Month: August 2012

Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen and teammate Antonio Garcia will have some new competition Saturday as they try to maintain their GT championship points lead in the 2012 American Le Mans Series with a race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

They’ll be entering the sixth round of the season against the SRT Viper team for the first time, and Magnussen slowed down enough this week to talk with PaddockTalk.com about that challenge and the season so far.

Magnussen and Garcia, in their No. 3 Corvette C6.R, have been the picture of consistency this season, taking four second-place finishes. The only time they weren’t on the podium came at Long Beach where early damage to their car forced them to settle for fourth.

Magnussen has five more chances to keep his record intact of winning a race in every year of the championship. He’s also hoping to pick up his second ALMS championship, what would be the first for Corvette in the tough GT class.

“Corvette Racing did a full day of testing at Mid-Ohio this past Tuesday,” Magnussen said. “Overall it was a good test, and I believe we are well prepared for the race this weekend. Right now Corvette Racing is one-two in the ALMS GT championship (with the No. 4 Corvette Racing duo of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner seven points behind Magnussen-Garcia), and we need to keep that lead, as well as get a win for the No. 3 car.”

Magnussen says the secret to running well at Mid-Ohio is momentum. “Mid-Ohio has some very challenging corners,” he pointed out. “Some are super-fast and then there’s a medium/slow-speed series of corners. Then there’s the crest of the hills, where the car unloads and then compresses when it comes down. The trick is to have a well-balanced car that works well.”

Magnussen is no stranger to winning at Mid-Ohio, having picked up a victory in a prototype in 2001 and again in 2008 with Corvette Racing in GT1, and he thinks “we are in good shape” to take another win this year.

He admits the GT class is tougher than ever, with the new SRT Viper team joining the likes of Corvette, BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari this weekend.

But Magnussen is looking forward to the challenge.

“…It’s fantastic for the ALMS that the Viper is coming back,” he said. “They have a great history in the ALMS and in competition at Le Mans. They have a great team and great drivers. I’m looking forward to racing against Tommy Kendall and all those guys.”

Read the full interview with Jan Magnussen at PaddockTalk.com.

Source:
PaddockTalk.com
Photo Credit: Jan Kaiser/JanMagnussen.com

Related:
Corvettes Qualify Fifth and Sixth for ALMS Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge
Corvette Racing at Mid-Ohio: Midterm Report and a Rivalry Renewed
Corvette Racing Second in ALMS Grand Prix of Mosport
[VIDEO] Corvette Racing’s Mosport Pit Stop Demonstration – in High Heels?

 

Garcia and Milner Qualify within Half-Second of Pole in Hotly Contested GT Class

LEXINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 3, 2012 – The heat was on at Mid-Ohio today during GT qualifying for Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series. As the ambient temperature topped 94 degrees and the track temperature climbed to 110 degrees, Antonio Garcia qualified the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R fifth in the hotly contested class at 1:19.536 (102.213 mph). Tommy Milner was right behind his teammate, qualifying the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R sixth at 1:19.727 (101.958 mph).

Garcia was .238 seconds off GT pacesetter Joerg Mueller’s 1:19.298 (102.510 mph) lap in the No. 55 BMW, and Milner was .429 seconds back. The eight fastest qualifiers ran quicker than last year’s pole-winning time on the 2.25-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“I had a really good balance in qualifying, and if I’d put together a perfect lap my time would have improved,” Garcia said. “There are four guys ahead of me who put it together better than I did.

“There was a lot of pressure in qualifying, and everyone was pushing very hard,” he explained. “Because of all the different series running on the track, we seemed to struggle a little to make our tires work . That is something we will need to take into account tomorrow because the track will certainly change, and I hope it will develop in our favor. We know how our qualifying performance is; now we need to know how our race performance is.”

Garcia turned his quickest time on his fifth flying lap, and Milner posted his best lap on his sixth circuit.

“I’m not disappointed with sixth, but I’m not super stoked,” Milner said. “We made some big changes in the car in the last practice session, working on the race setup. Then at the end we tried to help the car for qualifying.

“Every session we’re out there we learn a lot about this race track,” he noted. “It’s definitely a challenge when we have different series running and different rubber going down. This track especially can change from morning to afternoon and from day to day. When we go out for warm-up tomorrow morning, there will be a lot of IndyCar rubber on the track and we’ll see how the car feels.”

The two-hour, 45-minute Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge will start at will start at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 4, and will be broadcast on ABC at 2 p.m. ET.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge GT Qualifying (Top 10)
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time

1. 55 Mueller/Auberlen, BMW E92 M3, 1:19.298
2. 02 Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari F458 Italia, 1:19.329
3. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:19.445
4. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 458 Italia, 1:19.471
5. 3 Magnussen/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 1:19.536
6. 4 Gavin/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 1:19.727
7. 56 Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:19.754
8. 48 Miller/Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:20.209
9. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:21.222
10. Goossens/Kendall, SRT Viper GTSR, 1:22.158

Source:
CorvetteRacing.com

Related:
Corvette Racing at Mid-Ohio: Midterm Report and a Rivalry Renewed
Corvette Racing Second in ALMS Grand Prix of Mosport
[VIDEO] Corvette Racing’s Mosport Pit Stop Demonstration – in High Heels?

 

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And if you’re attending Corvettes at Carlisle later this month, wear your 2009 or later Corvette America Fun Field shirt and receive a special discount at the show. Since 2009, Corvette America has been sponsoring the Corvettes at Carlisle Fun Field and now your shirt is the ticket for extra savings. If you’re not yet registered for Corvettes at Carlisle’s 2012 Fun Field, click here to get started!

