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Changes from last year's Le Mans:
- No changes to the Ferrari, which seems to be the baseline they are going for.
- Corvette with .7mm bigger restrictor
- Aston with 10kg weight but .8 bigger restrictor
- Ford with extra 20kg weight and less Boost
- Porsche's car is new, has a tiny bit of weight over last year's car
My guess is Ferrari is the team to beat based upon these changes, but it should at least be closer than last year. Will be interesting if test day has the same sandbagging by Ford and Ferrari as it did last year, or, with last year's race results to go by, they will realize there is no point in it...
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
NCM Member '09
My yearly LeMans ritual is to watch all 24, regardless of what's happened to CR, but if it's as obviously fixed this year as it was last, then it will be the end of said rite.
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: All About Preparation
Team eager for eight hours of track time ahead attempt at eighth class win
Corvette Racing to make 18th consecutive appearance at Le Mans
Garcia, Magnussen, Taylor reunite in No. 63 Corvette
Gavin, Milner, Fässler try to add Le Mans to last year’s Daytona, Sebring wins
Team conducted two-day private test at Road America in advance of Le Mans
DETROIT (June 1, 2017) – Corvette Racing has returned to France for the first steps toward what it hopes is a ninth class victory in 18 consecutive appearances at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. The annual Le Mans Test Day on Sunday will give the team – and the rest of the field – eight hours of track time ahead of the twice-round-the-clock event.
The Test Day is broken up into a pair of four-hour sessions around the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, which is a mix of permanent race track and public roads. It will allow Corvette Racing to validate findings from its own test at Road America earlier this month. All six drivers for the Le Mans program – Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, Jordan Taylor and Marcel Fässler – sampled the Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs in low-downforce trim and on Michelin tires specific for Le Mans.
With a number of positive developments from the test in-hand, focus turned toward making final preparations on the two Corvettes and sending them – as well as a collection of equipment – to Europe. As Corvette Racing has learned in nearly two decades, proper prep can only help in a race the magnitude of Le Mans. It certainly has helped the team win three straight events in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where it leads the Manufacturer’s, Driver’s and Team championships in the GT Le Mans class.
Also helpful is the success that Corvette Racing has experienced in its previous 17 years. That includes eight class victories and a combined 18 wins for the six drivers.
Garcia, Magnussen and Taylor reunite together in the No. 63 Corvette C7.R for the first time since 2014 when they finished second together in the GTE Pro class. Gavin, Milner and Fässler – who share the No. 64 Corvette – have driven together for the last two years in IMSA’s premier endurance events with victories last season in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Following the Le Mans Test Day, Corvette Racing will complete final preparations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 17-18.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “There is always something to learn in testing from previous years. Once again this year, we have learned and improved on some items. We ran through a few new ideas and ways on how to make the car faster around Le Mans, and getting used to the low downforce configuration. All the drivers were happy afterward and we were all fairly consistent. I still think we can optimize things a little more. I feel really good driving our car. I think I’m at my best at the current moment. But I hope there is more room to improve and make a little more difference to the team as I can. Every day I keep focusing on trying to go a little bit faster.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “What’s most useful from a test like Road America is that you get to run through the same setups that you run at Le Mans. That way it isn’t a huge shock to the system on how the car behaves when you get to Le Mans and the Test Day. We were all quite comfortable in the direction that we are going. Everyone was pretty happy. But Le Mans is Le Mans. We don’t know what will be thrown at us when we get there. We’re well-prepared. There is a good feeling within the team of what we can do. Whether that will be good enough, only time will tell. We are all anxious to get going to see what kind of race it will be for us.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The test at Road America went really well. I only get to drive the Corvette a couple of times a year, so any track time is beneficial. It’s a little bit of an adjustment. But having guys like Antonio and Jan with me, it’s easy to look at their data and get an idea of what I need to do to get back up to speed. The whole team has been great working with me on that. But having two days at Road America was huge. It was great preparation and I felt really comfortable in the car after those days. I feel like I’m the best prepared I’ve ever been heading to Le Mans.
