New Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs to take on racing’s most demanding venue

DETROIT (March 11, 2014) – Corvette Racing and its new Corvette C7.R race cars are about to undergo the ultimate challenge in road racing. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is America’s oldest sports car race, and the 62nd running of the Florida classic is set for this weekend. It’s also an event that is rich with Chevrolet and Corvette history.

You could say that Sebring is the spiritual birthplace of the modern-day Corvette Racing program. A Corvette raced for the first time in its history at the 1956 Sebring 12 Hours and placed ninth overall. Almost 60 years later, Corvette Racing will go for its ninth class win at Sebring since 2002 – this time with the brand new Corvette C7.R. The production-based racer is Chevrolet’s entry in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

“Sebring is one of the toughest race tracks in the world,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “Corvette Racing’s success in the 12 Hours is a testament to the preparation and work ethic of the team at Chevrolet Racing, Pratt Miller and GM Powertrain. Winning Sebring once is an incredible accomplishment, and doing so eight times is nothing short of remarkable. We are confident the new Corvette C7.R – with its improved handling, stability and efficiency – can help add to that record at Sebring.”

Sebring is the second round of the inaugural TUDOR Championship. As at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, each of the Corvettes will have three drivers each. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen – last year’s American Le Mans Series GT champions – will team with IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R. Defending Sebring class winners Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner will share the No. 4 entry with Robin Liddell.

Gavin, Milner and Richard Westbrook overcame early electrical issues and came from two laps down to win last year’s race in their Corvette C6.R. Ahead of this year’s race, Corvette Racing has tested the C7.R at Sebring on multiple occasions, and for good reason.

Sebring International Raceway pounds race cars like no other race track in the world. The facility sits on the site of Fort Hendricks – a World War II airbase that was used as a training ground for American B-17 bombers. Part of the circuit – most notably Turn 16 through the exit of Turn 1 – uses the old concrete runway and taxiway, which makes up some of the roughest sections of racing surface anywhere in the world. It’s part of what makes Sebring physically the toughest venue in endurance racing.

The new aluminum frame – 40 percent stiffer than the C6.R – should be a huge benefit over the bumps at Sebring. The direct-injected engine offers better fuel economy, a critical element in long-distance endurance racing. The advanced aerodynamics on the C7.R compliments both the stability and efficiency factors.

Television coverage of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will be available live on FOX Sports 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET with the remainder of the race airing live on IMSA.com. FOX Sports 1 also will air a three-hour recap at 8:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 16.

Corvette Racing will compete in 11 TUDOR Championship races around North America plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Corvette Racing For the Fans at Sebring:

• Fans can check out a number of new Chevrolet vehicles throughout the weekend in the Corvette Racing display in the midway area at Sebring International Raceway.

• Production vehicles on-hand include the Corvette Stingray – the 2014 North American Car of the Year – along with the Silverado Crew, the Sonic Hatchback and the Impala.

• Fans will also be able to check out the 2015 Corvette Z06 and its racing counterpart, the Corvette C7.R. They exemplify the strongest link between Corvettes built for the road and track, sharing core engineering and design components including chassis architecture, engine technologies and aerodynamics.

• The high-performance Camaro Z/28 and the Chevy SS also will be on display. The 2014 Z/28 was the basis for the brand new Z/28.R, which will participate in its second race at Sebring on Friday.

• Fans can see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet at their local Chevrolet dealer.

• Other activities at the Corvette Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids.

• Fans who sign up with Corvette Racing will receive a special commemorative t-shirt.

• The Corvette Racing display opens 10 a.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

TUDOR Championship – GTLM Standings

Driver Standings

1. Richard Lietz/Patrick Pilet/Nick Tandy – 36

2. Joey Hand/Maxime Martin/Andy Priaulx – 33

3. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens/Ryan Hunter-Reay – 31

4. John Edwards/Dirk Muller/Graham Rahal/Dirk Werner – 29

5. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Robin Liddell – 27

10. Ryan Briscoe/Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 22

Team Standings

1. No. 911 Porsche North America – 36

2. No. 55 BMW Team RLL – 33

3. No. 91 SRT Motorsports – 31

4. No. 56 BMW Team RLL – 29

5. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 27

10. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 22

Manufacturer Standings

1. Porsche – 35

2. BMW – 32

3. SRT – 30

4. Chevrolet – 28

5. SRT – 26

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (all times ET)

• TUDOR Championship Practice 1: 9:55 a.m., Thursday, March 13

• TUDOR Championship Practice 2: 4:05 p.m., Thursday, March 13

• TUDOR Championship Practice 3: 8 p.m., Thursday, March 13

• TUDOR Championship Practice 4: 9:55 a.m., Friday, March 14

• GTLM Qualifying: 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 14

• TUDOR Championship Warmup: 8 a.m., Saturday, March 15

• Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring: 10:15 a.m., Saturday, March 15 

Sebring: Watch It!

Saturday, March 15

• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

• 1-10:30 p.m. ET (IMSA.com)

Sunday, March 16

• 8:30 a.m. (FOX Sports 1-Highlights)

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

(On recent IMSA test at Sebring): “It’s always good to be on track, especially after what happened at Daytona. We spent time learning more things and anticipating any problems that may pop up. We would have liked to have more time on track, but in the end we came out with a good amount of mileage on both cars and a lot of data to analyze in order to have a very good car and maximize what we have at the moment. We still need to develop the car a little bit more but when we get to Sebring, I feel we will have 100 percent of what we need to be successful.”

(Sebring challenges): “Sebring, although it is half of a 24-hour race, is very hard on everything – equipment, the drivers and everyone on the team. Fortunately we have a lot of background on this race. It’s not like Daytona where we were anticipating what would happen in that race. Here, we need to translate everything we know from the C6.R into this new car. From that respect, things should be a little easier but Sebring is always different and a few surprises may be in store with a new car.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

(Race outlook): “I know the team made some good improvements on the car. I don’t know if we are exactly on pace compared to the Porsche, which I think is probably the fastest car. But I think we are a step closer than we have been. It’s still very early days. If we keep developing the car, we will be very close. I’m a positive guy and always have high hopes. Sebring, being a long-distance race, is about speed but it’s also about other stuff. And at Corvette Racing, we do all the other stuff really well.”

(First Sebring experience): “My first experience at Sebring in sports cars was in the original Panoz GT1 car. It was a bit of an eye-opener coming from Europe and smooth tracks to come to Sebring. It was quite shocking actually. But I’ve come to love the place. It’s really a fantastic event. I only got to do an hour in 1999, and soon after that we DNF’d with a tire blowout and a big crash. It took me a long time to have any success at Sebring, and it was only when I joined Corvette that I started having a shot at winning and finally winning it in 2006.”

(Sebring challenges): “There is going to be a lot of traffic, more than we’ve had in a long time. It will be incredibly challenging, even more than Daytona. But the event itself, it’s the same things you deal with every year – making sure the car makes it to the end, stay out of trouble and go as fast as you can without risking too much.”

RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

(Testing and outlook): “It was a good opportunity to do a lot of miles at Sebring. We worked on the balance of the car and mileage. At the end, I was happy with how things went. Sebring is quite different than anywhere we will race. It’s a lot harder on equipment and is a lot more physical to drive. There are a lot of bumps and a lot of very challenging high-speed corners. It’s one of my favorite tracks to drive. It’s an old-school track and that’s why I love it.

“The cool thing with Sebring is that half the track is rather smooth and the other half is on the old airport section with all the bumps. That is the great challenge of the track in setting the car up and adapting your driving style to go quick all the way around. The track does change from corner to corner.”

