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Radio Highlights: http://www.radiolemans.com/
Jan 08
2:00 PM - Roar before the 24 - Day 1 highlights
Jan 09
2:00 PM - Roar before the 24 - Day 2 highlights
Jan 10
2:00 PM - Roar before the 24 - Day 3 highlights
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Dress Rehearsal for Rolex 24
Three-day test for defending GT Le Mans race-winning team
· Two 2016 Corvette C7.Rs set for full IMSA season
· Corvette Racing a two-time winner in Rolex 24
· All six Corvette Racing endurance drivers set to attend
DETROIT (Jan. 6, 2016) – Corvette Racing’s march to what it hopes is a second straight victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona continues this week with the annual Roar Before the 24 – a three-day test at Daytona International Speedway. It is the final on-track session ahead of the opening of the 2016 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) season.
Corvette Racing is a two-time winner in the Rolex 24: overall in 2001 and last year in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. Two new 2016-spec Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs are set for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – including the Rolex 24.
The team has spent the offseason developing and testing the Corvette C7.Rs including a two-day test at Daytona in November. Five of the six Corvette Racing drivers for the Rolex 24 attended: full-season pilots Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner; plus endurance driver Mike Rockenfeller.
Garcia and Magnussen, who were teammates in the victorious No. 3 Corvette C7.R last year, will drive with Rockenfeller at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. In the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, Gavin and Milner will drive in the two events with Marcel Fässler, a past World Champion in the FIA World Endurance Championship and part of Corvette Racing’s endurance lineup in 2009.
Nearly a year ago, the No. 3 Corvette C7.R won at Daytona by 0.478 seconds while Gavin and Milner were part of the third-place pairing in class. It started a season in which Corvette Racing claimed endurance racing’s Triple Crown – the Rolex 24, Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. No team had won all three races in the same season in 15 years.
Evolution of the Corvette C7.R for 2016
A new round of technical regulations for 2016 by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the governing body for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, allows manufacturers additional freedom in the design of GTE cars. Those include the 2016 Corvette C7.R and others cars competing in the GTE Pro class at Le Mans and GT Le Mans in IMSA’s top-level sports car championship.
The aim of the new rules is to enhance the performance of top-level GT cars while making them safer – an area where Corvette Racing has been endurance racing’s leader.
Most notable in the updated racing Corvette is an FIA-mandated roof hatch that allows safety workers to insert an extraction device into the cockpit in order to secure a driver’s head, neck and spine in the event of an injury. An improved racing seat also includes more pronounced side restraints and meets higher structural performance requirements.
Corvette Racing has been a trendsetter in the area of driver safety for a number of years. Head restraints have been part of the driver cell in years past, and the team developed a side-impact structure to help dissipate the force of a collision. The primary chassis structure from the Corvette Z06 production car also is a fundamental component of the crash system.
New rules allow for a significant increase in aerodynamic performance for the 2016-spec Corvette C7.R. A new, larger splitter and a large, 3-D diffuser with tunnels underneath create more downforce while improving efficiency. The rear wing is located 15 centimeters farther rearward on the 2016 Corvette C7.R, and there are larger and more efficient rocker skirts present, as well.
The powertrain on the Corvette C7.R is unchanged with a 5.5-liter V-8 Chevrolet small block powering the race car. The Corvette C7.R will use E20 fuel during the IMSA season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Rolex 24 was the site of Corvette Racing’s debut on Jan. 31, 1999. Since that first race, the team has competed in more than 170 events around the globe with 97 victories worldwide – including three wins in 2015 – along with 10 team and manufacturer championships in the American Le Mans Series and eight victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It has been a busy offseason for everyone at Corvette Racing. Everyone on the team has worked very hard to get the new Corvette C7.R ready for 2016. We have made a large amount of progress in all the testing we’ve done so far. The potential is there for this to be a better Corvette than we have had the last two seasons - possibly the best one I’ve driven. We will look to take those final steps this weekend at Daytona and put ourselves in the best possible position for another win in the Rolex 24.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s always nice going back to a place where you’ve won races. Daytona was tremendous last year for everyone on the team so naturally we’re coming here with high expectations. We have had an extensive test program with the updates to the Corvette C7.R, which will be a big benefit going into this race. There is hardly any time during the week of the race to do any setup work. You really need to maximize the amount of time you have at the Roar to put yourself in a good spot heading into the Rolex.”
MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Getting seat-time in the Corvette C7.R in November was a good experience. I enjoyed getting to know everyone on the team and understanding the processes within Corvette Racing. It’s important to get all you can out of these opportunities ahead of such a big event like Daytona. That level of preparation allows you to work down toward the smaller items that typically make the difference in 24-hour races like the Rolex.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m really pleased with the amount of testing we’ve done on this new Corvette C7.R. It’s been great to see how the feel of the car has progressed since the first time we all sat in it. But we know that we have to be on the top of our game in the GTLM class. We saw in last year’s race how important it is to have a car that is fast and reliable around Daytona. We’ll have three days this weekend to work toward our baseline setup for the race. Every session is important since the race-week schedule is incredibly compressed. I’m confident that with the work we’ve done so far that we will be in great shape.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s been a whirlwind offseason for everyone at Corvette Racing with a massive amount of testing and development for 2016. But if you look back at past years, that’s where this team has excelled. With how competitive our class is, you need that time in order to arrive at Daytona with the car as well-sorted as possible. It puts you in a great position for the race as you’re able to work with your crews and engineers on fine-tuning your strategy and setup for the race. That was the case last season and I’m confident we will be in that same spot again this year.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m looking forward to returning to the Corvette Racing team. There always has been a high level of respect for the Corvette Racing program, especially considering the success they have at Le Mans. They always seem to come out with great cars and advanced technologies, and how nice the car is to drive and position of the drivers in the car. Everyone has really high levels of respect for this program, and that shows in the team’s results over the years.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “This year’s Roar is important to Corvette Racing for a number of reasons. You always like to measure yourself against the competition, which this year includes brand new race cars from our competitors. But our primary focus is on the continued development and preparation our Corvette C7.Rs. As defending Rolex 24 champion, our goal is repeating the success we earned last year, and it all starts at the Roar.”
Corvette Racing at Daytona
Year
Class
Drivers
Result
Car
Notes
1999
GT2
Fellows/Kneifel/Paul Jr.
3rd
Corvette C5-R
GT2
Sharp/Pilgrim/Heinricy
12th
Corvette C5-R
2000
GTO
Fellows/Bell/Kneifel
2nd
Corvette C5-R
GTO
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon
10th
Corvette C5-R
2001
GTS
Fellows/O'Connell/Kneifel/Freon
1st
Corvette C5-R
Overall winners by 8 laps
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Roar Before the 24 Test Program Complete
Press Release
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Roar Before the 24 Test Program Complete
Gavin second-quickest in GTLM during the weekend ahead of Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 10, 2016) – Corvette Racing ran through a three-day testing program as part of the Roar Before the 24 – the final opportunity for track time ahead of the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona. The two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs completed a total of 449 laps between them on a weekend focused on development and preparation for the start of the 2016 season.
Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R set the second-fastest GT Le Mans (GTLM) time of the weekend and quickest Sunday during the morning session – a 1:45.106 (121.934 mph) lap in the car he will share with Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler at The Rolex 24.
Gavin and Milner will drive together in the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Fässler joining for Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Antonio Garcia was the fastest of the drivers in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R that he shares with Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller. Like Gavin, Garcia’s best effort came Sunday morning and was a 1:45.124 (121.913 mph) lap around the 3.56-mile circuit. It was good enough for fourth on the weekend.
Garcia and Magnussen won the Rolex 24 in GTLM a year ago. It was the first leg of Corvette Racing’s Triple Crown season as it also won at Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. No team had accomplished the feat in 15 years.
The No. 4 Corvette C7.R team rebounded from an incident Friday in the morning session with Milner behind the wheel. A check valve malfunction ignited a small fire in the right-rear compartment of the race car. It was quickly extinguished, and Milner was uninjured in the incident. The car returned to the track Saturday morning after the team thoroughly checked the Corvette and made the necessary repairs.
