Antonio Garcia Archives - Page 7 of 8

April 13, 2014

Corvette Racing at Long Beach: First Victory for New Corvette C7.R

Garcia, Magnussen dominate street race; Gavin, Milner take third-place GTLM finish

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 12, 2014) â€“ Corvette Racing won its first race with the new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R on Saturday at Long Beach as Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen dominated in their No. 3 Corvette to take the GT Le Mans class of the PatrÃ³n Sports Car Showcase. The duo led all but one lap and took the checkered flag by 5.408 seconds in the third round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner placed third in class in their No. 4 Corvette C7.R. It was the fourth time Corvette Racing placed both of its entries on the podium at Long Beach since 2007.

“Congratulations to Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and the No. 3 Corvette C7.R team on scoring the win today here at Long Beach,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “It was the first win for the Corvette C7.R and a great day. It started with a great qualifying run by Jan to put the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R on the pole, which was a huge advantage in a short, 100-minute sprint race. Antonio did a great job getting a nice lead; the Corvette Racing team had a great pit stop and Jan took it home for the win. It was also great to see Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner put the No. 4 Corvette C7.R also on the podium. Just a tremendous effort for Corvette Racing.”

Saturday’s victory was the fifth at Long Beach for Corvette Racing. Magnussen qualified on pole position Friday, and Garcia led the entirety of his 41-minute stint â€“ the result of a great start that allowed him to put two slower prototypes between himself and the rest of the class. His lead grew as much as seven seconds before handing off to Magnussen.

The Dane’s biggest advantage was 12 seconds during his stint as he won at Long Beach for the second time; Garcia won his first Long Beach race.

The No. 4 Corvette gained one position from its fourth-place starting spot. Gavin and the two competing cars in front of him were balked by the slow prototype that Garcia managed to get around on the opening lap. Gavin also fought high tire pressures but still had the fastest race lap in class for most of his stint.

After the driver change to Milner, the young American whittled down the gap to second place from three seconds to a half-second halfway through his stint. He ended the race just 0.273 seconds shy of the runner-up spot. Milner also set the fastest GTLM race lap at 1:18.954 (89.733 mph).

The next round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship takes place at Laguna Seca from May 3-4.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“It’s been a really good race for us. We couldn’t expect more. We saw yesterday that we were very fast. I think 50 percent of the race was done by Jan yesterday in qualifying. Today he stayed away from the walls but yesterday he was really, really close to them! That pole position made a big difference. I knew that the race was all about Turn 1 and the first three laps. I was probably a bit on the high side of being aggressive on the opening laps because I knew the prototypes were struggling to warm their tires. I made it through at Turn 1, and that was mainly it for the race. That risk made the rest of the race a little more relaxing. Taking the first victory for the Corvette C7.R is very big for us. We have been battling really hard from the beginning. All the Corvette Racing and Chevrolet guys have worked really hard throughout the offseason and into this year. A big thanks to them.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“It was an important victory for the team and the guys who have worked so hard to get the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R ready for the season. The whole time we have had a fast car but didn’t make the most of it. We had some reliability issues at Daytona and Sebring, so it’s really nice that we can have a weekend like this with pole position and a win by leading from start to finish. I couldn’t be happier for Antonio and myself, and for all the guys on the team. They really deserve it. A big thanks to Antonio. He did all the hard work and got a huge lead. That last hour for me was like a holiday for me! I just drove around making sure I didn’t make any mistakes and stay off the wall.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“It was a great result for Corvette Racing today. To get both cars on the podium and to get the first win for the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R is fantastic. It was a little frustrating for myself getting caught up behind one of the prototypes and battling with the BMWs. I was also struggling with high tire pressures for some reason. We just missed that all weekend. I don’t know why but maybe we need to look at the systems we have. We kept the car in the race. Tommy got in and did a sterling job and got us right up behind the BMW but I think it was a bit too much to do to get by that car. It seemed that where we were quick, they weren’t so good but then they were fast in some key spots. Tommy did all he could and drove extremely well. But the main thing for both cars is that we got fantastic results for points and the first win for the Corvette C7.R. It’s a fantastic day for Corvette Racing.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“It was a great day for Corvette Racing. You could really see how strategy plays a part in tire wear and things like that. Great job to Antonio and Jan. They had a great race and got ahead of that one LMP car and could cruise. Our class has always been super-competitive, and it’s fun to see it all play out with pit stops and strategy. It was a great day of racing here at Long Beach.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“What a fantastic race for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing today at Long Beach! The team’s strategy played out perfectly, and Antonio and Jan had mistake-free stints. Having Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin join them on the podium makes this a very rewarding day for the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R program. Rest assured, we will work to capitalize on this momentum in our continued push for the first championship in the new TUDOR series.”

Source:
CorvetteRacing.com

October 21, 2013

Corvette Racing at Petit Le Mans: Garcia, Magnussen Claim Driversâ€™ Championship

Corvette Racing at Petit Le Mans: Garcia, Magnussen Claim Drivers' Championship

Sixth-place finish with Taylor enough to take title at Road Atlanta; No. 4 Corvette places 10th

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 19, 2013) â€“ Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen closed the American Le Mans Series era by winning the GT drivers’ championship Saturday at Petit Le Mans. The pairing drove with Jordan Taylor to a sixth-place finish in the No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R at Road Atlanta. Garcia won his first ALMS title, and Magnussen claimed another to go along with his 2008 GT1 championship.

Chevrolet and Corvette Racing clinched the GT manufacturers’ and team championships in the previous ALMS round at Virginia International Raceway two weeks ago. Garcia and Magnussen made it nine drivers’ titles for the manufacturer and team since 2001. The results were fitting ones in the final year of the C6.R in the hands of Corvette Racing.

“Congratulations to Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and the No. 3 Corvette C6.R team on clinching the American Le Mans Series GT driver’s championship,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Antonio, Jan and the team raced incredible competition in the GT class and persevered. Preparation, teamwork, efficient pit stops â€“ along with a Chevrolet Powertrain that delivered the right combination of power, fuel efficiency and reliability â€“ were key components of the team’s success.

“It was a total team effort for Chevrolet to win the GT manufacturers’ championship, Corvette Racing to win the GT team championship, and Antonio and Jan to win GT the drivers’ championship in the final season of the American Le Mans Series.”

Garcia and Magnussen led all drivers in the ALMS’ GT class with three victories â€“ Laguna Seca, Baltimore and Circuit of The Americas. They also finished on the class podium six times in 10 races, despite finishing with zero points at Sebring to start the year.

Saturday’s race was not without its dramas for the new champions. Taylor was running second in the race’s sixth hour when he ran over an oil slick and spun the No. 3 out of control. The car ran fifth for most of the final two hours before safety falling back to its eventual finishing position.

“Antonio and Jan are very deserving champions of the ALMS’ GT class,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “Their performance, along with that of the team’s crew members and engineers, set the standard in what arguably is the toughest class of sports car racing in North America. Congratulations to Antonio and Jan, everyone at Pratt & Miller and GM Racing Powertrain for a phenomenal end of the season and final race for the Corvette C6.R.”