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The test at Road America was very positive. Everyone got lots of time on different specs of the Michelin tire. All the feedback was positive and heading in the right direction. Fundamentally the team is well-prepared. We seem to be in a really good spot in the way the team is running the races; there is good communication and data transfer across the cars, which is excellent. We’ve had Marcel in the car for Daytona and Sebring, and that has worked out very well the last couple years. The team has won three races in a row, and bringing that into Le Mans is only a good thing.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “There are always a lot of variables that go into Le Mans – track surfaces, weather and things like that. You’re never sure what you have until you get there. That’s why the Test Day is so valuable. I think we all came away from our test happy with how our car felt and we’re feeling pretty happy with our starting point for the Test Day. The engineers have done a great job with the package for the car this year and making it as nice to drive as possible for being in low downforce.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It was definitely different driving the car in the low downforce kit (at Road America). In the beginning, it was not too easy to get used to. How you approach corners is much different, but I have to say the car did feel very good. For Le Mans, it’s almost like I have a new track to learn ahead of this race. So many of the corners will feel completely different (than in a prototype). The fast corners like the Porsche Curves will be a different approach. With a GT car, you are moving more and braking more than I am used to. There are other corners that will be different as well.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “We are heading back to Le Mans for our 19th consecutive time, and it is always such an honor to compete there. The importance of what this event represents is something that isn’t lost on anyone at Corvette Racing. This isn’t just a race but a true event, and it is what we work toward all year long. The Test Day is important for everyone – the drivers, engineers, crew – to reacclimate themselves with the challenges Le Mans brings every year. We have positioned ourselves for what we hope is a trouble-free Test Day, and then we can turn our attention to preparing for the world’s greatest endurance race.”
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Missions Accomplished Ahead of the 24 Hours
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Missions Accomplished Ahead of the 24 Hours
Gavin sets GTE Pro pace in No. 64 Corvette C7.R while No. 63 entry fourth-quickest in class
Successful day for team making its 18th consecutive appearance at Le Mans
Gavin’s fast lap came after fast engine change by No. 64 Corvette team
Garcia fastest driver in No. 63 Corvette C7.R and only 0.363 seconds off Gavin
Corvette Racing going for ninth class victory at Le Mans
DETROIT (June 4, 2017) – Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin set the fastest time in the GTE Pro class during the annual Test Day ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The five-time Le Mans winner turned a lap of 3:54.701 (129.990 mph) in the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R that he will share with Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler.
It was mostly a trouble-free day for both Corvette entries with Antonio Garcia placing the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R fourth in GTE Pro with a lap of 3:55.064 (129.680 mph). He is driving with Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor – the duo reunited after finishing second in class together in 2014.
Following the eight hours of running, the Corvette Racing engineers and crew turn their focus toward preparations for raceweek with the first official practice session set for Wednesday, June 14.
Gavin’s best lap came shortly after an amazingly quick engine change by the No. 64 crew. After approximately 80 minutes in the garage, it took Gavin just two laps after the swap to set the quick time.
"I took the car back out after the engine change,” he said. “By then the track had improved and we had the right tires at the right time, which the lap time showed. This is a very positive start to Le Mans 2017.”
Magnussen ended Sunday’s first session as the quickest driver in GTE Pro. The two Corvettes combined to turn 161 laps and covered more than 1,360 miles during the test. As is the team’s standard practice, it ran through a preset program of different settings and setups on the engine, chassis and Michelin tire platforms. The routine has paid off in the past with eight class victories at Le Mans since 2002 – the most recent coming in 2015.
The 85th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 17. Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for June 14-15.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It was a pretty good day. As far as I can remember, this was the best test day we’ve ever had. Everything went according to plan. We had to catch up with the other WEC guys to learn the WEC-spec Michelin tires, but we got there, going through a lot of different compounds and types of setup. In the end, it’s a good way to start preparing for race week.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We got through a whole lot of stuff. We managed to move along in the right direction all the time, which is good. At Le Mans, it’s always a toss-up between speed and downforce, but we’re in a good place where we are now, so overall I’m quite happy. We still have some fine-tuning to do, of course, but all in all things are looking good.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It was good to get some laps in the car. Every time here it’s a bit of a learning process, but today I felt more confident than I’ve ever felt before on a Le Mans test day. The Corvette was consistent all afternoon, had good pace in it and was very comfortable to drive.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: ““We had a good morning session. We managed to get Marcel (Fässler) in the car for two hours and he was immediately on the pace, which was good given how quick the track was. He’d arrived this morning from Zolder (where he is racing in the Blancpain GT series], drove our car for two hours and then walked across the street to catch a plane back to Zolder. Tommy and I then concentrated on getting through our usual program. The car felt pretty good with just some balance issues to sort out. We also went through the various tire options, to see which one works best.
