Corvette Racing Qualifies Third and Fifth in GTE Pro for 24 Hours of Le Mans
06-14-2012, 07:02 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Corvette Racing Qualifies Third and Fifth in GTE Pro for 24 Hours of Le Mans
Corvette Racing Qualifies Third and Fifth in GTE Pro for 24 Hours of Le Mans
Team Focuses on Final Preparations in Four Hours of Qualifying
LE MANS, France, June 14, 2012 – When the clock struck midnight at Le Mans, the field was set for the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Corvette Racing's Compuware Corvette C6.Rs will start third and fifth in the GTE Pro field in the classic endurance race. A pair of two-hour qualifying sessions that ended at midnight determined the final qualifying order, but the Corvette Racing crew concentrated on preparations for the upcoming 24-hour test of endurance.
Both Compuware Corvette C6.Rs stood on their qualifying times set on Wednesday night. The No. 59 Ferrari turned the fastest lap in today's first session at 3:55.393, followed by the No. 97 Aston Martin at 3:55.870, knocking the No. 74 Corvette C6.R off the GTE Pro pole that it had held provisionally at the end of yesterday's session. Oliver Gavin turned a lap in 3:55.910 on Wednesday night, and that time held for the third spot in GTE Pro.
"Track conditions were different tonight and that seemed to affect us more than the others," Gavin said. "I just couldn't generate the same cornering force that I could yesterday, and couldn't attack the corners like I did yesterday. It was very close with the Aston Martin getting ahead of us by only a few hundredths of a second on an 8.5-mile circuit. So we'll go with what we've got – third is quite good. I'm looking forward to the race now."
Jan Magnussen's 3:57.181 in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R on Wednesday was the fifth quickest in the GTE Pro category.
"In the first session tonight we gave Jordan (Taylor) as much track time as we could to make sure he’s comfortable with the car and the track," Magnussen said. "As for a fast lap, we decided not to go for that since Antonio (Garcia) still had to get his night time laps in and we were still working on finding the right setup. The good news is that we've saved an extra set of soft tires for Saturday and Sunday."
Garcia agreed with his Danish co-driver: "The car is good but we’re still trying different setups and ideas to make sure we have the best possible package," he said. "All three of us put in a good number of laps at night to get used to the darkness and the traffic, which is a good practice for Saturday night. All in all we’re ready to go."
Long runs in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R bolstered the confidence of the team's youngest driver, 21-year-old Jordan Taylor. "Today was definitely an improvement over yesterday," he noted. "I felt more confident and my lap times were a lot more consistent, which was exactly what I wanted to accomplish. I still keep learning the track over the course of each session, and will continue to do so throughout the weekend."
Tommy Milner opened today's first session with a solid one-hour stint in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R, setting the early pace with a 3:58.214 time that stood as the fastest lap for the first hour.
"I had relatively little traffic tonight, a stark contrast to last night," Milner reported. "We worked through several setup options and made improvements. Ultimately the race is the most important thing, so we're working on making the car comfortable. This is a great test for us, with conditions that are comparable to what we'll see in the race.
"Comparing to last year's car, I'm much happier with the new wide-body C6.R," Milner noted. "Speeds are definitely faster, although some that has to do with the track resurfacing. I would say that all of the computer simulations and technology have paid off."
Richard Westbrook ran nearly an hour in the first session in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R and then completed his mandatory laps in darkness in the second session.
"The car feels good, the lap times are very good, but we don't know what the competition is doing," Westbrook said. "Everyone is on a different program. Some are using qualifying as a race setup simulation like us, some are going for a qualifying lap. It's very difficult to judge where you are. All we can do is our own thing; the Corvette C6.R feels great. It would be nice to know for sure that we are as competitive as it feels we are, but we'll all know for certain on Saturday afternoon."
Corvette Racing's next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 16-17. The race will start Saturday at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET). SPEED and SPEED.com will provide continuous coverage in the U.S. starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on June 16; see local listings for program times.
