For Second Consecutive Year, Gold Bowtie Clinches Coveted Award
FONTANA, Calif. (October 19, 2013) – With Will Power’s victory tonight at Auto Club Speedway, Chevrolet has clinched its second consecutive IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ championship.
“We are proud of the teamwork and dedicated efforts of our drivers, teams and technical partners that culminated in Chevrolet’s second consecutive IndyCar Series manufacturers’ championship,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The Chevrolet IndyCar V6 engine gave our teams the right combination of power, fuel economy, and reliability that resulted in winning this prestigious award.
On the way to the coveted title, drivers of the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 twin turbocharged, direct-injected engine tallied a total of 10 wins in the 19-race 2013 IndyCar Series season that included the exciting win by KV Racing Technology Chevrolet driver Tony Kanaan in the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500.
“Clinching the 2013 IndyCar Series manufacturers’ championship with the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 twin turbo-charged direct-injected engine is the result of a collaborative and cooperative effort by our teams and technical partners,” said Mark Kent, Director, Chevrolet Racing. “Chevrolet, Ilmor Engineering, Hitachi, GM Racing Powertrains, Pratt Miller Engineering and our Chevy teams worked tirelessly to put the best combination of performance and reliability that resulted in this title. Congratulations to everyone whose contributions have made this second consecutive championship possible.”
The Chevrolet IndyCar V6 team and driver roster that contributed to Chevrolet capturing the Series’ manufacturers’ title are: Team Penske – Helio Castroneves, Will Power and AJ Allmendinger; Andretti Autosport – Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay, EJ Viso and Carlos Munoz; KV Racing Technology – Tony Kanaan and Simona De Silvestro; Panther Racing – Oriol Servia and Ryan Briscoe; Ed Carpenter Racing – Ed Carpenter and Dragon Racing – Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastian Saavedra.
Chevrolet returned to IndyCar Series competition in 2012 with Ryan Hunter-Reay capturing the driver championship in addition to the manufacturers’ title. Previously Chevrolet competed in Indy-style racing as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V8 engines that powered Chevrolet to seven Indianapolis 500 victories, and six driver championships.
2013 VICTORIES:
St. Petersburg – James Hinchcliffe
Barber Motorsports Park – Ryan Hunter-Reay
Sao Paulo, Brazil – James Hinchcliffe
Indianapolis – Tony Kanaan
Texas Motor Speedway – Helio Castroneves
The Milwaukee Mile – Ryan Hunter-Reay
Iowa Speedway – James Hinchcliffe
Sonoma Raceway – Will Power
Reliant Park (Streets of Houston) Race No. 2 – Will Power
Sixth-place finish with Taylor enough to take title at Road Atlanta; No. 4 Corvette places 10th
BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 19, 2013) – Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen closed the American Le Mans Series era by winning the GT drivers’ championship Saturday at Petit Le Mans. The pairing drove with Jordan Taylor to a sixth-place finish in the No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R at Road Atlanta. Garcia won his first ALMS title, and Magnussen claimed another to go along with his 2008 GT1 championship.
Chevrolet and Corvette Racing clinched the GT manufacturers’ and team championships in the previous ALMS round at Virginia International Raceway two weeks ago. Garcia and Magnussen made it nine drivers’ titles for the manufacturer and team since 2001. The results were fitting ones in the final year of the C6.R in the hands of Corvette Racing.
“Congratulations to Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and the No. 3 Corvette C6.R team on clinching the American Le Mans Series GT driver’s championship,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Antonio, Jan and the team raced incredible competition in the GT class and persevered. Preparation, teamwork, efficient pit stops – along with a Chevrolet Powertrain that delivered the right combination of power, fuel efficiency and reliability – were key components of the team’s success.
“It was a total team effort for Chevrolet to win the GT manufacturers’ championship, Corvette Racing to win the GT team championship, and Antonio and Jan to win GT the drivers’ championship in the final season of the American Le Mans Series.”
Garcia and Magnussen led all drivers in the ALMS’ GT class with three victories – Laguna Seca, Baltimore and Circuit of The Americas. They also finished on the class podium six times in 10 races, despite finishing with zero points at Sebring to start the year.
Saturday’s race was not without its dramas for the new champions. Taylor was running second in the race’s sixth hour when he ran over an oil slick and spun the No. 3 out of control. The car ran fifth for most of the final two hours before safety falling back to its eventual finishing position.
“Antonio and Jan are very deserving champions of the ALMS’ GT class,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “Their performance, along with that of the team’s crew members and engineers, set the standard in what arguably is the toughest class of sports car racing in North America. Congratulations to Antonio and Jan, everyone at Pratt eMiller and GM Racing Powertrain for a phenomenal end of the season and final race for the Corvette C6.R.”
The No. 4 Compuware Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook ran in 10th place and six laps down after two lengthy stops to replace a pair of alternator belts. Gavin had moved from seventh to second in the first two laps before the telemetry showed the alternator was not charging the battery at the 30-minute mark. Gavin brought the car in for fuel, tires and driver change to Milner along with a belt replacement. That belt proved faulty, and Milner pitted again on the next lap for another replacement. This time, the belt functioned properly and the car continued with the battery fully charging.
