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At the Corvette Tent at VIR, Doug F. said it best. They were balancing "results" not "performance". The Ferrari was always fast, but between breaking and having
incidents" they weren't competitive. Now they've won two in a row..
Let's see what they come up with to round out the season.
Live Qualifying on IMSA.com:
09/19/14: starts at 04:20 pm EDT on IMSA.com
GTLM class 5:50 to 6:05 pm EDT
P class 6:35 to 6:50 pm ETD
WEC LMGTE-Pro 7:00 to 7:25 pm EDT
Online Coverage
IMSA.com (includes live images, in-car cameras and announcers) http://www.imsa.com/
(note: it was mentioned that it may be live stream for us in the states, however, on the website there is no mention of that. Website says only those outside the US will be able to view it.
Not yet. We were hoping to hear something on Wednesday however was also told that IMSA likes to wait until the last minute. So now it looks like tomorrow.
Calvin Fish • Justin Bell • Antonio Garcia • Beth Paretta
Richard Westbrook • Oliver Gavin • Jan Magnussen
$125 donation per player
First Place foursome wins: 4 sets of any Contintential Tires {Certificate Provided at Tournament}
Ticket includes: Goodie bags filled with motosports related swag, lunch, snacks, beverages, and opportunity to golf with some of the most notable individuals in the motorsports community.
No news yet on the BoP adjustments, IMSA really has until next week if they want to do it before COTA. However, IMSA announced some significant leadership changes to the competition leadership, which will include those responsible for overseeing BoP as well as in-race officiating. Seems like the message was received loud and clear that this season has had its serious bumps, and we can hope for a smoother 2016.
Racing Veteran Simon Hodgson To Head Up Racing Operations; Beaux Barfield Returns To IMSA As Race Director; Elkins, Walter, Raffauf Assume New IMSA Roles
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 5, 2014) – As the 2014 inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship prepares for its two final races and plans for the 2015 season take shape, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced a number of enhancements to its competition department. IMSA adds motorsports veterans Simon Hodgson and Beaux Barfield to key leadership positions while establishing key new roles for existing IMSA competition officials Scot Elkins, Paul Walter and Mark Raffauf.
Hodgson, a native of the United Kingdom, brings more than 25 years of experience in motorsports to his new position as IMSA’s Managing Director, Racing Operations. Hodgson’s experience includes positions in Formula 1, IndyCar and IMSA / GRAND-AM, where he most recently served as general manager of Wayne Taylor Racing’s championship-winning Prototype team.
Hodgson will oversee all racing operations functions, such as race directors, series platforms, competition administration, member services, track services and logistics. He will report to IMSA President and COO, Scott Atherton.
Elkins, who has served in an executive role with IMSA since 2008, becomes Managing Director, Technical Regulations. He will oversee the technical aspects of all IMSA-sanctioned series, with a primary focus on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda. Those aspects include Adjustment of Performance (AoP), technical regulations, homologation, technical staff and technical inspection.
He also will continue to represent IMSA for all international technical meetings with groups such as the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO), and will continue to lead IMSA’s development in collaboration with the ACO and FIA of all aspects of the new TUDOR Championship Prototype (P) class car set to debut in 2017. Elkins will continue to report to Atherton.
“The addition of Simon to our senior leadership team and the redefinition of Scot’s responsibilities put IMSA in a very strong position domestically and abroad,” Atherton said. “Simon comes in with a wealth of relevant industry experience and has earned the respect of virtually everyone with whom he has come in contact throughout his very successful and diverse career.
“Likewise, Scot maintains a strong voice in defining technical regulations that shape the future of our sport here in the U.S., Europe and around the world. He has developed solid relationships with his international counterparts, which are vital to the long-term success of the technical rules that will govern and unify professional endurance sports car racing.”
Hodgson joins the company at its Daytona Beach headquarters on Monday, Sept. 8 and both he and Elkins assume their new responsibilities immediately.
Barfield tapped as new IMSA Race Director
Beginning with upcoming 2014 events at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on Sept. 19-20 and the season finale Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, veteran official Beaux Barfield will become Race Director for the TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire Challenge. Barfield served in the Race Director role of the IMSA-sanctioned American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón from 2008 through 2011. He most recently was Race Director for the IndyCar Series from 2012 to 2014.