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s quite unlike us to have an engine issue, but the Corvette Racing guys worked hard, got the new engine in and got the car out in time for Olly to set the fastest time of the day. All in all, the car was fast and consistent, which is good to know. We had our program to go through knowing the others would be in their own world. We managed to get most things done, though we still have a few things to learn by next week. Race week will be totally different again.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Getting back on the track at Le Mans in a Corvette was another incredible feeling. Things felt very good, which is a credit to Corvette Racing’s level of preparation. For me, it was nice to have actual laps of Le Mans with live traffic, changing track conditions and the setup changes we ran through today. It validated much of the work we did at Road America and in simulations. There is so much that Le Mans can throw at you. But I believe we have the best and most prepared team in this race. I’m very happy after today.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “This was a successful day by many measures for Corvette Racing. We ran through our planned program of different setups, tire settings and other elements. It’s very gratifying to see all the effort that everyone at Corvette Racing - drivers, engineers and crew - pay off with a solid eight hours today at Le Mans. We have been here enough to know that you don’t win Le Mans on the Test Day. There undoubtedly will be the usual challenges that this event brings. I’m absolutely confident that Corvette Racing will be the best prepared team anywhere in the paddock when we gather again for practice and qualifying.”
Just how much sandbaggin` are Fraud and Fraudrarri doing at the moment.
How severe the Balance of Podium is going to hit Corvette Racing.
Other than that...its looking good! Perhaps even too good?
I couldn't agree with you more. As for the members of this forum that were Ford apologists last year after the race, they should be aware that if the same level of deceit is perceived this year their comments in support of the LeMans officials who allowed such fraud to be carried out will fall on deaf ears here. Fool me once a pox on thee. Fool me twice a pox on me. Either Ford plays fair or they should be severely penalized. It's bad enough that we have to put up with a car that clearly is a one off without being subjected to obvious sandbagging or top of that. Having said this I welcome the entry of Ford into the IMSA fold. It's good for everyone. You have a great car. NOW PLAY FAIR!
24 Hours of Le Mans: Ford GT to face Balance of Performance challenges in GTE Pro class
Rule changes will reduce power for defending class winner Ford GT, give advantages to rivals
Ford dominated on its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans 12 months ago. Ferrari at least took the fight in GTE Pro to the flotilla of Ganassi-run cars, but the rest of GTE -- Chevrolet, Aston Martin and Porsche -- weren’t in the race.
The job of the rule-makers this year is to make sure there is truly a race in the class.
Ford would dispute it, but it played a long game in last year’s World Endurance Championship. Its eyes in the first half of the season were firmly set on Le Mans. You’ll find a line of rivals ready to point an accusing finger and claim that the British-based arm of the Ganassi team hid the true speed of the Ford GT in the early rounds to ensure that the car had a favorable Balance of Performance when it was joined by the U.S. Ganassi squad in France in June.
The rule-makers -- the FIA and Le Mans organizer the Automobile Club de l’Ouest -- reacted and made the unprecedented move of tweaking the BoP between qualifying and the race. The Friday
afternoon change wasn’t enough, however. Toni Vilander, one of the trio of Risi Competizione Ferrari drivers who battled with the Fords, reckoned the drivers of the American cars were playing with their rivals.
The FIA and the ACO have reacted again to Ford’s supremacy. There’s a new BoP for Le Mans 2017, or rather there’s a new chart out for the first skirmish before the big race on June 17-18. The rule-makers have been insistent that the first 2017 Le Mans BoP is specifically for the Test Day on June 4. The implication is that it could change again prior to the start of qualifying during race week and perhaps again before the race. They know they can’t afford a repeat of 2016.
