Press Release:

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Second Straight Overall Win for Wayne Taylor Racing

Gavin, Milner second in GTLM despite late-race contact while leading

• Gavin, Milner retain GTLM points lead with two wins and runner-up in 2016
• Dekra Green Award for No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
• First Corvette DP podium sweep since Sebring 2015

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 16, 2016) – Wayne Taylor Racing won its second straight race at Long Beach to lead an overall sweep for the Corvette Daytona Prototype program, and Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner extended their GT Le Mans (GTLM) championship lead with a runner-up finish in their No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R at Saturday’s Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix.

Jordan and Ricky Taylor won by 2.958 seconds in their No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP with Action Express Racing’s Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa second in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. Eric Curran and Dane Cameron finished third in Action Express’ No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP. It’s the first 1-2-3 finish for Corvette DPs since the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2015.

The GTLM race was a Corvette 1-2 for most of the race’s second half. Milner and Gavin appeared headed for their third straight victory to open the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) season until Milner was hit from behind by Fred Makowiecki’s Porsche entering the final turn with two minutes left in the race. Despite the contact, Milner recovered to finish second.

Corvette Racing was going for the 100^th victory in program history. Starting fourth in class, Gavin had to pit 30 minutes into the race with a suspected left-front tire puncture. It changed the strategy of the race with Milner having to go 70 minutes on a tank of E20. He took the lead with 53 minutes remaining. The race’s only full-course caution erased an 11-second lead over teammate Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette, which Jan Magnussen qualified and started from fifth.

The restart saw the two Corvettes nearly nose-to-tail for the better part of 20 minutes. Unfortunately Garcia’s Corvette spun at Turn 4 with nine minutes left. He made it back to pit lane but the car couldn’t be repaired. He and Magnussen finished ninth.

The race stayed green until the finish despite the incident in the final corner that knocked Milner from the lead. The No. 4 Corvette did win the Dekra Green Award, which goes to the GTLM car that best combines performance with efficiency.

In the Prototype race, Ricky Taylor made an opening-lap, Turn 1 pass stick as he and brother Jordan led all but three of the race’s 75 laps. What’s more, the Wayne Taylor Racing and No. 5 Action Express Corvette DPs ran 1-2 for 57 laps including the final 36. Fittipaldi had qualified on pole position.

Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marc Goossens placed sixth for Visit Florida Racing in the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP.

The Taylors have now been either first or second the last three years at Long Beach. Cameron set the fastest lap of the race in the Action Express No. 31 Corvette DP for the second straight year. Unofficially, the Mustang Sampling Corvette DP has moved into first place in the IMSA Prototype Championship while the Whelen Engineering Corvette DP moves into second.

The next race for Corvette Racing and Corvette DPs is the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, May 1.

CORVETTE RACING QUOTES

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: "It was fairly well under control until I had a wiggle apparently. But that wiggle was tiny. I just got wrecked basically. Two Porsches running nose to tail… it is pretty clear what happened there. It is pretty disappointing that this is the kind of racing we have here where we are better than that for sure. At the end of the day, it could have been worse for us for sure. Second place is obviously great points. Oliver was unlucky there with the puncture (tire) and it was looking pretty bleak for us for a little bit there. But with the yellow, and we were at the right spot there at the end. There were very difficult conditions there after the yellow flag I was locking fronts all over the place and then the tires came back and they were good. Then with three to go, just taken out. It’s disappointing but certainly could have been a lot worse. I don't mind finishing second if it is clean and it happens the right way, but that wasn't the right way. It hurts a little bit to be second in this case the way it happened, but again, end of the day second place is great points for us. We can hold our heads high that we raced as hard as we could today, the right way."

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: "When you look back on today at the end of the year, we would hope that this was one where we ended up getting a good result from it. Yes, we felt like we got robbed of the victory. But with the puncture we had early-on and the pit stop, Tommy having to save fuel, the tires only lasting for so long… for us to come away with second place is a very good result. If you had asked us after the pit stop or told us we were going to finish second, yes we would definitely taken that. It is a little hard to swallow right now. We felt like we were going to win and we were robbed of that."

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED NINTH IN GTLM: “It was not the outcome we expected. We played our strategy very smart. With the pace we had early, we showed that we had to do something. We didn’t have the fastest car but we were – up until the yellow – first and second. For sure the first yellow helped the 4 car stay in the lead. The Porsches were very fast. If I wanted to stay ahead of them, I needed to have the best drive of my career. There was a lot of pressure from them. Maybe there were some taps but nothing special. Then a mistake happened. I can’t say I felt contact. We probably need to view the replay but I was driving the whole race on the limit. That’s what happens on a street circuit sometimes. It can bite you at some point. I wasn’t going to be happy to finish second, so I was doing all I could to try to win the race.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED NINTH IN GTLM: “My stint itself was pretty uneventful. I wasn’t really in a position to attack anybody. We started getting messed up in traffic and lost a lot of ground to the guys in front. I tried to take care of things, but it was difficult. We did a bunch of laps in qualifying, so we were starting to lose a lot of performance in the tire. I was just taking care of things.”

CORVETTE DP QUOTES

RICKY TAYLOR, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP – PROTOTYPE RACE WINNER: “I don’t know, ever since Konica Minolta has been with us starting at this race three races ago, we always perform really well. The guys give us an awesome car. It was a Corvette DP 1-2-3, which is very special. We couldn’t be happier. Jordan did and awesome job. Everybody was fantastic.

“I was devastated after qualifying. It’s nice to start on pole at Long Beach because track position is so important. I was thinking about that all night and, a 4 o’clock race start gave me all day to think about it. I had every situation planned in my head except for that one where (Fittipaldi) accelerated right out of (Turn) 11 and was a bit early, I thought. We were a bit trimmed out, so I was able to stay close, and it’s actually easier sometimes to be second because you’re not the first one feeling the new grip, so I had a little bit of an advantage just being able to attack. He didn’t give me a whole lot of room, but that’s racing. It’s good stuff.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP – PROTOTYPE RACE WINNER: “The 5 was on me pretty much from the get-go when I got in the car and was putting a lot of pressure on. And then when the yellow came, I really didn’t know what to expect on cold tires. Once we got going, I saw the 31 was behind the 5 and that kind of helped take his focus off me a little bit and he was probably having to look both front and rear. I was able to pull a little bit of a gap thanks to the 31 and kind of maintain that until the end of the race. Thankfully, we didn’t catch too much traffic in the last 10 to 15 laps and we were basically able to hold our pace and get to the end.”

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – FINISHED SECOND IN PROTOTYPE: “We managed to get by the Mazda going into the hairpin. The No. 10 was about FOUR seconds ahead or something like that and we managed to close it down a little bit. It was a pretty solid race. Hats off the them (No. 10); they didn't have any mistakes. They deserved to win today. We finished second. If you can't win, finish second and collect the points. I'm pretty sure that these points are going to make a big difference at the end of the year and that is key. We will keep rocking and see what happens the next race."