(Working at night): “The biggest thing that stood out to me in my first Sebring is how dark it gets toward the end of the race. I don’t know what time it starts to get dark but the last two hours or so is pitch-black! That’s the big difference from Daytona, where the whole track is very well-lit. At Sebring, there are no track lights. The only light you get is from your headlights or the campers on the side of the track. You get some hardcore fans there like at Turn 10. When it’s dinner time, you can smell the barbecues going and you really get a sense of the atmosphere. I love doing the Sebring 12 Hours and can’t wait to do it in a Corvette. There are a lot of intense Corvette fans who come to the race. It’ll be great getting to meet them in the campsites!”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

(History at Sebring): “Certainly Sebring feels like a home event for us. We’ve competed in the Sebring 12 Hours for the last 15 years. I’ve had many great experiences there and worked through many different scenarios – from leading the race comfortably to chasing the race throughout like we did last year. We came away with winning it by a couple of seconds over the Ferrari. Tommy finishing the race was super-exciting and was a real grandstand finish. It’s certainly one I’ll never forget.”

(Change in the air): “Sebring will have a very different dynamic to it this year because the lead class is different now in the TUDOR Championship. The lead prototype class is slower than the prototype cars that ran with us the last several years. Consequently, the cars coming up to lap us and pass us will happen less frequently. There still will be that need of being mindful and watching the faster cars coming up behind us. Our Collision Avoidance System is going to be useful for that. But the race will have a different feel for it in the way you react to those faster cars, what they can do and the pace they will run. Everyone will have to have a reset on that to find out where the prototypes are quicker than us. At Daytona, we were as fast as anyone on the infield section of the track. I don’t believe that will be the case at Sebring though. The prototypes that were a little lacking in the infield will be able to get more performance from the extra downforce they have and aerodynamic benefits. It will be a race, as it always is, of being sensible, fast and having a very good strategy. It takes a great team and having a strong, reliable car.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

(Testing and outlook): “On the whole, the test was good for the team. My first experience with the C7.R was at Sebring in December so it was good to go back and build on what we learned there and at Daytona. It was good to have our competition there to see how we stack up. It’s always helpful to have that good indicator to see how you’re doing compared to them. It looks like the Porsche is awfully quick and they’ll be tough come race time. But we learned quite a bit over those two days. When we put it all together it’ll get us closer to the Porsche.”

(Looking back to last year): “That was definitely a great memory – chasing down the Ferrari for multiple hours and then having it culminate at the end over the last couple stints. It was definitely a moment that will stand out in my mind and in my career. It gives me that little bit of extra confidence going into this year. As times goes on, you get a better handle on race tracks, and when you have a race like that, in some ways you feel kind of invincible and things go right. You trust the car, and it’s easier once you’ve had an experience like that to get back in that mindset. Hopefully we don’t have to go a couple laps down and chase down the leaders again like we did last year. We hope we’re in the hunt there for the whole race and able to contend the entire race… and not just the last two hours! But it was a fun moment. I wouldn’t mind having to go through that same process again if it means another win!”

ROBIN LIDDELL, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

(Testing and outlook): “The test went really well. Obviously we got a lot of track time and running in both cars. We learned a lot and it was a good test from a team point of view. I thought it was very productive and we’re in a good spot heading into the race.

“Sebring is a technically unique challenge, as we all know. It’s not a race I’ve done a lot of times. I’ve only done it three or four times, so I know the event well but I’m not as intimate with it as I am with Daytona. It’s track where you need to get comfortable on to build a rhythm. Most people can’t just go out there and nail it straight away. Even those that are going quick and going well take a little bit of a settling in period. It’s just because of the uniqueness of it and all the little variables that go into Sebring.”

(Keys to success):“It’s a track that is quite easy to over drive. To me, the main key is getting your braking right. If you can do that, everything else pretty much falls in line. If you get your braking ever-so slightly wrong… most of the corners are short-radius. You have Turn 3, Turn 7, Turn 10, Turn 13 – most of them are exit-critical corners. If you get the entry a little wrong because you made a slight mistake under braking, you’re going to cost yourself at least a half-second. And with 17 corners, it’s very easy to lose a couple seconds even if you only make a couple errors. For me, it’s not one or two specific keys. You need to have a good, comfortable car with good high-speed balance for Turn 1 where the track is bumpiest. Then you need to have good braking and good traction for the slow, 90-degree corners where you need to get out of there effectively.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Simply put, there’s no race in the world quite like the Sebring 12 Hours! The length of race is daunting on its own. Add to that the most unique racing surface we encounter and you have a physical and mental challenge not found anywhere in motorsport. Both car and driver are subjected to an incredible pounding for 12 relentless hours. History tells us that success at Sebring is based heavily on survival and that is why it has become one of the world’s most iconic race events and a great proving ground for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Corvette Racing History at Sebring

1999

GTS

Corvette C5-R

Fellows/Kneifel/Paul Jr. – 4th (Fellows pole)

Pilgrim/Sharp/Heinricy – 7th (Pilgrim fastest race lap)

2000

GTS

Corvette C5-R

Fellows/Kneifel/Bell – 6th (Fellows pole)

Pilgrim/Collins/Freon – 5th

2001

GTS

Corvette C5-R

Fellows/O’Connell/Kneifel – 3rd

Pilgrim/Collins/Freon – 2nd

2002

GTS

Corvette C5-R

Fellows/O’Connell/Gavin – 1st (Fellows pole)

Pilgrim/Collins/Freon – 4th

2003

GTS

Corvette C5-R

Fellows/O’Connell/Freon – 1st

Gavin/Collins/Pilgrim – 3rd (Gavin pole)

2004

GTS

Corvette C5-R

Fellows/O’Connell/Papis – 1st (Fellows pole)

Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen – 6th (Gavin fastest race lap)

2005

GT1

Corvette C6.R

Fellows/O’Connell/Papis – 2nd

Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen – 3rd

2006

GT1

Corvette C6.R

Fellows/O’Connell/Papis – 4th

Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen – 1st

2007

GT1

Corvette C6.R

Fellows/O’Connell/Magnussen – 1st (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)

Beretta/Gavin/Papis – 2nd

2008

GT1

Corvette C6.R

Fellows/O’Connell/Magnussen – 1st

Beretta/Gavin/Papis – 2nd (Gavin fastest race lap)

2009

GT1

Corvette C6.R

Magnussen/O’Connell/Garcia – 1st

Beretta/Gavin/Fassler – 2nd (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2010

GT2

Corvette C6.R

Magnussen/O’Connell/Garcia – 8th

Beretta/Gavin/Collard – 9th

2011

GT

Corvette C6.R

Beretta/Milner/Garcia – 3rd

Gavin/Magnussen/Westbrook – 4th

2012

GT

Corvette C6.R

Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor – 2nd (Magnussen pole)

Gavin/Milner/Westbrook – 3rd

2013

GT

Corvette C6.R

Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor – 11th

Gavin/Milner/Westbrook – 1st

Historic Florida circuit follows dominant showing at Rolex 24

DETROIT (March 11, 2014) – There’s a first time for everything, the old saying goes. It’s with that in mind that Corvette Daytona Prototype teams head this week to Sebring International Raceway for the second round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is America’s oldest sports car race but this year marks the first time DP cars race at the historic circuit.

The inaugural season of the TUDOR Championship couldn’t have started much better for the contingent of Corvette DP teams. Action Express Racing’s No. 5 entry led a sweep of the top four positions at the Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the year. Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais look to earn a double in Florida with a victory at Sebring. The competition is tough though with 18 cars in the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype class – including four other Corvette Daytona Prototypes.