Corvette Racing will open the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the Corvette C7.R race car at the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26.
EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“For sure this is a great day for us. We had a fantastic season. There is no way we could think about this after no points at Sebring. The Corvette Racing team just kept digging. We went from zero wins last year to three wins this year. It was a very competitive year, and congratulations to all our competitors who raced against us. They were all very good teams. So I am very happy for my first ALMS title. Now we are looking forward to the next era for Corvette Racing.
“It’s a really hard to celebrate anything. I lost a very close friend last week – Maria De Villota – and then Sean Edwards this week. Even when I went by the checkered flag, I didn’t feel like I could celebrate and be happy. I was more thinking about them.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“This is an incredible championship. I could not believe Antonio and I would walk away with this after how the season started for us. We both have to say thank you to the entire Corvette Racing team for their hard work and great pit stops all year. For sure we would have liked to win the race but I will trade that for a championship any day.
“It is a fantastic day. My son Kevin won the World Series by Renault this morning, so that was a good way to start the day. It was nice that he got it over with so I could concentrate on my own championship! I can’t even begin to describe how proud I am of him. I wish I could have been celebrating with him but it’s great we can have a chance to win a big championship on the same day. We will celebrate when we get home.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“Congratulations to Jan and Antonio on a terrific season. The guys really gave it everything they had, and they deserve this championship. The second half of the race didn’t go as smooth as we would have liked. The spin on a fluid leak from another car set us back. But at the end of the day, I’m glad to have helped the team win this championship. Topping this off with the Rolex DP championship makes this an incredible end to the season.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“These last few races have been extremely difficult and tough for us. But today is all about the No. 3 car. Antonio and Jan deserve this championship thoroughly. They bounced back from a heart-breaking Sebring. But since then they have driven brilliantly. They had great strategy and pit stops. They executed every weekend and scored points every time they were allowed to. A full, hearty congratulations to them.
“For Tommy and I, the 2013 season can’t come to an end soon enough. It seemed like every which way we turned, things were not going right for us. Our luck just ran out. I’m just now focused on 2014 with the new car and hitting the ground running at Daytona. We had two really big highlights – winning at Sebring and Canada was fantastic. But the rest of it has been under par to say the least.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“At the end of the day, we obviously would have loved to finish better. But Antonio and Jan got their championship, which is fantastic. We’re team champions and manufacturer champions just like last year. It’s a great send-off for the C6.R and we’re looking forward to the C7.R now. It was a rough day for us –that was our season in a nutshell. There were just little problems that sometimes can be easily fixed and solved. But this year, every little thing cost us a lot of time. All in all, and looking back on the season it was a great one again. The car was fantastic and it’s always a pleasure working with the guys at Corvette Racing. I’m looking forward to a lot more years.”
RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“I’m absolutely for Antonio, Jan and Jordan. They’re part of the Corvette Racing team, but they’re also mates. It’s great to see your mates celebrate like that. From our point of view, we can’t wait to get going on next year. Sebring seems like a long time ago. It was our high of the year. You can’t have good years every year. It will make us stronger and tougher. All of us will work harder over the winter. Today again, we proved we had a great car but Lady Luck was against us.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“Today was probably the most important sixth-place finish in Corvette Racing history. As we closed out the 15th season of the American Le Mans Series – a historic run – Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia clinched the GT drivers’ championship. It gives Chevrolet and Corvette Racing a second consecutive sweep of all three ALMS championships. Jan and Antonio’s climb back from scoring zero points at Sebring is emblematic of the never give up fighting spirit at Corvette Racing. I couldn’t be more proud of Jan, Antonio, Jordan Taylor and the entire crew and engineering group on the No. 3 Corvette. As satisfying as this is, we are excited and looking forward to the start of a new era in Corvette Racing – the first race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Daytona in January.”
Garcia, Magnussen need seventh or better for GT title; No. 4 Corvette in 10th
BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 19, 2013) – Corvette Racing’s No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R ran second in the GT class after four hours of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia traded stints in challenging conditions, which has seen the weather go back and forth between dry and wet. At the four-hour mark, a light but steady rain continued to fall and put strategy at a premium in the 1,000-mile/10-hour race.
Garcia and Magnussen, who are teaming with Jordan Taylor this weekend at Road Atlanta, need a seventh-place finish or better to claim the GT drivers’ championship. Magnussen led his nearest title challenger, Dirk Muller, shortly after a restart before the race’s fourth hour.
The No. 4 Compuware Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook ran in 10th place and six laps down after two lengthy stops to replace a pair of alternator belts. Gavin had moved from seventh to second in the first two laps before the telemetry showed the alternator was not charging the battery at the 30-minute mark. Gavin brought the car in for fuel, tires and driver change to Milner along with a belt replacement. That belt proved faulty, and Milner pitted again on the next lap for another replacement. This time, the belt functioned properly and the car continued with the battery fully charging.
The race continues with live TV coverage alternating between FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. ALMS.com also is streaming the full race broadcast.
EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“It is very difficult. It probably is not the situation you want to be in while fighting for a championship. You have to be patient but fast at the same time. In the end, the track was good when it was fully dry. The car was behaving very good before drops began coming down. It is very different from lap to lap. The gaps between the cars are more than 10 seconds, so it is difficult to see how the track is reacting. I was learning a little bit early with a Porsche and then with Tommy (Milner in the No. 4 car). We know we need to keep running and stay on the lead lap. For sure, we aren’t the ones that need to be taking risks. That is the 56. We need to keep following what they do.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“We’re quite aways down now. Getting eight laps back is going to be a tall order. It’s kind of fitting for our year. We had a good car and we have a small issue that puts us behind. We’re pretty bummed. (Helping the 3 car) has been the mindset all along. Anything we can do to help the 3 car is what we will do. We’ll be conscious of what they are doing and make sure our stops don’t mess them up. At this point, we will just run laps and see what we can do.”
GT championship co-leader Garcia qualifies No. 3 Corvette fourth in GT; Gavin seventh in No. 4
BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 18, 2013) – The final race for the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R will see two of Corvette Racing’s GT challengers starting fourth and seventh on the GT grid for Saturday’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Antonio Garcia qualified the No. 3 Compuware Corvette fourth with a lap of 1:19.128 (115.560 mph) in the finale of the American Le Mans Series.
Garcia and Jan Magnussen enter the 1,000-mile/10-hour race leading the GT drivers’ championship. With three wins this season, the duo needs a seventh-place finish or better Saturday with Jordan Taylor to clinch the title. Their only challenger for the title – Dirk Muller – will start fifth. The top seven cars were within 0.579 seconds of each other.
Garcia set his best time on his final lap of the session to beat Muller’s time. The No. 3 Corvette placed second in last year’s Petit Le Mans, and a similar showing Saturday would give Corvette Racing a drivers’ championship for the ninth time since 2001. Magnussen won the 2008 GT1 title, and Garcia was third in last year’s GT standings with Magnussen for his best championship finish.
In the ALMS’ previous round at VIR, Chevrolet clinched its 10th manufacturers’ championship, and Corvette won an ALMS team title for the 10th time.
Gavin, driving with Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook, set a best lap of 1:19.440 (115.106 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette. The trio hopes to bookend their season with a victory to match a season-opening win in March at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Gavin and Milner – last year’s ALMS champions – stand third in this season’s drivers’ points and have a chance to move up to the runner-up position in the final standings.
Saturday’s race begins at 11:30 a.m. ET with live coverage alternating between FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.
EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“We had a decent setup and decent pace compared to where we have been in past races. I felt like I could really attack. We seem to be a little closer to our competitors than where we expected. It’s a very good starting position for a long race. No one will be taking risks right away. The more toward the front you are, the less chance there is of having an issue. This is a good starting point. Now we need to run a clean race. Who knows – for sure we want to make 70 percent. After that, we will go for the win.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“We are still searching for some punch out of the slow-speed corners. We also were looking for some direction change in the middle of the corners and made some adjustments before qualifying. I think we overshot with that. Now we have a car that is very much the other way and oversteering everywhere. I couldn’t attack any of the corners or carry my brakes all the way in. I was very nervous with the rear of the car, and my steering inputs were very, very small. It was the sort of stuff you expect when you have a little too much on the nose of the car and the rear is too light. But it’s a long race. We will take seventh place; we have worked our way up well from those positions all year. I’m pretty confident we can do it again. We will get the car right and will be there in the race.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“One of the main goals of the session was to start in front of the BMW, which we accomplished. Antonio put in a great final lap, and Oliver positioned the No. 4 to help the team car fight for the championship. Now the goal is to have a clean, mistake-free race under very competitive conditions to wrap up our ninth ALMS drivers’ title – a remarkable feat over the last 15 years. The drivers, engineers and crew have performed brilliantly under pressure all season. Now it comes down to the final race. We are prepared and ready.”
O’Connell wins driver’s Championship, Cadillac manufacturer title
DETROIT, (Oct.18, 2013) -Team Cadillac driver Johnny O’Connell defended his Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver’s Championship by winning five races over the 14 race season which concluded in Houston 12 days ago. Teammate Andy Pilgrim finished the season in third, and Cadillac won the GT manufacturer championship for the second year in a row.
O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) took the championship right down the last few laps of a very exciting final round in Houston. The Georgian posted wins at Circuit of the America’s (COTA), Detroit, Lime Rock, Toronto and Houston to win the GT driver’s championship by a slim 57 point margin. Teammate Pilgrim posted a win at Sonoma Raceway and was credited with eight podium finishes on the season.
“There were two big highlights to my season,” O’Connell said. “The first would be COTA where we first showed that we can be competitive. Personally it was an important event to reestablish ourselves as contenders for the championship. The other would be the Houston win. We needed to deliver in the last race, in the rain and Team Cadillac delivered.”
“I think I will always look back on that drive as one of my best ever,” he continued. “The conditions going from wet to dry were challenging. It took patience at times and when we needed to attack we had the car, which was critical. There was a lot of pressure on me that weekend and to deliver for Team Cadillac was very satisfying.”
“Currently there are so many positive things going on with World Challenge,” O’Connell explained. “I’ve seen over my three years the great improvements the organizers have made and I’m confident that in 2014, and beyond, World Challenge Racing will become more of a destination for top line drivers.”