The No. 4 Compuware Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook ran in 10th place and six laps down after two lengthy stops to replace a pair of alternator belts. Gavin had moved from seventh to second in the first two laps before the telemetry showed the alternator was not charging the battery at the 30-minute mark. Gavin brought the car in for fuel, tires and driver change to Milner along with a belt replacement. That belt proved faulty, and Milner pitted again on the next lap for another replacement. This time, the belt functioned properly and the car continued with the battery fully charging.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“For sure this is a great day for us. We had a fantastic season. There is no way we could think about this after no points at Sebring. The Corvette Racing team just kept digging. We went from zero wins last year to three wins this year. It was a very competitive year, and congratulations to all our competitors who raced against us. They were all very good teams. So I am very happy for my first ALMS title. Now we are looking forward to the next era for Corvette Racing. “It’s a really hard to celebrate anything. I lost a very close friend last week â€“ Maria De Villota â€“ and then Sean Edwards this week. Even when I went by the checkered flag, I didn’t feel like I could celebrate and be happy. I was more thinking about them.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“This is an incredible championship. I could not believe Antonio and I would walk away with this after how the season started for us. We both have to say thank you to the entire Corvette Racing team for their hard work and great pit stops all year. For sure we would have liked to win the race but I will trade that for a championship any day. “It is a fantastic day. My son Kevin won the World Series by Renault this morning, so that was a good way to start the day. It was nice that he got it over with so I could concentrate on my own championship! I can’t even begin to describe how proud I am of him. I wish I could have been celebrating with him but it’s great we can have a chance to win a big championship on the same day. We will celebrate when we get home.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Congratulations to Jan and Antonio on a terrific season. The guys really gave it everything they had, and they deserve this championship. The second half of the race didn’t go as smooth as we would have liked. The spin on a fluid leak from another car set us back. But at the end of the day, I’m glad to have helped the team win this championship. Topping this off with the Rolex DP championship makes this an incredible end to the season.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“These last few races have been extremely difficult and tough for us. But today is all about the No. 3 car. Antonio and Jan deserve this championship thoroughly. They bounced back from a heart-breaking Sebring. But since then they have driven brilliantly. They had great strategy and pit stops. They executed every weekend and scored points every time they were allowed to. A full, hearty congratulations to them. “For Tommy and I, the 2013 season can’t come to an end soon enough. It seemed like every which way we turned, things were not going right for us. Our luck just ran out. I’m just now focused on 2014 with the new car and hitting the ground running at Daytona. We had two really big highlights â€“ winning at Sebring and Canada was fantastic. But the rest of it has been under par to say the least.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“At the end of the day, we obviously would have loved to finish better. But Antonio and Jan got their championship, which is fantastic. We’re team champions and manufacturer champions just like last year. It’s a great send-off for the C6.R and we’re looking forward to the C7.R now. It was a rough day for us â€“that was our season in a nutshell. There were just little problems that sometimes can be easily fixed and solved. But this year, every little thing cost us a lot of time. All in all, and looking back on the season it was a great one again. The car was fantastic and it’s always a pleasure working with the guys at Corvette Racing. I’m looking forward to a lot more years.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“I’m absolutely for Antonio, Jan and Jordan. They’re part of the Corvette Racing team, but they’re also mates. It’s great to see your mates celebrate like that. From our point of view, we can’t wait to get going on next year. Sebring seems like a long time ago. It was our high of the year. You can’t have good years every year. It will make us stronger and tougher. All of us will work harder over the winter. Today again, we proved we had a great car but Lady Luck was against us.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Today was probably the most important sixth-place finish in Corvette Racing history. As we closed out the 15th season of the American Le Mans Series – a historic run – Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia clinched the GT drivers’ championship. It gives Chevrolet and Corvette Racing a second consecutive sweep of all three ALMS championships. Jan and Antonio’s climb back from scoring zero points at Sebring is emblematic of the never give up fighting spirit at Corvette Racing. I couldn’t be more proud of Jan, Antonio, Jordan Taylor and the entire crew and engineering group on the No. 3 Corvette. As satisfying as this is, we are excited and looking forward to the start of a new era in Corvette Racing – the first race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Daytona in January.”

Corvette Racing will open the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the Corvette C7.R race car at the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26.

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
CorvetteRacing.com

October 19, 2013

Corvette Racing at Petit Le Mans: Solid Start in Last Title Push

GT championship co-leader Garcia qualifies No. 3 Corvette fourth in GT; Gavin seventh in No. 4

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 18, 2013) â€“ The final race for the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R will see two of Corvette Racing’s GT challengers starting fourth and seventh on the GT grid for Saturday’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Antonio Garcia qualified the No. 3 Compuware Corvette fourth with a lap of 1:19.128 (115.560 mph) in the finale of the American Le Mans Series.

Garcia and Jan Magnussen enter the 1,000-mile/10-hour race leading the GT drivers’ championship. With three wins this season, the duo needs a seventh-place finish or better Saturday with Jordan Taylor to clinch the title. Their only challenger for the title â€“ Dirk Muller â€“ will start fifth. The top seven cars were within 0.579 seconds of each other.

Garcia set his best time on his final lap of the session to beat Muller’s time. The No. 3 Corvette placed second in last year’s Petit Le Mans, and a similar showing Saturday would give Corvette Racing a drivers’ championship for the ninth time since 2001. Magnussen won the 2008 GT1 title, and Garcia was third in last year’s GT standings with Magnussen for his best championship finish. In the ALMS’ previous round at VIR, Chevrolet clinched its 10th manufacturers’ championship, and Corvette won an ALMS team title for the 10th time.

Gavin, driving with Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook, set a best lap of 1:19.440 (115.106 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette. The trio hopes to bookend their season with a victory to match a season-opening win in March at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Gavin and Milner â€“ last year’s ALMS champions â€“ stand third in this season’s drivers’ points and have a chance to move up to the runner-up position in the final standings.

Saturday’s race begins at 11:30 a.m. ET with live coverage alternating between FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We had a decent setup and decent pace compared to where we have been in past races. I felt like I could really attack. We seem to be a little closer to our competitors than where we expected. It’s a very good starting position for a long race. No one will be taking risks right away. The more toward the front you are, the less chance there is of having an issue. This is a good starting point. Now we need to run a clean race. Who knows â€“ for sure we want to make 70 percent. After that, we will go for the win.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We are still searching for some punch out of the slow-speed corners. We also were looking for some direction change in the middle of the corners and made some adjustments before qualifying. I think we overshot with that. Now we have a car that is very much the other way and oversteering everywhere. I couldn’t attack any of the corners or carry my brakes all the way in. I was very nervous with the rear of the car, and my steering inputs were very, very small. It was the sort of stuff you expect when you have a little too much on the nose of the car and the rear is too light. But it’s a long race. We will take seventh place; we have worked our way up well from those positions all year. I’m pretty confident we can do it again. We will get the car right and will be there in the race.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“One of the main goals of the session was to start in front of the BMW, which we accomplished. Antonio put in a great final lap, and Oliver positioned the No. 4 to help the team car fight for the championship. Now the goal is to have a clean, mistake-free race under very competitive conditions to wrap up our ninth ALMS drivers’ title â€“ a remarkable feat over the last 15 years. The drivers, engineers and crew have performed brilliantly under pressure all season. Now it comes down to the final race. We are prepared and ready.”

