Month: August 2013

Compuware Corvettes to test their mettle around Inner Harbor street circuit

DETROIT (Aug. 27, 2013) – Crab cakes, Camden Yards and Charm City’s temporary street circuit await Corvette Racing and its two Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R race cars this weekend with the third running of the Grand Prix of Baltimore. The two-hour race is the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series and the second street race of the season. One of the newest venues on the ALMS calendar has been kind to Corvette Racing with podium finishes in the event’s first two years.

The concrete canyons along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor frame a demanding and unforgiving layout that will challenge Corvette Racing’s four drivers. ALMS GT championship leaders Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner – who lives 90 minutes from Baltimore in his native Virginia – drive the No. 4 Compuware Corvette that has won two races this season. Meanwhile, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen look to win for the second time in 2013 with their No. 3 Corvette. The pair stands fourth in the drivers’ standings but only six points out of first place.

With four races remaining in the ALMS season, positions and points are at a premium. In addition to the drivers’ championship, Chevrolet leads the GT manufacturers’ standings, as does Corvette Racing in the team category.

The Inner Harbor circuit measures 2.02 miles in length with 12 turns. The long frontstretch features a temporary chicane to slow cars before crossing a light-rail line prior to start-finish and a hard right-hander for Turn 1. The course also features a tight hairpin turn and a run around Camden Yards – home of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles.

Corvette Racing appears to have history – brief as it may be – on its side at Baltimore. Gavin and Magnussen were third in 2011 with Gavin and Milner runners-up last year en route to the ALMS championship. Gavin was on pole position and set the fastest GT race lap in 2012, and Magnussen was the fastest driver in the 2011 race.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Street circuits have always been some of my favorite tracks. Last year I discovered both of the ALMS street circuits for the first time – Long Beach and Baltimore. Because the schedules were so tight, it was harder to get on the pace right away without knowing the track. This year is completely different. I have a race at Baltimore under my belt now – even if it wasn’t a good one because we got a puncture right at the start.

“Over the years, Corvette Racing has been competitive on all types of circuits – road courses and street circuits. Whatever kind of track will are on, the car is always competitive. We just need to be focused and get in a rhythm as soon as possible. Like any street circuit, you cannot make any mistakes and keep the car on the track until the end of the race.”

(On the level of focus for a street circuit) “You cannot ‘relax’ as much as on a road course, for sure. You always are focused even if you’re on a straight because of the bumps which are present. The level of focus needs to be a little higher. Everywhere is a potential place to make a mistake.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It’s a fun track. It has quite a lot of grip in the surfaces we run on. That gives you confidence right away even though there is not a lot of room. Some places are very, very bumpy. (The chicane) is a little bit of an issue for everyone because it is a movable chicane. And we move it! Whoever uses that chicane best takes the most chances but can make the most gains. Other than that, I’m looking forward to going back there. It’s always a fantastic show in downtown Baltimore.”

(On the GT championship with four rounds remaining) “The manufacturer championship is most important to us. We keep reminding ourselves and the team reminds us that the ultimate goal is to win the manufacturer championship for Chevrolet. So far that has panned out well and continues to do so.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Baltimore is a lot of fun. I have some pretty good memories from there. I won pole last year, which was very satisfying. I enjoy the circuit. It is, alongside Sebring, the most aggressive circuit we race on in terms of the bumps and how physical the circuit can be. It’s tight and challenging. The walls are right there and you have to run right against them. I actually have the wing mirror from last year! The team gave it to me after the Baltimore event. The right side is missing – just the end part of it – as I scraped up against the side of the wall in qualifying. That’s kind of satisfying to do that kind of thing; you’re right on the limit and can’t use any more of the circuit.”

(Describing a lap) “It’s unique like every street circuit is. Braking into Turn 1 is tricky and challenging because it’s bumpy and it’s wide. You’re all the time wondering what side of the track you need to be. Can I be looking further on the inside or all the way out? Also just before the corner late in the braking zone, it goes quite a bit downhill. So that’s another thing that can catch you out. Braking into Turn 3 – the hairpin – is super bumpy but you always get a lot of grip right and the end of the braking zone and it’s very wide. Then you come back along the circuit to where the pits are, and they always resurface that area where the tram lines go. That part is very ‘grippy’. They use very good tarmac there. That part of the track is very quick, and there is another section back around the other side of the baseball field just before you get back on the start-finish straight.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It’s a home race for me. The last couple years, it’s been a fantastic event with good crowds and lots of new people to see us race. It’s great to see that the D.C., Virginia and Maryland areas have embraced the race like they have. I’m looking forward to getting back there again. We were second last year, and obviously that one is high on my list of ones I want to win.

(On the track) “It’s a good street track. I was pretty impressed the first year when they came with a brand new track. It’s tough to fit it in an area like the Inner Harbor where they want to have the race. There are some good passing spots with some sections that bumpy, some that are smooth. There are fast sections, slow stuff and hairpins… it’s challenging and fun for the drivers and makes for a good race track.

“There are bits and pieces that are challenging in their own right. Turn 1 is tough because the street has not been repaved or resurfaced at all. You’re kind of going uphill then down a little, and it’s a super-tight right-hander that is a great passing spot. It’s tough to squeeze the last couple of tenths out of the car there. It’s tougher when you’re offline because it’s so dirty. The last sweeping left- and right-hander before you come back on to Pratt Street is difficult because those are extremely quick corners for a street track. There is no margin for area. I’ve tried to push and find some more speed but you can get loose easily, and that’s a pretty scary moment.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“As difficult as road racing can be, nothing compares to the intensity of a battle on the streets of a major urban center. This time it will be the Inner Harbor of the great city of Baltimore. To be successful here, it takes the perfect balance of patience and aggression on the part of the drivers along with an effective race strategy and finished off with flawless execution by the crew guys in pit lane. With only four rounds to go in the ALMS season, every lap and every stop will play a vital role in retaining our ALMS manufacturers’ championship. With nine of those titles under our belt, you can bet we are ready to capture number 10.”

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

1. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 78
2. Dirk Muller – 73
3. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 73
4. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 72
5. Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 54

Team Standings

1. Corvette Racing – 108
2. BMW Team RLL – 84
3. SRT Motorsports – 81
4. Paul Miller Racing – 42
5. Risi Competizione – 32

Manufacturer Standings

1. Chevrolet – 111
2. BMW – 95
3. SRT – 86
4. Ferrari – 71
5. Porsche – 69

The Baltimore Grand Prix drops the green flag on Saturday, August 31st at 3:30 pm ET. Qualifying for GT is Friday at 4:50 PM ET. The race will be tape-delayed and broadcast on Sunday, September 1st at 12 Noon ET on ABC-TV.

Source:
Corvette Racing.
Photo Credit: Team Chevy

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