Photo by Richard Prince for Chevy Racing
Eleven class victories at one venue is most for Corvette Racing team
DETROIT (July 7, 2015) – Corvette Racing has competed on tracks throughout North American and around the world. But no venue has witnessed more of the team’s successes than Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. As a result, it’s no surprise that Corvette Racing relishes a return to the historic circuit just outside Toronto.
In 15 previous visits to the track, Corvette Racing has claimed victory 11 times – a whopping 73.3 winning percentage. The team has won the last two years in class and three times in four seasons. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen were GT Le Mans (GTLM) winners last July in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, one year after Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner won in the Corvette C6.R.
In all, seven drivers for Corvette Racing are past winners at the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s only Canadian stop; among them, Jan Magnussen was an overall winner in 1999 driving a prototype in the American Le Mans Series.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is recognized by drivers as one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule. The 2.459-mile, 10-turn course features fast speeds, big elevation changes and high risk. It’s a layout that hasn’t changed much since its founding in the early 1960s. Since then it has played host to Can-Am, Formula 5000, USAC stock cars, IndyCar, Trans-Am, Formula Atlantic, and of course the American Le Mans Series and IMSA. Most notably, the circuit was the site of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix eight times between 1967-77.
Corvette Racing legend Ron Fellows is part of the ownership group and has helped oversee a transformation in venue facilities since 2011.
The Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance is the sixth race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing. The event is set for 12:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 12, from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Live TV coverage begins at noon ET on FOX Sports 1. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.
Photo by Richard Prince for Chevy Racing
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“It’s unfortunate that Jan and I are going through a stretch of bad luck lately. The good news is that we still lead in GTLM points and we are going back to a place where won last year. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is one of the best tracks we go to. It provides a big challenge with the high speeds and fast corners. Definitely it is a classic track in every sense. Last year’s race was very tough with our GTLM competitors but I feel like the nature of the track suits the characteristics of our Corvette. This would be a great time to score another victory for our team and Chevy. We have great support there from the Canadian fans and we want to do the best we can for them.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“I really like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park a lot, and it has been good to us and our Corvettes over the years. It provides a big challenge to every driver on every lap. We see incredibly high speeds not just on the straights but in the corners as well, especially the first two. There is no part of the circuit where you can afford to rest or let your guard down. To have success there, you really have to commit throughout the lap and be decisive on turn-ins, going through and exiting the corners. Everything has to work together for a good lap time – the driver, the car, the setup and tires. It’s not the place where you can afford a mistake as the consequences are usually very big.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“We are in a great run of tracks in the TUDOR Championship schedule, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is definitely one of those. For drivers, it’s hard to find a track that you can get as much pleasure out of as this one. It has everything you can want – a long straight, a good combination of high- and mid-speed corners, massive elevation changes and a great fan base. As a Corvette driver, you always look forward to racing in front of the fans and Corvette owners in Canada. Their enthusiasm is infectious and we certainly feel their support. It doesn’t hurt that Corvette Racing has such a strong record there over the years, going back when Ron was part of the team. Tommy and I would like nothing more than to show our thanks than with a second win there in three years.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“If you talk to anyone in the Corvette Racing camp, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is certainly an event you look forward to. It has been like a second home for us for a number of years. Winning there two years ago was an incredible accomplishment. The last 30 minutes were some of the toughest I’ve been a part of. It makes the challenges of the track that much more difficult. There are so many places where one mistake can end your day pretty quickly. Fortunately I had a good Corvette under me, as we’ve seemed to have every year at CTMP. The nature of the track and of our Corvette C7.R seem to work together there. Our Corvettes tend to be fast and consistent into and through the braking zones, and that’s a characteristic that is a huge help at a place like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:
“There are certain events that we look forward to each year, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park ranks high on the list. It’s a track with a great history, and Corvette Racing is proud to be part of that. Our good friend Ron Fellows has done a great job leading the track, which is fitting given his phenomenal record in Corvettes there for a number of years. On the competition front, this race appears to be another case of a four-way battle between ourselves and other manufacturers in GTLM. It takes a huge effort to win in this class, and that challenge is amplified at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.”
TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings
Driver Standings
- T1 – Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 157
- T1 – Bill Auberlen/Dirk Werner – 157
- T2 – John Edwards/Lucas Luhr – 145
- T2 – Giancarlo Fisichella/Pierre Kaffer – 145
- 3 – Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers – 141
- 6 – Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 130
Team Standings
- T1 – No. 3 Corvette Racing – 157
- T1 – No. 25 BMW Team RLL – 157
- T2 – No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 145
- T2 – No. 62 Risi Competizione – 145
- 5 – No. 17 Team Falken Tire – 141
- 8 – No. 4 Corvette Racing – 130
Manufacturer Standings
- 1 – BMW – 162
- 2 – Chevrolet – 158
- 3 – Porsche – 155
- 4 – Ferrari – 150
Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance – GT Le Mans (all times ET)
- TUDOR Practice 1: 11:20 a.m., Friday, July 10
- TUDOR Practice 2: 4 p.m., Friday, July 10
- TUDOR Practice 3: 10 a.m., Saturday, July 11
- TUDOR GTLM Qualifying: 4:40 p.m., Saturday, July 11 (IMSA.com)
- TUDOR Warmup: 8 a.m., Sunday, July 12
- Race: 12:05 p.m., Sunday, July 12 (FOX Sports 1)
Source:
Corvette Racing
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Corvette Racing at Watkins Glen: Points Pay Off for Starting Positions
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