The 2016-spec Corvette C7.R is an updated racecar due to changes in Automobile Club de l’Ouest regulations for top-level GT cars that compete in the IMSA GTLM class. There are a number of aerodynamic changes including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette. Side skirts and a repositioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTLM cars.
The powertrain on the Corvette C7.R is unchanged from 2015 with a 5.5-liter V-8 Chevrolet small block powering the race car. The Corvette C7.R will use E20 fuel during the IMSA season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Rolex 24 was the site of Corvette Racing’s debut on Jan. 31, 1999. Since that first race, the team has competed in more than 170 events around the globe with 97 victories worldwide – including three wins in 2015 – along with 10 team and manufacturer championships in the American Le Mans Series and eight victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We always want more track time. But this weekend was very good. The weather gave us a chance to carry on with some things that may help us in the race. It has been a very productive Roar, which is unusual. You tend to lose a lot of time to things like red flags and weather. We have worked through a lot of things that need to be analyzed in order for us to be quicker for the race. We have a good baseline and I’m sure the Corvette engineers will make the right decisions to put us in an even better position for the Rolex 24.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We’re getting through a lot of items on our list that we wanted to try here. The track is probably pretty representative of what the race will be like with the amount of rubber – there have been lots of cars on the track. I think we are moving in the right direction. We’re going through our program – we’re trying to be fast all the time, but sometimes we just need to concentrate on the setup and try to learn more about the car and disregard the time. We’re very happy with the way things are going. We have more aero this year and more grip. The power is the same and these cars are never easy to drive, but they now just feel a little nicer with the added downforce.”
MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “You always want to have more and more laps, especially when you are in a car like the Corvette that is fun to drive. You always want to be in the car. As we all know, we have to get our work done and I think these three days were quite productive. We were lucky with the weather so we could do a lot of work and check off our boxes. Personally, I feel quite good in the car. I’m still learning lap to lap but I’m already looking forward to the race week.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We’ve made some good progress over the weekend. It’s been good to get Marcel in the car. It’s great to have him back on the team. Tommy and I have been working away on the car - some suspension stuff and aero bits and pieces. Everything is pretty much going to plan. We recovered from the incident Friday where we lost some track time. It doesn’t appear that has set us back too much. It’s very positive. We all seem pretty happy and confident in the car. All in all, we’ve made some good steps forward.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The best part about this whole weekend so far is how the guys have done such a great job after the issue we had on Friday. We got it fixed and the car was basically perfect once we got back on track Saturday. 1-2 in this test is not a bad thing, but it doesn’t mean a whole lot because we are going through our laundry list of items of things to try. The fact that we are fast is a good thing – it’s better to be fast rather than being not quick and scratching our heads. We felt like we should have been quick coming here because these cars were a known quantity to us. On the outside they are a bit different with the new aero but underneath they are pretty similar. This is now year three for the C7.R and we’re fine tuning these things now rather than finding big things any more.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “For sure, this still feels like a Corvette! The car has changed a bit since I was with the team last. For me, I’m having to learn the car and the track at the same time. It wasn’t easy to go in immediately and be on pace. I’ve progressed a bit and still have to learn a lot. It’s been really good fun to drive this weekend. I ask a lot of myself but need to be patient to continue learning to understand the car. The team organized a good test plan - mainly Olly and Tommy did some of the baseline and tuning work as I needed to keep learning about the Corvette. Now I can speak on what I’ve felt in the car. All this information will definitely help on the race weekend; you don’t want to try new things once the race gets here. The good thing is that the team knows the car so well. It gives us a lot of confidence.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “When you come into a weekend like this, there are a number of boxes you want to check off as part of the testing program. As Corvette Racing leaves Daytona, by and large we accomplished all the items on our checklist. With the regulation changes in our class, there are a number of things we needed to understand. Some of those include how our Corvettes react in traffic with the aerodynamic changes, how certain adjustments make the car behave and where we stand against our competition. I’m confident saying that based on the last three days, this will be the toughest Rolex 24 we will face but everyone at Corvette Racing is looking forward to that challenge.”
Corvette Racing at Daytona
Year
Class
Drivers
Result
Car
Notes
1999
GT2
Fellows/Kneifel/Paul Jr.