Wayne Taylor Racing finished second at the Rolex 24 and stands to contend again at Sebring. Action Express’ No. 9 entry followed with Spirit of Daytona’s Corvette DP in fourth. Throw in Marsh Racing’s No. 31 entry – only the team’s second race with its Corvette DP – and you have a group capable of challenging throughout 12 hours on the rough-and-tumble Florida circuit… and giving Chevrolet its first overall Sebring victory since 1965.

“There aren’t many racing venues in the world that are as demanding on the cars, drivers and teams as Sebring,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “It is a circuit full of history and Chevrolet looks forward to returning to this amazing track. Taking the top four finishing positions at the season opening Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona race was a monumental moment for Chevrolet and our Corvette Daytona Prototype program. We hope to build upon that success as the season continues with the 12 hour race at Sebring.”

The No. 5 Action Express entry set the quickest time of a two-day open test at Sebring in late February with a 1:52.480 (119.701 mph). Spirit of Daytona’s No. 90 Corvette DP was third.

There may not be two race circuits in North America that are as different as Daytona and Sebring. The former is a combination of high-banked oval and infield road course with smooth surfacing all the way around. That is in short supply around Sebring, which sits on the site of a World War II airbase – Hendricks Field. American B-17s trained there, and now the sound of thousands of horsepower fill the air around Sebring each March. Part of the circuit uses the old concrete runway, which makes up some of the roughest sections of racing surface anywhere in the world. It’s part of what makes Sebring physically the toughest venue in endurance racing.

“There are many unknowns ahead of this race for our Corvette Daytona Prototypes in their 2014 configurations,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “Even that will change with the recent IMSA adjustment of performance – revisions to our downforce package and air restrictor. Our knowledge base for Sebring is limited to the two IMSA test days in February, so there is little to no prior experience of running these cars around the toughest circuit on our schedule. Our competitors running P2 machinery have an advantage in that those cars have run in the 12 Hours numerous times before.

“This race is half as long as Daytona but in many ways it’s twice as difficult on both the teams and equipment,” he added. “Reliability will be key, as will getting through and around traffic with nearly 70 cars over an erratic and bumpy surface.”

Camaro Z/28.R Set to Make Sebring Debut

Chevrolet’s newest version of the Camaro also makes its Sebring debut this week. The Z/28.R made its first race start in January at Daytona International Speedway and has undergone additional testing and development since.

Both Stevenson Motorsports and CKS Autosport are fielding the new Camaro Z/28.R in the car’s debut season. For Stevenson, Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis drive the No. 6 Camaro with Andy Lally and Matt Bell in the No. 9. In the CKS camp, Eric Curran and Lawson Aschenbach partner in the No. 01 with Ashley McCalmont and Bob Michaelian sharing in the No. 00.

A GS-class victory at Sebring would be historic on a number of levels. In addition to the first win for the Z/28.R, it would be the first at Sebring for the Camaro brand since 1990 in the IMSA Firehawk Series. In fact, the Firehawk championship was the first street-stock series to race at Sebring in 1985 – a six-hour race won by a Camaro.

“The Daytona weekend was a beneficial one,” said Lisa Talarico, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. “The time between then and now has been equally important with continuing development. Sebring is a difficult challenge on its own. We are confident, along with our partner teams, that the Camaro Z/28.R program will continue showing progress and competitive results.”

2014 Corvette DP Lineup – TUDOR Championship – Sebring

Car No. / Team / Drivers / Owner

5

Action Express Racing

Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi/Sebastien Bourdais Bob Johnson

9

Action Express Racing

Brian Frisselle/Burt Frisselle/Jon Fogarty Bob Johnson

10

Wayne Taylor Racing

Jordan Taylor/Ricky Taylor/Max Angelelli Wayne Taylor

31

Marsh Racing

Eric Curran/Boris Said/Guy Cosmo Ted Marsh

90

Spirit of Daytona

Richard Westbrook/Michael Valiante/Mike Rockenfeller Troy Flis

TUDOR Championship – Prototype Standings

Driver Standings

1. Joao Barbosa/Sebastien Bourdais/Christian Fittipaldi – 36

2. Max Angelelli/Jordan Taylor/Ricky Taylor/Wayne Taylor – 33

3. Brian Frisselle/Burt Frisselle/Fabien Giroix/John Martin – 31

4. Mike Rockenfeller/Michael Valiante/Richard Westbrook – 29

5. Alex Brundle/Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr – 27

10. Eric Curran/Max Papis/Boris Said/Bradley Smith – 22

18. Memo Gidley/Alex Gurney – 14

20. Jon Fogarty/Darren Law – 1

Team Standings

1. No. 5 Action Express Racing – 36

2. No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing – 33

3. No. 9 Action Express Racing – 31

4. No. 90 Spirit of Daytona – 29

5. No. 6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing – 27

10. Marsh Racing – 22

Engine Manufacturer Standings

1. Chevrolet – 35

2. Nissan – 32

3. Honda – 30

4. Ford – 28

5. Mazda – 26

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (all times ET)

• TUDOR Championship Practice 1: 9:55 a.m., Thursday, March 13

• TUDOR Championship Practice 2: 4:05 p.m., Thursday, March 13

• TUDOR Championship Practice 3: 8 p.m., Thursday, March 13

• TUDOR Championship Practice 4: 9:55 a.m., Friday, March 14

• GTLM Qualifying: 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 14

• TUDOR Championship Warmup: 8 a.m., Saturday, March 15

• Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring: 10:15 a.m., Saturday, March 15

Sebring: Watch It!

Saturday, March 15

• 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

• 1-10:30 p.m. ET (IMSA.com)

Sunday, March 16

• 8:30 a.m. (FOX Sports 1-Highlights)

2014 Camaro Z/28.R Lineup – Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge – Sebring

Car No. / Team / Drivers / Owner

00

CKS Autosport

Ashley McCalmont/Bob Michaelian Kirk Spencer

01

CKS Autosport

Eric Curran/Lawson Aschenbach Kirk Spencer

6

Stevenson Motorsports

Robin Liddell/Andrew Davis John Stevenson

9

Stevenson Motorsports

Andy Lally/Matt Bell John Stevenson

Continental Tire Sports Car Championship – GS Standings

Driver Standings

1. Shelby Blackstock/Ashley Freiberg – 35

2. John Edwards/Trent Hindman – 32

3. Tom Kimber-Smith/Michael Marsal – 30

4. Kaz Grala/Hugh Plumb – 28

5. James Davison/Joel Janco – 26

11. Lawson Aschenbach/Eric Curran – 20

23. Matt Bell/Andy Lally – 8

24. Andrew Davis/Robin Liddell – 7

25. Ashley McCalmont – 6

32. Bob Michaelian – 0

Team Standings

1. No. 48 Fall-Line Motorsports – 35

2. No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports – 32

3. No. 97 Turner Motorsports – 30

4. No. 3 Rum Bum Racing– 28

5. No. 9 TRG-AMR North America – 26

11. No. 01 CKS Autorsport – 20

23. No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports – 8

24. No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports – 7

25. No. 00 CKS Autosport – 6

Manufacturer Standings

1. BMW – 36

2. Porsche – 32

3. Ford – 30

4. Chevrolet – 28

5. Nissan – 26

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Sebring (all times ET)

• CTSCC Practice 1: 11:20 a.m., Wednesday, March 12

• CTSCC Practice 2: 5:20 p.m., Wednesday, March 12

• GS Qualifying: 1:20 p.m., Thursday, March 13

• Race: 1 p.m., Friday, March 14 

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Daytona: Watch It!

