Program in contention for third straight IMSA GTLM title with two races to go
DETROIT (Sept. 4, 2018) – Corvette Racing begins its final push this weekend to what it hopes is another title-winning campaign in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The defending GT Le Mans (GTLM) championship-winning program heads west to the Monterey Peninsula and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Sunday’s America’s Tire 250.
It’s the 10th of 11 IMSA events for Corvette Racing, which for the first time this year enters a race leading the Driver and Team championships. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen head the Driver standings in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, with the No. 3 crew first in Team points. Garcia, Magnussen and the No. 3 Corvette team are the defending GTLM champions.
Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R are fourth in the Driver Championship and have the team’s lone victory of the year. In the Manufacturer standings, Chevrolet stands second and 12 points out of the lead.
Corvette Racing will close its season at two tracks where it boasts tremendous success – Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. The former has witnessed seven victories for Corvette Racing since 2004 and is one of three tracks at which the team has competed in each of its previous 19 seasons.
Garcia and Magnussen are on a run of six consecutive podium finishes dating back to Mid-Ohio in early May. They were runners-up at Watkins Glen, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock Park and VIR; they placed third at Mid-Ohio and Road America. The duo is eager for their first victory of the season, and Monterey would be an appropriate spot. They scored back-to-back wins in 2013 and 2014.
Before those consecutive victories, Gavin and Milner won together at Laguna Seca in 2012. In fact, Gavin and Magnussen are tied for second for most victories at Laguna Seca with four each.
The America’s Tire 250 is set for 2:05 p.m. PT on Sunday with live television coverage on FOX Sports 1. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“Laguna Seca is always a nice race to go to. Jan and I have been fortunate to win a few times there. Let’s see if this year is the same. We didn’t win last year but did pretty much lock up the championship. It’s a lot tighter this year. A good result for us would make things easier at Petit Le Mans. For us Europeans, we feel a little bit closer to home out there. We always like it, and the Monterey area is always very nice. We always have a good crowd and a great Corvette Corral there. For sure we know we have a lot of supporters there.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“I’ve been fortunate to race at Laguna Seca many times. It’s always a good trip and a good event. It can be a very tough track to read with the fluctuation in temperatures and amount of sand that comes on the surface. But it’s like many other circuits in our championship where you are punished if you make a mistake. Antonio and I continue to be on a great run of races since Mid-Ohio but we aren’t satisfied with podiums. We can’t win this championship without winning a race as well. That continues to be our goal.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“This is a fantastic race track and one we always enjoy going to each year. It has a great series of corners – a tight and twisty track but a great challenge. We at Corvette Racing has had a lot of success there as a program and one we always look forward to this race on the calendar because of the event and the Monterey area. This is the business end of the season. Championship points are critical so all the teams will look to strategize and look to do what we can to do to get the best possible result for the championship. We always go there to win, so this will be a vital part of how the championship plays out.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:
“Our schedule is full of classic circuits, and Laguna Seca certainly qualifies. It’s a great track and one of the best areas for sports car racing anywhere in the country. For a couple of reasons, the track can be pretty tricky when it comes to finding grip. That makes the practice sessions important to make sure we understand what makes the car work under braking and power-down on corner exit. The team that can do that quickest stands to have a big advantage come the race. Oliver and I have been quick the last few events, but we need to put it all together in the race.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:
“As a steamy summer draws to a close, there is no place better to race than the Monterey Peninsula and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s the perfect track for a race with a lot at stake in the GTLM championship. We have a great history here – seven wins in 19 appearances. While we may not have the fastest car, we’ve shown throughout the last couple of years that our vehicle engineering, our on-track strategic decisions and our driver lineup is more than capable overcoming most challenges we have faced. It’s a big reason why we have Antonio and Jan leading the Driver’s Championship with two races left and Oliver and Tommy always running toward the front. We hope that continues in Monterey.”
2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM Standings
(After nine of 11 Events)
Driver Standings
1. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 269
2. Richard Westbrook/Ryan Briscoe – 265
3. Dirk Mueller/Joey Hand – 260
4. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 252
5. Earl Bamber/Laurens Vanthoor – 251
Team Standings
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 269
2. No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing – 265
3. No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing – 260
4. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 252
5. No. 912 Porsche GT Team – 251
Manufacturer Standings
1. Ford – 295
2. Chevrolet – 283
3. Porsche – 274
4. BMW – 267
5. Ferrari – 58
Source:
CorvetteRacing.com
Related:
Corvette Racing at VIR: Championship Lead for Garcia, Magnussen
Corvette Racing at Road America: Another Double Podium for Corvette C7.Rs
[VIDEO] Mobil 1 The Grid: Behind the Scenes With Corvette Racing at the Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix
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