3rd
Corvette C5-R
GT2
Sharp/Pilgrim/Heinricy
12th
Corvette C5-R
2000
GTO
Fellows/Bell/Kneifel
2nd
Corvette C5-R
GTO
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon
10th
Corvette C5-R
2001
GTS
Fellows/O'Connell/Kneifel/Freon
1st
Corvette C5-R
Overall winners by 8 laps
Fehan: “BoP Will Never Be Perfect But We Know It Can Be Better”
Corvette Racing heads into 2016 following one of its most successful seasons yet, having achieved the triple crown of endurance race victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
With updated GTE regulations — including the arrival of turbo-engined cars — a new Balance of Performance process and an evolution in machinery, Sportscar365 caught up with Corvette Racing Program Manager Doug Fehan for a wide-ranging Q&A.
Do you see the new GTE regulations as a big step forward?
“We’ve got some new challenges this year that we never encountered before and that’s the addition of turbo engines. We’ve got a turbo in the Ford, Ferrari and BMW, and we’ll probably have a turbo in the Porsche next year.
“As that has advanced, so has the technology. In my estimation, nobody has ever successfully balanced naturally aspirated and turbo engines competing together. They are affected dramatically different by air restrictors, altitude, relative humidity. It’s a really difficult thing to do.
“However as the engine technology has advanced, so has the electronic technology. The systems that were proposed and have been implemented here, which monitors the turbo engines and controls the boost as a function of the engine RPM, it has the capability of really creating a power curve that closer resembles a naturally aspirated engine.
“I think they’ve had some success in Europe and I believe we’re using essentially the same system here and I think that bodes very well.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how the balance works out. Do I have some reservations? Well of course but I’m sure the turbo guys do too.
“But at the end of the day, this is where we need to be. We can’t continue to operate in a Fred Flintstone world where we’re actually living in a George Jetson age. I welcome all this stuff.”
Do you think there could be a future for a turbocharged Corvette?
“Let’s look at it this way… We’re using a supercharger already in production [Z06], so we’re already there.
“I don’t think there’s any auto manufacturer in the world that has more complete engines sitting on the shelf that they could plug and play, at all different displacements and all different fuel induction systems, both naturally aspirated and turbo or supercharged.
“As you go forward, it’s really silly to say that you’re not going to go to a boosted motor when you already have one. Will it be turbocharged? I don’t know.
“Do we have them? Yeah, you witness that in the Cadillac in World Challenge. We run a twin-turbocharged, small displacement V6. It can make far more horsepower what we’re making here.
“It would be silly to exclude that from happening but not only do I not know about it, but I’m sure the production guys haven’t made any decisions.”
What are your thoughts on the evolution of the GTLM cars, which has seen a trend towards mid-engined layouts?
“I think we’re going to see [an engine placement change] in the Porsche. The history of Porsche is so strong. When you look back at the original Porsches, to the 356 days, there’s still that Porsche family resemblance.
“That has value but at some point, from a technological standpoint, you have to understand that if there’s a better way to do it that would yield a higher performance, you have to go there.
“I think Porsche may be at that crossroads right now. You look at the Cayman and Boxter and look at the driving and handling characteristics of a car that’s not rear-engined. I think they have recognized the time to move the ball down the field. I would expect their new car to not be as rear-engined as this one is.”
Do you support the alleged waivers that Porsche may have secured to re-locate the position of its engine in its 2017 GTE car?
“I don’t know if any of that has been decided yet. When you look at Le Mans, the BMW that races here is not approved to race there.
“I can’t imagine Porsche building and racing something that they can’t race at Le Mans. So there’s no reason to believe that Le Mans is going to change their position on it simply because Porsche’s doing it.
“We can go back to 1997 and 1998 when they built the GT1 car which had no relevance to a road car, other than it looked like a Porsche. That caused the demise of then-GT1 and the LMP class to be born but we already have a LMP class.
“It’s going to be very important if Porsche recognizes that you should race what you build. I think their new car will be reflective of any engine position change. That would be my guess.”
Could we see a mid-engined Corvette racing in the future?
“As far as Corvette is concerned, we’ve made a commitment to run what we sell. To rule out that the engine location would change would be foolish.