Friday, March 14

• 1 p.m. ET (IMSA.com)

Wednesday, March 19

• 1 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)

Sunday, March 23

• 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 2)

Detroit, MI

March 7-9, 2014

Pratt Miller Restorations and Specialty Vehicles had tremendous success at the 62nd Annual Detroit Autorama at Cobo Hall. With three separate entries including a 1952 Chevrolet “Tin Woody”, 1967 Chevelle, and 1969 Plymouth Satellite “Bronze,” Pratt Miller claimed two highly sought-after awards:

• 1st place in the Custom Woody Wagon class (1952 Chevrolet “Tin Woody”)

• 3rd place in the Conservative Hardtop 1969 class (1969 Plymouth Satellite “Bronze”)

Congratulations to the entire restorations team and owners of these remarkable vehicles!

Corvette C7.Rs head to Europe for debut in annual French endurance classic

DETROIT (Feb. 14, 2014) – The most demanding auto race in the world again will have a distinctive American flavor with the returns of Corvette Racing to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For its 15th consecutive appearance in the French classic, Corvette Racing will be armed with the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. Two of the new GT challengers were accepted to race at Le Mans in the GTE Pro class.

The goal of the two Corvette C7.Rs, numbered 73 and 74 for Le Mans, is to give Chevrolet and Corvette Racing an eighth class victory in the 24 Hours since 2001.

“It is always an honor to earn an invitation to race at Le Mans,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “It is one of the most important races in the world for Chevrolet and is the ultimate proving ground for the technology that goes into our production line. The Corvette C7.R and 2015 Corvette Z06 are perfect examples of that automotive evolution and are the benefactors of Corvette Racing’s previous success at Le Mans.”

Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor will drive the No. 73 Corvette with Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook in the No. 74 C7.R. The pairings mirror Corvette Racing’s lineup the last two years at Le Mans. Garcia, Magnussen, Gavin and Milner all have won the race in a Corvette.

Hopes are high for the return to Le Mans with the Corvette C7.R. The car’s aluminum frame – the same as on the 2015 Corvette Z06 – provides an increased level of stability and control compared to the Corvette C6.R. The C7.R’s engine features direct injection for greater fuel economy and throttle response – key at a race as lengthy as Le Mans. The car’s aero package is the most aggressive found on a racing Corvette.

Corvette Racing first came to Le Mans in 2000 and has returned each year with a two-car effort. The first class victory came in 2001 with the Corvette C5-R GT1 entry of Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell and Franck Freon. Corvette Racing won again the next year and ran off three straight victories from 2004-06. The team’s GT1 era ended in 2009 with a sixth victory and another in 2011 in GTE Pro.

“Competing at Le Mans year after year is special,” said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing Program Manager. “It’s always fantastic to see the European Corvette fans who are always incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Corvette Racing. We’re all thrilled to race the Corvette C7.R there for the first time and are optimistic to return to the top of the podium for the eighth time.”

Prior to Le Mans, Corvette Racing will contest three races in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The next round of the TUDOR Championship is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 15 at Sebring International Raceway.

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

Corvette Racing 24 Hours of Le Mans Record

Year Finish Class Car Drivers

2000

3rd GTS Corvette C5-R Pilgrim/Collins/Freon

4th GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows/Kneifel/Bell

2001

1st GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows/O’Connell/Pruett

2nd GTS Corvette C5-R Pilgrim/Collins/Freon

2002

1st GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows/O’Connell/Gavin

2nd GTS Corvette C5-R Pilgrim/Collins/Freon

2003

2nd GTS Corvette C5-R Gavin/Collins/Pilgrim

3rd GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows/O’Connell/Freon

2004

1st GTS Corvette C5-R Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen

2nd GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows/O’Connell/Papis

2005

1st GT1 Corvette C6.R Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen

2nd GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows/O’Connell/Papis

2006

1st GT1 Corvette C6.R Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen

7th GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows/O’Connell/Papis

2007

2nd GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows/O’Connell/Magnussen

14th GT1 Corvette C6.R Beretta/Gavin/Papis

2008

2nd GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows/O’Connell/Magnussen

3rd GT1 Corvette C6.R Beretta/Gavin/Papis

2009

1st GT1 Corvette C6.R O’Connell/Magnussen/Garcia

4th GT1 Corvette C6.R Gavin/Beretta/Fassler

2010

10th (DNF) GT2 Corvette C6.R Gavin/Beretta/Collard

12th (DNF) GT2 Corvette C6.R O’Connell/Magnussen/Garcia

2011

1st GTE Pro Corvette C6.R Beretta/Milner/Garcia

14th (DNF) GTE Pro Corvette C6.R Gavin/Magnussen/Westbrook

2012

5th GTE Pro Corvette C6.R Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor

6th GTE Pro Corvette C6.R Gavin/Milner/Westbrook

2013

4th GTE Pro Corvette C6.R Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor

7th GTE Pro Corvette C6.R Gavin/Milner/Westbrook

Totals 7 wins 14 starts

 www.chevrolet.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2014) – In its return to the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Corvette Racing experienced the highs and lows of the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic. In their competitive debut, both of the team’s Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs led the opening round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The new racing Corvette showed promise with impressive speed and economy ahead of its full-season campaign in North America’s new sports car racing championship.

The No. 4 Corvette C7.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Robin Liddell led the Corvette Racing effort placed a disappointing fifth in the GT Le Mans class following a problem with the car’s gearbox with less than three hours to go. Milner, running second at the time, was chasing the eventual race-winning car when the Corvette’s gearbox temperature rose dramatically. Milner went directly to the garage where the team diagnosed the problem as a transmission bearing failure. The Corvette Racing crew switched out the gearbox in 30 minutes and sent Milner back to the race.

Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe each had impressive drives to take the No. 3 Corvette C7.R from the rear of the grid at the start to the class lead at the six-and-a-half hour mark. The balance and stability of the Corvette was evident in the track’s infield section and allowed all three drivers to cut through slower traffic. Unfortunately the engine began to overheat during Garcia’s stint near the halfway mark. He handed over to Briscoe, who was called first to the pits then to the garage on more than one occasion to try and solve the cooling problem – a task that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

“This is an example of how difficult the Rolex 24 can be,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “On one hand, we are very encouraged with the initial showing of the new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. The promise the car displayed was evident on both the No. 3 and No. 4 side. Unfortunately these things happen in a race as long and grueling as this one. Hats off to the efforts by everyone at Corvette Racing and Team Chevy for their efforts. We will examine these issues, find the root causes and resolve them prior to the next race at Sebring.”

The next round of the TUDOR Championship is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 15

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I had quite a good couple of stints. Luckily both the yellows came two-thirds or three-quarters into each of the stints so it wasn’t easy to make decisions on pit strategies and tires. We just did fuel on the first one and chose just right-side tires and fuel on the second one. I got out again with no problem. The Porsche had four tires so he had an advantage. In the end, I was having some issues with some sudden oversteering. I thought there was oil on the track but it was me that was leaking water from the engine so I spun on my own water. It got worse and worse and we decided to stop to check everything.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“This definitely wasn’t the result everyone was looking for. All in all, the car was quite fast. We weren’t the fastest car out there but a podium was definitely in the cards. I feel really sorry for all the guys who worked so hard to get us here. We will come back to Sebring stronger. For me the opening stint was about me staying out of trouble and trying to make up as much of the ground as possible. I really thought I would get by all the GT Daytona cars and then have a big gap up to the GTLM cars but it wasn’t that big when I finally came through. I thought I needed a safety car to bunch everyone up but we were right there at the end of my first double-stint. After that, we all had a good couple of stints to get into the lead. It all went downhill from there, unfortunately. It’s a new car with a ton of potential. We are just scratching the surface. It already is a great car. We just need to iron out the bugs.”

RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I was having a great time driving the Corvette C7.R The car was really good to drive. It was the best-handling car as far as I could see. We were really good and really strong, and we were definitely contenders until we started having some overheating issues. It was a real honor to be part of Corvette Racing for the first time. I’m looking forward to more.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“It was great to finally race the Corvette C7.R. I really enjoyed my stints in the car and racing against the competition in our class. It was building up to a really grandstanding finish between us, the Porsche and the BMW. Unfortunately both Corvette Racing and the fans were robbed of that due to our transmission problem. But that is the nature of endurance racing. The C7.R is a brand new race car, and for it to go 22.5 hours with a major problem is a real testament to the team, Chevrolet and Pratt Miller. Kudos to the Corvette Racing team for working as hard as they did to get the gearbox changed; it was a massive effort by everyone involved. So while the result is frustrating, I can’t thank everyone enough for all they gave this weekend.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I got warnings on the dash coming out of NASCAR Turn 4 that the gearbox was hot. Then it got real hot real fast. As I worked down the gears at Turn 1, it was very rough-sounding at the back of the car and was getting worse. The car was running OK. I could still go very quick. I did about half a lap. But when I got to Turn 6, there was a lot of smoke out of the back of the car so I pulled down to the inside.”

ROBIN LIDDELL, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“Your expectations change in a race like this depending on how you’re doing. When you’re in a position suddenly with three hours to go and the potential to win it, suddenly your expectations ramp right up. Then when something happens, you feel like you’ve been robbed. But stepping back from that, overall we had a pretty good showing with a brand new car. It was a particularly hard race with the lack of class disparity between the speeds of the classes. In the end, the car performed very well. It’s clearly a contender. Once the season gets under way and everything settles down, it will all start to come together. I’m really happy to be part of this team and be part of this first race.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Our return to the Rolex 24 At Daytona proved once again that Corvette Racing never gives up. It was a phenomenal effort by the drivers and crews of both the No. 3 and No. 4 Corvette C7.Rs to get both cars to the front under difficult circumstances. The potential of the C7.R package is clear. As we witnessed today, Daytona gives so much but can just as easily take it away. The results maybe not be what we wanted but, the excitement we generated today will be carried right over to Sebring!”

 http://www.drivingline.com/2014/01/rolex-24-hour-daytona-dale-earnhardt-sr

On January 24, 2014

There are very few sportsman of any discipline who attract real public attention outside of the activity that they excel in. In motorsport I have been fortunate to encounter three of these comets who’ve achieved celebrity status in my years at the races. Two on their way up the star charts and one with full superstar status, Dale Earnhardt Sr. During the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Dale Earnardt Sr. was in one of his last of many of races, and burning brightly…

Back in 1983 I was in the right place at the right time to see Ayrton Senna on his final countdown to becoming a Grand Prix star and World Champion. I described my interface with the great Brazilian HERE, though in all honesty I was no more than a passing face in the crowd to him.

Fast forward a decade or so to 1990. By now I had abandoned single seater racing in favour of endurance events, always the ultimate in my eyes. Changes in rules created shifts that helped lead to the unveiling of another bright star, Michael Schumacher.

The fantastically successful Group C formula had been based on a fuel economy rule, limiting the amount of fuel available, which encouraged turbos, rotary and normally aspirated engines of almost any configuration. This was changed and a new specification was mandated that was aligned to the current Formula One of 3.5-litre normally aspirated power plants. This drove away Nissan and Porsche and put the survivors, Toyota, Jaguar, Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz under considerable budgetary strain, these pure racers were very expensive. It also put paid to the majority of privateers who made up the bulk of the grid.

Of course the adverse conditions suited Messrs Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley who controlled both the FIA and the rule book. The ultimate objective of these changes was to drive the manufacturers and their deep pockets into the Grand Prix arena. One bright spark in this disagreeable season was the forming of the Mercedes Junior team, with none other than Michael Schumacher lining up alongside Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Karl Wendlinger and Fritz Kreutzpointner to compete for Sauber Mercedes in the Sports Prototype Championship.

I would like to pretend that I foresaw Michael becoming the great Champion that he did (in fact he was very highly rated, but so were Wendlinger and Frentzen in the programme). I had little interaction with Schumacher during this series, as my agency was shooting for Jaguar, so we were not exactly welcome in the Sauber garage.

The other issue that distracted from his performances behind the wheel was the disaster area that was the Mercedes Benz C291. The flat 12 3.5-litre engine suffered from all manner of problems that were most un-Mercedes like. In the end, the unit held together during the final round of the Championship at Autopolis, so Schumacher and Jochen Mass scored the car’s only victory.

Mercedes took advantage of this result to bin the project and head to the Grand Prix arena. By then Michael had made his Formula One debut with Jordan and was bound for stardom. Both Frentzen and Wendlinger also graduated to the Grand Prix circus, but none gaining as many Championships and records as Schumacher. After retiring in 2012, Michael recently incurred serious injuries while skiing, but we can pray he brakes through to a full recovery.

Meeting with these upcoming stars was one thing, my next encounter would be with a superstar at the height of his fame when I covered the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. was the face of NASCAR, seven time Winston Cup Series Champion and winner of no less than 76 NASCAR races. He was by any measure at the top of the tree.

There had been plans to involve Earnhardt in Corvette’s 2000 season, but some problems with his neck required surgery which meant postponing his Rolex debut for a year. The Corvette team was growing in authority during 2000 – closing the gap to the top dogs of the time, the Oreca Viper squad. Indeed the Vettes only lost out in the 2000 edition of the Rolex by 30 seconds, they were determined to go one better in 2001.

For 2001, two cars were entered by Pratt Miller on behalf of General Motors. In the #2 C5R was a driver line up of Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Chris Kneifel and Franck Freon – while joining Earnhardt #3 would be his son, Dale Jr., Kelly Collins and Andy Pilgrim. Senior had been very insistent that Pilgrim be part of his crew. I later spoke with Andy Pilgrim about his first encounter with Big E.

“In November 2000, we were testing the Corvette GT1 cars on the full Sebring track and it was the first time Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jr. had been in the cars. This was prior to them doing the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in February 2001. The Earnhardts had never driven in the Vettes before nor had they seen the track. I had already met Dale (Big E) and Dale Jr. the month before when the whole deal was announced. When Dale arrived at the track he grabbed me and asked me to take him around the track in my C5 street car, while Jr. went off with someone else. The street car Vette was the car that GM had given me to use during my time with the Corvette factory team. I had driven up in it from Boca Raton, about 125 miles south of Sebring.

I did a couple of slow 70 mph laps of Sebring with Dale in the passenger’s seat. I pointed out the apex of each of the corners and how the weird Sebring pavement changes. Meanwhile Dale was filling me in on how his new boat was coming along. I wasn’t totally sure he’d heard one word I’d said, to be honest, but I kept babbling on as best I could giving my top Sebring tips in a two or three slow laps.

As we came down the Ulmann Straight towards Sunset a third time, Dale piped up ‘My turn’. So I said ‘Alrighty, no problem,’ and pulled in the pit lane and we changed seats.

Dale asked if I was ready, suddenly I saw this little twinkle in his eye. I just knew this was not going to be good. Within a microsecond of the words ‘I’m ready’, coming out of my mouth Dale launched the car and we must have been doing 100 mph before exiting the pit lane. I closed my eyes, braced for the inevitable impact and started saying sorry for all the things I thought might affect my status in the hereafter.

After a few seconds I realized we were not impacting anything and that Dale had masterfully negotiated Turn 1 and that we were already braking for Turn 3. Dale had not only been listening but had put down every apex and was gaining confidence with every corner and gear shift.

