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All of those yellows kept bunching them back up, plus, it's a tough track to pass on.....Lime Rock even more so, especially if it rains.
Allowing the Prototypes to group together during a yellow at the front of the pack, and yet the GTLM and GTD cars are mixed together needs some work. The C7's ran very well and I loved that dual car pass of the 911 Porsche as the GTD Lexus acted as a blocker was GREAT!
As a mostly non Corvette note, the Lime Rock entry list (which is a GT only race) has a sad total of only 18 cars on it. The usual 8 in GTLM, and 10 in GTD.
IMSA will really need to figure a way to get costs under control if it wants to fill the field in the future.
Related to the Corvette's, I know people have been complaining here that Corvette doesn't really sell customer cars, or until this year didn't allow Callaway to run GT3/GTD cars here in the US. I've been countering that even if they did, there isn't a long line of people to buy them, and this unfortunately bolsters my point.
The Meyer's Shank Racing 86 Acura has entered every race so far (although a couple have been pretty last minute). The car and one if its drivers is #2 in the GTD championship race. They own the car already. They are going to be there with their other Acura, the #93 car, and still haven't found the money to race the 86. Think of that -- they can't afford to race a car they own, that is IN SECOND PLACE in the championship, in a race they are already bringing one car to. Always a possibility they get the last minute funding again like they have a couple or races so far, but this goes to show the state of the non factory teams and the cost of racing these days.
Hopefully the "powers that be" in racing figure things out, because GTD has been pretty good racing the last couple of years.
Corvette Corral: Come support Corvette Racing as they take on the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park! 2018 brings a return to basics for the Corvette Corral, and includes Infield parking with other like-minded Corvette owners and parade laps for the first 25 cars that arrive for the day. While no hospitality is attached to this corral, we will update this page with any special experiences as they are added. Corvette Corral passes are $20 per car, per day, and do not include your general admission passes. This is the Saturday Corvette Corral Pass.https://tickets.limerock.com/ordertickets.asp?p=1479
CORVETTE RACING AT LIME ROCK: Going for No. 100… Again
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT LIME ROCK: Going for No. 100… Again
Sixth victory at Lime Rock Park would give team 100 victories in IMSA competition
No North American sports car team with more wins than Corvette Racing
Gavin, Milner captured Corvette Racing’s 100th all-time victory in 2016
Garcia, Magnussen enter second in GT Le Mans points
DETROIT (July 17, 2018) – In the course of 20 years, there has been a large number of milestones for the Corvette Racing program. Of all of them, perhaps none was as significant as its victory at Lime Rock Park in 2016 – the team’s 100th victory.
Corvette Racing returns to that scene two years later in search of another milestone. A victory in this weekend’s Northeast Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will give the defending GT Le Mans (GTLM) champion its 100th victory in North America – far and away the most of any entrant in IMSA history.
The victory breakdown includes 16 in the WeatherTech Championship, 82 in the American Le Mans Series and one in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.
The odds of No. 100 coming again at Lime Rock are, statistically at least, better than average. Corvette Racing has won five times in 11 appearances at the 1.5-mile, seven-turn circuit that is as close to short-track track racing is it gets in the series.
In addition, Corvette Racing drivers have proven they can go fast in qualifying and in the race through the years: three class pole positions and seven fastest race laps including 2016 (Oliver Gavin) and 2017 (Antonio Garcia).
The two Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs arrive at Lime Rock off second- and third-place finishes in the team’s most recent race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette stand second in the GTLM Driver’s Championship and were runner-up at both CTMP and Watkins Glen.
Gavin and Tommy Milner scored Corvette Racing’s lone 2018 victory earlier this year at Long Beach, and they were the winners two years ago at Lime Rock. The runners-up in 2016? Garcia and Magnussen.
Another strong weekend also would aid Chevrolet’s pursuit of its 13tth Manufacturer’s Championship. Currently Chevy is second in GTLM points but only eight points from first place.