“But we have no commitment at all on anything other than our front-engined vehicle. We’ll run what they build. If they decide to build something, you can bet we’ll be racing it.”
Are you in support of IMSA’s new Balance of Performance process?
“I think its a powerfully good move [that the ACO is playing a larger role in IMSA BoP]. Anytime that you can combine technological resources and experiences, I think you get better as a sanctioning body.
“The openness and the willingness of both parties to participate is of key importance here. There’s not reluctance on either side. The FIA/ACO is not reluctant to participate with IMSA and vice-versa.
“When you have two parties that are like-minded like that and they begin to share data and methodology, I think it’s going to be a positive thing.
‘The key to this whole thing is IMSA recognizing that they can do better… and they have. When you recognize where your soft spots are, that’s the first step in getting them fixed. We’ve got that recognition from them and their expressed willingness to improve.
“We’re working with them to try and achieve that. We had a great Windshear wind tunnel test with all the manufacturers. It was a very, very, very productive test. It’s the starting point. Balance of Performance will never be perfect but we know it can be a lot better.”
IMSA: Rolex 24 Balance of Performance tables released
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Marshall Pruett
............In GT Le Mans, no weight changes were made, and only one air restrictor change has been implemented. Corvette Racing's C7.Rs have smaller holes to feed air to its V8 engines, and lost a total of 0.4 mm from the twin restrictors, which now have 29.9 mm openings to breathe through.
Turbocharged GTLM cars from BMW (sweeping boost reductions), Ferrari (sweeping boost reductions), and Ford (sweeping boost reductions) have had adjustments, except for peak RPM boost.
Fuel tank capacities and fuel flow restrictors for all five GTLM manufacturers have been set by IMSA for its big season-opening race. BMW's M6 (+9 liters to 104L, 33.5 mm), Corvette's C7.R (+6 liters to 92L, 32.0 mm), Ferrari's 488 (78L, 29.5 mm), Ford's GT (+3 liters to 98L, 35.0 mm), and Porsche's 911 RSR (+6 liters to 91L, 32.0 mm) represent the anticipated consumption and flow rates required to keep the cars on equal footing. BMW had the rear wing Gurney flap height increase (+10 mm to 15 mm total).............
IMSA Open Test Sessions at Sebring Feb 23-26 for five IMSA Series
I received an email from Sebring Raceway that IMSA will be conducting an open test for five IMSA series Feb 23 thru 26th. The WaetherTech SportsCar Champion class tests will be held the the last two days, Feb 25 and 26. If you already have tickets to 12 Hour Race you get in free, if not it is $10 per person
. http://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/...ry-23-26-2016/
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Going For a Rolex Repeat
Triple Crown season in 2015 began with class victory in season-opener
· First race for 2016-spec Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
· Defending GTLM winners Garcia, Magnussen to team with Rockenfeller
· 2015 pole-winner Gavin set to drive with Milner, Fässler
DETROIT (Jan. 25, 2016) – One year ago, Corvette Racing started its run to endurance racing’s Triple Crown with a victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Fast-forward to today, and the team again is preparing for what it hopes is another race into the record books.
The 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona marks the beginning of Corvette Racing’s 2016 sports car season with a pair of 2016-spec Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs. During the next 10 months, the team will race 12 times across three countries and two continents. The goals: win the biggest events in sports car racing including the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the ninth time and capture the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class championship of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
It all starts at Daytona International Speedway, where Corvette Racing is a two-time winner (2001 overall and 2015 in GTLM). A year ago, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen were part of the victorious trio in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R. The winning Chevrolet-powered racecar completed 725 laps (it led 389 laps) for 2,581 miles and spent seven less minutes in the pits than the second-place finisher.
Garcia and Magnussen team this year with Mike Rockenfeller, who also is a former Rolex 24 race winner. In the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, Oliver Gavin – last year’s GTLM pole-winner – will partner with full-season teammate Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler, who will make his first Rolex 24 start. Gavin and Milner were part of the GTE Pro-winning trio in 2015 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; they also were third in class at the Rolex 24 last season.
