CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY FOR GARCIA, MAGNUSSEN

Win equals GT Le Mans championship leads; Gavin and Milner fourth after penalty

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. June 30, 2014 – In its 15 years of existence, Sunday marked Corvette Racing’s first event at Watkins Glen International. The team made its debut one to remember with a dominating GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen for Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R.

The duo led most of the day to earn their third straight class victory in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. In the process, Garcia and Magnussen moved into the lead of the GTLM driver’s championship, as did Chevrolet in the manufacturer standings and the No. 3 Corvette C7.R in team points.

“The Corvette C7.R team’s first race at Watkins Glen was exciting given the challenging track and intense competition that kept the pressure on all race,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Antonio and Jan drove a great race and the crew executed quick pit stops. We are thankful to come out of The Glen with a GTLM class win and the class championship lead.”

Garcia and Magnussen also won the third round of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup – a four-race championship made of the TUDOR series’ four endurance events.

The Garcia/Magnussen combination led 154 of the 185 GTLM laps. Magnussen drove the opening stint and took the lead from the pole-sitting BMW on the first lap. Despite holding as much as a 30-second lead at various points, the final minutes were tense ones. A full-course caution with 25 minutes left brought the Corvette inside its fuel window for the rest of the race. A final yellow period just after the restart meant a final-lap dash that saw Garcia hold off the second-place Viper by 0.185 seconds.

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner finished fourth in their No. 4 Corvette C7.R after running second to their teammates for most of the day. A stop-and-go penalty inside the last hour for what race officials judged to be avoidable contact halted their podium charge.

The day wasn’t a complete loss. Gavin and Milner moved into the lead of the Patrón Endurance Challenge with just the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans remaining at the end of the season.

The next round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The race, which Gavin and Milner won last year as part of the American Le Mans Series, is set for 2:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 13.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“The car was really good. I was running perfect. Jan (Magnussen) made perfect start and pulled a gap. Then we got a caution but we made the gap back up from zero to almost 20 seconds. Whenever I was able to go full-on we went up to almost a 30-second lead. Strategy-wise we were like two or three laps short (on fuel) I believe. We decided because the Viper … maybe they gambled a little bit more at the beginning so they were out of sequence to stretch their fuel to start with; they were good to go to the end. We decided to go too, and it was hard. To go through traffic, it was really difficult to save fuel. At the end we would have been OK to the end (without the last caution). That yellow obviously helped us a little bit more just in case. We weren’t really on it, but I believe Corvette Racing again did a perfect race. I think we led everything but qualifying.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I have to say I am so pleased for how things have gone for the team this year, with the No. 3 car especially, but how we have developed a new car and we keep finding better things to do with it. We are finding better race speed over one lap over the whole distance and making the Michelin tires last for the whole stint. We have a fantastic race car. It’s a very competitive category and you have to be on your game with everything you do. There is no room for any mistakes otherwise you lose it.”

(First race in the Corvette C7.R at The Glen) “I have been here before in other categories, the GRAND-AM GT and also the GRAND-AM DPs earlier. Driving the Corvette C7.R around here is just a fantastic feeling. It’s such a fast race track. It’s almost like there is a part missing of the corner – normally you would have a big braking zone downshifts and everything getting the car ready to rotate and then shoot out the corner. Here that little bit is gone so basically for every corner you barely touch the brake, downshift, back to full throttle. It’s all about the momentum here to build the speed, and that is where dealing with all the traffic was very important; you didn’t get bogged down too much because it would kind of ruin your rhythm. I think both of us did that really well today.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“Certainly we made a step forward with the car after yesterday morning. We went back to basics with stuff, we changed a lot chassis-wise with the car. So was it the perfect setup? No because it was just really a bit of a stab at it, but it was good enough to race and be in the hunt. I genuinely think we should have had a second-place. Tommy (Milner) did a great job at the start and really got us in a fantastic position. It looked like we were going to be able to race cleanly for second.