JOAO BARBOSA, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – FINISHED SECOND IN PROTOTYPE: "Once I got in the car, I could see the No. 10 car really close, but it is very hard on a tight street course. I was trying to judge the slower cars to see if I could get an advantage but sometimes it actually works against you. It's racing. I think we did everything we could and it was good racing. The Mustang Sampling Corvette was good all race long. The Action Express guys did a great job and we got great points today.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Gavin, Magnussen Part of Tight GTLM Fight

Fittipaldi nabs first Long Beach pole position for Action Express Racing; Ricky Taylor second

• Corvette Racing going for 100^th program victory
• Gavin to start fourth, Magnussen in fifth
• Second straight Long Beach overall pole for Corvette DP

DETROIT (April 15, 2016) – Corvette Racing will go for its 100^th victory in program history Saturday from the second and third rows of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) grid as part of the Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach. Oliver Gavin qualified fourth in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, and Jan Magnussen was right behind in the No. 3 Corvette.

In Prototype qualifying, Action Express Racing’s Christian Fittipaldi led a front-row sweep for the Corvette Daytona Prototype by beating out Ricky Taylor, last year’s pole winner for Wayne Taylor Racing.

The two Corvette C7.Rs ran 1-2 for the majority of Friday’s qualifying session. Gavin, pole winner in his first race at Long Beach in 2007, set the pace early before finishing the session with a best lap of 1:17.573 (91.331 mph). Magnussen, with two Long Beach pole positions to his credit, posted a quick lap of 1:17.676 (91.120 mph).

Corvette Racing will go for its sixth Long Beach victory in 11 years in Saturday’s 100-minute race. Gavin and Tommy Milner won in 2012 – a season in which they also won the American Le Mans Series’ GT championship – while Magnussen and Antonio Garcia won in 2014; it was the first victory for the Corvette C7.R and the first of four straight wins for the duo.

The driver pairings remain the same for this year’s race. Bill Auberlen (BMW) was Friday’s GTLM pole winner.

Fittipaldi captured his first career pole position at Long Beach with a lap of 1:14.962 (94.512 mph) in the Action Express No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. He and Joao Barbosa will go for their first victory together at the street circuit event.

Taylor’s best time was a 1:15.113 (94.297 mph) on his final qualifying lap in the Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP. He and brother Jordan are the defending race winners, and the pairing was second two years ago at Long Beach.

Eric Curran qualified Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP in the fourth spot with a lap of 1:15.741 (93.540 mph). Marc Goossens was seventh in Visit Florida Racing’s No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP at 1:16.163 (93.022 mph).

The Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix of Long Beach is set for 4:05 p.m. PT on Saturday. It will air live on FOX Sports 2 with tape-delayed broadcasts on FOX Sports 1 at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday and 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.

CORVETTE RACING QUOTES

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED FOURTH IN GTLM: “It was a pretty decent session. It's warmer than it was this morning, obviously. So the tires came in quicker. We were quick at the beginning of the session, but it just seemed that the BMW and the Porsche came on strong there and we got bumped to fourth. I didn't string it all together perfectly, but it wasn't a bad lap. I could have maybe found another tenth here or maybe there, but I don't think we were ever going have the pace to quite catch the BMW. But fourth is a pretty good spot, and I think we have a chance. We have a pretty good race car. On longer runs, I think we should be in a reasonably good spot. We can attack and build a good race from that spot. So I'm pretty happy. Obviously you would like to be a fit farther forward and in P1, but we always seem to have a very good race car."

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED FIFTH IN GTLM: “It was not a bad qualifying actually. It was just not quite fast enough to be right at the front. We'll go back and look at the data and see if it is something we can improve for tomorrow. But it is difficult now because we are not on track between now and the race so it can only be small changes.  We aren't a million miles off of what I think we can do. It is just little things. We will try to find them tonight and give it a go tomorrow."

CORVETTE DP QUOTES

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – POLE WINNER: “I’m really happy to get pole here. This is where our team has had some hard times - this race and the next one. Maybe this could be a chapter changing in Action Express Racing’s history. We worked hard last year after Laguna Seca – where we had a miserable race - the first thing we did the following week was go test and understand what happened. We think we figured it out, and it showed itself today. This morning, I knew we would have a better car than last year. In the last practice, the car was pretty good; I just didn’t manage to do a very good lap, but in qualifying I knew we wouldn’t have any traffic. It was a matter of putting two good laps in a row.”

RICKY TAYLOR, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP – QUALIFIED SECOND: “The car was a pole car but, unfortunately, I brushed the (Turn Eight) wall early on, which really messed up the toe and ruined our qualifying. I feel bad because it should have been an easy pole and I just went for too much too soon. If you’re going to hit the wall, you should hit it at the end, not at the beginning so you can give yourself a chance. I guess that’s a little bit of a lesson, but the car was a pole car, for sure, which gives us confidence in the race. I’m going to try to get by him (today’s pole-winner Christian Fittipaldi). I know our pit stop will be faster, but I want to pass him on the track.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Race-Winning Momentum Heads West

A third straight IMSA victory would give Corvette Racing 100 wins in program history

• Chance for Corvette Racing to add to another milestone to history books
• Gavin, Milner arrive with Rolex, Sebring victories and GTLM points lead
• Garcia, Magnussen look to recapture winning ways
• Corvette Racing with five class victories at Long Beach

DETROIT (April 12, 2016) – Since its first race in 1999, Corvette Racing has accumulated one of sports car racing’s most enviable records. Now the sport’s leading GT team is on the verge of reaching another milestone as it heads west for the next two races of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) season.

Corvette Racing’s next victory will be its 100^th – a mark that no other North American professional sports car entrant can come close to matching. The first opportunity to claim No. 100 comes this weekend at the Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix from the famed Long Beach street circuit. It will be Corvette Racing’s 10^th appearance at Long Beach with five class wins already in-hand.

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, who share the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, arrive at Long Beach with consecutive wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. As a result, the pairing leads in GT Le Mans (GTLM) points for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Gavin and Milner won together at Long Beach in 2012 to start their run to the American Le Mans Series GT title. Gavin has two other Long Beach wins to his credit – 2007 and 2009.

Corvette Racing’s two-car effort also includes Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R. They recorded the C7.R’s first victory in the 2014 Long Beach race – the first of four straight in IMSA competition. The Garcia/Magnussen duo were third last year, and Magnussen had previously won at Long Beach in 2007.

The 100-minute Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix is the shortest event on Corvette Racing’s 2016 schedule. It is part of the Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, now in its 42^nd year. The event is one of racing’s most recognized around the world with a picturesque 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit that sits on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

A total of 25 cars are entered for this year’s IMSA race, which in addition to GTLM includes the Prototype category and the Prototype Challenge field. It’s a larger grid than in years past, which will add to the challenge of an already tricky and narrow street course.

