Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Return to The
National Park of Speed
Team hoping for repeat of magical GTLM finish in
2016
Gavin, Milner aim for rebound, repeat victory in No. 4
Corvette
Garcia, Magnussen bring GTLM points lead into eighth race of
season
Chevrolet, No. 3 Corvette lead Manufacturer, Team
points
DETROIT (Aug. 1, 2017) – Of all the tracks at which Corvette
Racing has competed – 25 around the world – none may be as universally praised
as Road America. It is where endurance racing’s premier production-based team
heads this weekend in hopes of building its points lead in the IMSA WeatherTech
SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) title race. Antonio Garcia and Jan
Magnussen lead the Driver’s Championship and Chevrolet heads the Manufacturer’s
standings with four races left.
The 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit in the
picturesque Kettle Moraine along Wisconsin’s coast of Lake Michigan is a place
where both Corvette Racing and Chevrolet have a deep history. Chevy leadership
oftentimes used the track to test and reveal a number of high-performance
production cars in the 1960s. The relationship between the track and brand is
solidified by the landmark Corvette Bridge that competitors pass under each
lap.
Corvette Racing has achieved a number of successes at Road America
since its first race there in 2002… which ended in victory. There have been
seven total at the track but perhaps none were as dramatic as last year’s run to
victory for Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin. The pairing in the No. 4 Mobil
1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R went from fifth to first with 15 minutes
remaining to earn their fourth victory of the season en route to the GTLM
Driver’s, Manufacturer’s and Team Championship.
This year, it’s teammates
Garcia and Magnussen who lead in points heading into the eighth race of the
season. The pairing has won twice so far in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet
Corvette C7.R and holds a slim seven-point lead with a maximum of 36 points
available in Sunday’s race.
They won races earlier this year at Sebring
and Circuit of The Americas in addition to a third-place class finish at Watkins
Glen. Garcia and Magnussen were second in class at Road America in 2013.
Corvette Racing’s group of four drivers has won seven times at Road America, led
by Gavin with four victories and four pole positions.
Corvette Racing on
Display at Road America
Corvette Racing’s return to Road America also means a
return of the Corvette Racing Display to the historic Wisconsin track. From
Friday through Sunday, fans on-hand can view and learn about a variety of
Chevrolet vehicles, accessories and attractions including:
• The 2018
Chevrolet Corvette Carbon 65 and Equinox Premier
• The Chevrolet Camaro,
Cruze Hatchback, Colorado Z71 Crew Diesel, Silverado 2500 Crew High Country and
Malibu
• A Corvette C7.R show car
• Samples of Chevrolet engines,
performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from their
local Chevrolet dealer
• A variety of Chevrolet and racing related activities
for adults and kids
• Commemorative t-shirts for fans who sign up with
Corvette Racing.
The Corvette Racing Display opens at 9 a.m. on Friday at
Saturday, and 8 a.m. on Sunday.
The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase
is set for 1:35 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 6. FOX Sports 1 will air the race live
starting at 2:30 p.m. ET with live audio coverage from IMSA Radio and a Corvette
Racing In-Car feed available on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL
1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I drove there for the first time in 2010 or
2011 for a Le Mans test. I found it super-hard to get up to speed. It’s a very
long lap with many corners. Even after three laps, I felt I was going along
pretty well and close to the limit but was still four or five seconds off the
pace! That’s shows you how difficult the track is. But once you get it, it’s
great fun. It’s one of the best tracks we go to all year. We are in a rhythm of
great race tracks in the U.S., and certainly Road America is one of those. I’ve
been close to winning there many times and very much want to win
there.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“Road America another fantastic place we go. From a European standpoint, it
reminds a lot of us of Spa. It has some super-challenging corners like the
Carousel and the Kink but also a lot of technical corners that you have to get
right. That’s why I enjoy racing in America – because we get to go to all of
these old-school tracks like Road America. The modern tracks look nice but there
is something missing because there is so much room. There are no consequences
there. At the old-school tracks, there definitely are consequences if you put a
foot wrong. I like that.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET
CORVETTE C7.R: “My very first time racing at Road America in a Lola prototype in
2000. I instantly fell in love with the track. It was just a magical place that
was fast, challenging and had lots of elevation change. There is so much at the
track you can get into. You do seem to get rewarded where you drive the car hard
there. At some circuits, it’s easy to overdrive the car and get in trouble. But
at Road America, you can push a car to a limit and sit there on that limit quite
well. I was in the car for a long time that year and we came close to winning.
It’s such a great area, and I really enjoy going there every year.”
TOMMY
MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I still shake my head
and laugh about (last year’s finish). It was such a feel-good moment, for sure.
We weren’t quick all weekend and in the race we were really bad to start. We
made a couple of changes and all of a sudden the car came alive. During that
last caution, we were thinking, ‘Man, what a missed opportunity. The car is now
really good and I wish we were a little closer.’ Then we got that opportunity
but not having been around many of our competitors, we didn’t know how good of a
car we had. All of the cards fell in my favor… like hitting the jackpot three
times in three laps. It’s a cool story to tell and fun to think back to a moment
where it all went right for us.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM
MANAGER “I am not aware of any driver or team who doesn’t look forward to Road
America. This is THE quintessential circuit for road racing in North America…
period! This also is a special place for Chevrolet, the Corvette brand and
Corvette Racing. We’ve made so many great memories here over the years – from
historic road car debuts to ultra-competitive racing. It’s tough to think of a
better moment than last year’s result… the skill of our crew, engineers and
drivers all came together for our seventh win at Road America. Another victory
would be incredibly beneficial for our championship chances, and we’d no doubt
thrill many of our fans and owners at the historic site of the first Corvette
Corral!”
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