The Fords have been hit with a 20-kilogram (44-pound) increase in minimum weight and changes to the turbo boost curve of their EcoBoost V6s designed to reduce power. At the same time, their rivals have been given a helping hand by the BoP. The Aston Martin Vantage GTE and Chevrolet Corvette C7.R have been given larger-diameter engine-air restrictors to have the reverse effect.
Porsche has what should be regarded as a new BoP. It is racing a different car from this time last year, having introduced the new mid-engined 911 RSR at the start of this season. The BoP for the
Ferrari 488 GTE is unchanged for the simple reason that it is the baseline car -- all the others are balanced to the Italian machine.
The back story to this year’s BoP is a complicated and somewhat confusing one.
The original plan communicated to the manufacturers was that the BoP would be worked out solely on the basis of Le Mans 2016 and then set in stone sometime before the end of last season. This was abandoned in favor of a return to what one manufacturer described as “the old subjective system.” That’s a roundabout reference to the so-called automatic BoP introduced for the six-hour WEC races this year, whereby data from the preceding race is fed into a logarithm that defines the weight and power outputs of the cars for the following event.
Le Mans isn’t subject to the automatic BoP courtesy of the unique demands of the 8.5-mile circuit. Data accrued from the regular events wouldn’t be particularly relevant to the Circuit de la Sarthe. But the auto BoP’s introduction should have important ramifications for Le Mans.
One of the aims of the new BoP is to eradicate sandbagging from the WEC. It would be difficult to accuse Ford of such practices this year, given the pace it showed at the Silverstone series opener in April.
The manufacturers are saying the right things about the BoP for Le Mans.
“We’ve got the BoP and we are happy with the process that the FIA and the ACO have taken,” says John Gaw, managing director of motorsport at the Prodrive organization that runs the Aston Martin factory program. “We are confident that it will be correct on race day.”
Ford has offered a similar view.
“What we have got so far is only the starting point,” says George Howard-Chappell, project leader on the Ford GT race car at Multimatic and team principal of the WEC squad. “It’s not necessarily the BoP for the race. There could be changes to ensure that we have the closest possible race.”
Corvette Racing just wants to be in the fight. Just ask driver Oliver Gavin.
“Last year was a huge frustration for everyone within the team,” says Gavin, a five-time class winner at the 24 Hours with the factory Chevrolet squad. “We want to go to Le Mans with the ability to compete at the front.”
That’s what everyone is hoping for this year -- the FIA and the ACO probably more than anyone.
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: The WOW Factor
What makes the race special in the eyes of Corvette Racing drivers
DETROIT (June 8, 2017) – There is no doubt that the 24 Hours of Le Mans ranks as one of the world’s top events in motorsports. The extreme difficulty and challenge of the race itself, unique aspects of the track – 8.5 miles of both public road and private track – plus the enthusiasm of fans at the event and around the world give Le Mans a true WOW factor.
So, we asked members of Corvette Racing what makes Le Mans special in their eyes. Not surprisingly, the answers varied across a number of aspects…
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Every time you get to Le Mans is special. It’s difficult after this many years to have new emotions. But every year you go back, there are single points like the number of people and scrutineering or your first laps at night… those are things that we have all gone through but every year you see it again, you know how important and how cool Le Mans is.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The first few laps are always fantastic. You feel like you are back. But the track is simply amazing. It’s fast and long. You don’t have that anywhere else. It’s always a special moment going out for the first time. With all the spectators and attention, it’s the biggest race we do. It’s probably the biggest in the world now. To see all the fans that show up year after year is fantastic.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “There’s always something unexpected at Le Mans. Weather conditions, traffic… the biggest thing is knowing and understanding what tire to be on. There is a huge amount of strategy. Everything from pit stops, fuel strategy and tires, you have to be on top of it at all times. It makes Le Mans an even more intense race. You’re not just racing the cars, drivers and teams; you’re racing the race itself. It’s a completely different animal.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m always wowed by getting out on the grid before the start of the race. The atmosphere, the tens of thousands of people in the grandstands, the anthems being played, being around everyone who you will be competing against for the next 24 hours… it always makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. You realize again that Le Mans is special. It’s a big, big moment.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “There’s no question that driving out of the Mulsanne and going flat-out is always an eye-opener – going that fast for that long is like nothing you experience anywhere else. It’s a pretty cool feeling. Then when you get to the Porsche Curves in low-downforce through those high-speed corners… the track always grabs your attention. That’s what makes it fun and that’s what gets drivers hooked on what we do. Le Mans brings you back to that feeling again.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The entire event is still a ‘wow’ event. It is always special coming to Le Mans. The best feeling you can have in your career is being on the top of the podium. “If I look back to my first race at Le Mans, I had never been there before. It was a big experience. The event changed when I began driving for manufacturers with the attention of spectators and media. But it’s always great to go there and be a part of Le Mans.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “This will be Corvette Racing’s 18th consecutive appearance at Le Mans. One of the moments of which I’m most proud is our display and waving of the American flag at the conclusion of every Le Mans race. It’s now established as one of our unique traditions. I think it's pretty cool... win or lose we support ALL of our fellow competitors.”