All six drivers saw plenty of seat-time earlier this month during the three-day Roar Before the 24 test. Gavin was the second-fastest driver in GTLM with a best lap of 1:45.106 (121.934 mph); Garcia was fourth in class at 1:45.124 (121.913 mph).
Long-distance racing is the strength of Corvette Racing. In addition to its two victories at Daytona and eight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team has won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring 10 times and the 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans seven times.
The 2016-spec Corvette C7.R is an updated racecar due to changes in Automobile Club de l’Ouest regulations for top-level GT cars that compete in the IMSA GTLM class. There are a number of aerodynamic changes including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette. Side skirts and a repositioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTLM cars.
The powertrain on the Corvette C7.R is unchanged from 2015 with a 5.5-liter V-8 Chevrolet small block powering the race car. The Corvette C7.R will use E20 fuel during the IMSA season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Rolex 24 was the site of Corvette Racing’s debut on Jan. 31, 1999. Since that first race, the team has competed in more than 170 events around the globe with 97 victories worldwide – including three wins in 2015 – along with 10 team and manufacturer championships in the American Le Mans Series and eight victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona is the start of the 2016 IMSA season and is set for 2:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 30. It will air on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports Go. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The end of last year’s race was very tense and very difficult. Having two cars so close together after 24 hours shows how tough it is in GTLM. The Corvette Racing team executed perfectly on every stop and made all the right strategy calls. That is what it takes to win these long races. No one does it better than Corvette Racing, as we have shown over the years. We are all ready for a repeat performance.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Winning the Rolex 24 last year was very special. The only thing I would change is to have been in the car at the end instead of watching! But it was a great feeling to see Antonio take the checker first in our class. Going into this race we know the challenge will be even more difficult. There are new cars throughout GTLM, and we know everyone will be watching our race. You have to stay focused and not let up at any point because the competition is so strong. Whoever wins this race will have earned it. I hope it is one of our Corvettes.”
MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “This is a bit of a different Rolex 24 for me now that I am with Corvette Racing. Although we may not be in the fastest class, I am sure that GTLM will be the toughest and most competitive. We had a very good test at the Roar, and I feel more comfortable in the Corvette C7.R with each lap I do. Racing in an event like Daytona is a tough task but also one that as drivers we all look forward to and enjoy. Antonio, Jan and I are hopeful to deliver another Daytona win for Corvette Racing.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “By and large the test at Daytona was a great success. It definitely makes things easier in the lead up to the Rolex 24. We should be able to arrive with an established baseline and can work on fine-tuning the little things that add up to give us the greatest chance for success in this race. Although it’s a 24-hour race like Le Mans, Daytona is very different in terms of lighting, how safety car periods work and other nuances. Still it’s a grueling test and one that Tommy, Marcel and myself would love to win.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s the start of a new season for Corvette Racing at Daytona. Considering how well the Roar went for us overall in the No. 4 Corvette, we’re pretty confident that we can have a race car that can challenge for a victory. Oliver and I were able to try a lot of different settings and configurations during the test, and Marcel has gotten up to speed very quickly. We have the drivers, crew and engineers to be successful at this race. It’s up to us all to execute how I know we can.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I am ready for my first Rolex 24 At Daytona, and I couldn’t pick a better group to be with than Corvette Racing. It was a pleasure to drive the Corvette C7.R at the Roar and get a feel for the track and traffic conditions ahead of this race. Long-distance races are nothing new to any of us on the team. There are a lot of endurance victories in the Corvette Racing camp between the team and the drivers, so everyone has the proper mindset for what it takes to win this race. For myself, I need to continue to gain confidence and comfort in the car and not make mistakes. If that happens, I know we will have a shot at victory.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “It doesn’t get any better than to start the season with the Rolex 24. It’s the biggest race of the IMSA season and as we saw in 2015, it can set the tone for the balance of the year. As the records show, Corvette Racing has a very strong history of success in long-distance endurance races. We consider these type of events to be our specialty based on the makeup of our drivers, crew and engineers. Still, there are a number of variables that can factor into the outcome of the race. As always, you can be certain that we’ll make that ‘full-throttle’ effort for our fans in the Corvette Corral, around the track and around the world!”