The Northeast Grand Prix begins at 3:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 21. Same-day television coverage will air at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Lime Rock is very different than any other circuit we have in IMSA. It is a very short lap but a lot can happen during those 50 seconds. In many ways it is one of the more difficult races we will do this season. The strategy must be perfect, and there is little time to rest except maybe on the start-finish straight depending on traffic. Plus it is normally very hot. We are in good position in the championship again. The main thing will be not to make any mistakes or do anything that will cost us points.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Racing at Lime Rock is very difficult. Usually it is very hot and humid, which creates more of a challenge. This is as close to short-track racing as we will get all season. It reminds me of the Danish Thundersport Championship that I race in Denmark - short laps with a lot of traffic. It seems like you are always fighting with other cars. So you need to be aggressive and get through the traffic while not putting yourself in places where you can lose positions… or worse, the car.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’ve been lucky to win at Lime Rock multiple times, and I have to say that each one was a challenge. It feels like there is something always going on… whether you are overtaking or being passed. That plus the normal humid and hot conditions add another level of difficulty. This is a very big race in terms of points with so many cars close together. While you can’t win a championship here, you can definitely lose one at Lime Rock.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s always an interesting race when it’s a GT-only weekend, like it is again at Lime Rock. It gives you a little something extra to race for when you’re going for an overall win. But we can’t get too caught up in that. There are so many facets of the circuit and the race that demand focus. Traffic is usually non-stop, and the slightest contact can end your day early. It can be a very physical test too with the heat and humidity working against you, as well. It’s another great challenge that everyone at Corvette Racing is ready to face.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “We are fortunate to race on a variety of tracks on the IMSA schedule each year. Every venue offers something unique, and Lime Rock is no different. While it may look pretty benign at just 1.5 miles, it has a lot to challenge any team or driver. During the race there will be an endless number of strategy options available given the very short lap times, track characteristics and this being a GT-only race. Corvette Racing has been successful at Lime Rock in the past, including our 100th win, and the expectation is that our winning ways will continue this weekend.”
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I started up the broadcast on my DVR today.
Took me a half a hour to realize/remember this is LIME ROCK (aka, the track where passing is practically non-existent).
Without rain, watching a race on America's spitting-across-the-racetrack-is-actually-possible circuit is a waste of time.
I'll be at Road America this coming weekend for the race. I've got my new Uniden BC125AT -- is the original antenna usually sufficient to pick up the various broadcasts at the track and from the cars, or should I look at a high-gain antenna? The popular antenna replacement that I see is the Diamond RH77CA, which is about +6dBi:
CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: A Favorite Stop for All
Strong position for team in defense of IMSA GTLM championships
Team going for eighth class victory at historic Wisconsin track
Gavin, Milner GTLM winners at Road America in 2016
Garcia, Magnussen one point out of GTLM points lead
DETROIT (July 31, 2018) – Throughout its 20 seasons of competition, Corvette Racing has filled its résumé with some of the best racetracks in the world – 26 to be exact. None may be more liked than Road America, the picturesque four-mile track in the Kettle Moraine region of Wisconsin.
The long straights and high speeds of Road America make it a favorite among fans and drivers. That includes, of course, those within the Corvette Racing program. As the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship rolls into the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Corvette Racing is eager for its eighth class victory at the circuit – which would be No. 100 in IMSA competition – and a chance to close its gap in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) championships.
Road America has been part of Corvette Racing’s annual program since 2002, and the team’s record there is impressive to say the least. In addition to seven previous class wins, Corvette Racing drivers have claimed pole positions seven times and set the fastest race lap in its class eight times. The team is just shy of 10,000 racing miles completed, which doesn’t include thousands of more miles in testing and practice.
If momentum means anything, then Corvette Racing is in good shape entering the weekend. The duo of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, has runner-up finishes in each of the last three races to move into second place in the GTLM Driver’s Championship and just one point out of first.
Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, teammates in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette, will attempt for their second Road America victory in three years. In 2016, the pairing won there as Milner went from fifth to first in the final 15 minutes to send he and Gavin to the GTLM title. This year, they stand fifth in points and only 13 from the lead.
Chevrolet remains second in Manufacturer points – 11 back with four races remaining.