Pilgrim capitalized on his race win at Sonoma to place third in the GT championship while playing a significant role in helping Team Cadillac win the manufacturer title and O’Connell the driver’s championship.
“I had a really good year,” Pilgrim said. “I felt that I was driving as well as I ever have. We had some set-up gremlins to sort out early in the season, but once we got a handle on things we were getting stronger and stronger right through to the end of the year.”
“There were way more high points than low points that’s for sure,” he continued. “The Detroit crash was avoidable and not a great way to end that weekend, but I cannot complain. The high points were numerous. The hard fought second place finish at COTA with both rear tires falling apart was a good one. The race at Mid-Ohio, racing Mike Skeen for fourth place was a really memorable scrap down to the last turn. The win at Sonoma was great and the final round street fight in Houston capped off the year with me having a bump and banging few laps to pass the two Audi R8s to help Johnny win his second straight championship. The Houston race weekend was a bit like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone, every minute, things just kept getting weirder and weirder. We started in the rain, the track dried and all of the drama from the green to the checker was exciting for both the drivers and the fans.”
John Kraemer, Cadillac V-Series Marketing Manager, was pleased with the race results as well as the Team Cadillac presence within the event.
“Everyone at Cadillac is ecstatic that Team Cadillac won our second consecutive manufacturer title and that Johnny won and defended the driver’s championship,” Kraemer said. “Throughout the season we built quite a following, we entertained over 600 Cadillac CTS-V owners who enthusiastically supported the racing effort throughout the year. We interacted and educated thousands more on Cadillac products through our at the track activation. We are looking forward to even more competition in 2014 and expanding the Team Cadillac fan base over the 16 race schedule.”
2013 Pirelli World Challenge Drivers’ Points Standings:
Johnny O’Connell, Team Cadillac, Cadillac CTS-V, 1481
James Sofronas, GMG Motorsports Audi R8 LMS, 1444
Andy Pilgrim, Team Cadillac, Cadillac CTS-V, 1379
Randy Pobst, K-Pax Volvo S60, 1321
Alex Figge, K-Pax Volvo S60, 1177
2013 Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer Championship Points:
Cadillac 109
Audi 82
Volvo 80
Chevrolet 30
O’Connell’s 2013 Pirelli World Challenge season stats include:
* Five wins: COTA, Detroit, Lime Rock, Toronto and Houston
* Second place finishes at Detroit (race two) and Mid-Ohio
* Third place runs at St. Pete (2) and at Lime Rock (race two)
* Average finishing position of fifth
* Average starting position of 2.62
* Seven fastest race laps
* Completed 380 of a possible 446
Pilgrim 2013 Pirelli World Challenge season stats:
* One race win at Sonoma
* Second at Long Beach, COTA, Lime Rock and Toronto
* Third place runs at COTA (race one), Detroit and Houston
* Pilgrim has an average race finish of 3.31
* Completed 444 race laps of a possible 446
The Pirelli World Challenge Championship season finale FOAMETIX Grand Prix of Houston will be televised on NBC Sports, Sunday, October 20 at 4 p.m. ET.
Pirelli World Challenge Championships Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg,
March 23-24
O’Connell started fifth, finished third; race two, started fourth, finished third
Pilgrim started sixth finished fifth; race two started sixth, finished fourth
O’Connell and Pilgrim started the 50-minute first race together on the third row of the Pirelli World Challenge GT grid based upon their fifth and sixth place qualifying times. For the first of two races this weekend, the series’ officials decided to have the competitors come to the green flag using a rolling start. Tomorrow’s round two will be a traditional standing start.
From the drop of the green flag the Cadillac CTS-V race cars of O’Connell and Pilgrim took up positions in fourth and seventh places. As is the nature of closed street course racing, the parade effect took over. On lap 11 O’Connell was passed going into Turn One, relegating him to fifth position. On lap 26, a full-course caution brought the field back together. On lap 30 the race restarted with a rejuvenated O’Connell and Pilgrim, each able to make up positions on the lap finishing the race in fourth and fifth place.
Tampa Race 2
Based upon their fastest race laps O’Connell started the second race of the double event weekend from fourth, with teammate Pilgrim starting directly behind him in sixth. Unlike the first race, the Pirelli World Challenge officials went back to the traditional standing start for this morning’s race.
With light precipitation in the air, the Cadillac CTS-V racers of O’Connell and Pilgrim jumped off of the starting grid and headed to Turn One. O’Connell was able to put his CTS-V Coupe between the Corvette of Michael Skeen and the apex picking up a position in fifth with teammate Pilgrim following in behind. As the race progressed the threat of rain went away and left the Pirelli World Challenge competitors to run the 50-minute event without a caution. On lap 30, the front runners began to experience problems. Early race leader Alex Figge, No. 9 Volvo, experienced engine problems and retired, he was soon followed in by second place runner Dalziel with a flat tire on his Porsche. Keeping the pressure on, O’Connell was able to drive his No. 3 Cadillac Racing CTS-V Coupe to a podium paying position of third. Pilgrim came to the checkered flag in fifth.