Barfield will be responsible for race direction and race control staff for all TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire Challenge events.
With the addition of Barfield, Paul Walter moves into the role of Director, Racing Operations. His responsibilities will continue to include the development of all event schedules and supplementary regulations, as well as the IMSA Rule Books and related updates. Walter also will serve as the Clerk of the Course and have an active role in competition-related matters.
Long-time IMSA and GRAND-AM competition leader Mark Raffauf has been named IMSA Director, Series Platforms. He will have day-to-day oversight of all IMSA series platforms, including the TUDOR Championship, Continental Tire Challenge, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
Barfield, Walter and Raffauf will report to Hodgson.
“These enhancements to our leadership structure will enable us to maximize the strengths of each of these individuals and our entire IMSA competition team,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “I am pleased to add Simon to our team, welcome Beaux back into the IMSA family and congratulate Scot, Paul and Mark on their new positions. All of them are proven professionals who will play important roles in the continued growth and development of IMSA now and into our bright future.”
No news yet on the BoP adjustments, IMSA really has until next week if they want to do it before COTA. However, IMSA announced some significant leadership changes to the competition leadership, which will include those responsible for overseeing BoP as well as in-race officiating. Seems like the message was received loud and clear that this season has had its serious bumps, and we can hope for a smoother 2016.
Major changes were desperately needed!! Besides the race teams, some fans were really questioning the overall quality of the IMSA.
Corvette gets 15kg less weight and a bigger restrictor.
BMW Gets 25kg more weight (same weight as Corvette) and bigger restrictor (bigger than Corvette)
Ferrari gets smaller restrictor.
So, net of the last two is that Corvette is 10kg heavier, but have a bigger restrictor. Without the data to understand effects on restrictor size, I'm guessing they are aiming for the same straight line speed as before crazy weight gain, but a little worse braking/cornering.
The factory Porsche Team is adding a 3rd car to try to increase their chances of a Manufacturer Championship. I believe only the highest finishing car counts, but having 4 cars versus the others only having 2 certainly will help increase their odds. I'm glad they will be adding cars to the GTLM field no matter what they are, not enough cars in that class.
CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: Looking to Defend in Austin
Corvette DP, GT cars winners last year in Circuit of The Americas debut
· Corvette DP won in Rolex Series, Corvette Racing in ALMS last year in Austin
· Second-to-last event weekend for TUDOR Championship
· Chevrolet aims to maintain lead in Prototype, GTLM manufacturer standings
DETROIT (Sept. 16, 2014) – Corvette Racing and Corvette Daytona Prototypes head deep in the heart of Texas this weekend for the Lone Star Le Mans race and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Circuit of The Americas. It is the second-to-last round of the TUDOR Championship, and both the Prototype and GT Le Mans (GTLM) standings reflect a heavy Corvette flavor.
The 2013 season was the first time Corvette Racing and Corvette DPs competed at COTA. In the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won in Austin. Later in the year, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won in the American Le Mans Series’ GT class in a fantastic battle.
Fast-forwarding a year, the 51-car grid at COTA will have a strong Corvette flavor – the two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs in GTLM for Corvette Racing and four Corvette DPs in the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype class.
Corvette DP: Closing in on Manufacturer Title
With victories in five events this season – including four in the last five events – Chevrolet has taken control of the engine manufacturer championship. Consecutive victories by Action Express Racing’s Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi in their No. 5 Corvette DP have Chevrolet 19 points clear with 70 points available over the final two races.
Barbosa and Fittipaldi lead the Prototype driver’s championship, and Corvette DP drivers hold the top three positions in points. Wayne Taylor Racing’s Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor are second, followed by Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante from Spirit of Daytona Racing.
All six drivers are separated by 18 points, and the differential is the same between the three entries in the team standings.
At Marsh Racing, Boris Said is set to make his return with Eric Curran in their No. 31 Corvette DP. Said has been out since the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park round in July following a crash and was replaced by Burt Frisselle at Indianapolis and Road America. The latter race saw Curran and Frisselle finish fifth overall for the team’s best result in its first year fielding a Corvette DP.