(Race impressions) “On the double stint that I did, the first on the medium tire was good and I hung with Jan (Magnussen) pretty much. And then on the harder tire it was trickier. It made it a lot more difficult. But we were still there still in second-place looking like we were going to be able to fight for that and then Tommy (Milner) just got a crazy decision with the penalty. We went back and forth for a long time and it’s a great shame that it ruined our race. We went from second to fourth and I think we should have really had a second. That would have been a great result for the team and the guys. They worked so hard over the whole weekend.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“First and foremost, I’m very proud of our guys. After Oliver (Gavin) and I were not very happy with the car in practice they put a lot of work into trying to fix the car and it seems like that we have done that. The car was certainly quite a bit better in the race. We were just kind of behind the eight ball – just needed some more practice time to kind of fine tune it, but I think we are back in the ballpark again. That is obviously really encouraging for going forward.

(Race impressions) The race was pretty good. I had a really fun start there. It was just a shame that I got a penalty for something that I don’t believe should have been a penalty. Obviously the race control saw it differently. We can only just move on and kind of put that behind us and be proud of what we achieved. Obviously a great job by the No. 3 car guys; they executed very well. Our guys did as well. We had great pit stops, great strategy calls… they did everything right.  We deserved a podium today, but we had it taken away.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Today was emblematic of one of my key racing axioms – 25 percent great car, 25 percent great team and 50 percent good fortune. We had all those in our corner today, backed up by flawless pit stops and a great strategy by our engineers. With plenty of power from GM Powertrain, you add all that up and it’s a victory in our first visit to Watkins Glen International in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys for standing on that top step. Everyone worked very hard to earn this one.”

 

 

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: RUNNER-UP FINISH FOR CORVETTE C7.R

Garcia, Magnussen, Taylor lead Corvette Racing effort with GTE Pro podium

LE MANS, France June 16, 2014 – The new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R is a podium finisher in its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor were runners- up in the GTE Pro class in Corvette Racing’s No. 73 Corvette C7.R thanks to late-race heroics by the trio.

Despite losing valuable laps due to safety car nuances and a faulty valve stem for the Corvette’s air jack system, the No. 73 Corvette and its drivers completed 338 laps and finished a lap shy of the team’s first victory at the French endurance classic since 2011. The runner-up Corvette traveled 2,862.52 miles in the event.

“It was an honor to race the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GTE Pro class,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “While Corvette Racing has won in class seven times, we are proud of the persistence, determination and teamwork from the drivers, engineers and crew that delivered a runner-up finish for the new Corvette C7.R. The team’s ‘never-give-up’ approach was evident during each lap, pit stop and driver rotation.

“Every race, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, provides a great opportunity to learn on the track and then enhance the technologies in the Corvette road car.”

Campbell added: “Thanks to the Corvette and Chevrolet owners who supported the Corvette Racing efforts at Le Mans or followed the racing action this weekend from around the world.”

The first daylight hours Sunday saw the trio fighting back after losing laps to a faulty valve stem for the car’s air jack and twice being separated from its competitors by a safety car in the race’s opening 12 hours. The No. 73 Corvette led for extended periods in the early portion of the race.

The final four hours of the race started with Taylor trailing the third-place Porsche by about 90 seconds before the young American drove a storming triple-stint to close the gap by more than half to 47 seconds. By the time he handed the No. 73 Corvette over to Magnussen and the Dane completed his first flying lap of his final stint, the interval to the new second-place Porsche was 28 seconds with an hour and 40 minutes left.

Magnussen drove a single stint and handed over to Garcia. The Spaniard took out huge chunks of time and took the second position for good when the Porsche pitted with trouble 75 minutes from the end.

The No. 74 Corvette C7.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook placed fourth in class. The car had been running in podium contention as well before losing eight laps due to a slipped alternator belt and gearbox leak.

Gavin had reported a low voltage reading and a burning smell inside the car near the halfway point. Upon further examination, the crew found the alternator belt covered oil.

“As always, Le Mans was a stern test,” said Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing. “Achieving a runner-up position for the No. 73 Corvette is remarkable. It is a great reward for the dedication and work ethic of our team at Corvette Racing, Pratt & Miller and our Powertrain Group. We look forward to continuing this momentum when we return to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen in two weeks.”