As we were flying down the Sebring’s long back straight I was starting to relax, I could even think about getting out of the car and walking away, we were almost home, one more corner.

But wouldn’t you know it, there was more. Dale flew into the braking zone at Turn 17, a monster of a brake zone in any car, never mind a production car with zero downforce. As Dale went for third gear from flat out in fourth the car felt like it got hit by a truck and ripped sideways into a massive spin at over 130mph. Round and round we went until finally coming to rest about 8 feet from the bridge at the apex of turn 17.

I just sat in silence for a second and then looked at Dale. He had the biggest grin on his face. He looked at me and asked ‘You a nervous Nellie yet?’ ‘Nope’ I lied. He looked down at my feet and said. ‘Well that’s not what your feet are telling me,’ and he laughed. I laughed too, admittedly a more nervous laugh. He was right of course, my feet had almost pushed right through the fire wall as I braced myself. We calmly drove into the pits and parked. No one had really seen anything and nobody asked any questions, it was amazing.

Of course the question on my mind was why had we spun out? I’m sure some of you car fans can hazard a guess. My own little thought on it would be a grab for 3rd gear ended in a grab for 1st. That would have certainly caused the immediate spin.

Did we ever talk about it specifically, no? Am I sure Big E found 1st gear, pretty sure? Do I think he might have done it on purpose to bust my chops? From the mischievous look in his eyes after the spin, a distinct possibility ladies and gentlemen, a distinct possibility.”

Doug Fehan, the programme’s Project Manager, gave the management’s perspective of that first Sebring Test to my colleague Andrew Cotton.

“We had our first test at Sebring, Junior went first. He did 15 or 20 laps, and was slamming it, hammering it, but he crashed and demolished the front end of the car finding out what the limit was. He was used to wrecking NASCARs because there are 12 more sitting on the drive. I took him aside, and told him that doesn’t work here, and he felt terrible.

We got the car fixed and the next day it was Senior’s turn. He started out exactly the opposite. He starts out slow, works it up, he is turning some good lap times, he is in his rhythm, turning it up, and then he loses it at Turn 16 and destroys the back end of the car. All four tires flat-spotted. He is feeling really bad. I told him not to worry, it happens, but we don’t need it to happen again.

The next day we are having lunch, and all the parts are piled up in the shop. I didn’t point it out, but sat them so that it was in their eye-view. I wanted them to see it. Junior says something like ‘I can’t believe we caused all that damage,’ and I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Here are a couple of pens, and after lunch you are going to sign every piece.’ We gave them to various charities.”

This was no PR flimflam for General Motors, there was a serious long term plan for Earnhardt to run at Le Mans when NASCAR days were behind him. “It was Senior’s dream to do Le Mans,” says Fehan, who firmly believed it was going to happen with Chevrolet. “They were amazingly fun people to work with because they could operate outside their environment, so were not encumbered by all the bull **** and oppression, the spotlights, every aspect of their lives controlled and manipulated.”

Kelly Collins, the other regular Corvette factory driver in the car, was extremely pleased to be partnering the Earnhardts, maintaining that in years to come he would have serious “rocking-chair equity” with his grandchildren while recalling the 2001 Rolex 24.

Father and Son demanded that they be treated exactly the same as the other drivers and soon became an integral part of the team. This is the point when I was introduced to Senior – he was cool, no other way of describing him, well aware of his status but comfortable with it. He listened to my inane babble and was gracious enough to feign interest. The PR guy also tipped me off for events like the above, where in front of a sizeable crowd of fans there was a small presentation to the drivers.

And Senior was not the only genuine star in the race, PLN was running in Porsche with his young co-driver, Gunnar Jeannette. We ran a piece a while back on that remarkable man HERE.

Living in the UK, we imagine that the sun shines all the time in Florida. So when I returned home after the 2001 Rolex 24 grumbling about cold, wet weather my complaints were dismissed as fantasy – they KNOW I have not been actually working but loitering on a sun kissed beach…well those of you who attended that race could show the scars…it was depressing, grey and soggy. Photographing it was no easy task, trying to stretch the transparencies from 100 ASA to 200 or even 400 to bring something to life in a leap of faith. Film, ah yes, film. The 2001 Rolex 24 would be the last event I would cover solely using that tried and tested method – a virus called digital was about to sweep all before it and pretty much destroy photography as a means of earning a living, still we call that progress.

The race began under cloud and soon the deluge arrived and it was Senior’s turn in the car. He proved to be a revelation, posting very quick lap times and seeming to really enjoy himself.

“He is out there, and asking if he can stay out,” Fehan recalled. “He was going as fast in the wet as he was in the dry. It dawned on me that on rain tires, the car was handling like a regular NASCAR, and he loved it. He called in and asked if he could stay in for a second stint, and I said ‘go ahead.’ Then he asked if he could do a third stint, and I said ‘sure.’ Then he wanted to do another one, but I said, ‘No, you gotta rest’. He did a great job.”

Pilgrim remembered his most famous television appearance mid-race. “Dale was used to the banking, and running 15 degree slip angle at Daytona for 500 miles, so they put me on the radio and I talked to him about where the slippery parts of the track were, where to be careful and that kind of thing. To be on the radio, talking to Big E was very cool.”

A broken half shaft on Saturday evening and again, this time with a transmission change, on Sunday morning put paid to the chances of #3 taking the top spot, but the #2 car ran faultlessly to inherit the lead with about three hours to go. It was going to be a famous victory for Corvette and General Motors. It certainly lifted the spirits…

Senior was pleased and proud to have been part of such an epic win and on a track that he had seen much success at, though only once in the Daytona 500. There was the future to consider…

Doug Fehan again, “He said that he was going to quit in two years, but he said to me that he would run one more year, and then come and do this – that this was real racing, and that he loved it. He was going to come to Le Mans to see the place, because I had been telling him so much about it. Every time I drive into it, I love it. It was a huge thing for me, and for him, and it would have been very cool for us to be the guys to do that with him. He was looking for new challenges, and never forgot where he came from.”

“He was immensely proud to be racing with Junior, and that cuts both ways. As a kid that probably hurts you because you have your dad looking out for you, but if he did it over again, he could have managed that better. Senior drove from the heart, before the brain caught up.”

But there was to be no fairy tale ending to this story – two weeks later on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt was involved in a collision and sustained fatal head injuries, NASCAR’s biggest star was gone. Motorsport had lost one of its greatest champions and for endurance racing and Le Mans it was a case of what might have been.

A big thank you to the Editor of Racecar Engineering, Andrew Cotton, for his help with this piece.

By John Brooks

(all times Eastern)

 http://www.imsa.com/races/rolex-24-daytona

Thursday, January 23

9:30 am-10:30 am: Practice 1 (All Classes)

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm: Practice 2 (All Classes)

3:45 pm – 4:00 pm: Qualifying (GTD)

4:05 pm – 4:20 pm: Qualifying (GTLM)

4:30 pm – 4:45 pm: Qualifying (PC)

4:50 pm – 5:05 pm: Qualifying (P)

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Practice 3 (All Classes)

Friday, January 24

11:30 am -12:30 pm: Practice 4 (All Classes)

Saturday, January 25

11:30 am -12:15 pm: TUDOR Championship Driver Autograph Session

1:40 pm – 2:10 pm: Pre-Race Ceremonies / Formation Laps

2:10 pm: Race Start

Sunday, January 26

2:10 pm: Race Finish

LIVE TV SCHEDULE (all times Eastern):

Saturday, January 25

2-4 p.m. ET on FOX

4-9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2

Overnight (Jan. 25-26)

9 p.m. – 7 a.m. ET on IMSA.com (includes live images, in-car cameras and announcers)

Sunday, January 26

7 a.m. – 3 p.m. on FOX Sports 1

CONTEST:

Show us your race face!