Corvette Racing at Daytona
Year
Class
Drivers
Result
Car
Notes
1999
GT2
Fellows/Kneifel/Paul Jr.
3rd
Corvette C5-R
GT2
Sharp/Pilgrim/Heinricy
12th
Corvette C5-R
2000
GTO
Fellows/Bell/Kneifel
2nd
Corvette C5-R
GTO
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon
10th
Corvette C5-R
2001
GTS
Fellows/O'Connell/Kneifel/Freon
1st
Corvette C5-R
Overall winners by 8 laps
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Focus Turns To Race for Another Rolex 24 Victory
Chevy-powered Prototype, GTLM teams have posted Rolex wins the last two years
· Corvette Racing aiming to repeat 2015 GT Le Mans win
· Corvette DP swept top four overall positions in 2014
· Much better weather forecast coming for the weekend
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2016) – Corvette Racing and Corvette Daytona Prototypes made it through a treacherous qualifying session unscathed at Daytona International Speedway ahead of this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. Rain pelted the track for most of the day with the worst of it falling during time trials.
Corvette Racing returns to Daytona as the defending GT Le Mans (GTLM) class winner, having finished first and third in class a year ago. Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen will start side-by-side from the class’s fourth row in their Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs. Gavin set a best lap of 2:03.974 (103.377 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R that he will drive with Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler.
Magnussen, part of the lineup in the race-winning Corvette a year ago with Antonio Garcia, had a best lap of 2:05.979 (101.731 mph) in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R that he will share with Garcia and Mike Rockenfeller.
Following its Rolex 24 success last year, Corvette Racing went on to claim endurance racing’s Triple Crown – Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. No team had accomplished that feat in any class in 15 years.
This is the first race for the updated Corvette C7.R, which sees a number of aerodynamic improvements to increase downforce and handling capability. Weather conditions are nearly certain to improve for Friday and the weekend.
In the Prototype category, Ricky Taylor was the fastest Corvette Daytona Prototype driver in qualifying. He set a lap of 2:07.966 (100.152 mph) in Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP that he will drive with Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and Rubens Barrichello. The Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP will start fourth in Prototype.
Dane Cameron in Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP was the next-fastest Chevrolet-powered Prototype driver with a lap of 2:10.016 (98.572 mph). Ryan Dalziel qualified the Visit Florida Racing No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP with a 2:10.610 (98.124 mph).
The No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP, the Rolex 24 winner in 2014, was next in the Corvette DP lineup after Joao Barbosa’s lap of 2:15.707 (94.439 mph). Two years ago, Action Express Racing led a Corvette DP sweep of the top four overall positions.
Corvette Racing and Corvette DP teams will have a final one-hour practice at 10:25 a.m. ET on Friday.
The 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona is the start of the 2016 IMSA season and is set for 2:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 30. It will air on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports Go. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The conditions were treacherous. The track in qualifying was as bad as it has been all day. For the most part, making a lap was a matter of chance. It was frustrating not being able to make a proper run but it is what it is. It’s a 24-hour race, and the conditions will be better on the weekend. We’ll move on from this.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Today was less than ideal in a number of areas. The conditions have been far from perfect but we had a really good Corvette. We also had a problem with the windshield fogging, which meant I couldn't go when the track got better. It’s a long race, and we have a really good record of success in the endurance events. We will be fine."
RICKY TAYLOR, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP: “It was the wettest qualifying I’ve ever done, and it was just a matter of who was willing to take the most risk. We came in with about three-and-a-half minutes still to go in the session because I didn’t want to do one more lap than I had to because I wasn’t in control of the car on the straights. We just got a clean lap when the conditions were the best – or, should I say the least bad. It’s nice to be the fastest of the DPs. We’ve had an excellent rain car for quite some time, now. I think the race is going to be an altogether different story, although I can say we also have a good car in the dry. We have the best team and this is better than we’ve started here the last couple of years. This is hopefully the end of the rain for the rest of the weekend.”
anyone got the linksforthe corvette onboard? links in this thread and from corvette racing .com do not work. looks like they are from petit last year....
anyone got the linksforthe corvette onboard? links in this thread and from corvette racing .com do not work. looks like they are from petit last year....
11-17-2015, 12:31 PM