Pirelli World Challenge Championships Long Beach Grand Prix presented by Kia, April 21
O’Connell started fifth, finished eighth
Pilgrim started seventh finished second
At the start of the 50-minute race through the streets of Long Beach, Pilgrim and O’Connell both had very strong starts from their seventh and fifth-place starting positions. By Turn One, O’Connell was third and Pilgrim had moved to fifth. The Cadillac duo was taking advantage of every opportunity in the early laps. On lap two, O’Connell passed Sofronas in the Audi (the eventual winner) for second place. Two circuits later Pilgrim moved past the Corvette of Mike Skeen to take over fourth position. The first of two full course cautions flew on lap 15. The subsequent restart on lap 20 had the top four GT competitors nose-to-tail. Six laps later the lead Volvo (No. 9 of Alex Figge) had a brake issue and spun going into Turn One, giving O’Connell the lead. Soon after the Flowery Branch, Ga. resident radioed that he had lost water pressure. At the same moment, the second full-course flag flew. The team had O’Connell nursing the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe around under the yellow when eventually he came to a stop just five turns from the checkered flag robbing him of a win. After the race Team Cadillac pulled a three-inch piece of steel from the radiator of the No. 3 Cadillac that came from the Volvo.
Pirelli World Challenge Series Cadillac Sports Car Challenge GT win at the Circuit of the America’s (COTA), May 18-19
O’Connell started first, finished first; race two started first, finished seventeenth
Pilgrim started fourth, finished third; race two started fourth, finished second
O’Connell got a great start from his pole position. The strong start had O’Connell leading up the steep hill of COTA into Turn One. Just two corners into the race the caution flag flew, the first of two, bunching the field back up. The Georgian’s No. 3 Cadillac CTS-V handled the restarts and led the 50-minute race from start to finish.
Teammate Pilgrim had to work twice as hard to find his way onto the GT podium in third place. At the start, the No. 8 Cadillac CTS-V stalled on the grid. The stall negated his second row qualifying position as the other 18 cars in the field went by him as he restarted the Cadillac. With nothing but opportunity in front of him, Pilgrim began his drive back through the field. By the restart of the first yellow, he was tenth, by lap 10 he was sixth and by lap 20 he was fourth. He was then locked in a battle with the fast Volvo of Randy Pobst, eventually getting by in the esses with three laps remaining to take the last spot on the podium alongside teammate O’Connell.
Race Two
O’Connell started from the pole position for the second race based upon running the fastest lap of the first race, which he won. O’Connell got another strong start and raced into the lead. On the second lap, O’Connell pulled off the track in Turn 12 with a steering issue on the CTS-V Coupe.
Teammate Pilgrim also got a good start following his teammate into Turn One, making it a Cadillac one-two on the first lap. As the race progressed, Pilgrim managed to lead 13 laps while being hounded by the Audi competitors. He was passed on lap 14 by the eventual winning Audi R8 of James Sofronas. Two laps later he was passed by the No. 24 Audi of Duncan Ende. On lap 20 the only caution of the race flew. The restart on lap 24 was the opportunity Pilgrim needed to get second place back for his second podium finish of the weekend.
Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac V-Series Challenge GT race on Detroit’s Belle Isle June 1-2
O’Connell started first, finished first; race two started third, finished second
Pilgrim started fourth, finished third, race two started fourth, finished second
O’Connell came to the rolling start of the 50-minute race from the pole position. Getting a strong jump he managed to the lead entire 25-lap race fending off his pursuers through three restarts. For O’Connell, the victory was his second on the season and third for Cadillac on Belle Isle.
Teammate Pilgrim started from fourth position and made quick work of the third-place Audi, passing him in Turn Three following the first restart. The Cadillac duo will be looking for a repeat result in the second race of the weekend to go off at 12 p.m. tomorrow.
Race Two
O’Connell was hoping to carry the momentum forward from the previous day when he won the first race of the weekend in his No. 3 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. In qualifying this morning, O’Connell ran a time of 1:33.368 to start third, with teammate Pilgrim starting alongside in fourth with a time of 1:33.989. At the start of the race, O’Connell was able to get the power of the 6.2-liter Cadillac engine to the ground and exit Turn Two in second place. Then, between turns two and three the caution lights came on inside the cars and the front runners slowed. One turn later the race went green again. This gave front-runner and eventual winner Randy Pobst’s Volvo a gap to O’Connell in second and cost Pilgrim positions as well. The duo pressed forward. On lap nine the first of three caution flags flew with O’Connell in second and Pilgrim running in fourth. The race went green again on lap 14 and then immediately to yellow on the same lap. On lap 20 the race resumed. Pilgrim was able to get a run at the exit of Turn Two and had the Audi of James Sofronas lined up, for the second day in a row, to make the pass on the outside before Turn Three. Sofronas was not going to have the move repeated and took Pilgrim deep into the corner using the Cadillac to help stop the Audi. Andy turned in and was hit from behind parking his No. 8 Cadillac CTS-V in the middle of the corner. Before he could get going, he was hit once again rendering him immobile. The race ended under caution.
Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac Grand Prix of Lime Rock, July 5-6
Pilgrim starts second, finishes second; race two starts second, finishes second
The Cadillac duo started from the front row for the 50-minute race with O’Connell on pole. From the drop of the green with a rolling start the Georgia based driver sped off into the lead. On lap five, O’Connell was held up in traffic, giving way to the eventual winner Mike Skeen in his Corvette. Following the only caution flag of the race on lap 33, O’Connell was running second with Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) in third. Coming through the last turn of the final lap O’Connell was held up and teammate Pilgrim used his momentum to carrying him by into second at the checkered flag.