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Qualifying Times
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time
1. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:55.393
2. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 3:55.870
3. 74 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 3:55.910
4. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:56.484
5. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 3:57.181
6. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Henzler, Porsche 911 RSR, 3:57.606
7. 80 Bergmeister/Long/Holzer, Porsche 911 RSR, 3:58.717
8. 66 Cocker/Walker/Wills, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:59.638
9. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, no time
Team Focuses on Final Preparations in Four Hours of Qualifying
LE MANS, France, June 14, 2012 – When the clock struck midnight at Le Mans, the field was set for the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Corvette Racing's Compuware Corvette C6.Rs will start third and fifth in the GTE Pro field in the classic endurance race. A pair of two-hour qualifying sessions that ended at midnight determined the final qualifying order, but the Corvette Racing crew concentrated on preparations for the upcoming 24-hour test of endurance.
Both Compuware Corvette C6.Rs stood on their qualifying times set on Wednesday night. The No. 59 Ferrari turned the fastest lap in today's first session at 3:55.393, followed by the No. 97 Aston Martin at 3:55.870, knocking the No. 74 Corvette C6.R off the GTE Pro pole that it had held provisionally at the end of yesterday's session. Oliver Gavin turned a lap in 3:55.910 on Wednesday night, and that time held for the third spot in GTE Pro.
"Track conditions were different tonight and that seemed to affect us more than the others," Gavin said. "I just couldn't generate the same cornering force that I could yesterday, and couldn't attack the corners like I did yesterday. It was very close with the Aston Martin getting ahead of us by only a few hundredths of a second on an 8.5-mile circuit. So we'll go with what we've got – third is quite good. I'm looking forward to the race now."
Jan Magnussen's 3:57.181 in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R on Wednesday was the fifth quickest in the GTE Pro category.
"In the first session tonight we gave Jordan (Taylor) as much track time as we could to make sure he’s comfortable with the car and the track," Magnussen said. "As for a fast lap, we decided not to go for that since Antonio (Garcia) still had to get his night time laps in and we were still working on finding the right setup. The good news is that we've saved an extra set of soft tires for Saturday and Sunday."
Garcia agreed with his Danish co-driver: "The car is good but we’re still trying different setups and ideas to make sure we have the best possible package," he said. "All three of us put in a good number of laps at night to get used to the darkness and the traffic, which is a good practice for Saturday night. All in all we’re ready to go."
Long runs in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R bolstered the confidence of the team's youngest driver, 21-year-old Jordan Taylor. "Today was definitely an improvement over yesterday," he noted. "I felt more confident and my lap times were a lot more consistent, which was exactly what I wanted to accomplish. I still keep learning the track over the course of each session, and will continue to do so throughout the weekend."
Tommy Milner opened today's first session with a solid one-hour stint in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R, setting the early pace with a 3:58.214 time that stood as the fastest lap for the first hour.
"I had relatively little traffic tonight, a stark contrast to last night," Milner reported. "We worked through several setup options and made improvements. Ultimately the race is the most important thing, so we're working on making the car comfortable. This is a great test for us, with conditions that are comparable to what we'll see in the race.
"Comparing to last year's car, I'm much happier with the new wide-body C6.R," Milner noted. "Speeds are definitely faster, although some that has to do with the track resurfacing. I would say that all of the computer simulations and technology have paid off."
Richard Westbrook ran nearly an hour in the first session in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R and then completed his mandatory laps in darkness in the second session.
"The car feels good, the lap times are very good, but we don't know what the competition is doing," Westbrook said. "Everyone is on a different program. Some are using qualifying as a race setup simulation like us, some are going for a qualifying lap. It's very difficult to judge where you are. All we can do is our own thing; the Corvette C6.R feels great. It would be nice to know for sure that we are as competitive as it feels we are, but we'll all know for certain on Saturday afternoon."
Corvette Racing's next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 16-17. The race will start Saturday at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET). SPEED and SPEED.com will provide continuous coverage in the U.S. starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on June 16; see local listings for program times.