Corvette Racing’s next race is the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen on Sunday, June 29 from Watkins Glen International. The event will air live at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

 

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: GARCIA LEADS CORVETTE ATTACK ON FIRST DAY

Antonio Garcia was the fastest driver for Corvette Racing. The Spaniard set a best time of 3:56.443 (128.935 mph) in the No. 73 Corvette C7.R

Spaniard fourth among GTE Pro runners in No. 73 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R

LE MANS, France June 12, 2014 – Corvette Racing’s two Chevrolet Corvette C7.R race cars sit fourth and ninth in the GTE Pro class after Wednesday’s first qualifying session at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. An additional pair of two-hour qualifying sessions are set for today (Thursday) and will help determine the grid for this year’s twice-around-the-clock enduro.

Antonio Garcia was the fastest driver for Corvette Racing. The Spaniard set a best time of 3:56.443 (128.935 mph) in the No. 73 Corvette C7.R that he shares with Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor. It put Garcia 1.689 seconds behind the provisional pole-sitting Ferrari.

Tommy Milner set the best time in the No. 74 Corvette C7.R that he drives with Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook – a lap of 3:59.446 (127.319 mph).

The crew of the No. 74 car had to change the gearbox during Wednesday evening’s four-hour practice session after Milner lost drive late in a lap during the closing 45 minutes. By the time the car arrived back in the garage, the Corvette Racing crew had a spare transmission, hoist and tools laid out to complete the swap. The repairs took less than an hour.

The day featured a number of lengthy red flag periods due to heavy crashes and damage. Race organizers ended qualifying 30 minutes early.

The first of Thursday’s two qualifying sessions is set for 7 p.m. CET/1 p.m. ET. Corvette Racing will go for its eighth class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001 at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 14 with live coverage throughout on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, the FOX Sports Go mobile app and FOXsports.com – which will stream live Corvette Racing in-car camera feeds and a pit camera for the full race in the U.S.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 73 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“It’s been an interesting day in that we’ve never had that many red flags on the first day of practice and qualifying at Le Mans. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. Normally we go through our entire to-do-list of changes and things to try, but now we only managed maybe 20 percent of that. We didn’t have much track time, but we will still have to analyze all the data – mainly from out- and in-laps. Still, the car feels very good and is very comfortable to drive. We’re definitely heading in the right direction. Hopefully we’ll have more track time tomorrow.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 74 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“The best way to put today is that I’m looking forward to tomorrow. There were lots of little things here and there. The car right at the end was pretty good after some setup changes and after we fixed the issue with the driveline. It felt a lot better but I could never get a lap because of traffic and cars going off. We tried to get Richard (Westbrook) some laps in the car but couldn’t make that happen. So we’re all looking forward to tomorrow now.”

 

DP DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP UP FOR GRABS IN THE GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES

10 drivers separated by 5 points with 2 races to go

August 22, 2013 – To say it’s crowded at the top would be the understatement of the 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

Ten drivers representing five teams are within five points of the Daytona Prototype lead with two September races remaining at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Lime Rock Park. It’s unprecedented in DP history.

Ryan Dalziel calls it “perfect timing” on the eve of the Rolex Series merger with the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

“It further builds the credibility of the Daytona Prototypes and their drivers,” said Dalziel, who shares the cockpit of the No. 2 Starworks with Alex Popow BMW/Riley with Alex Popow. The pair is third in driver standings, three points behind the leading duo of Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli.

“I have been racing off and on in GRAND-AM since 2003, and not only the level of drivers, but also the level of teams and their preparation is just radically different,” said Christian Fittipaldi, two points behind Taylor and Angelelli. “It is just so much more competitive.”

Dalziel, who finished second in DP points a year ago, said all of the DP teams have stepped it up this year. A Scot living in Orlando, Fla., Dalziel is focused on winning a title as a Pro-Am team – the only one of the top contenders with a gentleman driver in the lineup. “We’d like nothing better than to beat the pros,” he said.

None of the contending teams have been able to avoid trouble, keeping the standings tight.