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 Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix of Long Beach is set for 4:05 p.m. PT on Saturday. It will air live on FOX Sports 2 with tape-delayed broadcasts on FOX Sports 1 at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday and 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Long Beach is always a nice event. It has been good for Jan and I for the last couple of years with a win and a podium in our Corvette C7.R. It’s only a 100-minute race so the timing and execution of the pit stop will be key. You hope you don’t have anything go wrong and have to make more than one stop. There will be more cars on the track this year, so the chances of more full-course yellows are greater, which can interfere with strategy. One mistake can end your race or someone else’s.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Things are a little bit different for Antonio and I going to Long Beach than the last couple of years. There has been nothing wrong with our speed and performance. We lost out by less than a car length at Daytona and were leading at Sebring before a crash took us out. So we’re behind on points but we can’t panic yet. A lot can happen at Long Beach even though it’s only 100 minutes.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s always interesting going to Long Beach. You go from two of the longest races of the year to the shortest. It’s definitely a different mindset. You have one pit stop and one driver change. It’s all about making sure you can execute as fast and as well as possible. Tommy and I have had a fantastic start, and we’re full of confidence. Our Corvette has been running extremely well. Coming into this race with the points lead is great. But this is a totally different beast. You have to switch hats a little but fundamentally the car setup and how we attack a race weekend is somewhat similar to how we have so far this year. We know the race is extremely short and sweet. We have to execute thoroughly.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Long Beach feels like a whole new challenge compared to Daytona and Sebring. Our success at Daytona and Sebring is a nice reward for the hard work the whole team has put in but Long Beach will be a new challenge for us. We need to be fast right away if we want to be successful this weekend but be aware of the risk of making a mistake as that will undoubtedly hamper our chances. Oliver and I come into the race with the points lead and we will be working hard with Corvette Racing to help keep that momentum going.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Corvette Racing is off to another exceptional start. We have proven we are the top endurance GT team in racing. Now we will test ourselves in the shortest race of the season at 100 minutes in Long Beach. The nature of this and any street circuit elevates the level of risk, but it’s an aspect of the event we have mastered before. Long Beach is always an entertaining race that draws some of the largest crowds we see every year. We’re looking to put on another exciting show for them.”

2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM Standings (After two of 10 events)

Corvette Racing at Long Beach

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Second Straight Win for Corvette C7.R to Start 2016

Gavin, Milner, Fässler win again in No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R

• 10^th class victory at Sebring for Corvette Racing
• Team claims fifth straight Triple Crown victory
• Action Express Racing Corvette DPs take two Prototype podium spots

SEBRING, Fla. (March 19, 2016) – Corvette Racing’s Triple Crown streak continued Saturday with a 10^th class victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R won their second straight race to open the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) season to go along with a victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

It is the second straight victory at Sebring for Corvette Racing and the third in four years. Milner drove the final two hours and 50 minutes to win by 2.882 seconds. The team has won the last five of the world’s top endurance races – Daytona and  Sebring in 2015 and 2016, plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015.

"Great driving, teamwork and execution in the pits were keys to today’s GTLM class victory for the No. 4 Corvette C7.R team in the 12 Hours of Sebring," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "To come from two laps down and win in a field as competitive as the IMSA GTLM class is a true reflection of the never-give-up attitude of the Corvette Racing team.

Campbell added, "This win is special because it Corvette Racing's second consecutive win at Sebring and follows win at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. The IMSA season is off to an exciting start."

Milner drove the first two hours, 50 minutes in Corvette Racing’s No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R and was third at the time of a red flag for lightning and track conditions. Milner had led the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class midway through the opening quarter thanks to a strong first pit stop by the Corvette Racing crew and being able to take on wet tires 90 minutes into the race just before the pit entry closed due to a crash on track.

Fässler got in the No. 4 Corvette not long after the two-hour, 15-minute stoppage and drove in some of the most challenging conditions. He switched from slick to wet and back to slick Michelin tires during his stint as the track surface and weather changed throughout with his pace improving as his stint wore on. Gavin then took over on a dry track with less than five hours to go. He drove two-plus hours and got the Corvette back on the GTLM lead lap before Milner drove to the end.

The No. 3 Corvette C7.R of Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller also was a contender for a repeat victory at Sebring before the car suffered heavy damage when another GTLM competitor hit Magnussen at the entry to Turn One, which sent both cars hard into the outside tire barrier. Magnussen, part of the GTLM-winning effort with Garcia a year ago, had just taken the lead in class with less than a little less than five hours remaining in the race.

Magnussen was evaluated and released from the Sebring infield care center, but the car suffered significant damage to the driver’s side and rear internal components. The No. 3 Corvette Racing crew worked feverishly to repair the car, and it returned to the race less than 45 minutes after it arrived in the team’s paddock.

Despite the setback, the No. 3 Corvette completed enough laps for ninth-place points.

Action Express Racing Nets Two Podium Finishes

A year after claiming Chevrolet’s first overall victory at Sebring in 50 years, Action Express Racing again climbed the overall podium with both of its Corvette Daytona Prototypes. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP of Dane Cameron, Eric Curran and Scott Pruett placed second overall. The trio finished just 2.926 behind the race-winning Prototype.

“I am proud of how the Corvette DP teams and drivers raced at Sebring,” Campbell said. “They raced hard all day long and secured two podium positions at this challenging track.”

Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, last year’s winners in the Action Express No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP, teamed with Felipe Albuquerque to finish third overall Saturday. Their Corvette DP led the most laps.

Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel and Ryan Hunter-Reay finished fifth in Visit Florida Racing’s No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP; Wayne Taylor Racing’s quartet of Jordan and Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli and Rubens Barrichello placed 12^th in class in their No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP.

The next event for Corvette Racing and the Corvette DPs is the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, April 16 from the Long Beach (California) street circuit.

CORVETTE RACING QUOTES

OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: "The race started with us not knowing how much pace we were going to have compared to our competition. Then Tommy and Antonio were both marching up the order. Tommy got us into the lead with some great pit stops and some good strategy. Then of course the rain came and we had that big stoppage. It is hard to get yourself focused after that. But you do, you manage, you use your experience and you get going again. Then it was a case of us battling away with a few things – some bits and pieces – the weather; the track; the tires – generally the conditions. I got the car back onto the lead lap and got us into the top-three. Then I handed it over to Tommy and he did a great, great job. I knew we were in great position toward the end of my double-stint because I knew the car was good because it was underneath me. It had a little bit too much understeer hear and there, but the car was really strong. We got back on the lead lap and into the right spot. Tommy could then get it and run to the end. He had been on fire all day. I had to do exactly what he did at Daytona which was sit on the pit box and watch and fret and pace and stress about is there going to be another yellow. Or is this going to happen, or is that going to happen? Is the last pit stop going to go okay. The guys did a brilliant job with that. Once again the team had their stresses and strain through the day. Jan's accident was huge and it just shows the quality of the car and the ability of the team to bounce back from that and get that car back out. It was just an exceptional day again. This is 60 hours of racing that we've won with the No. 4 with Le Mans, Daytona 24 Hours and now Sebring 12 Hours. That is just amazing that we have been able to do that in the last 12 months.  I am very, very happy with the performance of the whole team."

TOMMY MILNER, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: "What a race. We sort of had an up-and-down race.  At the start of the race the car wasn't super quick, but we weren't bad by any means. We had a great pit stop there and got me to the lead. Then the rain came, and we weren't super good in the wet for sure… third or fourth quick there for sure. But then when I got in at the end, I've NEVER had a race car that good. That Corvette was absolutely on rails and I could tell as soon as I left pit lane… I knew we had a fast race car. I just immediately knew – the car felt that good. We didn't have the best car at the start; certainly not in the rain. But at the end we had THE best car - here we are P1. I’m super, super happy for these guys – for Oliver and Marcel. And for all the crew guys. They have worked super hard. Just fortunate to be in the car there at the end and get to have some fun like that."