The 85th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 17. Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for June 14-15. The broadcast will alternate between FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports GO. Live audio coverage including practice, qualifying and the race will be available RadioLeMans.com.
Corvette Pegged Back in Post-Le Mans Test BoP Changes - Sportscar365
Corvette Pegged Back in Post-Le Mans Test BoP Changes
By John Dagys
Updated: June 10, 2017
The Corvette C7.R has been slowed ahead of the start of official on-track activity for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the FIA confirming Friday Balance of Performance changes in the wake of last weekend’s Le Mans Test Day.
The GTE-Pro class Corvettes, which paced the test day, will start Free Practice on Wednesday with a 0.2 mm smaller air restrictor, which roughly equates to a five to ten horsepower decrease.
It is the only notable change to the BoP in the class, with the weight and power configurations from the Ford GT, Porsche 911 RSR, Ferrari 488 GTE and Aston Martin Vantage remaining unchanged.
Fuel capacities, however, have been adjusted for all GTE-Pro cars, in order to equalize refueling times and stint lengths at 35 seconds and 14 laps, respectively.
As a result, both the Ferrari and Aston Martin gain 3 liters, with 2-liter increases for the Corvette and Ford and 1 liter of additional capacity for Porsche.
Fuel capacity adjustments have also been made in GTE-Am for the 2016-spec Ferrari and Aston Martin, which both receive 4 additional liters.
However, the GTE-Am class Ferrari also gains a 0.03 increase in turbo boost pressures, across all power levels.
As was the case last year, the FIA reserves the right to make additional BoP changes at any time during race week, in the run-up to the next weekend’s race.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
NCM Member '09
Originally Posted by cor123
Corvette Pegged Back in Post-Le Mans Test BoP Changes
The Corvette C7.R has been slowed ahead of the start of official on-track activity for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the FIA confirming Friday Balance of Performance changes in the wake of last weekend’s Le Mans Test Day.
The GTE-Pro class Corvettes, which paced the test day, will start Free Practice on Wednesday with a 0.2 mm smaller air restrictor, which roughly equates to a five to ten horsepower decrease.
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: All Systems Go in Fight for Ninth Class Win
Press Release
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: All Systems Go in Fight for Ninth Class Win
Team counts itself ready for 18th consecutive appearance in French endurance classic
Sports car racing’s premier GT team leading American charge at Le Mans
Six Corvette Racing drivers have combined for 18 Le Mans victories
Gavin fastest at Test Day in No. 64 Corvette
Corvette Racing, Chevrolet come to Le Mans off three straight IMSA victories
DETROIT (June 12, 2017) – Corvette Racing is ready to put a year’s worth of preparation to the test this week when it goes for a ninth class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The annual French endurance classic – this year’s running is the 86th edition – gets the green flag at 3 p.m. French time (9 a.m. ET) on Saturday with Corvette Racing sending six drivers and its two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs into battle against the world’s best.
Corvette Racing has a Le Mans pedigree that no team in the paddock can match. This will mark the 18th consecutive appearance at the 24 Hours – the most of any active entrant. Even more remarkable is the American makeup of the program: 18 straight years with an American team running an American car from an American manufacturer. No GT team can match the team’s collection of victories, the most recent coming in 2015.
Oliver Gavin was the quickest driver in the GTE Pro class during the annual Le Mans Test Day on June 4. Driving the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R with Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler, Gavin led an incredibly close fight with only 0.684 seconds between the top seven cars in class. Among them was the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R of Antonio Garcia, who was fourth-fastest in class. He will drive this week with Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor.
