Consistency
Key in Corvette Racing 2019 Driver Lineup
Same
pairings in pair of Corvette C7.Rs for IMSA’s 50th season
- Corvette
Racing going for fourth straight championship season
- Garcia,
Magnussen enter as two-time and defending GTLM Driver champions
- Gavin,
Milner together again for full season
- Start
of Corvette Racing’s third decade of competition
DETROIT
(Jan.
2, 2019) – A new season for Corvette Racing will bring a familiar look and feel
to race fans across North America in 2019 as the program confirmed its lineup
today for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It’s a roster that
remains intact for the fourth consecutive year.
Corvette
Racing’s four full-season drivers – Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin
and Tommy Milner – are back together for the eighth consecutive
season.
These
four drivers have combined for 113 victories and 13 Driver Championships with
Corvette Racing. No other driver roster in modern North American sports car
racing can match that level of race- and championship-winning
consistency.
For
the fourth consecutive year, they will be joined by Mike Rockenfeller and Marcel
Fässler in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to
start the 2019 season.
Garcia
and Magnussen will return in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
as two-time and defending GTLM Driver Champions. Since joining forces in 2012,
Garcia and Magnussen have won 13 races including the Rolex 24 in 2015 and twice
at Sebring – the latter two with Rockenfeller.
Meanwhile
in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, Gavin and Milner also will go for their third Driver
Championship as a pairing. Like their teammates in the No. 3 Corvette, Gavin and
Milner have won 13 times together. Among those are the Rolex 24 in 2016 (with
Fässler), Sebring two times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015.
Both
of the Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs will officially begin the 2019
IMSA season at the annual Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway
from Friday through Sunday. It is the prelude for the season-opening Rolex 24 At
Daytona – an event Corvette Racing has won three times.
The
records of each Corvette Racing driver rank among the best in endurance sports
car racing:
- Antonio
Garcia: 16 victories; three IMSA Driver Championships; winner at Le Mans (2009,
2011), Daytona (2015), Sebring (2009, 2015, 2017)
- Oliver
Gavin: 50 victories; five IMSA Driver Championships; winner at Le Mans (five
times), Daytona (2016), Sebring (five times)
- Jan
Magnussen: 35 victories; four IMSA Driver Championships; winner at Le Mans (four
times), Daytona (2015), Sebring (five times)
- Tommy
Milner: 14 victories; two IMSA Driver Championships; winner at Le Mans (2011,
2015), Daytona (2016), Sebring (two times)
- Mike
Rockenfeller: one victory; winner at Sebring (2017), Daytona (2010), Le Mans
(2005 and 2010)
- Marcel
Fässler: two victories; winner at Daytona (2016), Sebring (2013, 2016), Le Mans
(2011, 2012, 2014)
ANTONIO
GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s
hard to believe this will be my 11th season with Corvette Racing and eighth as a
full-time driver. We have been able to win a lot of races and championships
during that time. Obviously Jan and I work very well together with our crew and
engineers. That’s a large reason why we have won consecutive Driver
Championships. The work begins again next week at Daytona. As a team, there have
been important updates and progress to our Corvettes ahead of 2019. I think we
can all feel confident in our ability to challenge for more race wins and
championships.”
JAN
MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I
can’t think of a better program to be part of than Corvette Racing. It’s like my
second family, and it’s great that we’ve been able to achieve a high level of
success. I can’t think of a better teammate than Antonio. We’re both highly
competitive and push each other constantly. That’s the type of person you want
sharing your car. With our collective group at Corvette Racing, we know that we
can contend for another championship and more race wins, starting at
Daytona.”
MIKE
ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s
been far too long since I was with Corvette Racing. The is a fun program and
it’s very well-run and organized. Any professional driver would want to be part
of any team like this. Having said that, Marcel and I are very determined to do
our part to place Corvette Racing in the best possible position to start the
GTLM Championship with a win at the Rolex. It all starts with the Roar and three
very important days of testing. I’m ready to get back!”
OLIVER
GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Being
back with Corvette Racing and with Tommy is the best way to start 2019. It’s an
amazing feat that we remain at the forefront of the GTLM championship each
season. The people, the tools and resources we have within our program make all
this possible. This may be the toughest season we will face with our Corvette
C7.R. All of our competitors have had another year to fully develop their cars.
But we know that this is only a single element in what makes a
championship-winning team. We’ve displayed that many times and the Roar and the
Rolex give us another chance to do so again.”
TOMMY
MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s
been a short offseason for several of us but I know everyone is ready to get
back to Daytona and start a new season. Winning the Rolex and the GTLM
Championship are goals for Corvette Racing each season. I’m confident that our
test program since Petit Le Mans is going to put us in a great position to do
that. We’ll be off and running immediately with the Roar and then ahead to the
Rolex. The 2016 win with Oliver and Marcel is one I’m eager to repeat… although
maybe not as tense this time!”
MARCEL
FÄSSLER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Starting
2019 with Corvette Racing at Daytona is the perfect way to get back into the
groove of competition. I’m obviously very glad to return to a team that I have
gotten to know so well the last few years. Tommy, Olly and I had a great end of
2018 at Road Atlanta so our goal is improve on that for the Rolex 24. Winning
the race three years ago is a highlight in my career that I always will
remember. It would be nice to add more with Corvette Racing this season.”
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