Petit Le Mans (all times ET)
Friday, Oct. 18-Saturday, Oct. 19

GT Qualifying: 2:05 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18
Warmup: 9:15 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19
Race: 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19

Petit Le Mans: Watch It!
Friday, Oct. 18-Saturday, Oct. 19 (all times ET)

Qualifying: 1:50 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18 (ALMS.com)
Race (TV): 11 a.m.-noon, 2:30-6:30 p.m. (FOX Sports 2); 6:30-8 p.m. (FOX Sports 1); 8-9:30 p.m. (FOX Sports 2)
Race (Web): 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19 (ALMS.com)

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen â€“ 125
Dirk Muller â€“ 109
Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner â€“ 100
Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 93
Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 82

Team Standings

Corvette Racing â€“ 161
BMW Team RLL â€“ 120
SRT Motorsports â€“ 109
Paul Miller Racing â€“ 56
Risi Competizione – 48

Manufacturer Standings

Chevrolet â€“ 164
BMW â€“ 134
SRT â€“ 123
Ferrari â€“ 109
Porsche – 95

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing

October 15, 2013

Corvette Racing at Petit Le Mans: One More Title To Go!

Garcia, Magnussen look for ALMS GT drivers’ title at end of 1,000-mile enduro

DETROIT (Oct. 14, 2014) â€“ Only one more race separates Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen from the American Le Mans Series’ GT drivers’ championship. Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta is the site of the final round of the 2013 ALMS but also the series’ finale as well. The 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic has been a staple at Road Atlanta â€“ an hour northeast of Atlanta â€“ since its first running in 1998.

After nine of 10 rounds in this year’s championship, Garcia and Magnussen in the No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R lead their sole remaining challenger â€“ Dirk Muller â€“ by 16 points with 24 available to the winner at Petit Le Mans. The Corvette Racing camp is aiming for a second straight clean sweep of the ALMS GT titles. It clinched a 10th series team championship and won Chevrolet’s 10th manufacturer title in the previous race at Virginia International Raceway. The championship chase concludes at Road Atlanta with live TV coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 2; the race’s broadcast alternates between it and FOX Sports 1.

No duo in the GT class can match Garcia and Magnussen’s three victories in 2013: Laguna Seca, Baltimore and Austin. For Petit Le Mans, they will team with newly crowned GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype champion Jordan Taylor. The group must finish seventh or higher at Road Atlanta for Garcia and Magnussen to win the driving title; they were second last year.

If they do, the duo would succeed Corvette Racing teammates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner as champions. Richard Westbrook returns to join them in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette; the trio opened the ALMS season with a remarkable, come-from-behind victory at Sebring. Gavin is the team’s winningest driver at Road Atlanta with five victories.
With five wins on the season, Corvette Racing is assured of being the ALMS’ most successful entrant in series history. The list of achievements is remarkable â€“ 82 victories, 10 team and manufacturer titles, and 64 pole positions. All are American Le Mans Series records.

Starting in January, a new era begins with the debut of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship â€“ a result of a merger between the ALMS and GRAND-AM. The season will open with the Rolex 24 at Daytona and close with Petit Le Mans.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We need to keep racing as we have up to this point. We need to use a percentage of caution; we won’t risk as much during the race as we normally would. But in this case, you can’t hold back and wait. If you hold back a little too much, you become vulnerable. We need to keep the same strategy â€“ try to be up front and stay out of trouble.” “We all just need to stay calm and relax. The key is to remain consistent and keep doing the same things we have earlier in the year.”

“The key thing is that we normally have a few more cars and new people running in the race. The amount of traffic rises, as does the risk. Because Road Atlanta is not so easy on traffic due to the layout, you need to take it easy. You also need to have a smart, safe strategy and don’t try to do something out of sequence and completely different than anything from the season.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We will have to keep our eye on the ball and win the championship. That’s not to say we can’t go for a victory, but we do need to make sure we get the championship. The situation is looking quite good for us but it is a long race. Our main competitors will be strong but our car is usually excellent as well at Road Atlanta. We need to be clever about it â€“ push when we need to but also smart when need to.” (Keys to victory) “Because of the race’s length, the team plays a much bigger part. There is a ton of strategy involved and there are more pit stops. Fortunately for us, we have been able to do a really good job at both. The longer distances will suit our team even more and usually we are quite strong. We do put a lot of time and effort into stops and making the right strategy calls.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“The race really is one of the crown jewels of the sports car racing world. It’s an event many teams from outside the series want to do. A thousand miles around Road Atlanta is a great challenge. The track is fast and unforgiving. It can frustrate you when you’re in traffic, but sometime you can use that your advantage if someone is chasing you. It’s a track that is suited for this race with the fact you go from starting in the middle of the day and ending at night. Those last couple of hours, you know is going to be hard and tough after racing all day. It will be a fine way to finish off the story that has been the ALMS.” (Adding a Petit Le Mans win to Sebring) “That has to be the goal. We’ve had some ups and downs starting at Sebring. We had a great victory in Canada before things started going downhill for us. When you have three bad races in a year, you have to be super-lucky to come away with a championship. Considering how difficult this class is, you get one â€˜get out of jail free’ card. Jan and Antonio played their card at Sebring, but since then they have nailed it every single weekend. They’ve had a very strong season and deserve to be leading the championship with one race to go. Let’s hope they can seal it at Petit Le Mans and get us all three championships again for Corvette Racing. It would be an amazing feat to close the American Le Mans Series with Corvette Racing and Chevrolet as champions in everything we can win.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“There is a lot to race for, that’s for sure. We can’t win the championship â€“ we’re one point out of having a chance. We’d love to be second in the final standings. But from my perspective I’d rather go for a win at Petit Le Mans â€“ the last ALMS race and one race I haven’t won yet. That’s higher on my list than finishing second or staying third in the standings. It’s a big race â€“ where the ALMS started. Sebring and this one were races coming into the year that I definitely wanted to win. We got Sebring in March and if we can get Sebring, I’d be able to look back on this season and be satisfied with what Oliver, Richard and I have accomplished. There would be nothing better to end the season and the ALMS’ run with a victory.” (Track characteristics) “Road Atlanta is a track that suits multi-class racing. There is an ebb and flow with traffic throughout the race within our class. It’s one I’ve always enjoyed. It’s incredibly fast and fun circuit. For whatever reason, I seem to get a little more excited for Petit Le Mans. The whole picture of that event makes it pretty special. It’s always well-subscribed by fans.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Over the years, Petit Le Mans has proven to be one of the most exciting events on our schedule. From a driver’s perspective, the Road Atlanta circuit presents an extremely difficult challenge featuring a lot of elevation change mixed with very high-speed corners. And none of that is wasted on our fans who truly understand how important this year’s race will be to Corvette Racing. We come in having wrapped up both the ALMS manufacturers’ and team championships, which leaves the all-important drivers’ championship still up for grabs. Jan and Antonio have fought back all year to take the lead in points and Petit Le Mans will decide who goes home with the crown. You can’t ask for any more drama than that!”