Only Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa have been able to fashion back-to-back victories but the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP followed its second win at Watkins Glen International with a finish of 14th at Indianapolis. Popow and Dalziel likewise have a 14th on their season record while reigning DP champions Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett suffered the worst disappointment – no points scored in the Belle Isle round after an early-race accident claimed the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW/Riley. The Ganassi drivers remain just five points out of first place.

Teams that weren’t contenders in the past have elevated their performances this season according to Jon Fogarty, who shared 2007 and 2009 DP titles with Alex Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP.

“The series has come a long way in the last couple of years,” said Fogarty. “People are rising to the challenge.”

Among them is 22-year-old Taylor, whose Kansas Speedway victory in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP he shares with Angelelli, pushed the pair into the championship lead.

The younger Taylor finished second in the 2011 GT championship, losing the title by two points to Leh Keen and Andrew Davis.

“It was very tight in the last few races; my first time being involved in a professional fight,” said Taylor. “I’m glad I have been through a similar situation in my career. I now know and have a great idea of what to expect the next two races and understand what we need to do to keep fighting.”

Taylor doesn’t believe any one team or set of drivers has the inside track to this year’s title.

“Everyone in this championship can win races and win the championship; everyone,” he said. “It is now just down to who has the best final two races. Whichever team executes the best and has the fewest mistakes will come out on top.”

Source: Grand-Am Road Racing WS.

 

BIG NIGHT FOR CHEVROLET AND WAYNE TAYLOR RACING IN KANSAS TRIUMPH

Taylor, Angelelli win for third time and regain DP championship lead

Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli, drivers of the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Velocity Worldwide Corvette Daytona Prototype (DP), celebrate their victory Saturday, August 17, 2013 during the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series SFP Grand Prix in Kansas City, Kansas. Taylor and Angelelli regain the lead in the DP championship with the win. (Photos by Brian Cleary for Chevy Racing)

 KANSAS CITY, Kan. Aug. 18, 2013 – Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli came away winners Saturday night in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in more ways than one. The Wayne Taylor Racing duo won the inaugural SFP Grand Prix at Kansas Speedway in their No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette Daytona Prototype and regained the championship lead in the DP drivers’ standings in the process.

Jordan Taylor held off a stern challenge from Scott Pruett to win by 0.568 seconds. The son of team owner Wayne Taylor, driving the closing stint for the first time in a Daytona Prototype, kept Pruett behind him for the better part of an hour. Angelelli moved up from fifth at the start to third when he handed off to Taylor.

The third victory of the season for the Angelelli-Taylor pairing came with the extra bonus of now leading the drivers’ championship. Angelelli and Taylor lead Action Express Racing’s Christian Fittipaldi by two points, meaning Corvette DP drivers hold the top three spots in the championship with two races remaining.

The Wayne Taylor Racing entry made only three pit stops – the least amount of the DP field. After the team elected to short-fill on its first stop, Taylor moved into the lead for the first time midway through the race following the third and final caution period. The team called in Taylor for his final stop with 38 laps to and was the first of the lead cars to pit. That strategy proved to be the difference.

“Max was great at the start and gave me a great car,” Taylor said. “The guys had the perfect strategy, and we were the only ones to do what we did. So it worked out in the end.”

The victory allowed Chevrolet to increase its lead in the engine manufacturers’ standings, and Wayne Taylor Racing moved from fifth to second in the team championship.

“Congratulations to everyone at Wayne Taylor Racing for a fantastic victory in the inaugural Rolex Sports Car Series event at Kansas City and reclaiming the Daytona Prototype drivers’ championship,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager for the Rolex Series. “This was an incredible challenge with a number of incidents that impacted many of the top runners. Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor may not have had the fastest car on the circuit but the Wayne Taylor Racing team had the best strategy and made the fewest mistakes. In a series as competitive as this, those two factors are keys to winning races and championships.”

After starting third and fourth, Action Express Racing’s two Corvette DPs finished fourth and fifth.

In GT, Stevenson Motorsports’ No. 57 Camaro GT.R of John Edwards and Robin Liddell placed fourth. They are third in the class championship and only three points out of first place, as is Stevenson Motorsports in the team standings.

