Female sportscar racing program manager celebrates championship, unveils new Corvette Stingray

DETROIT – The bridge to Belle Isle is typically packed, but on Wednesday afternoon it was closed for a special reveal.

It was a celebration. Chevrolet Corvette Racing won the 2020 GTLM IMSA WeatherTech Car Championship Tuesday and the team took a figurative victory lap.

Laura Wontrop-Klauser was named Chevrolet’s Sports Car Racing Program Manager in January.

“Bringing a feminine touch every once in a while is nice,” Wontrop-Klauser said. “It helps balance out. It changed communication styles for the better.”

She said she grew up knowing she wanted to be an engineer and got the racing bug back in college. Now the West Bloomfield resident leads the racing team around the world.

On Tuesday, the team was back on the home track as the team will race on Belle Isle for the first time since 2008.

“There is nothing like your home race,” Wontrop-Klauser said. “You have access to all employees you worked with cheering you on, executives down here. It’s really your opportunity to shine and give back to leadership to make our program successful.”

A special edition 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was revealed Wednesday.

Wontrop-Klauser had advice for girls who want to work in the automotive field.

“Being an engineer is such a fulfilling place to be,” she said. “You’re a problem solver, that’s what engineers do and you can problem solve anywhere.”

You can watch Jamie Edmonds’ full story in the video above.

The Detroit Grand Prix is Saturday and Sunday (June 12-13) on Belle Isle.

Read: Detroit Grand Prix 2021: Everything you need to know


About the Author:

Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.