MARCEL FÄSSLER, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “It’s an amazing day. Two events with Corvette Racing and two wins. I’m really, really happy and proud to be a part of this winning team. Looking back at my race, it was quite tough after the red flag for me. I had never driven this track in the wet, especially not in a GT car. It was difficult to find the right racing line early but after that I felt OK. On my last stop, I think we went a little too early on slick tires, and it was really tricky for me to stay on track. Unfortunately I went off and hit one of the banners. We had to stop because the engine was getting warm. So yes it was a tricky situation. We lost some laps but we were able to catch up. Oliver and Tommy did a really good job out there. It was great to watch them, especially Tommy. I think he did half the race which was really impressive and an unbelievable job. The team made no mistakes and the car was a rocket.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED NINTH IN GTLM: “When the rain came, it was a bit of a disaster. It looked from the outside like it was hero time for everybody wanting to take a risk. I wasn't that keen on doing that. I stayed safe but aggressive. I stayed in touch with the leaders. But it was very, very difficult with the conditions. I don't know how the 25 BMW and I didn't crash at the end of the straight. We were literally navigating for half a straight not controlling the car at all. I was able to come to a full stop before the tire barriers. Luckily some other GT cars avoided me spinning, and I had a couple of cars going by sideways and backward. I avoided the wall but unfortunately the pits were closed at that time so we had to go back around on slick tires.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED NINTH IN GTLM: “It’s such a huge shame for everyone on the team really. The weather made it really difficult out there. The decision to go to slicks felt wrong, but we did it. After awhile I could see that times were coming down and I could build a little bit of temperature. I kept working at it. I don’t know how far back we were but we were a long way but caught everything up. We got into the lead there for a very short while and then it all went south. It’s a shame. (Kevin) Estre (911 driver) came and apologized. That’s nice enough but it doesn’t change the fact that we are in here building the car. I really, really feel bad for the crew because man we were fast.”

MIKE ROCKENFELLER, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED NINTH IN GTLM: “Congrats to the No. 4 team. They did a great job. Like Daytona, we had a chance to win the race but it didn't work out. The result for me was quite frustrating, but overall it was great to be with this team and to be part of it. I tried to everything I could. Two races... unfortunately not the results I was hoping for. But in Sebring we had all the chances. We had a car that could win especially in the dry. That is a positive."

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Just when you think you’ve seen it all - with the tremendous wins at Le Mans and Daytona - Corvette Racing comes back from one of our cars being taken out and the other two laps down with six hours to go and standing here in Victory Lane… it’s a great team, great drivers, tremendous strategy and engineering, flawless execution on pit stops. It takes an effort like this to win in this race and in this series. We’re racing against the world’s best. And today we demonstrated why Corvette Racing is the world’s best GT racing team.”

CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE QUOTES

SCOTT PRUETT, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP: FINISHED SECOND IN PROTOTYPE: "It would have been awesome to win. We felt like we could win. We went to a knife fight with a gun. The guys did a great job! Dane did a really nice job there at the end. Realistically this is probably my last Prototype race so it would have been nice to be on the top of the podium, but I couldn't be happier with second place and this great group of guys. Everybody at Action Express has been a real pleasure and welcomed me in as part of the family. I had so much fun today racing hard and taking the lead in my stints. It was a great day!"

ERIC CURRAN, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP: FINISHED SECOND IN PROTOTYPE: "The day ended up great. The No. 31 was good and the Action Express guys kicked butt all day long. We ended up with a top-notch finish. It would have been nice to pull out a win there. He was pedaling hard to keep the thing out front, but he didn't have anything for the Patron car. Dane did all the heavy lifting today to be honest. He drove almost half the race. Scott did a great job and I did my best to try and screw it up for everybody. We got back on track and Dane had a good car for the end. Hats off. It was a good day for us. I look forward to going to Long Beach here in a month or so."

DANE CAMERON, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP: FINISHED SECOND IN PROTOTYPE: "It was a long day. I drove a lot and I am going to sleep very well. I am really proud of the effort we put forth today in the Whelen Action Express Corvette today. I really think that was an excellent effort for today. I think we can be quite proud all around for the effort - all the drivers, all the guys in the pits, spotters. Everybody was really really great today. We just didn't quite have enough in the last couple of laps which is obviously very disappointing to come so close. It was a strong endurance race for us so we can push on toward the championship."

JOAO BARBOSA, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP - FINISHED THIRD IN PROTOTYPE: "It was good to be back in race conditions. The team did a tremendous job today with our team being the only team fighting with the P2 cars to the end. We were definitely the class of the field as a team - no problems. The car ran flawlessly, no problems at all. The car ran great. We ran as fast as we could, as strong as we could without any mistakes but it wasn't enough today. We definitely felt like we are in a gun fight with a knife, but we came up a little bit short. It is a little bit disappointing. A little bit frustrating. We did our best and still not up there even close enough to win. But we are looking ahead to the season and the championship. We have a strong team, even stronger than last year so the future looked really great."

FELIPE ALBUQUERQUE, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP - FINISHED THIRD IN PROTOTYPE: "It was a hell of a day. Crazy weather for everyone. We survived everything. We led a lot of the race. I think Joao and Christian and the team did a great job, but in the end it was just strategy and place. The P2 car was same story as Daytona. He went way too quick. I could expect him to brake so late into Turn Seven. I was at my limit. I couldn't even brake later. It's like that and it is so frustrating to see last seven laps with the win so close but at the same time so far because the guy was pulling so much. It is what it is. P3 was what we had."

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP - FINISHED THIRD IN PROTOTYPE: "It was an awesome day for the whole team for Action Express to finish two and three. We definitely managed to get into the mix with the other cars. The P2s were definitely very, very strong in the race. I am very proud of everything we did this week. So close but no cigar. And unfortunately that's the way it went today. I'm happy to collect the points we did today. Now we'll turn the page and prepare for Long Beach."

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Speeding Toward More History

Corvette Racing with nine Sebring class wins and last four Triple Crown victories

• First event for Corvette Racing since dynamic 1-2 finish at Daytona
• Garcia, Magnussen part of GT Le Mans-winning Corvette in 2015
• This year’s Sebring marks the 60^th anniversary race for Corvette brand

DETROIT (March 15, 2016) – Sebring and Corvette. They go together like America and apple pie. In fact, they have for 60 years now – America’s longest-running endurance race and America’s sports car. The relationship continues in 2016 as Corvette Racing returns to Sebring International Raceway for this weekend’s 64^th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida.

Corvette Racing is the defending winner in IMSA’s GT Le Mans class. It was the second leg of a Triple Crown season for the team, which became the first in 15 years to win the world’s three biggest endurance races in the same year: Sebring, the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A year later and Corvette Racing is back at Sebring looking to start a season two-for-two. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R won at Daytona in a historic 1-2 finish by 0.034 seconds – the smallest margin of victory in the Rolex 24 regardless of class. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller were second at Daytona in the No. 3 Corvette.