Petit Le Mans (all times ET)
Friday, Oct. 18-Saturday, Oct. 19

GT Qualifying: 2:05 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18
Warmup: 9:15 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19
Race: 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19

Petit Le Mans: Watch It!
Friday, Oct. 18-Saturday, Oct. 19 (all times ET)

Qualifying: 1:50 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18 (ALMS.com)
Race (TV): 11 a.m.-noon, 2:30-6:30 p.m. (FOX Sports 2); 6:30-8 p.m. (FOX Sports 1); 8-9:30 p.m. (FOX Sports 2)
Race (Web): 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19 (ALMS.com)

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen â€“ 125
Dirk Muller â€“ 109
Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner â€“ 100
Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 93
Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 82

Team Standings

Corvette Racing â€“ 161
BMW Team RLL â€“ 120
SRT Motorsports â€“ 109
Paul Miller Racing â€“ 56
Risi Competizione – 48

Manufacturer Standings

Chevrolet â€“ 164
BMW â€“ 134
SRT â€“ 123
Ferrari â€“ 109
Porsche – 95

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing

October 7, 2013

Chevrolet Claims 10th ALMS Manufacturer Championship

Photo Credit: JanMagnussen.dk

Corvette Racing delivers another Bowtie title with VIR victory

ALTON, Va. (Oct. 5, 2013) â€“ Chevrolet added to its record-setting tally in the American Le Mans Series on Saturday by wrapping up its 10th manufacturer championship. A third-place class finish by the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway was enough to clinch the GT manufacturer title with one round of the ALMS remaining.

This is the second consecutive GT championship for Chevrolet to go along with eight straight GT1 titles from 2001-08.

“It’s exciting for Chevrolet to clinch the ALMS GT manufacturers’ championship for the second year in a row,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This championship is the result of tremendous preparation, persistence, teamwork and great driving all season long. Thanks to the Corvette C6.R drivers, Chevrolet powertrain engineers, and our partners at Pratt and Miller for their efforts and results.”

Saturday’s result also clinched the ALMS GT team championship for Corvette Racing â€“ its 10th in the ALMS and most in the series’ history. In addition to VIR, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing were victorious at Sebring, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Baltimore and Circuit of The Americas.

“The ALMS GT class was as deep and competitive as ever in 2013,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “Winning this manufacturer championship required the highest level of teamwork from our group, Pratt & Miller, and GM Racing Powertrain. We look forward to closing the ALMS season at Road Atlanta in two weeks and beginning the 2014 Tudor United Sports Car Championship in Daytona Beach with the Corvette C7.R.”

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing
Photo Credit: JanMagnussen.dk

October 6, 2013

Corvette Racing at VIR: A 10th ALMS Team Championship

Garcia/Magnussen 3rd, Gavin/Milner 6th on title-winning day

ALTON, Va. (Oct. 5, 2013) â€“ For the 10th time in the 15 years of the American Le Mans Series, Corvette Racing can lay claim to an ALMS team championship. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen finished third in the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway in their No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R to clinch both the ALMS manufacturer and team titles with one round of the series to go.

The result moved Garcia and Magnussen ahead in the drivers’ standings by 18 points with 24 available at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans in two weeks.

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette placed sixth on an up-and-down day that saw the cars begin the race eighth and ninth on the GT grid. Once again, clever strategy and engineering plus quick pitwork allowed the two yellow Corvettes to march toward the front early.

Garcia made a steady and sometimes aggressive charge to the race lead by the end of his stint. The Spaniard displayed many of the same skills in traffic that delivered a Corvette Racing victory in the previous ALMS round at Circuit of The Americas. He handed the C6.R over to Magnussen with a little more than an hour left, and the Dane drove a measured stint the rest of the way.

Meanwhile in the No. 4 car, Gavin had a rough-and-tumble two hours that saw him work his way into the top-five at one point before multiple incidents of contact and a one-minute penalty after colliding with a GT Challenge Porsche just after the one-hour mark. Gavin handed off to Milner with 60 minutes left, and the Virginia native moved up quickly through the field to fourth late in the race. As the final 10 minutes of the race clicked away, Miler and the No. 56 BMW became involved in a dicey fight. The pair battled to the checkered flag which saw the No. 4 car settling for the sixth finishing position.

The 2013 American Le Mans Series closes with Petit Le Mans on Saturday, Oct. 19 from Road Atlanta. The 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance race will air live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“After yesterday, we knew would be a hard race. We knew that if we didn’t have ultimate pace, we would focus on at least having a good car for the race. We worked on not having a lot of tire degradation, and that’s what saved us on race pace. We definitely needed to move up quickly, and Olly (Gavin) and I did at the start. Even when we fell back early after the first stop, I was able to muscle back toward the front. Our Corvette was very good, and our pace was really good. That’s what allowed us to catch and pass people, sometimes very aggressively. We needed to keep moving forward. Overall, we had a nice car and good stops.

“Even if we couldn’t win, we ended up with really good points. The most important thing is that we wrapped up the manufacturer championship for Chevrolet and the team title for Pratt & Miller. That is a great goal and I am very happy we were able to win these championships for them.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Antonio did a fantastic job in his first two stints. When I got in the car, I really felt like there was a lot on the line. I couldn’t risk anything â€“ there could be no penalties or anything. We had to lock up the manufacturer championship, and we could do that by finishing ahead of the BMWs. That was the number one goal. I was far from as aggressive as I normally would have been. It was difficult because you definitely lose a little bit of your edge. I had to defend a couple times on the BMW; he was fast in some places and I was faster. Every time I got a gap over him, something would happen and he would catch right back up. It was tough, but I’m happy for Chevrolet. I’m happy for Corvette Racing. It’s great to get both these championships today.”

“Now we go to Petit Le Mans with a good margin (in the drivers’ championship). We can relax a little bit, and the pressure is on the 56 car to win or finish second. If we score even just a few points, I think we will have it.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Today was quite a tough day. Every way I seemed to turn, there was contact or people hitting me. The track is so narrow and slick at times with the different amounts of dust and rubber on it; it makes for a very tricky surface to race on. The first stop was a great job by the guys to get us from almost last to almost first. But after that, something silly would always happen. Our car wasn’t great toward the second stop; we were on the harder tire, and the car was nervous, skating around and wasn’t hooked up. The thought was to get through my stint, hand over to Tommy, we’ll make some changes and we’d move on from there. But I got blocked by a slower GTC car and caught another slow car at the end of the backstraight. He blocked me all the way down to the last corner before pit entry. He stopped on both apexes and we had contact. We ended up both spinning, I fell back and then had to serve the penalty. It was super-frustrating. Fortunately we got a caution and got Tommy in the car. He did a great job all the way to the end under difficult conditions. For sure, the BMW was blocking him but the officials didn’t want to look at it that way.

“It’s been a rough day and weekend for the No. 4 car. But it’s a great day to come away with a great result in winning the manufacturer and team championships. The manufacturer title is the main goal for the whole year. Everyone is and should be happy about that. All in all and in the bigger picture, it’s been a great day considering how we started. The crews were fantastic in the pitlane and delivered.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Oliver had a really tough two hours. But after all that trouble in Oliver’s stint, I got in and came out right on the tail end of the lead lap with a car that was still pretty quick. I was chomping at the bit to go chase after some guys. I had fun for awhile there â€“ passing some of the other GT competitors and getting into the race. I was quick initially and then settled in with five other cars and we ran together for awhile. At the end, Dirk (Muller) flat-out blocked me and it should have been a penalty. In the end, we are ALMS GT manufacturer and team champions, so that’s not a bad way to end the day.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“I spend a lot of time not only in Europe but among the people that run and organize (Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship), and to a man they look at the ALMS as the most competitive GT racing in the world. I think you would have a difficult time arguing that if you look at every race this year â€“ including all day here at VIR. We were eighth and ninth on the grid, and they were many out there who would have written us off. We have been in that position before. The beauty of continuity and keeping a team together over the years is that you develop an inner strength that galvanizes the team to an extent that makes you literally unbeatable. This is a team that does not give up despite all the odds. We took a car that qualified eighth and ninth, but ran up front with both of them. That is a testament to the team Gary (Pratt, team manager), the drivers and the crew.”