Corvette Racing on Display at Road America
Corvette Racing’s return to Road America also means a return of the Corvette Racing Display to the historic Wisconsin track. From Friday through Sunday, fans on-hand can view and learn about a variety of Chevrolet vehicles, accessories and attractions including:
• The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
• The Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Coupe, Silverado HD High Country, Equinox Premier, Malibu Premier and Colorado ZR2
• A Corvette C7.R show car
• Samples of Chevrolet engines, performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer
• A variety of Chevrolet and racing related activities for adults and kids
• Commemorative t-shirts for fans who sign up with Corvette Racing.
The Corvette Racing Display opens at 9 a.m. on Friday at Saturday, and 8 a.m. on Sunday.
The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase is set for 1:35 p.m. CT with FOX Sports 1 airing the race live. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I remember it was very tricky at first to get up to speed at Road America because it’s such a long lap. It’s very difficult and very old-school. I loved it the first time I went there. One of the good things about racing in America is that we have these types of tracks – ones where you need to have bravery but you also are punished if you make a mistake. So it’s for sure very cool and very fun to race on these kinds of tracks like Road America. There are many corners like the Kink where you need to take a really deep breath every time you go by. For me, the entire track is interesting like that.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Road America is up there with places like Spa of everyone’s favorite tracks. Most European drivers usually pick Spa as their favorites, but the ones that have gone to Road America will see the similarities. For sure it’s one of my favorite tracks. It pays to be committed at Road America. You have to go for it there. There is much time to be gained in places like the Carousel and the Kink. If you do put it all on the line at those places and make it, there is often time gained there. It’s a long track with a lot of stuff happening… tight corners, medium-speed corners and then big corners like the Carousel and the Kink. You get so much satisfaction going around a place like this.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s a fantastic racetrack with high speeds and great corners. It’s everything you want. There is a challenge there for every driver. Corvette Racing has had tremendous success there over the years so we are looking to build on that. There is a risk at Road America, but that’s what makes tracks in North America fantastic. At corners like the Carousel and the Kink, you really have to be on your game there. Any mistake is severely punished. We have a huge amount of fans there every year, and the fans there are particularly passionate. You see a wide variety of cars in the Corvette Corral there – all different ages going back to C1. It’s great to see the enthusiasts come along and share their passion for such a great car.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “All of the guys from Europe talk about how great tracks are in the U.S., and Road America is a perfect example of that. You feel like you are going somewhere throughout the lap. It’s such a great track for multi-class racing; we can have our own race in GTLM and still let the prototype cars go by. The track has really grown with sports car racing over the years. Back in the day, it was one of the best tracks around. And now today with cars that have lots of power and downforce, it’s still one of the best we go to every year. It challenges the driver in every aspect: setup, overtaking and everything that sports car racing is about.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Of all the tracks Corvette Racing has visited in 20 years, Road America ranks among the finest. It is one of the best examples of a traditional, old-school road course anywhere in North America. It’s universally praised by fans and teams alike, and for good reason. It’s four miles of high speeds, extreme elevation change and fantastic corners of all kinds. What makes it more gratifying for us is the number of supporters we have each year in the Corvette Corral - the same place where our corral began. Our goal here is to gain as many points as we can as we work our way toward another championship.”
CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: By the Numbers
DETROIT (August 1, 2018) –Corvette Racing’s next stop in 20th season campaign is a track that is universally praised by not just everyone on the team, but in sports car racing in general. Here are a few fun facts and trivia as Corvette Racing returns to Road America for the 17th time…
1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 20 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Road America since 2004 – Corvette C5-R (2002-2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13) and Corvette C7.R (2016-current).
3: Consecutive GTLM runner-up finishes for Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen coming into Road America.
4: Number of cars Tommy Milner passed in the final 15 minutes of the 2016 race. He and Oliver Gavin went on to win in class and capture the GTLM title.
4: Road America wins for Oliver Gavin, tied for second-most among IMSA drivers.
7: Number of victories at Road America for Corvette Racing, the most of any entrant in IMSA.
7: Pole positions at Road America for Corvette Racing by four different drivers.
8: Fastest race laps for Corvette Racing drivers at Road America, including four by Gavin and one by Magnussen.