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Qualifying Times
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time
1. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:55.393
2. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 3:55.870
3. 74 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 3:55.910
4. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:56.484
5. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 3:57.181
6. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Henzler, Porsche 911 RSR, 3:57.606
7. 80 Bergmeister/Long/Holzer, Porsche 911 RSR, 3:58.717
8. 66 Cocker/Walker/Wills, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:59.638
9. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, no time
06-16-2012, 10:59 AM
#7
Team Owner
06-16-2012, 05:51 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
6 hour report
Corvette Racing Leads GTE Pro at Le Mans at Six Hours
Opening Segment Features Fierce Fight Between Corvette, Aston Martin, and Ferrari
LE MANS, France, June 16, 2012 – Corvette Racing led the GTE Pro class at the six-hour mark in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Richard Westbrook was in the middle of a three-way battle, trading the lead repeatedly with the No. 97 Aston Martin and the No. 51 Ferrari. The No. 73 Compuware Corvette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor fell back initially, and then rebounded to run fourth as the first quarter of the race ended.
Despite predictions of rain, the only precipitation was a light sprinkle at the start. The racing was interrupted at the five-hour mark by an extended safety car period following a huge crash involving the No. 8 Toyota and No. 81 Ferrari at the Mulsanne corner. The field continued to circulate behind three safety cars at the six-hour mark while the damaged cars were removed and the tire wall repaired.
Starting third on the GTE grid, Gavin quickly moved to challenge the class-leading Aston Martin on the first lap. He took the lead shortly after the first hour, and then traded places with his rival throughout his second stint. Tommy Milner took over at 1:49 mark and the battle resumed – with the addition of the No. 51 Ferrari that had started at the rear of the field after missing qualifying due to an accident. Milner also did a double stint, handing off to Richard Westbrook at the 3:43 into the race.
Jan Magnussen started the No. 73 Corvette C6.R fifth on the GTE grid, but handling problems caused him to drop back to seventh. Antonio Garcia went in on the first pit stop, and an adjustment changed the character of the car as the Spaniard moved up to fifth. Jordan Taylor began his first stint as a Le Mans racer at 2:44 into the race, followed by Magnussen at 3:34.
Jan Magnussen, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "I had some serious understeer throughout my first stint coming out of the corners. Since we had some other issues in practice and qualifying we’re maybe a bit behind in the development of the best race setup. They’ve now adjusted the rear of the car a bit to see if that can cure the problem for Antonio. Personally I don’t feel too well as I woke up with a cold and some fever. I can more or less drive around it as the adrenaline sort of takes over as soon as you’re in the car, but I don’t feel good enough yet to do double stints."
Antonio Garcia, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "That was quite all right, I think. I knew from Jan’s feedback that I would have to work the car a bit harder than usual. I had some understeer which I tried to compensate for, but maybe I tried a bit too hard because the lap times were quite good. We then adjusted the pressure in the rear tires for my second stint on the same set, and that brought the car back into the comfort zone."
Jordan Taylor, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "I had a good stint, feeling more and more comfortable each lap. A slow puncture in the right-front tire messed with my head a bit, giving me understeer in the left-hand corners and snap oversteer in the right-hand corners. Other than that, no real issues, apart from two guys who held me up through Porsche Curves."
Oliver Gavin, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "As usual it was a bit chaotic at the start. I was side-by-side with the Aston Martin coming out of the last corner. The 59 Ferrari was a bit tentative, and the Aston Martin was just gone on the straight. I knew I had to get past the Ferrari before his tires came up to temperature. I followed the Aston for the next 11 laps or so; my Corvette was very good on the brakes and in low-speed parts, but he was fast on the straight and the high-speed sections. On the second stint he was having a problem getting his tires up to temperature and I got inside of him going into the second chicane, but then I started sliding around and he went back by me. The sun had come out and the track temp was going up, our tires were coming in, and the circuit was rubbering up, so I think we'll be pretty good as the race continues."
Tommy Milner, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "It was a lot of fun out there! You could see that Darren and I were being very polite to each other, which is how it should be at this stage of the race. It's more entertaining when you're racing someone close, either chasing or being chased. Our Corvette felt really good, quite consistent, even though the track was a little greasy. As the temperature cooled off the car felt better. The Aston Martin was very quick on the straights but I could see that their setup is not quite right. The Ferrari was quite a way behind, so for them to get back to the front shows they are quick as well."