The pairings are the same for the 12 Hours, and it’s a formidable lineup. Between them, the group has 13 class victories. Gavin has five wins, Magnussen four, Garcia two, and Milner and Fässler one each; the latter’s was an overall win 2013. Magnussen and Garcia were part of the winning lineup a year ago.

The number of production-class victories for the Chevrolet badge at Sebring also is staggering. The Bowtie ranks second in Sebring history with 27 class victories. Of those, 22 were by a production-based Corvette… including nine for Corvette Racing since 2001. In all, Corvette Racing has 98 victories worldwide.

This year’s 12 Hours has added meaning for the Corvette brand as it marks the 60^th anniversary of Corvette’s initial foray into motorsports. Corvette raced for the first time in the 1956 Sebring 12 Hours with five entries, one of which placed ninth overall and won its class.

The same year, work began on two special Corvettes that would race in the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours – the Corvette SS and Corvette SR2. Both were purpose-built race cars that provided a foundation for future production Corvettes in terms of technology and aerodynamics. In order to highlight the early days of Corvette as a racing brand, a Corvette SR2 and Corvette SS will be on display this weekend in the Sebring Gallery of Legends.

Since the mid-50s, Corvettes have been constant entries at Sebring. That heritage was amplified when Corvette Racing arrived with the beginning of the American Le Mans Series in 1999.

In addition, Corvette Racing routinely tests at Sebring – not just to prepare for the event but also perfect many of the components that are common to the C7.R and the Corvette Z06 production car.

That first race at Sebring for the Corvette C5-R ushered in a new era of racing Corvettes at the historic track. The introduction of Corvette Racing occurred two months earlier in the Rolex 24 At Daytona but Sebring served as sort of a full circle return for the Cross Flags. This weekend marks the 17^th consecutive season Corvette Racing has fielded two cars for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, plus the team has conducted a number of tests at the track over the years – including in early February.

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 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is set for 10:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 19. 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.

Corvette, Chevrolet on Display at Sebring

In addition to the on-track activity at Sebring, fans can learn all they need to know about Chevrolet by visiting the Corvette Racing Display from Thursday to Saturday in the Sebring Midway. Among the Chevrolet attractions at the Display and at Sebring include:

• Chevrolet 2016 production vehicles such as the Malibu LTZ, Equinox, Silverado 2500 HD, Camaro – the 2016 Motor Trend Car of the Year and an accessorized Corvette Stingray

• A Corvette C7.R show car

• The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze and 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel – the 2016 Motor Trend Truck of the Year.

• 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 9 a.m., Thursday and 8 a.m., Friday and Saturday.

In addition, Chevrolet will pace the two highest-profile races of the Sebring weekend – the 12 Hours of Sebring and Friday’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge – with an arctic white Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The Sebring 12 Hours is a race that I think everyone at Corvette Racing looks forward to. A big reason is our success there with nine wins including last year. It was a good example of what can happen at Sebring. We did not have the fastest car but we had the best strategy and didn’t make any mistakes as drivers or in the pits. At the end of the day, that was the difference.

“Sebring is an important place for everyone at Corvette Racing. We have had many tests there that help us get ready not just for the IMSA season but also Le Mans as well. Cars are punished more at Sebring than any other track, including Le Mans. So if you want to see how strong a car you have, Sebring is the place to do it.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I always like going to Sebring. It’s a classic, old-school track and one you can’t find anywhere else in the world. In a lot of ways you really like Sebring and you really dislike it, too. It’s great because the event is fantastic and we always have good support from the fans and Corvette owners. But it beats you physically like no other track. Your neck, arms, hands, knees… they’re incredibly sore after the week. But winning there is worth it. I’m hoping we can repeat and give Corvette Racing our 10th Sebring win.”

MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It will be good to be back at Sebring and competing there with Corvette Racing for the first time. There are lots of things you remember always about Sebring. One is how rough the circuit is for long stretches. It’s definitely not like any other track you will race on during the year! But that is what we all enjoy about going to Sebring is the constant challenge of the surface and the other cars in the race. Another nice part is the number of fans and how enthusiastic they are about Sebring each year. It’s very much like a party and that is one of the unique things every year that I enjoy about Sebring.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We’ve had so many great moments at Sebring. Certainly I’ve had many that personally have meant a great deal to me, and many of them came with Corvette Racing. The track has played a large role in the history of our team. We as a team and Chevrolet have used Sebring to test and develop our cars not just for the 12 Hours but also for Le Mans as well. It has been a testing and proving ground for Corvettes over the last 60 years and it has served us all well.

“The 2013 race is one I’ll remember for a long time. We had to fight and claw our way back for what felt like the entire way. Really it was a total team victory - Tommy drove a great stint, our engineers called a great race and our crew guys were spot-on. That’s what it takes to win at a race like Sebring. Everything has to be in sync. It was the same at Daytona this year and we are hoping it happens again this year at Sebring.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Sebring is such a historic track and without a doubt the most physically demanding for us each year. But that’s why it has a special place in sports car lore. The 12 Hours is a race every driver looks forward to and wants to win. Being able to add my name to that list in 2013 is something I’ll never forget. Everything came together at the end on the strategy and pit stop to put me in a position to race for the win.”

“Sebring is an important place for Corvette. It’s the first race for the brand 60 years ago, and it’s obviously played a big role in the development of Corvette Racing as one of endurance racing’s top programs. In two days of testing there, you’re able to pound and beat on your car and equipment to make sure it will last under the most extreme conditions.

MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I am looking forward to racing again with Oliver and Tommy after our win at Daytona. It was one of the biggest and most exciting wins I’ve been a part of. Obviously have very good memories of racing and winning at Sebring. Although it has been a few years since my last 12 Hours, I always enjoyed competing there. The fans and the atmosphere are great. In a lot of ways it is like Le Mans. Our test there in February gave us valuable feedback. It was definitely a different feeling being in a GT car than a prototype but it didn’t take very many laps for me to get up to speed.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “There is only one Sebring. The unique surface conditions brutalize both the car and the driver. Unlike Daytona and Le Mans, the drivers have no opportunity to rest at any point during a lap. It is those things - and there are many - that raises Sebring to icon status in the world of road racing. We certainly have had our share of success here including an electrifying, strategy-based victory last year. So, coming off a tremendous victory at The Rolex 24 at Daytona last month, I think it's safe to say our fans are definitely going to witness yet another epic endurance battle.”

2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM Standings (After one of 10 events)

Corvette Racing at Sebring

 https://youtu.be/VQHB23UEOH8

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Two Corvettes Confirmed for June Race

Team enters as defending GTE Pro champion, reigning Rolex 24 winner

• Eight class victories at Le Mans since 2001
• Gavin, Milner, Jordan Taylor won in class last year
• Garcia, Magnussen joined by Corvette Racing newcomer Ricky Taylor

DETROIT (Feb. 5, 2016) – On the heels of a historic 1-2 class finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Corvette Racing learned today that its two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs have been invited to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is the 17^th consecutive season that two entries for Corvette Racing are part of the entry list for one of the world’s greatest motorsports events.

