Did Corvette Racing Preview The 2021 C8 Stingray R Special Edition?

Back in late March 2020, we learned about plans for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette through some dealer-sourced info that allegedly leaked ahead of time. Naturally, Chevy reps couldn’t confirm the information, and while nothing seemed overtly outlandish, we had no way to verify its authenticity. Now, we have supporting evidence for a Stingray R special edition thanks to photos recently posted on Twitter from Corvette Racing.

This is the official Twitter account for Chevy’s Corvette racing team. The focus with this August 2 tweet was on race cars at Road Atlanta, but a third vehicle was also featured. The white Corvette is a pace car, but could it be a bit more than that? Looking closely, We see Stingray R on the car’s front splitter. Could the pace car preview the look of the aforementioned Stingray R special edition model?

According to the previously leaked info, the Stingray R is mentioned as being a graphics package with special wheel caps. The pace car seen here sports a very cool race-themed over-the-top stripe that incorporates a black/carbon Corvette emblem on the hood, with Corvette Racing scribed in small red lettering.

The black/carbon stripe also wears a Chevy bow tie on the roof, and there’s certainly no way to miss the big Stingray windshield banner. The red side-mirror caps are also impossible to miss, but we can’t see the wheels clear enough to suss out what kind of special treatment might be happening there.

Corvette Conundrum:

If this does indeed preview the Stingray R, will it be anything more than an appearance package? At this point, there’s no indication the special treatment will extend beyond aesthetics, either in these photos or the previously leaked information. The package should be offered for the 2021 model year, but it’s unknown at the time when an official announcement will be made. The bad news for excited Corvette buyers is that, even if the package is offered at the beginning of 2021 production late this year, a backlog of 12 to 18 months means you’ll wait at least another year before taking delivery.