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Watkins Glen Qualifying Canceled Due to Rain
By John Dagys
Qualifying for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen has been canceled due to rain, leaving the grid for the sixth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship determined by drivers points.
Heavy rain descended upon the 3.4-mile, 11-turn circuit Saturday morning, with heavy showers forcing a the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race to end under caution after a late-race red flag for inclement weather.
Mark your calendars-Corvette Racing's Doug Fehan and Tommy Milner!
Join the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum's annual Doug Fehan Corvette Racing Event to be held on October 23 - 24, 2015. Joining Doug this year will be Le Mans winning driver Tommy Milner. The weekend's events will commence with a Launch Party on Friday evening and continue on Saturday with something new for this event - an auction of Corvette Racing memorabilia provided by Doug and Corvette Racing.
This will be a wonderful celebration of the Corvette so stay tuned for further details and tickets.
CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Familiar Surroundings for the Cross Flags
Six class victories at Elkhart Lake since racing debut there in 2002
· Garcia, Magnussen enter with GT Le Mans championship lead
· Familiar grounds for both Corvette Racing and Corvette production cars
· Chevrolet hoping to gain ground in GTLM manufacturer standings
DETROIT (Aug. 5, 2015) – Corvette Racing returns to one of North America’s classic tracks this weekend: Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The team’s two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs are part of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class field for Sunday’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase – the seventh round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing.
Road America is a familiar place to Corvette Racing. Its cars – three generations worth – and drivers routinely are fast around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn layout.
In addition to its racing activities in the American Le Mans Series and now the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the team has routinely used Road America for testing ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s long straights and hard braking zones present the types of challenges found that sports car racing typically presents.
Corvette Racing first competed at Road America during the 2002 ALMS season. The team has claimed six victories since that first visit including five straight from 2004-08 in the eras of the Corvette C5-R and Corvette C6.R. It also should come as no surprise that the roster of Corvette Racing drivers have fared well at Road America.
In particular, Oliver Gavin owns a record of four pole positions and five fastest race laps in 13 appearances. Gavin, who drives the No. 4 Corvette C7.R with Tommy Milner, has been part of three Corvette Racing victories at Road America. Jan Magnussen, teammate with Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R, has won twice at the track including in 2008 with Corvette Racing.
Garcia and Magnussen arrive in Wisconsin with the GTLM Driver’s championship lead, as does the No. 3 Corvette C7.R in the team standings.
Chevrolet stands third in GTLM Manufacturer points but only six points from first place. In 17 TUDOR Championship events, Corvette Racing has six wins in 17 series events – four in 2014 plus Daytona and Sebring to open 2015.
Corvette Racing also won the GTE Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year for the eighth time. Gavin, Milner and Jordan Taylor drove the winning No. 64 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R.
Corvette, Chevrolet on Display at Road America
Chevrolet and Corvette will be featured heavily at Road America both on the race track and off. In addition to the weekend’s on-track activities, fans and guests at Road America can learn all they need to know about Chevrolet and Corvette by visiting the Corvette Racing Display from Friday to Sunday just inside the main track entrance near the Hawk Performance Tunnel. Among the Chevrolet attractions at the Display include:
• Chevrolet production vehicles such as the 2016 Corvette Stingray Z51, Silverado 2500 Duramax Diesel, Malibu LTZ and Traverse LTZ.
• Chevrolet specialty vehicles the Corvette Z06 C7.R edition, Corvette C7.R showcar, accessorized Chevrolet Colorado, Midnight Edition Impala and City Express Van.
• Samples of Chevrolet engines, performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer
• Commemorative t-shirts for fans who sign up with Corvette Racing.
In addition, a Chevy Corvette Z51 Stingray will pace the field for the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, and a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R will lead the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge field to green Saturday afternoon.
The Corvette Racing display opens at 8 a.m., Friday through Sunday.
The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase is the seventh race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing. The event is set for 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 9 from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Live TV coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Road America is a very particular race track. It’s very long and that puts you in a lot of different scenarios during a race. The track varies a lot over the course of a two-minute lap. You just need to be fast everywhere. That’s always the question about Road America on aero – do you run full downforce or low downforce? It always seems to be a wash. You just need to decide what you want for racing. Even if the car is just as fast in both configurations, you need to choose whatever is easiest or can put you in the best situation to contend for a victory.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Road America is one of these places where there is a lot to be gained if you are brave enough and get the car to work like you want it to. It’s super fast. If you ask everyone in this paddock, 90 percent will say it’s their favorite track. I’ll always pick that type of circuit over the modern ones. For me, the next couple of tracks – Road America and VIR – are such fantastic experiences to drive at. You really feel like you must be so precise and you have to push. You know if you mess it up, it will be a big mistake.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s a number of things that I enjoy about Road America – the layout of the track and nature of the surface. It encourages close racing. The fact that it has a number of long straights means that cars that are following can get a decent tow – particularly at Turn Three and Turn Five. They are slowish corners and there are pretty decent brake zones. If you can get a tow up behind someone and use that big brake zone to pass them, you can gain significant advantages. The cars that have good horsepower are going to be strong. The introduction of a new Michelin tire will play quite a big factor in the weekend. We’re going to have to really work hard to figure that tire out as quickly as we can.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m really enjoying this run of tracks – Le Mans, Watkins Glen, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and now Road America. It’s a track that we at Corvette Racing know very well. Everyone talks about how fast it is but in my mind, braking is just as important. It’s how you set up and complete your passes on a track as long as Road America. One aspect of the Corvette C7.R we’ve seen over the last two years is its capabilities under the brakes. As close as it is in our class, any small advantage you may have over your competitors is huge.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “It's difficult to find a fan, driver or crew member who doesn't look forward to racing at Road America. The scenic and rolling four miles of tarmac produces amazingly close racing at the some of the highest speeds we see anywhere in North America. Not to mention, this place is responsible for the creation of original Corvette Corral and the best brats, sweet corn and ice cream anywhere we go. In the end, I think this event will definitely be pivotal in our quest for another Corvette Racing championship, and the fans are going to enjoy every minute of it. So will we!”
TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings
Driver Standings
Team Standings
Manufacturer Standings
1. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 188
2. Bill Auberlen/Dirk Werner – 186
3. John Edwards/Lucas Luhr – 178
4. Patrick Pilet – 176
5. Giancarlo Fisischella/Pierre Kaffer – 171
8. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 157
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 188
2. No. 25 BMW Team RLL – 186
3. No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 178
4. No. 911 Porsche N. America – 176
5. No. 62 Risi Competizione – 171
8. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 157
1. BMW – 194
2. Porsche – 190
3. Chevrolet – 188
4. Ferrari – 178
Continental Tire Road Race Showcase – GT Le Mans (all times CT unless noted)
TUDOR Practice 1: Noon, Friday, Aug. 7
TUDOR Practice 2: 4:15 p.m., Friday, Aug. 7
TUDOR Practice 3: 9:15 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 8
TUDOR GTLM Qualifying: 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8 (IMSA.com)
TUDOR Warmup: 9 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 9
Race: 2:05 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 9 (3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)
Latest BoP gives small weight breaks and aero changes to the Ferrari and the 911s. Not surprised by the Ferrari change, less weight and more downforce. Was surprised with the 911 change, although maybe getting less weight but less downforce keeps it close.
Corvette DPs were definitely slowed down with more restriction and more weight.
GTLM class BoP changes and Corvette DPs Hit with BoP Adjustments for Road America - Sportscar365
The championship-leading Corvette DPs have been pegged back with weight and restrictor adjustments ahead of next weekend’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America.
Balance of Performance changes, meanwhile, have also been made in the GT Le Mans category for the ninth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
After having claimed six out of seven wins this season to date, the Corvette DPs will head to Wisconsin with a 10 kg minimum weight increase and 0.3 mm smaller air restrictor.
The GTLM class sees changes to the Ferrari F458 Italia and Porsche 911 RSR, with both cars losing 10 kg of minimum weight.
The Prancing Horse will receive a taller rear wing, while the gurney height of the Porsche has been reduced.
The BoP changes, which go into immediate effect, are the first since last month’s round at Watkins Glen.
Tight GTLM Points Battle Between Corvette, BMW Entering Continental Tire Road Race Showcase At Road America
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 4, 2015) – Living up to its reputation as the best GT racing on the planet, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class features a close battle for the championship lead between Corvette and BMW teams, separated by only two points entering Sunday’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America.
Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen hold a slim advantage over BMW Team RLL’s Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner entering Round 9, which features all four TUDOR Championship classes in a two-hour, 40-minute race at the historic 14-turn, 4.048-mile venue. The race will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
Garcia and Magnussen opened the year with victories in the endurance classics at Daytona and Sebring in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R; they currently lead Auberlen and Werner – winners at Long Beach in addition to two runner-up finishes in the No. 25 IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 GTLM – by a 188-186 tally with four races remaining.
Both teams field competitive second entries. Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin return in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R they drove to the GTE Pro class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June; John Edwards and Lucas Luhr co-drive the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca-winning No. 24 IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 GTLM.
Ferrari is the defending GTLM winner at Road America, with Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer returning in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia they piloted to consecutive victories in 2014.
“I have such a good memory of this race last year at Road America,” said Fisichella, who competed in 229 Formula One Grands Prix before transitioning into sports car racing. “We had a good car and we thought we could fight for a podium finish but we actually did not expect to win. We pitted in fifth place and came out in first and Pierre was able to keep that position right to the end of the race. We would all like to have a repeat and be back on the podium at Road America this year.”
Porsche teams won the two most recent GTLM races. Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet triumphed at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR. Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler won the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR. Additionally, Earl Bamber joins Joerg Bergmeister in the No. 912 Porsche North America entry.
TUDOR Championship practice opens at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, with qualifying streamed live on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile app beginning at 4:35 p.m. ET.
CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Center Stage for Corvette C7.Rs
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Center Stage for Corvette C7.Rs
GT-only race means Corvette Racing will go for overall TUDOR victory
· Team hoping to replicate 2012 GT victory
· Home race for Le Mans winner Tommy Milner
· Garcia, Magnussen carry 4-point championship lead to Virginia
DETROIT (Aug. 18, 2015) – Corvette Racing – and the rest of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans class – takes center stage this weekend at Virginia International Raceway. The Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR is a GT-only event for the TUDOR Championship with GTLM and the GT Daytona class. It means that Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing team – with 97 class victories around the world – is in prime position to win an overall event for the second time.
The first, of course, was the 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona. This weekend’s race length is just two hours, 40 minutes but it will be all-out from the start, drivers say. Corvette Racing already knows the formula to winning at VIR, having done so in 2012 with Oliver Gavin and Virginia’s Tommy Milner. Not only did the two win a four-hour American Le Mans Series, they clinched that year’s GT Championship in the American Le Mans Series.
This year it’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen who lead the GTLM standings in their No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. Winners this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, the pairing finished on the podium two years ago in their run to the ALMS GT title.
Gavin and Milner arrive at VIR as the reigning GTE Pro winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the eighth victory there for Corvette Racing. Milner, who hails from Ashburn in the northern part of Virginia, claimed his first professional pole position in 2004 as part of the GRAND-AM GT class. He also won a GRAND-AM race at VIR the following year.
Corvette Racing and the rest of the IMSA competition this weekend will race on VIR’s 3.27-mile, 17-turn full course. It’s a blend of slower, technical turns early and late in the lap along with an uphill section of high-speed esses and a long backstraight.
The Oak Tree Grand Prix from Virginia International Raceway is set for 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 23. Live TV coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Even though this is a two-class race this weekend, VIR is still a tough challenge. The GTD cars will be faster than us in a straight line, so we will have to be aggressive in a lot of the corners and under braking to get by them. Fortunately we have a good balance with our Corvette C7.R and it changes direction very well. That is helpful on the early part of the lap toward the Esses and then the last couple of corner combinations. Given the landscape of GTLM right now, Jan and I will need to maximize every strength to keep our championship lead.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m looking forward to getting back to VIR. Missing last year’s race after crashing on fluid from another car in practice was unpleasant but that’s in the past. The focus for Antonio and myself this year is to maintain our GTLM points lead. It won’t be easy as VIR is a big challenge with a good mix of high speeds and technical sections. Typically the Corvette is very good on those types of circuits where braking and good grip to power down is key. We hope that’s the case again this weekend.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It seems like our Corvette should be well-suited to the track at VIR. You need a car that has decent top speed but handles well on the slower, more technical part of the circuit. Certainly Tommy and I have very fond memories of our win at VIR in 2012. Everything just seemed to click into place. It could have gone all wrong at Turn 1. I arrived with cars spinning everywhere and tried to avoid everyone by going in the grass. There was a spinning prototype in front of me and somehow I didn’t hit it. After that, things settled in and ran to plan. It was a magical day for everyone at Corvette Racing. It was a great way to win a championship and very satisfying to do.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “VIR is one of those really good traditional, old-style tracks. It’s a place that is incredibly challenging just by yourself with the high-speed esses and a couple of low-speed sections to start the lap. It can e bard to pass there. Track position is important there. For me, it’s the closest race I have to home, and I’ve had success there in the past. Every year, the staff at VIR spends a lot of time and effort to make the facility better, and we’re looking forward to seeing the work they’ve done.
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “The rolling hills of Virginia have provided VIR with some very dynamic real estate on which to build one of the most beautiful racetracks in North America. As we head south, we are entering the final portion of our season and with every GTLM championship up for grabs. With only the GT cars competing here, it will definitely remind the fans of GT racing of old and will be very fun to watch in person and on television. Corvette Racing is certainly looking forward to this format. We plan to do all we can, with what we have been given, to move closer to securing our next Championship.”
Driver Standings
Team Standings
Manufacturer Standings
1. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 217
2. Bill Auberlen/Dirk Werner – 213
3. Patrick Pilet – 176
4. John Edwards/Lucas Luhr – 204
5. Giancarlo Fisischella/Pierre Kaffer – 202
8. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 182
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 217
2. No. 25 BMW Team RLL – 213
3. No. 911 Porsche N. America – 212
4. No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 204
5. No. 62 Risi Competizione – 202
8. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 182
1. Porsche – 225
2. BMW – 222
3. Chevrolet – 218
4. Ferrari – 210
Oak Tree Grand Prix – GT Le Mans (all times ET)
TUDOR Practice 1: 11:45 a.m., Friday, Aug. 21
TUDOR Practice 2: 4 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21
TUDOR Practice 3: 9:55 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 22
TUDOR GTLM Qualifying: 5:05 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22 (IMSA.com)
TUDOR Warmup: 8:35 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 23
Race: 1:05 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23 (1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)
Corvette Racing at VIR
Year
Class
Drivers
Result
Car
Notes
2012
GT
Garcia/Magnussen
8th
Corvette C6.R
Garcia fastest race lap
GT
Gavin/Milner
1st
Corvette C6.R
Gavin/Milner clinch ALMS GT title
06-27-2015, 10:47 AM