8: Number of drivers who have won races at Road America for Corvette Racing – Gavin (four); Olivier Beretta (three); Johnny O’Connell (two); and Kelly Collins, Ron Fellows, Magnussen, Milner and Andy Pilgrim (one each).
8: As in Chevrolet’s small-block V8. More than 100 million units have been sold worldwide and is the most successful engine in American motorsports.
12: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.
16: Number of GT Le Mans wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014. That’s the most of any manufacturer and team in GTLM.
24: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.
28: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999.
107: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 99 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
208: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
9,921.69: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 16 previous trips to Road America. That represents 2,453 laps or 150 trips from Gen. Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee to the track.
278,214.60: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – covered “just” 248,655 miles.
Best part of Lime Rock was the absence of the prototypes. I can't be the only one who is really just interested in the GTs. They can just park the prototypes. On a similar matter, I tried to find some way to tell IMSA they should use more screen graphics to show the fans what make of car is involved. The real diehards know but the more casual fan can't translate a car number or a driver's name scrolling across his screen into a manufacturer. And familiar car brands are what make GT racing fun to watch. If you're reading this IMSA......
Best part of Lime Rock was the absence of the prototypes. I can't be the only one who is really just interested in the GTs.
I like the prototypes just fine. It would just be the Pirelli World Challenge series without them. Sports car racing is about multiple classes running together and has been since the beginning.
Personally I could care less about the prototypes. I go to at least 5 IMSA races every year and watch every other one on TV. We love to attend the Corvette Corrals and the rivalry with the other GTLM cars is palpable. I can’t recall anyone getting excited about the prototypes pe se except for the cars that said Corvette on them a few years ago and bore some resemblance to the mother cars. Certainly the Cadillac’s have some appeal. But let’s face it, without the numbers and investment by the prototypes it is doubtful that IMSA could survive. Hell, even now IMSA has to fear the withdrawal of Ferrari and if Corvette wins for the third year in a row there is a good possibility that either BMW and heaven forbid the vaunted Porsche Team May take their marbles and go hang out on the continent. Does anyone really think Ford is in it for the long run? So the prototypes must stay and concessions have to be given to the others. That is unless they can create another class like they did before and then the Corvettes race against themselves. Good for the numbers but not much fun.
Personally I could care less about the prototypes. I go to at least 5 IMSA races every year and watch every other one on TV. We love to attend the Corvette Corrals and the rivalry with the other GTLM cars is palpable. I can’t recall anyone getting excited about the prototypes pe se except for the cars that said Corvette on them a few years ago and bore some resemblance to the mother cars. Certainly the Cadillac’s have some appeal. But let’s face it, without the numbers and investment by the prototypes it is doubtful that IMSA could survive. Hell, even now IMSA has to fear the withdrawal of Ferrari and if Corvette wins for the third year in a row there is a good possibility that either BMW and heaven forbid the vaunted Porsche Team May take their marbles and go hang out on the continent. Does anyone really think Ford is in it for the long run? So the prototypes must stay and concessions have to be given to the others. That is unless they can create another class like they did before and then the Corvettes race against themselves. Good for the numbers but not much fun.
it’s interesting to read your post. Historically, GM has been the company that always took their marbles and went home and Ford has always been the company that went racing—at Le Mans, in F1 with Cosworth, with Shelby, etc.
If there’s one real problem with Corvette Racing and GM in general, it’s how little they leverage their racing success. If you watched the Road America race, you saw an Audi commercial where they directly compare their Audi GTD car with the Audi street car. Where are those commercials for Corvette? And, these commercials need to be on other than racing broadcasts. Corvette has more cachet internationally than any other brand GM has. They really need to leverage it to get the most out of their racing investment. GM seems to miss this.
As far as losing other competitors, IMSA is the only game in town (best tv coverage of any road racing) in the United States. If the US market means anything to these manufacturers, I think they will keep racing. The German manufacturers, in particular, really like to leverage their racing success into their street car marketing.
The Germans have been competitive this year (and always will with BoP) and I don’t think Corvette is going to win that much with this older car. The new mid engine 911 should be winning at least as much as the Fords.
Last edited by quick04Z06; 08-08-2018 at 10:34 AM.
07-09-2018, 07:45 PM