Now through the Rolex 24 at Daytona, post photos of you, your family/ friends, and attach #Rolex24PME and #RaceFace to your photo for a chance to win some special, Corvette Racing gear! Share on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Let’s see your Corvette pride!

(Only one grand prize winner will receive Corvette Racing Gear, there will be additional prizes for runners up)

We will announce winners the week of Jan. 27th

 http://racer.com

EDITOR’S CHOICE TEAM OF THE YEAR: CORVETTE RACING

Digging deep, backs to the wall, remaining steadfast in the face of adversity – all phrases that could be applied to Corvette Racing in 2013. But predictably, it’s program manager Doug Fehan who best sums up his team’s season in which the aged C6.R signed off with the ALMS GT manufacturers’, teams’ and drivers’ titles.

“After Sebring, I don’t think we ever had the fastest car at any race,” he says, “and in some events, we were the slowest. So that made us work harder and figure out a way to win.

“You do that with perfect preparation, great race strategy and outstanding pit stop implementation. Those are what win races…

“In 2013, I think we redefined the word “team.’”

Contrastingly and ironically, therefore, picking Corvette Racing as RACER’s Team of the Year was easy.

Cadillac factory driver is on a mission to save lives

 http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140326/MOTORSPORTS/140329871

Here’s another addend in the complex driver-training equation: Many parents influence their kids to become both a greater danger when driving and more susceptible to the actions of other poor drivers.

This influence begins long before kids are licensed to drive. Consider:

— “More than 75 percent of new drivers exhibit the same distracted driving behavior as their parents.”

— “Most parents are unaware they are teaching their kids things that will make them more dangerous to others and more vulnerable to others.”

— “Most parents want to protect their children and will make changes once they understand the realities of behavior transfer.”

These are the words of Andy Pilgrim, the same championship-winning sports-car driver who helped road-test editor Jonathan Wong thrash Porsche’s 911 GT3 and Chevrolet’s Camaro Z/28. Andy began speaking to high-school students about driver safety 20 years ago, and he has delved deep into the statistics, causes and effects that have led many to conclude that U.S. driver education is inadequate.

Distracted driving, in particular, is an epidemic. I’m genuinely surprised if the driver in the lane next to mine isn’t texting or otherwise fiddling with a phone. Most of the time, they are — and often with passengers who pick up on this behavior.

Through his Andy Pilgrim Foundation, Andy produced two videos for educators’ use: “The Driving Zone” and “The Driving Zone 2.” These DVDs cover topics like mental preparation for driving, explanation of distracted-driving issues and street-survival tools that are absent from most curricula. More than 10,000 driver-education teachers in 43 states use “The Driving Zone 2.”

Andy takes his educator role another step forward with the introduction of “The Parent Driving Zone.” Distracted driving is bad for all of us, but, as he says, “If a new driver with less than five years of experience drives with the same distractions and subsequent behavior as their parents, with none of their parents’ skill or experience, they will, and do, crash at a massively higher rate. The fatality and life-changing injury stats for children under 21 years old tragically back this up.

“Since about 2009, we have had a massive increase in driver distractions linked directly to smartphones. This does not only mean texting while driving!”

Absorb this: Between 55 and 75 percent of new drivers name their parents as the biggest influencers on their behavior behind the wheel. That’s more impactful than their peers, teachers, police, laws and tragic stories.

About three years ago, Andy began asking parents if they considered how their distracted-driving habits passed to their children. “The answers I received went from shock to total disbelief,” he says.

“It was obvious 90 percent never thought about it.”

Hence a need for “The Parent Driving Zone.” It includes behavior-altering information for parents of children of all ages. No one says all parents drive distracted, but one look around you during tomorrow’s commute will prove this scourge’s reach. Most never think about the fact they are their children’s driving instructor or think their child is paying much attention to their driving. Well, they are. If you have a kid up to age 18, I implore you to check out theparentdrivingzone.com, where you can order a copy of the video. Its lessons might save your child’s life.

New Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs to race for first time in TUDOR Championship opener

DETROIT (Jan. 21, 2014) – Fifteen years ago, Corvette Racing stepped onto the world’s sports car stage for the first time. Thirteen years ago, it scored a stunning overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Now with 90 victories around the world – seven at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and 10 American Le Mans Series titles, America’s premier production-based sports car team is back at Daytona with a brand new car to contend for a brand new championship.

The 52nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will see the competitive debut of the new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. After several months in black-and-white camouflage, Daytona is the first time the two Corvettes will run in the familiar Corvette Racing velocity yellow. Both cars tested at Daytona as part of the Roar Before the 24 earlier in the month. Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 car was the second-fastest driver in the GT Le Mans class, followed closely by Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette.

Magnussen and Antonio Garcia won the American Le Mans Series’ GT driver’s championship in 2013 with three victories. Gavin and Tommy Milner placed third in the final year of the ALMS before it merged with the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series to create the TUDOR Championship. At Daytona, Ryan Briscoe will join Garcia and Magnussen while Robin Liddell partners with Gavin and Milner.

“Corvette sets the standard for Chevrolet regarding technical transfer between racing and production,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The learnings from the race track have helped us design and engineer the new Corvette Z06 for the street and the new C7.R for the track. We are excited to debut the Corvette C7.R at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and race it all season long in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GTLM class.

“In the 2001 24 Hours at Daytona, the #2 Corvette C5-R won its class and the overall race with drivers Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Chris Kneifel and Franck Freon,” Campbell added. “That history makes returning to the 2014 24 Hours at Daytona with the new Corvette C7.R in the GTLM class extra special. In addition, it will be great to have Corvette DP teams competing for the third consecutive year at Daytona in the Prototype class. We can’t wait to see the Corvette owners and supporters at the track.”

In 1999, Corvette Racing made its debut at Daytona with a pair of Corvette C5-Rs. The team placed second overall a year later and won the event in 2001. Times – and technology – have changed since then. The C7.R shares an unprecedented level of attributes with the Z06 – most notably chassis structure, direct injection on the engine front and aerodynamics.

Both the C7.R and Z06 share the same production-based aluminum frame, both of which are built at Corvette’s assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky. The chassis is 40 percent stronger than on the outgoing Corvette C6.R, which results in better handling and stability at high speeds.

Direct injection also returns to a racing Corvette for the first time since the GT1 era that ended in 2009. There are two main gains to be expected. One is better throttle control and response from the engine under power. The other is a gain in fuel efficiency – up to a 3 percent improvement on the C6.R. Those savings have the potential to add up in a race as long as the Rolex 24.

From an aerodynamic standpoint, the package on the C7.R is the most aggressive in the Corvette Racing era. Some of the features carried over from the C6.R to the 2014 Corvette Stingray production car including forward-tilted radiator, functional hood and front-quarter panel vents, and rear transmission and differential cooling intakes. From there, engineers improved the aero details on the C7.R and Z06 with similar front splitters, rocker panels, and front- and rear-brake cooling ducts.

All those factors and other improvements from the C6.R give Corvette Racing an excellent chance to get the C7.R era started on the right foot… err, wheel.

“This is a great start for a new era of Corvette Racing,” said Mark Kent, Director of Racing for Chevrolet. “The Corvette C7.R represents new levels of technology in a number of areas that improve on the championship-winning legacy of the C6.R. It has been fascinating watching the development of the car over the last few months and we all are excited to finally see it in competition.”