The six drivers have combined for 18 Le Mans victories.
While there may be uncertainty over what the ultimate race pace will be in GTE Pro, Corvette Racing has spent the last 12 months identifying ways to improve it strategy and execution both in the pit lane and on the engineering stand. Those efforts have proven critical, as evidenced by three consecutive victories in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Manufacturer’s, Driver’s and Team championship leads in the GT Le Mans class.
The 85th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 17. Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for June 14-15. Live television and streaming video will be available between FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports GO. Live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race will be available from Radio Le Mans, which also will broadcast on Sirius Channel 138 and XM Channel 201.
Chevrolet Corvette Racing Le Mans 24 Hours Notes
Corvette Racing has 105 all-time victories
Corvette Racing has won Le Mans eight times:
2001: Fellows/O’Connell/Pruett – GTS 2006: Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen – GT1
2002: Fellows/O’Connell/Gavin – GTS 2009: O’Connell/Magnussen/Garcia – GT1
2004: Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen – GTS 2011: Beretta/Milner/Garcia – GTE Pro
2005: Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen – GT1 2015: Gavin/Milner/Taylor – GTE Pro
Corvette Racing Drivers at Le Mans: 18 Combined Victories
Antonio Garcia – Three class wins Oliver Gavin – Five class wins
Jan Magnussen – Four class wins Tommy Milner – Two class wins
Jordan Taylor – One class win Marcel Fässler – Three class wins
Other significant accomplishments:
Eleven manufacturer and team championships, plus 10 driver titles
Three wins in the Rolex 24 including an overall victory in 2001
Eleven class wins at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
Each of Corvette Racing’s 105 victories have been powered by the Chevrolet Small Block V8
Each win has come with Mobil 1 lubricants, which is the factory fill on the Corvette Z06
Eighteen different drivers have won events for Corvette Racing.
Winningest drivers include Oliver Gavin (49 wins), Johnny O’Connell (41), Jan Magnussen (34), Olivier Beretta (31) and Ron Fellows (30). Antonio Garcia (15) and Tommy Milner (12) also rank among program leaders.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The further away you get from your last win at Le Mans, the more you want to win it again. It seems like a long time ago since my last win in 2011. Since those years, we had quite a few opportunities to win it; in 2014 we had a very good chance and finished second. Our main focus is to be up there and have a chance at the end. There is a lot that goes into it. We have to readapt ourselves to the way Le Mans works with safety cars, the rules… we know what we have to do to be able to fight from Lap One. We will give 100 percent and see if that’s enough to win the race.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Le Mans such a tough race and so much preparation goes into this race. When you go there, have a good race and come away with a win, the satisfaction is massive and indescribable. It’s one of the best feelings you can ever have in your career. Winning there is an amazing feeling.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I started my Corvette Racing career in the No. 63 Corvette, so this is kind of like going back home where I spent four of my six years with them. I feel like we have unfinished business together. We’ve finished second together at Sebring, Petit Le Mans and at Le Mans – especially since that’s the biggest race of the year.
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Since my first time at Le Mans, the race has become bigger and bigger every year. It’s full of emotions, ups and downs… It’s one that everyone ends up giving so much to win it. The passion is exceptionally high there for everyone – the drivers, the teams, the officials… anyone who is involved. The racing is so close and so intense. It is a full-on 24-hour sprint race. If you make a mistake – no matter what it is – you are punished for it. And it’s so hard to make that time up. There is NO room for error.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “There’s no doubt that if you don’t win Le Mans, the desire to win the next year gets even stronger. You kind of mentally ramp up for the race in the weeks before; you replay Le Mans in your head from the year before and from years past. That’s something I’ve done though my career… analyze what I’ve done and isolate the areas where I’ve not been strong and work on those for the next year. You don’t want to repeat mistakes if you’re in contention Sunday for a win. Your successes give you confidence in the following years, and any failures give you that extra drive at the same time.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I have to say that it will be a very, very tough race with a lot of intensity fighting against the other manufacturers. If it is anything like Daytona and Sebring, it will be a very hard fight. There will be 10 cars that can fight for winning at Le Mans in GTE Pro. It will not be an easy thing. Everyone will be prepared.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “We are quietly going about our business in preparation for our 18th Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s no secret how much importance we place on Le Mans each year. Every lap and every minute in preparation is done with an eye toward giving Corvette Racing the best possible chance for another win at Le Mans. There is nothing like seeing our drivers on the top of the podium, watching the American flag go up and hearing our National Anthem play when we achieve our goals at Le Mans.”