Earlier in the day, Edwards and Matt Bell won the GS class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in Stevenson Motorsports’ No. 9 Camaro GS.R. Both drivers led during their stints, and Edwards ran out front the final 23 laps for the duo’s second GS victory this season.

The next round of the Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge is the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival. Both races are set for Sunday, Sept. 8 from Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. The Rolex Series event will air live at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

 

ACTION EXPRESS FILLS OUT SECOND ROW IN ROLEX SERIES QUALIFYING AT KANSAS CITY

Fittipaldi third-fastest for Action Express in inaugural event

KANSAS CITY, Kan. Aug. 17, 2013 – Action Express Racing will fill out the second row and lead the contingent of Corvette Daytona Prototypes in the inaugural SFP Grand Prix on Saturday. Christian Fittipaldi qualified third in Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP during time trials Friday night at Kansas Speedway for the 10th round of this year’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

Fittipaldi’s best lap was 1:10.055 (121.790 mph) in the entry he shares with Joao Barbosa. The pairing is coming off a runner-up finish in the Rolex Series’ previous round at Road America last weekend.

Four other Corvette DPs followed Fittipaldi in the qualifying order. Burt Frisselle was fourth in the No. 9 Action Express entry at 1:10.081 (121.745 mph). The top seven cars were within 0.598 seconds at the six-turn, 2.370-mile speedway road course. Memo Rojas captured pole position.

Stevenson Motorsports will start from the second row of the GT grid after John Edwards qualified fourth in the No. 57 Camaro GT.R. Edwards’ lap of 1:15.528 (112.96 mph) put him within 0.572 seconds of Alex Tagliani’s pole time. Edwards and teammate Robin Liddell sit second in the GT championship with four victories to their credit. Only one other duo has won more twice this season.

Boris Said in Marsh Racing’s No. 31 Corvette was sixth-fastest in GT qualifying.

“Of course we would like to be on pole position but we have seen far too often that qualifying means little when it comes to the race,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager, Rolex Sports Car Series. “The competition is very close, especially between our Corvette DPs. There still are many unknowns at this new venue for the Rolex Series, and our teams are well-prepared to meet those challenges. That, combined with racing under the lights at this great facility, should make tomorrow’s race very interesting to say the least.”

In qualifying for Saturday’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race, Stevenson Motorsports’ Matt Bell was the fastest driver in a Chevrolet entry at 1:21.695 (104.437 mph). That put the No. 9 Camaro GS.R he drives with Edwards sixth on the GS grid.

 

CHEVROLET GRAND-AM DRIVERS AND TEAMS JOURNEY TO KANSAS SPEEDWAY FOR INAUGURAL SFP GRAND PRIX

DETROIT –  August 15, 2013 –  As the 2013 GRAND-AM Road Racing season heads into the final stretch with only three races remaining until champions are crowned, the Team Chevy teams and drivers face a new challenge this weekend on the 2.370-mile speedway road course at Kansas Speedway for the inaugural running of the SFP Grand Prix.

The newly-configured road course just east of downtown Kansas City, Kansas will present unique challenges for Chevy teams in both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge with two corners that are extremely technical as well as high-speed oval sections and long straightaways. Each Chevrolet team would like to be the first to hoist the hardware in Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway, but it will take focus, precision and exact execution to emerge victorious in the nighttime event.

“It is a short week for the Chevrolet GRAND-AM teams with back-to-back races,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager, Rolex Sports Car Series. “In fact, many of the teams did their maintenance in the paddock area of Road America before heading for this week’s race at a newly configured road course at Kansas Speedway.  The track is unique in that it utilizes the majority of the 1.5-mile oval, but also has a highly-technical infield section.  The combination of the banked oval turns, and the flat infield section are going to present a challenge to crew chiefs and engineers to get the balance of the car around the entire 2.370-mile course to maximize power and handling around the high-speed oval as well as the tight infield section.  We are looking forward to putting more wins in the Chevrolet column as the season begins to wind down and the championship battles continue.”