Race Two
Coming back from second and third-place finishes, Pilgrim second and O’Connell third, in the first race at Lime Rock, the duo improved one position each on today’s podium to make it a Team Cadillac win for O’Connell and second place for teammate Pilgrim.
Starting from the pole, based upon running the fastest lap in yesterday’s race, O’Connell was able to speed off into the lead. Teammate Pilgrim started third, directly behind the No. 3 Cadillac CTS-V of O’Connell, but the Volvo of Randy Post beat him to Turn One, putting the Cadillac drivers one and three for the first nine laps. On lap nine, Pilgrim was hounding Pobst and made the pass into Turn Three. The race witnessed one caution on lap 27, which bunched the field. On the restart, there was the lapped No.12 Nissan of Tim Bell between O’Connell and Pilgrim. Pilgrim made quick work of the Nissan, but his pursuers were caught behind the GTR as the Cadillac duo were able to get some breathing room thanks to lap traffic.
Pirelli World Challenge Toronto Grand Prix GT at Exhibition Place, July 14
O’Connell wins, Pilgrim second
When the lights on the starting lamp went off the Volvo of Alex Figge, starting second, got the jump on O’Connell into Turn One. Pilgrim filled in fourth position. As the race progressed O’Connell was hounding the Volvo for the top spot in GT. On lap 12, with reported water on the track in Turn Six, Figge spun and O’Connell assumed the lead. Nine laps later, the No. 14 Audi of James Sofronas had a moment going into Turn One, went wide, which allowed Pilgrim to take over the second position. For the remainder of the 50-minute race, the No. 3 and No. 8 Cadillac CTS-V cars went on to take the checkered flag. O’Connell logs his fourth win of the season.
Pirelli World Challenge Championship race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Aug. 3-4
Jordan Taylor start third, finishes seventh; race two starts eighth, finishes twelfth
The rolling start had the Pirelli World Challenge field funneling into Turn Three with O’Connell on the move from his third row qualifying position. By Turn Five, O’Connell moved his CTS-V into third position. The same aggression was shown by teammate Pilgrim who moved up two positions from his eighth-place start. Taylor (Apopka, Fla.) followed Pilgrim through in seventh. The next eight laps were uneventful until the GT field caught the back of the GTS Class and traffic began to play a role. On lap 11 O’Connell was able to squeeze by Randy Pobst’s Volvo to take over second. Pilgrim was able to get by the Corvette of Mike Skeen and take the fifth position with Taylor following on lap 16. Taylor would give back the position when he got balked in traffic a few circuits later. The race was won by Alex Figge in the Volvo.
Race Two
From the excitement of the standing start O’Connell was able to fall in line and run in fourth. Teammate Pilgrim had to avoid Taylor (Apopka, Fla.) who had wheel spin and the pair carried on in fifth and eighth. As the eventual winner Alex Figge in the Volvo, checked out, the Cadillac trio was embroiled in a battle with the third through eighth place runners for the first 14 laps. On Lap 14 Taylor reported a low voltage warning and coasted to a stop at the infield just off Turn Two. One half a lap later O’Connell was pushing to get third and hit the back of the Audi of James Sofronas, who checked-up behind a slower GTS car, forcing O’Connell to pit and retire. Pilgrim was able to make a late race pass on the Corvette of Mike Skeen to take fourth.
Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac Grand Prix of Sonoma, Aug. 25
O’Connell started first, finished eleventh
Pilgrim started second, finished first
Pilgrim was able to get a strong standing start from his front row grid position. He sped by teammate O’Connell who was stalled on the grid. Pilgrim was side-by-side with the Volvo of Randy Pobst into Turn Two, but was able to hold the lead. On lap seven the only caution of the race flew. The Florida based driver was able to control the restart to lead every lap of the race for his first victory of the season.
Pirelli World Challenge FOAMETIX Grand Prix of Houston, Oct. 6.
O’Connell started second, finished first
Pilgrim started third, finished third
The 90-degree temperatures with the high humidity of the practice days gave way to mid-60s and rain on race morning. Track action was delayed for more than an hour as rain blanketed the greater Houston area. The Pirelli World Challenge race started in the rain and would end in drying conditions.
The World Challenge officials scrubbed the traditional standing start and began the event under yellow in a single file with GT points leader James Sofronas, No. 14 Audi R8, on the pole. O’Connell was slotted in second when the race took the green flag. The early going had the drivers making in-car adjustments to maximize traction in the wet conditions on the 1.7-mile, 10-turn track that runs alongside Reliant Field, home to the Texans NFL team. In the early laps O’Connell fell back to fourth position. As the rain stopped and the track began to dry the temperature rose and so did the level of on track action. Rene Rast, No. 95 Audi R8, was brought in to help Sofronas secure the championship. Rast was lapping in the rain better than three seconds faster than the field. Early contact by Rast and Volvo driver Alex Figge had him chasing the field. Rast was able to catch O’Connell on lap 17 and get in front of the No. 3 Cadillac CTS-V, doing his job a “blocker” for points leader Sofronas. As the Volvo S60 with its four-wheel drive driven by Randy Pobst was passing Sofronas for the lead O’Connell was battling with the two Audi R8s. As the track began to dry O’Connell began to make his moves. O’Connell went by Rast on lap 21 for third place. On the next lap the Flowery Branch resident passed Sofronas for second. The points scenario dictated that O’Connell win as he set his sights on Pobst. On lap 26 going into Turn Two O’Connell took the Volvo deep under braking making the championship winning pass to take the win, his fifth on the year, and the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Driver’s Championship.