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro at Six Hours:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. 74 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 81
2. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, 81
3. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Henzler, Porsche 911 RSR, 80
4. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 80
5. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 80
6. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 80
7. 66 Cocker/Walker/Wills, Ferrari 458 Italia, 79
8. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 77
9. 80 Bergmeister/Long/Holzer, Porsche 911 RSR, 71
Opening Segment Features Fierce Fight Between Corvette, Aston Martin, and Ferrari
LE MANS, France, June 16, 2012 – Corvette Racing led the GTE Pro class at the six-hour mark in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Richard Westbrook was in the middle of a three-way battle, trading the lead repeatedly with the No. 97 Aston Martin and the No. 51 Ferrari. The No. 73 Compuware Corvette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor fell back initially, and then rebounded to run fourth as the first quarter of the race ended.
Despite predictions of rain, the only precipitation was a light sprinkle at the start. The racing was interrupted at the five-hour mark by an extended safety car period following a huge crash involving the No. 8 Toyota and No. 81 Ferrari at the Mulsanne corner. The field continued to circulate behind three safety cars at the six-hour mark while the damaged cars were removed and the tire wall repaired.
Starting third on the GTE grid, Gavin quickly moved to challenge the class-leading Aston Martin on the first lap. He took the lead shortly after the first hour, and then traded places with his rival throughout his second stint. Tommy Milner took over at 1:49 mark and the battle resumed – with the addition of the No. 51 Ferrari that had started at the rear of the field after missing qualifying due to an accident. Milner also did a double stint, handing off to Richard Westbrook at the 3:43 into the race.
Jan Magnussen started the No. 73 Corvette C6.R fifth on the GTE grid, but handling problems caused him to drop back to seventh. Antonio Garcia went in on the first pit stop, and an adjustment changed the character of the car as the Spaniard moved up to fifth. Jordan Taylor began his first stint as a Le Mans racer at 2:44 into the race, followed by Magnussen at 3:34.
Jan Magnussen, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "I had some serious understeer throughout my first stint coming out of the corners. Since we had some other issues in practice and qualifying we’re maybe a bit behind in the development of the best race setup. They’ve now adjusted the rear of the car a bit to see if that can cure the problem for Antonio. Personally I don’t feel too well as I woke up with a cold and some fever. I can more or less drive around it as the adrenaline sort of takes over as soon as you’re in the car, but I don’t feel good enough yet to do double stints."
Antonio Garcia, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "That was quite all right, I think. I knew from Jan’s feedback that I would have to work the car a bit harder than usual. I had some understeer which I tried to compensate for, but maybe I tried a bit too hard because the lap times were quite good. We then adjusted the pressure in the rear tires for my second stint on the same set, and that brought the car back into the comfort zone."
Jordan Taylor, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "I had a good stint, feeling more and more comfortable each lap. A slow puncture in the right-front tire messed with my head a bit, giving me understeer in the left-hand corners and snap oversteer in the right-hand corners. Other than that, no real issues, apart from two guys who held me up through Porsche Curves."
Oliver Gavin, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "As usual it was a bit chaotic at the start. I was side-by-side with the Aston Martin coming out of the last corner. The 59 Ferrari was a bit tentative, and the Aston Martin was just gone on the straight. I knew I had to get past the Ferrari before his tires came up to temperature. I followed the Aston for the next 11 laps or so; my Corvette was very good on the brakes and in low-speed parts, but he was fast on the straight and the high-speed sections. On the second stint he was having a problem getting his tires up to temperature and I got inside of him going into the second chicane, but then I started sliding around and he went back by me. The sun had come out and the track temp was going up, our tires were coming in, and the circuit was rubbering up, so I think we'll be pretty good as the race continues."
Tommy Milner, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "It was a lot of fun out there! You could see that Darren and I were being very polite to each other, which is how it should be at this stage of the race. It's more entertaining when you're racing someone close, either chasing or being chased. Our Corvette felt really good, quite consistent, even though the track was a little greasy. As the temperature cooled off the car felt better. The Aston Martin was very quick on the straights but I could see that their setup is not quite right. The Ferrari was quite a way behind, so for them to get back to the front shows they are quick as well."
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro at Six Hours:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. 74 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 81
2. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, 81
3. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Henzler, Porsche 911 RSR, 80
4. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 80
5. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 80
6. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 80
7. 66 Cocker/Walker/Wills, Ferrari 458 Italia, 79
8. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 77
9. 80 Bergmeister/Long/Holzer, Porsche 911 RSR, 71