2013 has been a successful one for Chevrolet teams in both the Daytona Prototype (DP) and Grand Touring (GT) classes.  Heading into this weekend’s race, the Chevrolet Corvette DP teams and drivers have won five of nine races in the DP class and Chevrolet leads the Manufacturer Standings. With only three races remaining to determine a champion, the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team sits third in the standings on the strength of one victory at Circuit of The Americas, and four podium finishes.  Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney find themselves only nine markers away from the top spot.

They are closely followed by fellow Corvette DP teams and driving twosomes of Action Express Racing’s Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa and Wayne Taylor Racing’s Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor who also find themselves within striking distance as the championship battle heats up.  This weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway’s new road course could be the final turning point in determining the 2013 team champions.

In the GT class the pairing of John Edward and Robin Liddell piloting the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R have four victories and five podium finishes this season.  The co-drivers sit second in the team standings only seven points away from the top spot.  Solid runs this weekend in the inaugural event at Kansas Speedway could propel Chevrolet teams to the top positions within their respective classes heading into the final two races of the season.

Also competing this weekend at Kansas Speedway will be the drivers and teams in the Continental Tire Series.  After a disappointing weekend at Road America John Edwards and Matt Bell are ready to get back behind the wheel of the No. 9 Camaro GS.R in hopes of claiming their second victory of the season.  They currently sit second in the team point standings, but are hungry for another trophy.  The driving duo of Lawson Aschenbach and Eric Curran are also due for a win, coming ever so close several times this season, the pair are looking for their first podium finish in 2013 as are their teammates Ashley McCalmont and Bob Michaelian piloting the No. 00 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R.

The first race of the SFP Grand Prix weekend will be the Continental Sports Car Challenge 2 hour and 30 minute contest which is scheduled to take the green flag at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 17 followed by the start of the Rolex Sports Car Series 2 hour and 45 minute race at 8:00 p.m., ET.

 

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: The Spiritual Home

 

Compuware Corvettes come to Elkhart Lake in thick of ALMS GT championships

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. Aug. 07, 2013 – For more than 50 years, Road America has come to define the quintessential American road racing circuit. Likewise, the Chevrolet Corvette has been America’s sports car for 60 years. This weekend, Corvette Racing serves as the bridge that once again reunites the two icons for the Orion Energy 245 – the sixth round of the 2013 American Le Mans Series. The team enters its two velocity yellow Compuware Corvette C6.Rs in the two-hour, 45-minute race.

Road America – featuring 14 turns and measuring 4.048 miles – is one of the more popular stops for Corvette Racing’s lineup and the whole of the ALMS paddock as well. The track also promotes fantastic racing as the last two ALMS races there produced the closest overall finishes in series history. Audiences on ABC can watch all of this year’s race action live at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 11.

For years, Road America has been the site of numerous debuts and race victories for the Corvette brand. It only makes sense – a high-performance automobile deserves a high-performance track. Since 2002, Corvette Racing has carried on the proud tradition of winning at Road America. The span includes six class victories in the ALMS along with a plethora of pole positions and fastest race laps. Oliver Gavin, co-driver with Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette, owns a particularly strong record with three race victories, four career pole positions and four fastest race laps. Three times he was both the fastest qualifier and fastest driver in the race on the same weekend.

Gavin and Milner enter as winners of the most recent ALMS round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and sit second in the GT drivers’ championship and only five points out of first. The duo also is the only one in the class to win more than once in 2013. Third in the championship is the pairing of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette. They won at Laguna Seca in May and placed second in early July at Lime Rock Park. Magnussen has two victories at Road America, and Garcia made his Road America debut last season.

With three victories this year, Chevrolet leads the manufacturers championship and Corvette Racing is first in the team standings.

The weekend has extra meaning for the North American sports car scene. The ALMS and GRAND-AM’s Rolex Sports Car Series share the Road America weekend as a preview to next year’s United SportsCar Series championship – a result of the merger of the two sports car racing organizations. Corvette Racing’s two endurance drivers – Jordan Taylor and Richard Westbrook – will race in Saturday’s Rolex Series event.