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Satisfied with Qualifying, Focus Turns to Race
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Satisfied with Qualifying, Focus Turns to Race
Garcia puts No. 63 Corvette on third row, Milner on fifth row in No. 64 C7.R in final qualifying
LE MANS, France (June 15, 2017) – Corvette Racing declared itself ready for its 18th attempt at the 24 Hours following Thursday’s final two qualifying sessions with both Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs within 1.2 seconds of the fastest time in the GTE Pro category.
Antonio Garcia put the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R on the second row in the class, and Tommy Milner’s best lap in the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette assured that both cars will be in the thick of the fight in this weekend’s twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
Garcia’s best lap was a 3:51.484 (131.731 mph) lap in the opening moments of Thursday’s final session. The No. 63 Corvette, which also will see Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor driving, finished qualifying just 0.647 seconds off the pole-winning car. Garcia and Magnussen arrived at Le Mans with the championship lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans class with two victories including the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Milner’s best lap was a 3:52.017 (131.420 mph) in the car he shares with Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fässler. Their gap to the front was relatively small considering the enormity of the track – about 8.5 miles in length.
For the second night in a row, the Corvette Racing team ran to its preplanned strategy to sort the two Corvettes for Saturday and Sunday’s race conditions. It is a formula that has worked in the past with eight class victories since 2001.
The 85th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 17. Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for June 14-15. Live television and streaming video will be available between FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports GO. Live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race will be available from Radio Le Mans, which also will broadcast on Sirius Channel 138 and XM Channel 201.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We have a good car and I had a good run, working a bit on getting the car ready for the race. We have a fast car, which is good, and more so we had no major issues. We’ll now sit down and see how we can further improve our car for the weekend.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The balance of the car is really, really nice; the best we’ve had all week, and that’s the most important thing to me. The track developed really a lot since yesterday, and with the races and practice sessions they had all day today a lot of rubber was laid down. The difference compared to last year is so big when I felt uncomfortable in the car. Now the car is so good; it’s easy to play around with the brake balance and such, which gives you confidence. I’m quite looking forward to the race.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We made some good changes for the race and we now have a good idea on how the car will behave in the race. This definitely is the best Corvette I’ve ever driven here in the past six years. It is fast and comfortable and that is exactly what you want for the race.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I think we are in a positive spot. Our Corvette has been good through practice. We’ve made some good steps with it, and the track has rubbered in nicely. We’ve managed to keep in step with the evolution of the circuit. It was great to see Tommy get a good lap in there and keep us right in the hunt. Our mindset is that if people went faster, then so be it. We’ll start where we start. I’m really confident that we will have a good strong, raceable car that will be able to compete with anyone. We’ve stuck to our plan the last two days, and they’ve been very good ones. We’ll see what the race brings, but right now this is very positive.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “There’s no doubt that if you don’t win Le Mans, the desire to win the next year gets even stronger. You kind of mentally ramp up for the race in the weeks before; you replay Le Mans in your head from the year before and from years past. That’s something I’ve done though my career… analyze what I’ve done and isolate the areas where I’ve not been strong and work on those for the next year. You don’t want to repeat mistakes if you’re in contention Sunday for a win. Your successes give you confidence in the following years, and any failures give you that extra drive at the same time.”
MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Each time in the car for me is helpful. In the end, I was pretty happy with the balance of the Corvette and how it was to drive. Therefore I’m pretty optimistic for the race. Qualifying was not our main target for today; we had some items to sort out of the race. This was much more important than trying to win the pole. It was the right decision to make.”
i can only find porsche on-board live stream. is the corvette in-car on-board video actually on FSGO? maybe it's just my local service provider not providing access. i got the race broadcast on FSGO tho...
ETA: and i also found the Ford GT onboards on Youtube...
05-24-2017, 08:32 AM