Corvette Racing: Ready for Redemption
A repeat victory at Circuit of The Americas is on the mind of everyone at Corvette Racing. Following four straight GTLM victories for Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, the class championship has tightened with Garcia holding a six-point lead in points. After missing the VIR round three weeks ago as a precaution following a hard crash during practice, Magnussen now stands fourth. Fortunately, the Dane will be back in the Corvette alongside Garcia for the weekend.
The Garcia/Magnussen pairing won a thriller that saw Garcia hold off multiple challengers for the entirety of his 58-minute final stint. Their third win of the season put them in the ALMS GT championship lead, and they never relinquished it.
Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette hope to right their season at a track that left them and the No. 4 crew stunned in last year’s race. Milner led early before the gearbox in his Corvette C6.R failed and the car lost drive just shy of an hour into the race.
VIR began promising for the Gavin/Milner duo. Gavin made up four spots at the start and moved from near the back of the class grid to fifth in 13 laps. Milner was on the move too when he began his stint and made up four places before being pushed off track.
FOX Sports 1’s television coverage of the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase starts at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday. Live coverage of qualifying begins at 4:20 p.m. ET Friday on IMSA.com.
GTLM QUOTES
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“(Last year’s race) was probably one of my best. The team was a big part of that. Both Jan and I benefitted from really good strategy and pit stops. Everything really came together including the last stop. The execution was great and all I had to do was defend; I was out front and the deal was I never had to pass anyone. It was a great race and the key race where everything started to go our way toward the championship. This year, we don’t know how strong we will be compared to the rest of the GTLM field. The last two races have been difficult to keep up with the rest of the field and be competitive. All we can do is be as prepared as possible.
“The key thing about this track is that the fear factor is lower than anywhere else. Runoffs are huge sections of tarmac so you can really drive beyond your limits and see what happens without risking everything. You can try different things at COTA whereas you can’t really anywhere else.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“Having to sit out VIR was difficult. There was nothing I could except watch any hopes for winning a championship slip away. It was really unfortunate and the tough thing about concussions. It was still the right call. Getting back in the car will be just like any other race except with just a longer break. There are absolutely no ill effects and I will be ready to race.
“It was a tough race last year. Hopefully we will have a little easier time of it this year. However the last few races have been difficult for us to be at the front. With the improvements made the C7.R, we will have a little easier time. It’s a cool place to be, and we’ve already shown we can win there. We are hoping that with a new car we can do it again.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“As we witnessed last year, Circuit of The Americas is a great place for us to race. We are there with the FIA World Endurance Championship, so people coming out are going to see the highest quality of sports cars from around the world – whether it’s our GT class or the likes of Audi and Toyota in the LMP1 class of the WEC. People will have a great show and get a great taste of sports car racing.
“Hopefully this time around Tommy and I will have much better luck in the race. It was great watching him lead in the ALMS’ GT class before our gearbox gave out. Unfortunately I never got time in the car. So in that sense, I am going back there with a score to settle. Tommy, myself and the entire No. 4 crew are definitely due to have some breaks go our way for a change. We’re all confident that we can return to form this weekend.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“Oliver, myself and everyone on the No. 4 car are working hard to get a good result at the end of the year to sort of lift our spirits a little bit. We feel like we’re due a good result. That’s our focus – help support our teammates and help Chevrolet in the manufacturer’s championship. In many ways, we can be the rabbit in some ways and push really hard and push our competitors really hard in the race by being aggressive.
“The track as we saw last year allowed for everyone to be more aggressive than usual, especially in traffic and trying to get by your competitors. If you go to a track like Mosport or VIR, you have to be dead-on with your passes and be certain that it will work. But that’s not a problem at Austin.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“Circuit of The Americas is without a doubt one of the finest venues anywhere in North America. The Austin scene is vibrant, and we’re glad to be bringing our Corvette C7.Rs there for the first time. As you remember, last year’s race went down as one of the most dramatic in Corvette Racing history. This time around will be just as challenging but we’re hopeful that the recent performance adjustments from IMSA will provide a level playing field for all the manufacturers in GTLM – Chevrolet included.”