Television coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be available on the FOX family of channels, starting with the FOX network’s two-hour broadcast at 2 p.m. The race also will air on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, along with overnight streaming video at imsa.com.

The TUDOR Championship is the result of a merger between the ALMS and GRAND-AM’s Rolex Sports Car Series. Corvette Racing will compete in 11 races around North America plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

• Fans at Daytona can check out a number of new Chevy vehicles throughout the weekend at the Chevrolet Display located in the infield at Daytona International Speedway. Production vehicles on-hand include the Cruze, Malibu, Camaro, Traverse, Silverado Crew and Corvette Stingray convertible.

Spectators also can see a Corvette C7.R showcar and the 2015 Corvette Z06. The display opens at 9 a.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

Rolex 24 At Daytona (all times ET)

• Practice 1: 9:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 23

• Corvette C7.R Technical Briefing: 12:15 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23 (Track Meeting Room)

• Practice 2: 1:15 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23

• GTLM Qualifying: 4:05 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23

• Practice 3: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23

• Practice 4: 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 24

• Race: 2:10 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25

Rolex 24: Watch It!

Saturday, Jan. 25

• 2-4 p.m. ET (FOX)

• 4-9 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 2)

Overnight, Jan. 25-26

• 9 p.m.-7 a.m. ET (IMSA.com)

Sunday, Jan. 26

• 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (FOX Sports 1)

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“The Daytona test is always very important because the race week is very short. Everything needs to be very sorted from the test days. We got to know a little bit more about it and know what we might need for the race. The important thing is that we came out of the test knowing what we need and what we can expect for the test. We have a clear idea of what we need to compete during the race. So far things look very good and I think we are headed in the right direction for the race. With the schedule and amount of time on the track, the car you unload for the race is pretty much what you will end up racing. There is no time to change a lot at that point.”

On traffic: “Out of the test, we know the car handled very well to allow us to go around other cars. Now the question mark is how fast the GT Daytona cars will be on the straights. With the amount of GTD cars there are – and knowing they were faster than us on the straights – it will be extremely challenging because not only of the differences in the cars but also because the differences in drivers in those cars. That puts you in a situation where you really need to dive into the braking zone and brake later compared to when you normally would. That is my biggest concern.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“We had a really productive test. We went through a lot of stuff in the new car and a lot of stuff we needed to try out and get direction on. All three drivers in the car felt very comfortable. We need to get to race week – through qualifying really – to know exactly where we stack up against everyone. But the feeling is that we have a fast car and one that we can use to fight with the rest of the field. We won’t know for sure until everyone lets go.”

Importance of handling: “For sure in the race when we are coming up on slower traffic or being passed by prototypes, having a comfortable car that you can pick and choose your lines without getting yourself into trouble is very important for such a long race. It felt like at the test that there was room to maneuver our car. There is only one fast line but you can get outside of that a little bit without being in big trouble. Let’s face it… in the race we will be driving off-line all the time!”

RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I was really happy with how the test went and my comfort level in the car. We all seemed to click right away, and that’s what you want. You have to work together and have happy compromises. But to be honest, it didn’t feel like there was a lot of compromise because things went so well.”

Where to make gains: “It’s hard to know how well we stack up against the rest in terms of infield performance. But you need to have a car that’s good in there with all the different classes. We’re actually the slowest ones on the straights just because of how the rules are set. So all the passing has to be done through the infield and through the brake zones. You have to be confident to make those moves and do them safely. Throughout the test I felt like we have a car that gave us a lot of confidence to do just that. One of the main things will be keeping an eye on the temperatures and how long we can take the tires – whether we double-stint them or not. But we have different compounds of tires from Michelin and have those to play with as the temperatures change. That will be one of the most important things to watch for performance.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I’m quietly confident that we have ourselves in a pretty good spot. We have to temper that with the fact that this is the Daytona 24 Hours. Experience tells you that when you enter a race with a brand new car, it’s a bit of a voyage of discovery. Regardless of how much testing you’ve done, things are going to come up or there will be conditions that you can only simulate in the race. The team is quietly confident but this track can be very mechanically hard on the car. “

On the track: “Daytona is a lot of braking and accelerating and going up and down the gearbox. When you look at the circuit layout, it really is a lot of high-speed, flat-out work with some heavy braking and slow corners mixed in. Tire temperature will be at a premium, especially if it’s cooler like on the test days. The long straights won’t help that at all. It’s going to be a big, big challenge. But that’s one of the great things about motor racing and the Daytona 24 Hours. It’s a mighty challenge, and the guys at Corvette Racing are ready to face it head-on.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“Going into the Daytona test, I was optimistic that the car would be competitive, reliable and not have many issues. I was a little surprised at the relative pace compared to our competitors. Time will tell there but it’s in the race where it matters. The new Corvette was quick, consistent and good drive. We made little tweaks between the test at Sebring and Daytona with driver comfort issues and some setup directions. While we don’t have any data of running the C6.R, the step up to the C7.R is pretty significant in my eyes. It’s a more refined car and one that’s easier to drive right at the edge. Everyone came away from the Roar pretty happy and excited for the race.”

Daytona factors: “Daytona certainly is a special race. You prepare for it differently than a shorter race because it’s one of the biggest events in the U.S. I’ve done the Rolex 24 the last two years but this time it’s totally different. It’s a new car in a new series with plenty of other differences. The traffic will be a major part of the race for a lot of people. It won’t be all outright speed but how you’re able to navigate traffic compared to your competitors. The drivability factor of car plays into our hands and makes us feel a lot more comfortable. Because it’s a 24-hour race, you’re not going to make any wild moves. But if you have confidence in your car, you can put it in places where you normally wouldn’t if you didn’t have that confidence.”

ROBIN LIDDELL, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R

“I came away from Daytona a lot more comfortable and confident. I felt like I knew the car better and could play with it on the edge, which I hadn’t been able to do at Sebring (in December) because of the comfort factor. We won’t really know where we are pace-wise until we get in the race. But I think everyone is quietly confident that the car has good pace and that it was reasonably comfortable to drive in the sense of it not being too much on the ragged edge. I think the car should be a good one for 24 hours in terms of it being reasonably benign and good on the infield but also good at the Bus Stop and not on a knife-edge everywhere.”

Key to success: “What you need for a 24-hour race is a drivable car. If you have one that’s comfortable, it means you can drive off line to go around people and maintain traction off the corner, brake on a dirty line and move offline to change direction. The more on the edge a car is, the greater the likelihood a driver can and will make a mistake. You need a car that minimizes that possibility but is still reasonably quick. I think we’re in a good spot in that regard.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“It’s great to be heading back to Daytona. Our overall victory in the 2001 race was certainly one of our greatest achievements, and returning brings back some inspiring memories. But I can assure you that the focus of everyone at Corvette Racing is on the here and now. On its own, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is a tremendous challenge… add to that the introduction of the brand new C7.R Corvette race car and you have the makings for yet another storybook finish at America’s most iconic raceway. After an offseason of comprehensive testing, I can assure you the Corvette engineers, crew and drivers are all ready to rock the Rolex!”

Corvette Racing History at Daytona

Year – Class – Drivers – Result – Car – Notes

1999

GT2

Fellows/Kneifel/Paul Jr. – 3rd – Corvette C5-R

Pilgrim/Collins/Sharp – 12th – Corvette C5-R

2000

GTS

Fellows/Kneifel/Bell – 2nd – Corvette C5-R

Pilgrim/Collins/Freon – 10th – Corvette C5-R

2001

GTS

Fellows/O’Connell/Kneifel/Freon – 1st – Corvette C5-R – Overall win

Collins/Pilgrim/Earnhardt/Earnhardt Jr. – 2nd – Corvette C5-R