As was the case a year ago, Corvette Racing will field the No. 63 and No. 64 Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs in the 14-car GTE Pro class. In it, the team will face a number of the same competitors as in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship as well as entries from the FIA World Endurance Championship. The full grid for Le Mans will be made up of 60 cars.

"Being invited to Le Mans always is a special honor for everyone at Chevrolet and Corvette Racing, and we are fortunate to return as the GTE Pro winner,” said Mark Kent, Director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition. “Le Mans is where the best manufacturers compete in endurance racing's toughest test - a place we have won eight times. The Corvette Racing team has a long history of success in long-distance events, evidenced by victories like our win this year at the Rolex 24."

Corvette Racing has won eight times at Le Mans including a storybook victory last year for Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor. They are back together for a second straight season; Gavin and Milner lead the IMSA GT Le Mans (GTLM) standings after their win at Daytona with Marcel Fässler.

There will be new trio in the No. 63 Corvette C7.R. Full-season teammates Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen – second at Daytona with Mike Rockenfeller – will drive with Ricky Taylor.

The two Corvettes will take to the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe for the first time this year on June 5 as part of the annual Le Mans Test Day. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for June 18-19.

The next event for Corvette Racing is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 16-19 from Sebring International Raceway, where Corvette Racing also is the defending GTLM winner.

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 54^th 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 54^th 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

2015 TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings (After 10 of 10 events)

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 54^th 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

2015 TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings (After 10 of 10 events)

Press Release:

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

2015 TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings (After 10 of 10 events)

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: Great Finishes on Challenging Day

Action Express Racing wins Prototype race and titles; Gavin/Milner third in GTLM

• Barbosa, Fittipaldi take second straight Prototype Driver’s Championship and Tequila Patrón Endurance Cup; win Prototype race with Sebastien Bourdais
• Garcia, Magnussen claim Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup in GT Le Mans
• Gavin, Milner bookend season with GTLM podium finishes in No. 4 Corvette C7.R

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 3, 2015) – A damp Petit Le Mans ended Saturday with Corvette Racing and the Corvette Daytona Prototype program claiming titles in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Action Express Racing’s Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais won the Prototype class of the rain-shortened race – it ran just shy of eight hours of its 10-hour duration. Driving the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP, Barbosπa and Fittipaldi also captured their second straight Prototype Driver’s Championship as well as their second straight title in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

“Congratulations to Joao, Christian, Sebastien and the Action Express Racing No. 5 Corvette DP on their second consecutive championship," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "The drivers and crew demonstrated an absolute ‘Never-Give-Up’ approach throughout today's rain-soaked conditions. Their perseverance and consistent performance resulted in the team also winning the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup.

“Thank you to all the Corvette Daytona Prototype teams for their efforts to secure the Manufacturer and North American Endurance Cup championships once again for Chevrolet,” Campbell added.

Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner placed third in GT Le Mans after leading the race overall on multiple occasions. The No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R started the season with a podium at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and ended it in like fashion.

Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R also ended the season in championship style by winning the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup in GT Le Mans. The competition consists of the TUDOR Championship’s four endurance races: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen and Petit Le Mans. Garcia and Magnussen won at Daytona and Sebring with Ryan Briscoe to put themselves in control of the championship.

"For the Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R teams, the 2015 season was filled with incredible successes and a few challenges along the way," Campbell said. "The season started strong with the class win at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and Sebring 12 Hours, and it continued with the eighth class win in the Le Mans 24 Hours - sports car racing's Triple Crown. And after some challenging races, it was great to have the No. 3 Corvette C7.R team clinch the GTLM title in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup championship. Having the No. 4 Corvette C7.R on the podium adds to a great close to our season.”

Gavin began from pole position in class and ran among the leaders for most of his double-stint. He recovered from a minor off in his second stint before handing off to Milner. He drove a storming double-stint to move into the class lead nearly the halfway mark and then the overall lead a couple laps later before handing back over to Gavin.

Not long after the pit stop, race officials threw a red flag to halt the race due to the deteriorating conditions. The stoppage lasted about 30 minutes before the race resumed under full-course yellow conditions. Two more yellows came out over the final hour before the race was called.

Garcia and Magnussen challenged for the class and overall lead at different points, as well. Magnussen led for two laps after the No. 4 Corvette pitted near the 4:15 mark. However a pair of unscheduled pit stops – one early and one with an hour to go hampered their chances.

The Prototype race was a back-and-forth affair with all four Corvette DPs battling for the lead throughout. Action Express Racing ended with two cars on the Prototype podium – the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP in first and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette Daytona Prototype of Dane Cameron, Eric Curran and Max Papis placing third.

In addition the results netting another title for Barbosa and Fittipaldi, VisitFlorida.com Racing’s Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante unofficially placed second in the Driver’s Championship with their No. 90 Corvette DP. Cameron and Curran, in their first season together in Prototypes, placed third in Driver’s points.

Barbosa and Fittipaldi also won the Prototype championship in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup for the second straight season, as well.

The VisitFlorida.com Racing No. 90 Corvette DP and pole-winner Westbrook led early and were out front for most of the first two hours. The treacherous track conditions induced a pair of spins for the VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP.

The element of rain added extra drama for the other three Corvette DPs, as well. The Prototype race turned into mostly three-way battle between the two Action Express Corvette DPs and defending race winners Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli in the Wayne Taylor Racing No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP. They eventually placed fifth in class.

The 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opens with the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31 from Daytona International Raceway.

CORVETTE RACING QUOTES

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – THIRD IN GTLM: "Finishing on the podium really bookends our season. We started off the year at Daytona with pole position and finishing third. We got pole position here and ended up finishing third. About 25 minutes ago before they decided to checker the race, we were in the lead. With strategy and such, it was going to come around to us again that we were going to be in the top two. The Porsche was quick. Were we going to beat them in these conditions? Unlikely. But it was all about survival today. When I had my off early on in the race I was thinking that maybe had blown it for us and I was thinking about what I said to people before I got in the car about being smart and surviving and not doing something crazy. Then I just got into turn one a little bit too deep and just ran a little bit wide and once it was on the grass, I was a passenger. That was frustrating. But Tommy (Milner) drove really well. We had a good strategy. The guys worked really well in the pits and we marched ourselves back to the front and then we were there genuinely on pace which was nice. You can take a lot of positives from the results we had here today. We had a strong start to the season, we are having a strong finish. We can carry that over to 2016 and look forward."

