle. Obviously we have new teammates, but it’s not just that. They are obviously did a great job today. I’ve had fantastic teammates in the past with Olly (Gavin) and Marcel (Fässler) and you go down the list… Simon Pagenaud… we’ve had phenomenal guys in the Corvette here. It was good to see the hard work from the crew guys and our engineers… to see the fruits of that labor with the car up front for so long. We can absolutely be proud about that. We can take that, go to Sebring and get a win there.”
NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “There are a whole loads of positives to take out. After one weekend, I already feel fully part of the team. Not that I didn’t expect to, but I feel part of the team and part of the Corvette Racing family. Of course everyone wants their car to win or their side of the garage to be victorious. We worked with the other drivers and the other crew on the No. 3 Corvette as much as our guys on the No. 4 car. To be part of a winning weekend, it’s been an awesome start. I’m happy to say my first weekend with Corvette Racing has been super successful – first and second in qualifying and first and second in the Rolex 24. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM DAYTONA: “I’m pleasantly surprised how well we gelled and worked together so quickly. From getting an understanding on how the car works and getting an understanding from the engineers of what we like out of a race weekend and a race car. Everything has gelled so smoothly that it makes me excited about the future and what this relationship can build on between us all as part of the team and lead to future successes. As I said, being new to the team but having sampled a faultless weekend with the results over the course of two weeks, I hope it’s a good omen of things to come. It’s obviously awesome to get the first away our endurance victory for the C8.R, and to have a 1-2 and double victory is pretty awesome, and it vindicates all the work that has gone on behind the scenes since last year.”
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “I think it is just massive for the whole team. Yes, from a sportsman’s point of view, there is obviously disappointment it couldn’t be us on the top step. But looking at the bigger picture, it is 1-2o for Corvette and that is what we came here to achieve. I’m just really, really proud of the whole team’s efforts. Having only coming into this team as a newbie as such and to be a part of the operation and to be part of the effort here at Daytona was a real privilege. Everyone worked their absolute socks off. I’m really pleased to be a part of it. We come here to win, all of us, but in the end there is only one winner. So if it can’t be you, then you want it to be your teammates so that the team does well. So, it’s a good day.”
New Hudson, MI (December 21, 2020) – In a continued effort to bring confidence back to the travel industry, Pratt Miller Mobility (PMM) has deployed its disinfecting robot, Safi, at the Detroit Metro Airport McNamara Terminal. Safi was piloted at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan earlier this year, and is scheduled for deployment in Delta terminals at LaGuardia Airport in New York in the coming weeks.
Safi combines multi-head electrostatic sprayers and autonomous technologies to provide consistent and thorough coverage on surfaces. The robot has a 16-gallon tank capacity that carries FDA-approved disinfectant materials, a long run time and is offered in single or dual battery configuration with an optional charging station. A tight 3-4 foot turning radius allows for zero-turn operation.
This combination of electric, autonomous, large electrostatic spray pattern, and connected digital reporting of coverage provides unmatched value for a wide range of facilities including convention centers, big-box retailers, manufacturing facilities, casinos, resorts, and stadiums, just to name a few.
“Our robot is not intended to take the place of human cleaning crews,” said Simon Dean, PMM’s Vice President of Mobility and Core Engineering. “It is however intended to work in parallel with their efforts that could be better spent cleaning smaller, niche spaces.”
Safi is ideal for electrostatically spraying down large spaces and surfaces such as lockers in schools, gaming tables in casinos, high touch points and common areas in big box stores, resorts, cruise ships, etc., allowing maintenance staff the time to focus on spaces that require the personal touch of a human. While the robot is working, it reports back to a web interface dashboard accessible to facility supervisors informing them of what surfaces were covered, when it was covered, and how much disinfectant was used. This sensor and data analytic capability is a first in the disinfecting industry and provides confidence to facility staff and the public alike.
“At Pratt Miller, we have a 30-year history of quickly solving complicated problems with smart engineering and cutting-edge technology, and when we saw how COVID-19 was disrupting the travel industry, we were quick to offer our product to airports,” said Dean. “Safi is one solution that allows us to safely get back to business and our daily lives.”
“Safi has been received very well both by the airlines and passengers,” said Jeff Holaly, Key Account Director of ISS, the global facilities services provider for Delta Airlines. “Everybody gets excited when they see Safi, and it brings confidence that they know they’re entering a clean facility.”