GARY PRATT, CORVETTE RACING TEAM MANAGER

“This means everything to us. Our number one goal when we start at Sebring is the manufacturers’ championship. Once we get that, we go on to the drivers and team championships. When you execute like the guys did today and have a good strategy â€“even though we aren’t the fastest car, somehow we get it done with great pit stops. We have what we think are the best drivers in the paddock; they execute and do a great job every single race. Chevrolet expects a lot out of us, and we just try to deliver. There is a lot of good engineering and a great group of mechanics and crew chiefs that execute in the shop, in the paddock and in the pits. Sometimes it looks easy but it’s really not.

“I also want to thank Chevrolet. We started in 1999 doing just the endurance races. They were patient, let us build the team and get experience. We didn’t have a lot of engineering on staff but we were able to go out and get Doug Louth and Lynn Bishop as our head engineers. That mix of good engineering, great mechanics and good drivers has really paid off. Corvette is a great product to start with. And the patience from Chevrolet with us to build the team and allow us to continue to do this after this many years really puts us in a big advantage.”

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen â€“ 125
Dirk Muller â€“ 109
Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner â€“ 100
Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 93
Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 82

Team Standings

Corvette Racing â€“ 161
BMW Team RLL â€“ 120
SRT Motorsports â€“ 109
Paul Miller Racing â€“ 56
Risi Competizione – 48

Manufacturer Standings

Chevrolet â€“ 164
BMW â€“ 134
SRT â€“ 123
Ferrari â€“ 109
Porsche – 95

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing

September 23, 2013

Corvette Racing at Austin: Thrilling Victory for Garcia, Magnussen

Third win of season and GT championship lead for No. 3 Compuware Corvette

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 21, 2013) â€“ Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia scored their second straight victory in the American Le Mans Series’ GT class on Saturday, winning the eighth round of the championship at Circuit of The Americas. Garcia led the final 58 minutes in his No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R under intense pressure to win by less than a second.

Their third victory of the season moved Garcia and Magnussen into the lead of the ALMS GT drivers’ championship with two rounds remaining. The result bolstered Chevrolet’s lead in the manufacturer standings and Corvette Racing’s advantage in the team championship.

“The ALMS GT class is ultra-competitive,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Corvette Racing’s teamwork was the key element to put us in the best positions to race for a win today. Preparation, strategy, flawless pit stops and incredible driving by Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia delivered a fifth win for Corvette Racing this season. The championship points standings remain very tight. Our focus remains on prep for the final two races of the season.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner. Their No. 4 Corvette lost its transmission just shy of the one-hour mark. The duo entered the weekend with the drivers’ championship lead.

Milner started from third but moved to lead class lead at the start the race as both Corvettes got around the pole-sitting BMW before Turn 1. Magnussen dropped back to third but moved up two positions and into the lead 10 minutes later when the then-race leading Viper went wide off track and forced Milner to back off slightly.

Two stellar pit stops and an incredible strategic call on the team’s first stop put Garcia in the lead for good with a little less than an hour remaining. The Spaniard fended off multiple charges from Dirk Muller by timing the race traffic just right. He was able to put slower cars between himself and his competitors on numerous occasions to build gaps from as little as 0.2 seconds to 1.5 and 2 seconds at a time.

In the No. 4 Corvette, Milner reported having issues shifting up to third gear 11 minutes in, and the problem grew worse when the car lost drive in fourth gear at the 57-minute mark. It stopped halfway around the circuit and could not continue.

“It was great to see the Corvette Racing team salute our Corvette customers in the Corvette Corral directly across from our pit location with a win,” Campbell said. “We race to improve the production car, and we race for our Corvette owners.”

The next race for Corvette Racing is the Oak Tree Grand Prix on Saturday, Oct. 5 from Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Va. The race will air on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 6 with live coverage at 2 p.m. ET, Oct. 5 on ESPN3.

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“The start was mayhem. A lot of cars were trying to get into turns 1 and 2. I went three-wide with a prototype and my teammate and didn’t win anything. I lost a spot to the other Corvette. When things got settled, we were struggling to get by the Prototype Challenge cars, which at that point hadn’t gotten up to speed. It was really hard to get back into a rhythm and go for it from there. I was able to just about hang on to one of the Vipers, which was extremely fast at the beginning. Once we pitted, I handed over to Antonio. Once all the stops were over, we were in the lead. After that, Antonio did a fantastic job with all the pressure he faced.”

(How tough was it to watch the finish?) “It’s nerve-wracking and frustrating to watch someone else be under the kind of pressure Antonio was under. I know exactly what he was going through, and you’re honestly exploding inside. I looked at the clock with 17 minutes left and watched a lot of racing. Then I looked up again and the clock said 16 minutes! That clock was counting down very slowly. You feel pretty helpless there watching the monitor. I think what makes you so nervous when you’re watching the race is that you get all the information â€“ all the lap times, who is going fast and who isn’t, and all the TV cameras. It was no good!”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It was an extremely disappointing day for the No. 4 car. We were encouraged by Friday’s qualifying performance, and Tommy’s strong start to the lead put us in an ideal position. But in racing, bad luck can strike at any time and it hit us today in a most inopportune time. We still have a lot to race for during the final two rounds to help Chevrolet and Corvette Racing secure another ALMS championship. Congratulations to Antonio, Jan and the No. 3 team on a phenomenal victory in an absolutely stunning race.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It’s a disappointing day. A gremlin that was around all weekend finally bit hard in the race, which is unfortunate. It doesn’t kill our drivers’ championship hopes but it puts a big damper on them. It’s great for the No. 3 guys. It’s hard to be too mad because our teammates are out front, doing well and have won two in a row. So that’s good for them. This is how a two-car team should be. We have two very good teams and two very good cars. The weekend started pretty poorly in general. But we had a great qualifying effort, which was a whole team effort. We had great cars in the race, obviously. All credit to Corvette Racing.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“The drive that Antonio put on the last hour-and-a-half of that race was as strong an effort as I’ve seen in my time in the ALMS. It was just an incredible drive â€“ precision, skill, being cool under fire â€“ that demonstrates all the things we represent at Corvette Racing. Antonio Garcia put on an awesome show for the fans today. If you didn’t enjoy this one, nothing will make you happy.”