 

If there’s ever been a dream job for a Corvette fanatic, Dr. Jamie Meyer just punched the clock.

He had the honor of driving the actual Corvette ZR1 pace car that was used in this year’s Indy 500 on a 1500-mile segment of the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour, a seven-day, seven-city traveling car show that went from GM’s Milford Proving Grounds to Arlington, Texas.

As he put it, the Corvette was a “parade float that was capable of going over 200 mph.” Indeed, he was in the “Real McCoy” Pace Car – the Simpson lap belts were still in the car, the light bar worked, and the stickers were authentic.

What Dr. Meyer came away with, in his fifth Power Tour as an employee of Chevrolet Performance, was an increased appreciation for just what kind of wonderful machine General Motors has created in the ZR1.

“Leaving the venue, I immediately realized the one quality of this car that is completely under emphasized in any description I’ve ever read about the ZR1: It is an amazingly docile street car when used for routine transportation,” he wrote. “The seats are comfortable, the visibility is surprisingly good, the clutch is light, the steering is perfect – and, well, you get the idea.”

That’s not to say the trip wasn’t without its problems, though not really the fault of the car. For instance, there was the time an Impala threw up a chunk of “road gator” right towards the ZR1, but fortunately no damage was done to the 638-hp supercar. And because the Corvette is so low to the ground, he had a little trouble reaching the slot at an Oklahoma City toll booth and still owes 15 cents. Then there was the time he missed a turn in Joplin, Mo., and wound up in a dark alley where something ominous appeared to be going on with eight young people.

But his time behind the wheel of GM’s most impressive car ever left him wanting for more.

“Surprisingly, the ZR1 makes for an amazingly comfortable driver – even for long trips,” Dr. Meyer wrote. “I’m 6’3″ with a 36 inseam, and I was concerned about my knee banging into the center stack. But, it never bothered me. In fact, the car was so becoming that I’m looking to put a Corvette in my garage on a permanent basis.”

Indeed, he called it a “well-trusted friend who never bored me and did all that I asked” and said he will never forget his week with the Pace Car ZR1.

“If you ever have a chance to drive a ZR1 or own the very best that Chevrolet Performance has to offer, I suggest you go for it,” he concluded. “It’s the ultimate ride from the world’s leader in performance. The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Pace Car – you will always have a special place in my heart.”

Source:
TheBlock.com via CorvetteOnline.com

Related:
Chevrolet Performance Launches The BLOCK – A New Interactive Community for Car Enthusiasts
[VIDEO] Ryan Briscoe Drives the 2013 Corvette ZR1 Indy 500 Pace Car
2013 60th Anniversary Corvette ZR1 To Pace 96th Indianapolis 500

 

General Motors released the July 2012 sales report this week and the data shows 987 Corvettes were delivered during the month. This is a huge decline from June 2012 where 1,475 Corvettes found new homes, however it was somewhat expected with the extended July shutdown at the assembly plant.

Comparing July 2012 sales to July 2011′s number of 1,291 Corvettes sold, deliveries are off a whopping -23.5%. For the calendar year to date, a total of 8,009 Corvettes have been sold which is pacing -2.2% off of 2011′s CYTD 8,187 sales figure.

Last month we attributed the strong June 2012 sales figure to the release of the 2013 model which features the new 60th anniversary package and the special one year only 505 horsepower 427 Convertible. FYI, we hear the 427 Convertible is selling very well. But the Corvette Assembly Plant was closed for nearly the entire month of July and only 98 2013 Corvettes were built compared with June’s production of 1,656 Corvettes. With no in-bound 2013 Corvettes, dealers were limited to selling mostly 2012 stock and that was likely the cause of the negative sales swing.

This is actually a great time to buy a new Corvette as many dealers are selling at or below cost as they are looking forward to the C7. Sales of Corvettes this year impacts the number of C7 Corvettes that dealers will be allocated in 2013 when the next generation Corvettes becomes available. The more volume a dealer has, the more Corvettes they will be allocated in the future.

In July, the Chevrolet Confidence program was rolled out which offers “Total Confidence Pricing” on all 2012 Corvettes as well as the “Love it or Return it” feature which allows buyers 60 days to get to know their new vehicle. That way, if you don’t love your new Corvette purchase, you can return it for any reason as long as the car is returned with low miles and in new condition.

And to help you get into that new Corvette, GM has the following incentives on the books:

• 2011 Corvettes: $4,000 Dealer Cash continues to be offered (if you can find one).
• 2012 Corvettes: $1,000 Dealer Cash plus an additional $500 rebate if you opt-out of the “Love it or Return it” program. Available financing rates are 0.9% for 60 months or 3.9% for 72 months. GM is also offering qualified leases for $569/month for 39 months.
• 2013 Corvettes: $1,000 Dealer Cash and financing rates of 4.9% for 60 months or 5.9% for 72 months.

As always, see your dealer for details.

Bowling Green Production:

• 2013 Model Year Production in July 2012: 98
• 2013 Model Year To Date Through July 2012: 3,302
• 2012 Calendar Year to Date Production through July 2012: 7,951

Our monthly GM sales reports are sponsored by Kerbeck Corvette in Atlantic City, NJ. If you’re interested in a remaining 2012 Corvette or ordering one of the new 2013 models, talk to one of Kerbeck’s Corvette Specialists about a custom order to meet your specifications. Visit Kerbeck Corvette on the web at www.kerbeck.com or call Dave Salvatore at 877-537-2325.

Source:
GM.com

Related:
June 2012 Corvette Sales
May 2012 Corvette Sales
April 2012 Corvette Sales