Pratt Miller | Autonomous Disinfecting Robot – ISS Interview on Vimeo
About Pratt Miller Mobility
Pratt Miller is a groundbreaking engineering and product development company. Our winning roots in motorsports enable us to deliver ingenious solutions to our clients’ most challenging problems — and wildest ideas.
Pratt Miller Mobility is the preferred Research and Innovation partner and niche-production supplier to the most innovative mobility companies in the world, specializing in Autonomy, Electrification, and Performance.
For more information on Safi, please visit www.prattmiller.com/disinfectingrobot or contact Christopher Andrews, Director of Mobility & Innovation at Pratt & Miller – candrews@prattmiller.com
New Hudson, MI November 9, 2020 – Pratt Miller has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2020 honor by
The Detroit Free Press The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.
“In times of great change, it is more important than ever to maintain a connection among employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward based on real-time insights into what works best for your organization. The Top Workplaces program can be that positive outcome your company can rally around in the coming months to celebrate leadership and the importance of maintaining an employee-focused culture, even during challenging times.”
“We are thrilled that Pratt Miller has once again been selected as a Detroit Free Press Top Workplace,” said Matt Carroll, Pratt Miller CEO. “This is the 3rd consecutive year we’ve received this award, and we have our employees to thank for it. While we may be partial, we know our team is simply the best, but based on 2020 survey responses, it’s nice to know they feel the same way about our company and each other.
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About Pratt Miller
Pratt Miller is a groundbreaking engineering and product development company headquartered out of New Hudson, MI. The company leverages technology, innovation—and its winning expertise in motorsports—to transform what’s possible in the Motorsports, Defense, and Mobility industries.
About Energage
Energage offers a fully unified SaaS platform, plus support and professional services, to help organizations recruit and retain the right talent. As a B-Corporation founding member, Energage has committed itself to the purpose of making the world a better place to work together. Based on 14 years of culture research, the engine behind 51 Top Workplaces programs across the country, and data gathered from over 20 million employees at 60,000 organizations, Energage has isolated the 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any business, and developed the tools and expertise to help organizations measure, shape and showcase their unique culture to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. For more information, please visit energage.com. Follow us on Twitter @teamenergage and Facebook and LinkedIn @energage.
Strengthens key technologies and strategic growth opportunities
OSHKOSH, Wis. – Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), a leading innovator of mission-critical vehicles and essential equipment, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pratt Miller, which specializes in advanced engineering, technology and innovation across the motorsport and multiple ground vehicle markets, for a cash-free, debt-free purchase price of $115 million. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Pratt Miller will maintain its name, team members, facilities and branding elements.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in New Hudson, Mich., Pratt Miller brings over 30 years of experience solving its customers’ most complex and technical challenges. Led by its world-class engineering and motorsports heritage, Pratt Miller has made significant advances in dynamic growth areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous and connected systems and electrification.
“We look forward to welcoming the Pratt Miller team to Oshkosh Corporation,” said John Pfeifer, Oshkosh Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer. “We believe combining Pratt Miller’s engineering expertise with Oshkosh’s innovation and operational strengths will enable us to better serve customers and position our Company for growth.”
“Pratt Miller’s motorsports heritage has created a culture of speed, agility, and innovation, which has defined our success. Oshkosh is an ideal partner for us to apply that mindset to some of the most significant challenges facing customers today,” said Matt Carroll, Pratt Miller Chief Executive Officer. “Together, we expect to grow our decade-long partnership and expand our pipeline of new business opportunities. We look forward to learning from one another and continuing to innovate to bring market-leading products to our customers.”
The transaction is expected to close First Calendar Quarter of 2021 and is subject to customary closing conditions.
About Oshkosh Corporation
At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs more than 14,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Frontline™, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh® Airport Products and London™. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.
®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the possibility that the parties will fail to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction; potential negative effects relating to the announcement of the proposed transaction; failure to realize the expected benefits of the transaction; the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities and others to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economies and the Company’s customers, suppliers and employees; and the cyclical nature of the Company’s Access Equipment, Commercial and Fire & Emergency markets, which are particularly impacted by the strength of U.S. and European economies and construction seasons.