DOUG LOUTH, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, CORVETTE RACING

“Kyle Millay in the No. 3 car and Chuck Houghton on the No. 4 did a phenomenal job with the car setups. Facing a new track with a different mix of segment types than we usually see and the hottest track temps we’ve had in years, they came up with a package relatively unusual for us that obviously had great long-run pace and consistency. Jan and Antonio were spot on; Antonio’s drive to work traffic and hold off the BMW is one of the best I’ve ever watched. And of course the No. 3 crew had two perfect pit stops. As close as the finish was, anything less than perfect would have put us mid-pack. The No. 4 car had a tough day, but the guys were just as successful getting their car tuned for the hot conditions as Tommy showed early in the race.”

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen â€“ 112
Dirk Muller â€“ 99
Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner â€“ 94
Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 89
Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 74

Team Standings

Corvette Racing â€“ 148
BMW Team RLL â€“ 110
SRT Motorsports â€“ 105
Paul Miller Racing â€“ 44
Risi Competizione – 36

Manufacturer Standings

Chevrolet â€“ 151
BMW â€“ 124
SRT â€“ 115
Ferrari â€“ 89
Porsche – 79

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing
Photo Credit: ALMS.com

September 20, 2013

Corvette Racing at Austin: Second, Third in ALMS GT Qualifying

Team makes massive gains from practice to qualifying on damp day in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 20, 2013) â€“ Corvette Racing didnâ€™t let heavy rains and an unfamiliar track deter its efforts in qualifying Friday for the inaugural American Le Mans Series race at Circuit of The Americas. The two Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.Rs earned the second- and third-place starting spots in the GT field for Saturdayâ€™s two-hour, 45-minute race.

Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette qualified on the outside of the GT front row with a lap of 2:17.442 (89.056 mph) around the 3.4-mile, 20-turn layout. The Spaniard, who drives with Jan Magnussen, set his best time on his final lap to overtake teammate Oliver Gavin for the second spot.

Gavin posted a best lap of 2:17.594 (88.957 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette. The Englishman and seatmate Tommy Milner come to Circuit of the Americas with a two-point lead in the GT driversâ€™ standings as they try to repeat as class champions. Garcia and Magnussen are second in the championship and sit just two points back.

In the manufacturer standings, Chevrolet leads BMW by 20 points. Corvette Racing also heads the team championship with three rounds left in the season.

Fridayâ€™s qualifying effort saw a remarkable turnaround for the two Corvettes. After placing fourth and seventh in the dayâ€™s first practice and fifth and eighth in the second session, team and Michelin tire engineers developed a sound strategy for time trials. The results spoke for themselves. Only Joey Hand qualified faster at 2:17.178 (89.227 mph).

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

â€œWe know this track appeared to be very aggressive on tires. So over 15 minutes you only have two or three shots at a good lap. My very first lap, the balance wasnâ€™t quite there. So I knew where to push on my second run. I put together a very, very nice lap. It is great to have Corvette Racing in P2 and P3, especially after how the last session went. We knew the performance was there but couldnâ€™t quite put it together. But I am very happy. The car was really good.â€

(His best lap) â€œOn the very last lap, the tires were giving up on the last three corners. At one point I thought comparing that lap to my previous best that I could go down in the 2:16s but the tires just gave up over the last few corners. Still, it was pretty decent work and happy to be on the first row.â€

(Starting second and third) â€œBeing up front is always good. We know anything can happen. In a situation like Baltimore, just being one spot or one row behind where we were would have put us out of the race. You cannot predict that but for sure being on the front row gives you the best shot in the race.â€

(The fight with BMW) â€œWe are the meat in the sandwich. For sure, weâ€™ve seeing again that the four strongest cars are from both manufacturers. They will be very strong tomorrow so we will see how it develops. We still donâ€™t know how the weather will be. If it is part of the race, it will come down to the pits and crews again. As Iâ€™ve said in the past, Corvette Racing is the best third driver you can have. Iâ€™m glad to be in this position.â€

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

â€œThis is a big fill-up for us. Itâ€™s been a difficult couple of sessions for us, and we didnâ€™t look so good in the rain early on. But we worked away at a plan. (Lead engineer) Chuck (Houghton) and the guys from Michelin worked hard together as well with the No. 3 car and us to put a plan together of how we were going to run the session. We knew that we had to do (the times) early to make it work, and it did. So weâ€™re pleased to be second and third. My strategy after the first timed lap maybe wasnâ€™t as aggressive as Antonioâ€™s in terms of what he did to get the performance back for his (final) timed lap. But he did a fantastic job to get to that time. This is a very solid place for us to start the race tomorrow.â€

(On the race outlook) â€œI think it will be dry and we will just have to see. Itâ€™s a little bit of an unknown for all of us being here for the first time â€“ seeing what tire life is like, how cars hang up in the heat and how the race evolves. The track will be washed off today and should rubber up for our race. Balance of the cars may change throughout and how cars react to certain things. Things like tire pressures and different compounds… It will be very busy on top of the timing stand to make sure weâ€™re on top of all that.â€

(Adjustments from practice to qualifying) â€œThe biggest change was our approach with the tire, understanding it and how we were going to get the lap time from that tire and which particular wet tire we were going to run. It looked like we made the right choice because we made a nice little jump. Iâ€™m pleased with that. I far prefer to start second and third than eighth and ninth.â€

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

â€œWe saw earlier in the week the challenge that Circuit of The Americas can present. Those were amplified today with periods of heavy rain and a wet track. The improvements our engineers â€“ both from Corvette Racing and our partners at Michelin â€“ and crew made between practice and qualifying was the stuff of champions. Baltimore proved how critical your starting position can be, and having our Corvettes second and third on the grid gives us a great chance to secure important championship points.â€

ESPN2 will air at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday with live coverage available on ESPN3 beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing

September 2, 2013

Corvette Racing at Baltimore: Garcia, Magnussen Lead 1-2 GT Finish

Seasonâ€™s second victory for No. 3 Corvette duo in wild street race

BALTIMORE (Aug. 31, 2013) â€“ Corvette Racing scored a 1-2 class finish today in one of the wildest and unpredictable sports car races in memory at the Grand Prix of Baltimore and the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won for the second time this season in the ALMSâ€™ GT class driving their No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R. Defending ALMS GT champions Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner were runners-up for the second consecutive season on the Streets of Baltimore in the No. 4 Corvette.

Magnussen moved from third in class to first â€“ and around Milner â€“ on a restart with a little less than 20 minutes to go. The 1-2 finish was the teamâ€™s first since last yearâ€™s Laguna Seca round. It also increased Chevroletâ€™s lead in the GT manufacturer championship, as well as Corvette Racingâ€™s margin in the team standings.

Garcia and Magnussen moved up to second in the driversâ€™ championship and sit just two points behind Gavin and Milner with three rounds left in the season.

â€œCongratulations to the Corvette C6.R drivers and crews on their 1-2 class finish in the ALMS GT class in Baltimore,â€ said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet US Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. â€œBoth teams demonstrated exceptional driving, quick pit work and tremendous perseverance. Oliver Gavin and Antonio Garcia did a terrific job of adapting to intense, ever-changing racing conditions. And finally it was great to see Jan Magnussen and Tommy Milner drive to the front after the final restart.