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTTE C7.R – THIRD IN GTLM: “The end result is good. There were good fights when the track conditions were good. I’m glad we’re on the podium because I think we earned it and deserved it. Our Corvette C7.R was great, and the Michelin tires were good. Our pit stops were great all day. We did everything we needed to do to have a good race. It would have been a shame to not get a podium after the pace we showed. I’m a little unhappy with how the race ended - staying out in track conditions that were pretty much undriveable. But we made it through and here we are in third.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – SIXTH IN GTLM, TEQUILA PATRÓN NORTH AMERICAN ENDURANCE CUP GTLM CHAMPION: “My approach wasn’t quite like surviving; I was going. The car worked really good. All that I couldn’t do in qualifying yesterday I was able to do today. I had good rhythm, and everything seemed to be very good. I took every opportunity I had to pass the 25 BMW, the 62 BMW, and then closed up on Oliver (Gavin) in the 4 Corvette and the 24 BMW. Halfway through that stint, I felt something funny on the rear of the car, and I asked the team if there was something wrong with the pressures. We found out that the nut was loose and we lost track position. Thankfully it didn’t come all the way loose. I went all the way to the back again but was on the move again under green. That’s how good the car was.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – SIXTH IN GTLM, TEQUILA PATRÓN NORTH AMERICAN ENDURANCE CUP GTLM CHAMPION (Winning the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup): "That's definitely something. I am glad we came away with a championship this year. The way things were going it didn't look like it. I’m so very happy and super proud for the whole crew to win that one."

(On the race): "When the conditions were just a normal wet track, the car was really good and we were competitive. That's a little bit new for us.  But the conditions sometimes got so, so bad, and I don't understand why they didn't call a red flag or call the race earlier. At the end there I was screaming on the radio that they needed to stop this right now, it was so dangerous. They stopped the race and that was a good decision."

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Sanctioning bodies can control most everything in a racing event. What they can’t control is a team’s enthusiasm, passion and drive. Today, Corvette Racing once again demonstrated against insurmountable odds their ability to get the job done. Winning at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans, plus the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, shows why Corvette Racing is renowned as the world’s best endurance team.”

CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE QUOTES

JOAO BARBODA, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – PROTOTYPE RACE WINNER AND DRIVER CHAMPION: "It was just an unbelievable way to end the championship. Obviously we are super happy to win two championships in a row. This one was definitely really, really tough. It came down to checkered flag last lap. Conditions were really tough out there and very dangerous to be out there at the end. But overall it was a great effort to win the championship. Our goal in the beginning was to defend the championship, and we did it in kind of a dramatic way. It came right there at the end. I’m so proud to be a part of the Action Express guys and the commitment and passion they have for the sport. I think that is making all the difference."

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – PROTOTYPE RACE WINNER: “These were very tricky conditions today for the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. We did the job. There were different strategies out there, but when the second part of my time in the car, we were leading the race. The good thing is once the No. 90 fell back farther than a podium, it was an Action Express that was going to win the championship.  We have something to celebrate tonight."

ERIC CURRAN, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP – THIRD IN PROTOTYPE: “Overall it was quite a day here at Road Atlanta. The weather conditions were absolutely insane. But as usual, the Action Express guys gave us a phenomenal Whelen Corvette Daytona Prototype. We were good all day and fought through the conditions. I'm just so happy that the No. 5 guys won a championship and Chevrolet won another manufacturer championship.  It is a really big deal. Obviously on the No. 31 side, we would have loved to have won the championship, but it is give and take and it was such a successful season the first year out. To be fighting for a championship at the end of the year makes us all happy. I’m just really proud for Chevrolet, Action Express and our Whelen Engineering Corvette DP team."

MAX ANGELELLI, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 CORVETTE DP – FOURTH IN PROTOTYPE: “It was very, very bizarre and very unfortunate for our racing team. We race with rain, that is not a problem, we always do. What was weird were some calls that were made today, like dropping the yellows only because of crashes even though the track was bad well before the crashes occurred, and then go green well before the track was good to go green again. That’s the only thing I would have a problem with about today. Otherwise, it was a very unsatisfying way to end the race and the season after all of the hard work we did to get to the front. The way the checkered flag came out before any kind of normal procedure was followed, as far as opening the pits according to the rulebook and giving other teams the chance to execute the strategy decisions they made to pit or not during that yellow. It was all just very, very strange – very, very bizarre.”

JIM LUTZ, CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE PROGRAM MANAGER: “To say it was a challenging day today at Road Atlanta is an understatement. But our Corvette Daytona Prototype teams performed and executed to the best of their abilities. Congratulations go to Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, team owner Bob Johnson and everyone at Action Express Racing on another Prototype championship and class victory. It’s a great way to end the 2015 season.”

• Corvette Racing stands 1-2 in Tequila Patrón North American Endurace Cup for GT Le Mans
• Garcia, Magnussen ready for final push toward GTLM Driver’s Championship
• Corvette Racing looking to add fourth endurance race win to Triple Crown season

• TUDOR Practice 1: 11:10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 1
• TUDOR Practice 2: 3:25 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1
• TUDOR Practice 3: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1
• TUDOR Practice 4: 10:05 a.m., Friday, Oct. 2
• TUDOR GTLM Qualifying: 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2 (IMSA.com)
• TUDOR Warmup: 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 3
• Race: 11:15 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 3

• 11 a.m.-noon: FOX Sports 2, Saturday, Oct. 3
• Noon-2:30 p.m.: IMSA.com, Saturday, Oct. 3
• 2:30-7 p.m.: FOX Sports 2, Saturday, Oct. 3
• 7-8:30 p.m.: IMSA.com, Saturday, Oct. 3
• 8:30-9:30 p.m.: FOX Sports 2, Saturday, Oct. 3
• Replay: 1:30-4:30 p.m.: FOX Sports 1, Sunday, Oct. 4

CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: Aiming for On-Track Success in Lone Star State

Two Corvette C7.Rs hoping to replicate past victory in Austin

• Garcia, Magnussen victors for Corvette Racing at COTA in 2013
• Corvette Racing remains in running for GTLM Team Championship
• Doubleheader weekend with FIA World Endurance Championship

DETROIT (Sept.16, 2015) – Corvette Racing returns to one of sports car racing’s biggest stages this weekend for the Lone Star Le Mans weekend at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The team and its two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs will race in Saturday’s two-hour, 40-minute event for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which shares the stage at COTA with the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Just two events remain on the TUDOR Championship schedule – the Lone Star Le Mans and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans in two weeks at Road Atlanta. Corvette Racing remains in the thick of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Championship with Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen second in points heading to Austin with their No. 3 Corvette C7.R.

The pairing won Corvette Racing’s first race at COTA in 2013 as part of the American Le Mans Series’ GT class. Garcia drove nearly a full hour under heavy pressure from multiple cars to propel he and Magnussen to the ALMS GT title.

This year, the pairing scored victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to open the TUDOR Championship schedule.

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R may be seeking their first victory in the TUDOR Championship, but the pairing won arguably the biggest race of the season when they teamed with Jordan Taylor to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. It was the eighth time that Corvette Racing won Le Mans since 2001.

That also was the last time Corvette Racing competed with the FIA World Endurance Championship, which races at COTA following the TUDOR Championship event. Both series will compete on the same 3.4-mile, 20-turn layout.