The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championship will kick-off at the Tampa St. Petersburg Grand Prix March 28-30, 2014.
Team Cadillac 2013 Pirelli World Challenge GT Results
Road Atlanta marks final race for Corvette C6.R and ALMS championship
DETROIT (Oct. 16, 2013) – This weekend’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta will see two of modern-day sports car racing’s most prominent names take the checkered flag. The Corvette C6.R competes for the final time in the hands of Corvette Racing for the final event of the American Le Mans Series. One of the most successful models ever fielded by Corvette Racing, the C6.R will make way for the all-new C7.R to debut in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona in the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
Two Compuware-sponsored Corvette C6.Rs are entered for this weekend’s 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans. GT championship leaders Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen team with Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Corvette while Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook pilot the No. 4 entry that opened the ALMS season with a victory at Sebring.
All said, the C6.R helped deliver six ALMS manufacturer and team championships along with five driving titles since 2001. Garcia and Magnussen can add to that tally this weekend by finishing at least seventh or better in class. Considering those facts, it is no surprise to see Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and its drivers throughout the ALMS’ history records.
There are 55 victories worldwide for the C6.R, which made its racing debut in 2005. Of those, 51 were in the ALMS and four came at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Breaking down the numbers further, the GT1 version of the C6.R scored 42 victories – including a record-setting 39 in the ALMS. At one point, the C6.R won 25 consecutive races in class between 2007 and 2009; it is the longest such streak in ALMS history, regardless of class.
Corvette Racing will end the American Le Mans Series as its most successful entrant. The team’s 82 victories are 27 more than any other competitor. Corvette Racing also has 54 1-2 team finishes in ALMS events and has been the fastest qualifier in 64 races – both series records.
Current Corvette drivers rank near the top of the ALMS’ lists of individual categories. Jan Magnussen enters Petit Le Mans as the co-leader in the ALMS starts with 115. Oliver Gavin isn’t far behind with 110 starts. The Brit leads in career fastest race laps with 29, and ranks third in both career victories (40) and career poles (20).
The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is a result of a merger between the ALMS and GRAND-AM. The series will feature 12 events throughout North America.
EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“This car has won Petit Le Mans several times. For sure it would be great to end the ALMS by winning again this year at Petit Le Mans with it and win the drivers’ championship. It’s a very special car and has won so many races around the world.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“I’ve been involved in the ALMS since the beginning. It’s been a championship that personally gave me a second career in racing. I pretty much thought that when I was done with Formula One and the way it ended that it would be it for me. Coming here and getting into this championship – first with Panoz and then in GT racing – has been a super privilege. It’s not just to race but also to fight for championships with the biggest manufacturer in the ALMS.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“It is going to be the last race for quite a few things – whether it’s the last race of the ALMS or the last for the C6.R. I’ve gone all the way through the life of the C6.R – both the GT1 version and the GT spec. It’s been so successful and been a great car to drive and be around. I take a huge amount of pleasure in driving it. I’m sure the team has taken a lot of pleasure in working on it and preparing it for the racetrack each weekend. It has been up against the best car manufacturers in the world and oftentimes putting us on the top step.
“If journalists are looking to write a story on the ALMS, the GT car that been there through all its years is America’s sports car – the Corvette. It will be viewed as one of the dominants cars of the ALMS. Corvette has been there for every single Petit Le Mans. If you say ‘ALMS GT car’, I think the automatic reference is a Corvette. The noise and the velocity yellow scheme are the hallmarks of the ALMS. Other cars have come and gone. Chevrolet and Corvette Racing have always been here. The key has been a group of people who have stuck together and functioned properly as a team. Weekend after weekend, we are able to get that high level of performance from the mechanics, engineers, other crew and drivers. It’s been an amazing run. I have to pinch myself sometimes to realize I’ve been part of it. Sometimes in the sport, you have to look back after a couple of years and realize what you’ve been involved in. You look at the last couple of years here with great competition against different brands of cars and different teams. I’m sure we will look over the last couple years of the ALMS GT class and say there was some mighty and fantastic racing at every single round.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“The C6.R has featured pretty prominently throughout the ALMS. It was incredibly successful in the GT1 spec. And I think in GT that we have proven pretty well that the chassis and package – no matter where it was raced – was competitive, fast and won championships and everything there is to win in production-based racing. It’s a testament to the car and to the team’s drive, determination and competitiveness to make it a dominant force.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“By any measure, the Corvette C6.R has rightfully earned a place among the greatest sports cars of the modern area. Its on-track successes have proven it to be a more-than-worthy successor to the C5-R. Teamed together, these two proud representations of the Corvette production car have made Corvette Racing the most successful team in ALMS history. In addition, with seven Le Mans victories to its credit, Chevrolet and the Corvette brand are now highly respected around the world. All this was achieved through the hard work and dedication of al the guys on the team and the unwavering support of Chevrolet’s management, marketing and engineering personnel. I could not be more proud of all of them.”