â€œToday’s Corvette Racing results were important for manufacturer, driver and team standings,â€ Campbell added. â€œHowever our focus remains on the three final races in the ultra competitive GT class.â€

ABCâ€™s 1 p.m. ET Sunday broadcast of the race will be one to see. The race featured a nearly one-hour, red-flag period after a massive crash blocked the circuit immediately following the drop of the green flag. The race length was shortened from two hours to approximately 70 minutes, and both Corvettes were involved in a slight incident on the subsequent restart. The drama continued for Garcia, who lost radio communication with the Corvette Racing crew and did not hear the call to pit just 12 minutes after the restart. He made an evasive maneuver and spun 180 degrees to make the pit entry at the very last minute.

Milner rejoined the race in third place and Magnussen fourth. Milner chased down Maxime Martinâ€™s BMW and moved to second with 41 minutes left, and Magnussen followed suit one lap later. The raceâ€™s fourth and final caution period led to Magnussenâ€™s move on Milner and another BMW going into Turn 1.

Photo Gallery of the 2013 ALMS Grand Prix of Baltimore:

Photo Credit: GM RACING/TEAM CHEVY.

Drivers Quotes:

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

â€œIt was one of those situations you donâ€™t like. We had just started to accelerate and could avoid people. But those that were three or four cars behind me couldnâ€™t do anything at all. The situation is that no one practiced that line (around the curbing) before the start. So you donâ€™t know how much you will jump (over the rail line). You have the chicane when we are racing to slow us down but not at the start. We are going straight. Maybe that is what caught people on the start when they went to power and jumped more than they thought. On the inside, the jump is heavier.

â€œI was on the lucky line because I just followed the car in front of me and it looked like it was the right one. After we crossed the rail line, I started to see people spin around. I tried to find my spot and carry on. Afterwards when I saw on TV what happened, that was not really good for the fans for sure. At that point, the race lost what looked like half of the cars.â€

Loss of radio communication before the pit stop: â€œI got the call that when the pits were open, we were coming in. I had no other radio communication afterward. When I saw a Ferrari that was a lap down pitting, I didnâ€™t know if it was my turn. If it was the BMW or maybe someone else pitting then I would follow. But as soon as I saw Olly (Gavin) pitting, I did a 180-degree turn to get into the pitlane.

â€œThe main thing is that there was no communication. I started the race thinking it was a two-hour race, and then following the caution I was told we were doing a pit stop and a driver change. Thatâ€™s when the radio went off completely. As soon as I saw the cars following me go into the pit, I decided I needed to go in too.â€

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

â€œIt was a really weird race â€“ a sprint race with really no pit stops. There was one in the beginning once we restarted the race but everyone had the driving time limits to figure out. We got a little bit messed up in the pit stop because of a radio failure so there was no way to tell Antonio that the pits were open. It was impossible for him to know if it was all cars, just P cars or just GT cars. He made the right decision. He stopped, spun it around and only lost a couple of spots when we could have lost them all. It was good thinking and reaction on his part. After that, it was a matter of going as hard as we could. We didnâ€™t have to worry about tires or fuel. We just needed to go.â€

Pass for the lead:â€œI was trying to pass one of the BMWs, and he got balked by someone. I had to get around and in front so I could defend and not give him the position back. I got a little off-line and locked up the inside-front a little and the car shoved me to the inside of Tommy. It wasnâ€™t a planned move but when I got halfway there, I thought â€˜To hell with it. Iâ€™ll just go!â€™ It was a clean pass, and Tommy used his head. We were just trying to race and maximize our points to get both Corvettes ahead of the BMW. We were successful in that.â€

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

â€œIâ€™ve never been quite in anything like that before. You see a wreck like that at the start, and you think itâ€™s going to be nasty. Cars start bouncing around and ricocheting everywhere and there is nowhere for anyone to go. I was off-throttle as the Level 5 car went into the wall. I thought for sure he was going to bounce back across. Immediately it was all being waved off. We came around and just sat there. No one knew what to do for the next 45 minutes. For the restart, I moved from the left side of the grid to the right side, and starting on that side is much tougher. You get such a bigger jump across the train tracks than on the left.â€

On the starts the last few races:â€œThere is something strange going on at the front of the grid with the way these races have been started. Someone is absolutely jumping the gun, and thatâ€™s making it unsafe for all of us. Thatâ€™s a bit crazy.

More on the day: Itâ€™s pretty amazing that we were sitting in a wreck at Turn 4 â€“ both cars â€“ with others and somehow weâ€™ve managed to pull a 1-2 out of that! It was one of those wacky races that you couldnâ€™t take your eyes off of. You have to take every single one, and Iâ€™m very happy to take second in this one.â€

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

â€œIt was a weird race, unfortunately. What can you say? Itâ€™s a tight street race and you can see what happens when one car gets turned around. Fortunately we missed all of it. There was a lot going on, and weâ€™re happy to come home with some good points. Jan snookered me there at Turn 1. But thatâ€™s what he should do. Weâ€™re all here to race and win. I had to brake a little early because I was on the dirty line. But great day for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing.â€

Corvette Racing returns to action at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, for the eighth round of the ALMS championship. The race, set for 3:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 21, will air Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Source:
CorvetteRacing.com

August 12, 2013

Corvette Racing at Road America: A Pair of Podium Finishes

Second and third for Compuware Corvettes; Gavin and Milner regain driversâ€™ title lead

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: A Pair of Podium Finishes

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 11, 2013) â€“ Corvette Racing scored two podium finishes Sunday at Road America in the Orion Energy Systems 245. The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen placed second in the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, driving the No. 4 Compuware Corvette, finished third.

The race, shown to a nationwide audience live on ABC, marked the first time this season that the two Corvettes finished on the podium in the same race. Even more importantly, the results provided a major boost for the drivers, Corvette Racing and Chevrolet in the ALMS GT championships.

Gavin and Milner, defending GT champions, moved back into the lead in the driver standings. Garcia and Magnussen unofficially are third but only six points out of the championship lead.

Chevrolet solidified its lead in the manufacturer standings, as did Corvette Racing in the team championship.

“The Corvette Racing drivers and team exhibited terrific teamwork on the track and in the pits, and with race strategy to claim two podium positions in the American Le Mans Series at Road America,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The team’s never-give-up approach will bode well as we go into the final races of the season. It was a great points day for Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin as they reclaimed the lead in the ALMS GT driver standings. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia also improved their standing, as well.”

Endurance racing is a true team sport, and that played out again Sunday. The Corvette Racing pit crew executed two perfect stops during the raceâ€™s penultimate full-course caution period. The two Corvettes entered the pits running seventh and eighth in class. with 90 minutes remaining but left pitlane first and third.

The race began on a wet track with Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette and Milner in the No. 4. Both Corvettes, like the rest of the field, began on wet tires. Both Magnussen and Milner ran aggressive yet cautious stints in the beginning before both cars went to slick tires at the 40-minute mark. From that point, strategy and some of the best pit work in the ALMS took over.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

HOW MUCH DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD PUSH IN THAT LAST STINT: “I had a really good restart and was making a lot of gap to the guys. When I saw the Viper coming, I held him off for like four or five laps and I was thinking, ‘no problem’. But the problem was right when he was catching me, my engineers were telling me I need to save fuel. I said ‘All right’, so I was saving fuel but going fast. I was kind of trying to guess how much fuel I needed to save. At some point Marc (Goossens) got a really good run out of Turn 3, and at some point I was asking on the radio should I defend or should I just let him go by. That’s what I did basically. They told me it was more important to save fuel than to keep the position. And then it was a matter of just holding back, just trying to save as much fuel as possible. I knew that Ollie (Oliver Gavin) was under pressure from the Porsches as well, so we were managing that gap too. I was really aggressive on the brakes in the traffic just trying to make a gap. Then as soon as we had a gap, went just went back toward them again. I think that is what we could do. I don’t know exactly if we were good or not (on fuel at the end); I think we were right on. The thing is that I wouldn’t risk it. I think we were probably better than the Viper, but I believed I should have kept that result. I preferred to keep Corvette two-three and in good position for the championship.”