The Lone Star Le Mans race for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is set for 11:35 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 19 and is the ninth race of the 2015 season for Corvette Racing. It will air live on FOX Sports 2 and again at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 20 on FOX Sports 1. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I can’t think about Circuit of The Americas without remembering the 2013 win for Jan and I. It was a very difficult weekend and race. The fight during the last hour was one of the toughest I’ve had. That is the kind of race that a circuit like COTA can promote. You can afford to be aggressive because there is a lot of concrete runoff. The danger risk isn’t as high as other places we race. As a result it likely will be a green race the entire way, so good pace and strategy will be important. We need a good result to stay in the GTLM championship heading to Road Atlanta, and I know the Corvette Racing team will do all it can to give Jan and I the best Corvette C7.R we can have.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Circuit of The Americas is a very different type of circuit than what we have raced on recently in the TUDOR Championship. It’s a very nice facility and up to Formula One specification. We had a very good test in Austin last week where we evaluated some different setup options and tire choices. We feel like we found a pretty good direction to start with for this week’s first practice. This is a big weekend in the championship, and we need every advantage we can get.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We’re really coming down to the business end of the season. Every point matters. Any decision you make in any session and any race is vital. We’re very much playing a supporting role to our sister Corvette in the TUDOR Championship. Things haven’t really run our way once our season kind of snowballed at Sebring. It was a bad event for us with mechanical issues and other things. The No. 3 car with those two wins has put itself front-and-center in the championship. We’ll continue to push and work through everything we have. Tommy and I are very much buoyed by our efforts at Le Mans and what it means to our season and Corvette Racing’s season as a whole. It will be nice to be back with the WEC and be with them for the weekend. I’m sure there will be some reminders of our Le Mans victory!”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s a track that lends itself to good racing. As we saw with Antonio a couple years ago - even without one of the fastest cars - you can with good pit strategy get a win. That makes a big difference in how you can approach this event. We know that if we don’t have the fastest car, we can make something happen. The track has a nice blend of everything. It’s not too busy or drawn out during the lap. You have a nice, fast section in places and some slow corners in others. It’s a fun track to drive by yourself but also provides some great passing opportunities during the race.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “It’s always a thrill for us to compete at such a sterling venue as Circuit of The Americas. It’s one of sports car racing’s biggest weekends with IMSA and our friends from the FIA World Endurance Championship. From our standpoint, the TUDOR Championship race is critical as we are winding down to the end of the season. Every lap and every position is important for GTLM points. The current BoP isn’t favorable but that doesn’t lessen our efforts and expectations to put on a great show for all the Corvette Racing fans in Austin!”

TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings (After eight events)

Lone Star Le Mans – GT Le Mans (all times CT unless noted)

• TUDOR Practice 1: 10:25 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 17
• TUDOR Practice 2: 4:35 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17
• TUDOR Practice 3: 9:10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 18
• TUDOR GTLM Qualifying: 4:10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18 (IMSA.com)
• TUDOR Warmup: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 19
• Race: 11:35 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 19 (FOX Sports 2)
• Replay: 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20 (FOX Sports 1)
  

Corvette Racing at Circuit of The Americas

Press Release:

CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Center Stage for Corvette C7.Rs

GT-only race means Corvette Racing will go for overall TUDOR victory

• Team hoping to replicate 2012 GT victory
• Home race for Le Mans winner Tommy Milner
• Garcia, Magnussen carry 4-point championship lead to Virginia

DETROIT (Aug. 18, 2015) – Corvette Racing – and the rest of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans class – takes center stage this weekend at Virginia International Raceway. The Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR is a GT-only event for the TUDOR Championship with GTLM and the GT Daytona class. It means that Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing team – with 97 class victories around the world – is in prime position to win an overall event for the second time.

The first, of course, was the 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona. This weekend’s race length is just two hours, 40 minutes but it will be all-out from the start, drivers say. Corvette Racing already knows the formula to winning at VIR, having done so in 2012 with Oliver Gavin and Virginia’s Tommy Milner. Not only did the two win a four-hour American Le Mans Series, they clinched that year’s GT Championship in the American Le Mans Series.

This year it’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen who lead the GTLM standings in their No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. Winners this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, the pairing finished on the podium two years ago in their run to the ALMS GT title.

Gavin and Milner arrive at VIR as the reigning GTE Pro winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the eighth victory there for Corvette Racing. Milner, who hails from Ashburn in the northern part of Virginia, claimed his first professional pole position in 2004 as part of the GRAND-AM GT class. He also won a GRAND-AM race at VIR the following year.

Corvette Racing and the rest of the IMSA competition this weekend will race on VIR’s 3.27-mile, 17-turn full course. It’s a blend of slower, technical turns early and late in the lap along with an uphill section of high-speed esses and a long backstraight.

The Oak Tree Grand Prix from Virginia International Raceway is set for 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 23. Live TV coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Even though this is a two-class race this weekend, VIR is still a tough challenge. The GTD cars will be faster than us in a straight line, so we will have to be aggressive in a lot of the corners and under braking to get by them. Fortunately we have a good balance with our Corvette C7.R and it changes direction very well. That is helpful on the early part of the lap toward the Esses and then the last couple of corner combinations. Given the landscape of GTLM right now, Jan and I will need to maximize every strength to keep our championship lead.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m looking forward to getting back to VIR. Missing last year’s race after crashing on fluid from another car in practice was unpleasant but that’s in the past. The focus for Antonio and myself this year is to maintain our GTLM points lead. It won’t be easy as VIR is a big challenge with a good mix of high speeds and technical sections. Typically the Corvette is very good on those types of circuits where braking and good grip to power down is key. We hope that’s the case again this weekend.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It seems like our Corvette should be well-suited to the track at VIR. You need a car that has decent top speed but handles well on the slower, more technical part of the circuit. Certainly Tommy and I have very fond memories of our win at VIR in 2012. Everything just seemed to click into place. It could have gone all wrong at Turn 1. I arrived with cars spinning everywhere and tried to avoid everyone by going in the grass. There was a spinning prototype in front of me and somehow I didn’t hit it. After that, things settled in and ran to plan. It was a magical day for everyone at Corvette Racing. It was a great way to win a championship and very satisfying to do.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:  “VIR is one of those really good traditional, old-style tracks. It’s a place that is incredibly challenging just by yourself with the high-speed esses and a couple of low-speed sections to start the lap. It can e bard to pass there. Track position is important there. For me, it’s the closest race I have to home, and I’ve had success there in the past. Every year, the staff at VIR spends a lot of time and effort to make the facility better, and we’re looking forward to seeing the work they’ve done.

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “The rolling hills of Virginia have provided VIR with some very dynamic real estate on which to build one of the most beautiful racetracks in North America. As we head south, we are entering the final portion of our season and with every GTLM championship up for grabs. With only the GT cars competing here, it will definitely remind the fans of GT racing of old and will be very fun to watch in person and on television. Corvette Racing is certainly looking forward to this format. We plan to do all we can, with what we have been given, to move closer to securing our next Championship.”

TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings (After seven events)

Oak Tree Grand Prix – GT Le Mans (all times ET)

• TUDOR Practice 1: 11:45 a.m., Friday, Aug. 21
• TUDOR Practice 2: 4 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21
• TUDOR Practice 3: 9:55 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 22
• TUDOR GTLM Qualifying: 5:05 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22 (IMSA.com)
• TUDOR Warmup: 8:35 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 23
• Race: 1:05 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23 (1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)

Corvette Racing at VIR