PROTOTYPE QUOTES
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, NO. 5 ACTION EXPRESS RACING CORVETTE DP
"We managed to test at a lot of tracks but Austin was one that we did not manage to go. We went to Road Atlanta last week and had a very strong test. Chevy is putting a lot of effort behind the whole program. Action Express Racing is really putting a strong, quick car together for us. So I think we’re going to be ready for the race. It’s not going to be easy. It is very competitive and very tough out there. We’re just arriving from the two-day test at Road Atlanta, and hopefully we can translate what we learned into the race this weekend."
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DP
“COTA is one of the best racing facilities we have now in North America. The track itself is extremely technical. It has all sorts of different corners - high-speed low-speed, chicanes, hairpins, long sweepers and elevation change. So for a driver, it’s a real challenge to get the most out of the car. The two long straights lead into big wide brake zones into tight corners, which makes passing much more inviting.”
ERIC CURRAN, NO. 31 MARSH RACING CORVETTE DP
“I'm really looking forward to racing at COTA in our Whelen Corvette Daytona Prototype. This is one of my all-time favorite race tracks. And racing in the prototype class for the first time here is going to be a blast! We learned a lot about the track here last year and were always really fast in our Whelen GT Corvette. I'm hoping the momentum of finishing fifth at Road America will continue. Boris (Said) is back driving with me again after a big incident at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park three races ago. He is healed up and feeling good about getting back in the car. All the Whelen and Marsh Racing boys have been working like crazy to find the additional speed in our car needed to run at the front of the field. We did a two-day test at Road Atlanta that went really well, and hopefully what we learned will carry over to the race this weekend.”
RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 90 SPIRIT OF DAYTONA RACING CORVETTE DP
“Finally the gloves will be off at COTA, and due to our 18-point deficit we can solely concentrate on adding another win to our tally. We were disappointed to only get fourth at Road America despite starting from the back but now we will just look forward and can throw a little caution to the wind. Even with a small chance of winning the championship we will not give up until the end, especially as it took such hard work from everyone in the team to get into contention. COTA is a great track and should suit the Corvette DP. It's a place where I always look forward to racing.”
JIM LUTZ, CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE PROGRAM MANAGER
“It will be good to return to Circuit of The Americas, where the Corvette Daytona Prototype won last year in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. It was the first victory of the season and started Chevrolet’s drive to the DP engine manufacturer championship. Now with this as the second-to-last race in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, it’s important for our Corvette DP teams to continue the momentum we’ve gained over the last five races. The track layout presents a challenge with a number of tight turns and some short straights that should favor the lighter P2 cars. But we will work with all our teams to give them the best suggestions on setup and preparation at this important event.”
TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings
Driver Standings
Team Standings
Manufacturer Standings
1. Antonio Garcia – 270
2. Jonathan Bomarito/Kuno Wittmer – 264
T3. Bill Auberlen/Andy Priaulx – 250
T3. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 250
T3. Dirk Muller/Andy Priaulx – 250
4. Jan Magnussen – 246
5. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 240
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 270
2. No. 93 SRT Motorsports – 264
3. No. 55 BMW Team RLL – 250
4. No. 55 BMW Team RLL – 250
5. No. 91 SRT Motorsports – 250
7. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 240
1. Porsche – 276
2. Chevrolet – 274
3. SRT – 273
4. BMW – 272
5. Ferrari – 264
TUDOR Championship – Prototype Standings
Driver Standings
Team Standings
Engine Manufacturer Standings
1. Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi – 285
2. Jordan Taylor/Ricky Taylor – 269
3. Michael Valiante/Richard Westbrook – 267
4. Gustavo Yacaman – 253
5. Scott Pruett – 250
13. Burt Frisselle – 132
14. Eric Curran – 124
15. Boris Said – 117
20. Max Angelelli – 85
21. Brian Frisselle – 84
23. Sebastien Bourdais – 67
27. Jon Fogarty – 54
1. No. 5 Action Express Racing – 285
2. No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing – 269
3. No. 90 Spirit of Daytona – 267
4. No. 42 Oak Racing – 253
5. No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing – 250
10. No. 31 Marsh Racing – 186
13. No. 9 Action Express Racing – 84
18. GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing – 14
1. Chevrolet – 301
2. Ford – 282
3. Nissan – 269
4. Honda – 265
5. Mazda – 242
Lone Star Le Mans – TUDOR Championship (all times CT)
08-26-2014, 10:12 PM