HOW SURPRISED WERE YOU TO COME OFF PIT LANE IN P1 FROM THAT STOP? “I knew after all the pit stops came that we were the guys changing four slicks the latest, and we were almost leading the guys that came in the previous time the latest so I knew we had some advantage and fuel there. We needed just to do 13-14 seconds of fuel plus the tires, so we really needed to be sure that driver change was good. Everything went smooth. Fuel, tire change was perfect and I just remember launching myself out of the pits seeing the Ferrari just come in, and I just a half of a car ahead, or something like. So that put us into one-three at the moment. I was like…that is what I said yesterday after qualifying: When it comes to race time, Corvette Racing is the best that a driver can ever have. So, that is the thing.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

ON THE CHALLENGE OF THE FIRST HOUR: “It was a difficult beginning of the race with the wet track. But it was not super wet so I don’t think the wets (tires) really got up to working 100 percent. The balance of the car wasn’t great or right to begin with. Everybody was pulling away from us quite a bit. Then it seemed like the car and the tires came in, and we were doing pretty well for ourselves. But making the decision to go to slicks was really hard for me to make because the wets which don’t give you a good feel for what is going on. You can feel the grip is improving, but is it improving enough for slicks? And also just looking at the track, it wasn’t clear-cut dry or not dry, so you really have to rely on other people making the decision for you. Fortunately some guys down the back made the first move â€“ it was wrong. So good thing we didn’t follow those guys. But when we did make the move for slicks, it was definitely the right time. So that worked out well. There was a lot of pressure from Tommy (Milner) throughout the stint when we were on the slicks.

“Then there was one absolutely fantastic pit stop from the Corvette guys! We came in seventh and eighth, and out one-three. That is unbelievable. So fantasticâ€¦ absolutely fantastic. After that, Antonio drove under extreme pressure â€“ saving fuel; trying to go fastâ€¦ two things that are really, really hard to do at the same time. Overall it was a fantastic job for the whole team.

“I don’t know had we not had that yellow at the end what would have happened. We were very, very close on fuel. I have a feeling the Vipers were even closer. So who knows? But when the safety car came out right there at the end, there was a big sigh of relief from the whole team. It was ‘OK, now we have second’. I am sure we would have gone for it (if the race had restarted), but would we have won doing it or blown it?”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

ON THE RACE: “The race today was pretty hard. First of all Tommy (Milner) came in and we were seventh and eighth, and the guys just did a fabulous job with the tire stop, the fuel and everything. We went in eighth position, and came out third, and our sister car (No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R) came out in the lead! That is just a spectacular job by the guys. Just amazing that pit stop. At the restart, the (No. 62) Ferrari was pretty racy into Turn 1 and he tried to squeeze me as we came off. We just rubbed all the way down to Turn 3; I got by him and then I was up behind Antonio (Garcia) but the (No. 91) Viper was coming. It was quick. It just had a bit too much pace for us today.

“I was being told, ‘Save fuel, save fuel, save fuel.’ I was doing the best I could. The Porsche was catching us and catching us. They’ve got super straight-line speed so that was tough. In the end there, I think we were good to go with the fuel. I was wondering if everybody else was going to be in the same spot or not. I know we could have gone to the end, but I don’t know if the Viper could, whether the Porsche could or anybody else. We had done our job in doing that. The guys were fantastic in the pits. Tommy did a spectacular job of getting it through in very tricky conditions in the wet weather. So all-in-all it was a great team effort by everybody here at Corvette Racing.”

ON BEING TOLD TO SAVE FUEL: “You have to figure out your routine on how to do it and the way you are going to go about doing it. Where you are going to lift, where you are going to brake and how you are going to do it. I was working really hard with (engineer) Chuck (Houghton). It was frustrating, and a couple of times we were adjusting the engine map, and the Porsche was catching us, and Chuck was telling me, ‘Go back! Go back!’ The Porsche was so close. It was just one of those ones where it was nail-biting every single lap. You could not take your attention away, or ever think ‘We’ve got this now; we’ve got everything under control’, because everything was just in flux; right on the limit, and right on the balance the whole race. Sometimes that’s the way it is, and everybody on the team worked so hard.”

ON REGAINING DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD: “That is just fantastic. Of all the things that could have happened today, to get the points lead back, and to extend our lead in the manufacturers’ championship, that is spectacular. This is a huge win-win… we didn’t win the race, but in terms of the actual bigger picture, it’s been a great day for us.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

ON THE RACE: “We knew that the race would be dry toward the end. We didn’t do anything to the car to try to help it in the wet, so we actually struggled early on. It made it very difficult to keep the car underneath me. It was very loose the entire time in the wet conditions. It is tough here to tell when this track dries up; it is not very easy to see when the lines are drying and when they are still wet. So on that (first) yellow flag, we probably could have switched it to dry tires right then, but I wasn’t too sure, and didn’t want to gamble on that and then throw the race away. So we stayed out which hurt us a little bit there for awhile. But the car was really, really good on slicks in the dry again. I knew if we could just get Oliver in the car and get that last pit stop out of the way, we would be in good shape.

“I could have never imagined to go from basically eighth place to third place in the pits. Oliver did a great job on the restart and got second. So really, today’s result is thanks to Corvette Racing, the pit stops and the strategy that was played to perfection. The Viper definitely was quick today. Congrats to them. They’ve done an awesome job all year long so far. They’ve been right there, and they put one together. I know what that feels like; it is obviously very exciting for them. We’ve got a race on our hands for the rest of the year. They are quick, and we are quick. Porsche is quick; BMW is quick. It is going to be a big fight to the end.”

ON BEING THE POINTS LEAD – IS IT BETTER TO LEAD OR BE CHASING WITH A FEW RACES TO GO? “It can go either way. I think we all kind of approach each weekend as its own separate championship. We want to win that race, and if we can’t win, we want to finish as high as we possibly can. If you just focus on one race at a time, the championship takes care of itself. All we did today was not get too worried about the fact we were in seventh and eighth at the back. We were more focused on how do we make the best out of our race today. What is our best strategy. We did that. Here we are in third place, points lead. Everything is going the way it should right now.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

â€œThis race marks the middle of our 15th season in the American Le Mans Series. In those 14Â½ years, I donâ€™t remember an event where a pair of pit stops had the impact on the outcome that it did today. The 3 and 4 car came in seventh and eighth, and they went out first and third. Thatâ€™s all-world, and thatâ€™s what we do at Corvette Racing.â€

Corvette Racingâ€™s next event is the Grand Prix of Baltimore on Aug. 30-31 from the Baltimore Inner Harbor street circuit. Gavin and Milner placed second there last season, and Gavin and Magnussen teamed for a third-place finish in 2011.

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Source:
Corvette Racing