(Saluting the ALMS) “It was the extraordinary passion and vision of Don Panoz that led to his creating the American Le Mans Series. In doing so, he literally set the stage for Corvette’s return to international sports car glory. His ability to bring together the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans in combination with the ALMS created what is now considered to be the most competitive sports car racing in the world. Chevrolet and Corvette will be forever grateful for his efforts – Thank you, Don!”
O’Connell wins race, Pilgrim third, Cadillac wins manufacturer title
HOUSTON, Texas, (Oct.6, 2013) -Team Cadillac driver Johnny O’Connell defended his Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver’s Championship by winning today’s FOAMETIX Grand Prix of Houston. Teammate Andy Pilgrim finished the race in third, closed the season third in the driver points and Cadillac won the manufacturer title, second in two years, as well.
The 90-degree temperatures with the high humidity of the practice days gave way to mid-60s and rain on race morning. Track action was delayed for more than an hour as rain blanketed the greater Houston area. The Pirelli World Challenge race started in the rain and would end in drying conditions.
The World Challenge officials scrubbed the traditional standing start and began the event under yellow in a single file with GT points leader James Sofronas, No. 14 Audi R8, on the pole. O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) was slotted in second when the race took the green flag. The early going had the drivers adjusting to the wet conditions on the 1.7-mile, 10-turn track that runs alongside Reliant Field, home to the Texans NFL team. In the early laps O’Connell fell back to fourth position. As the rain stopped and the track began to dry the temperature rose and so did the level of on track action. Rene Rast, No. 95 Audi R8, was brought in to help Sofronas secure the championship. Rast was lapping in the rain better than three seconds faster than the field. Early contact by Rast and Volvo driver Alex Figge had him chasing the field. Rast was able to catch O’Connell on lap 17 and get in front of the No. 3 Cadillac CTS-V, doing his job as a “blocker” for points leader Sofronas. As the Volvo S60 with its four-wheel drive driven by Randy Pobst was passing Sofronas for the lead O’Connell was battling with the two Audi R8s. As the track began to dry O’Connell began to make his moves. O’Connell went by Rast on lap 21 for third place. On the next lap the Flowery Branch resident passed Sofronas for second. The points scenario dictated that O’Connell win as he set his sights on Pobst. On lap 26 going into Turn Two O’Connell took the Volvo deep under braking making the championship winning pass to take the win, his fifth on the year, and the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Driver’s Championship.
“When it started raining at 8:30 this morning I thought that the Volvo guys did a better job of praying than we did,” O’Connell said. “The rain just added another challenge to the day. Team Cadillac had done a lot of work on wet set-up during the off season and that paid off today. In the opening laps when it was raining it took everything I could not to wreck. Sofronas really had a good car in the rain. Once I got my traction-control system set, I started to go. At that time Rast caught back up. He made a semi late move and got by me going into Turn Six. Then he started to play games by slowing down at the apex, trying to give his teammate a little bit of a gap. I couldn’t tolerate that and give up a win. I knew what game he was playing. I started racing him aggressively and got by him and James. As the track dried out I was able to catch Randy. With seven minutes to go I got a good run off of the last corner and made a move on him going into the chicane and got it done for the win.”
O’Connell wins his second GT Driver’s Championship in as many years and his sixth as a General Motors driver, previously with Corvette.
“The championship, both drivers and manufacturers, means a lot to the team and everyone at Cadillac,” he continued. “They give Andy and I amazing race cars and support. As a driver you spend all winter working out and training with the big picture of the possibility of winning a championship in October. This one came down to the last race and the last few laps, which is the way you want it to in racing. When you have a great car like the Cadillac CTS-V and a great team behind you it makes it things a lot easier. Everyone at Cadillac puts a lot of work into this effort and we were able to reward them today.”
Teammate Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) had a very busy race as well.
“The rain makes things very intense,” Pilgrim said. “You don’t know what level of grip there is, where the puddles are and everything that goes with racing in the rain. The guys who knew the track and had raced here before were now on a more level playing field with the rest of us. We didn’t know how good or bad the cars would be. The Cadillac wasn’t great when it was very wet. Once the rain stopped and it was drying I was able to drift the car a little bit and go faster. The guys told me I had to get by both of the Audi R8s or Johnny would not be the champion. Rast short braked me and was blocking me. I managed to get by him. He was right on me and I knew what his job was – basically the same as mine. I got inside James and we touched and they brought me in for a drive through penalty. I hated that James got a flat. Congratulations to Johnny on the championship and to Cadillac on the manufacturer title as well.”
Pilgrim closed the season with a win at Sonoma Raceway and finished third in the driver’s standings.
Jim Campbell, General Motors vice president performance vehicles and motorsports, is proud of Team Cadillac.
“What a race,” Campbell said. “Congratulations to Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim on a great season and helping Cadillac secure its second manufacturer’s championship. Johnny showed today what it’s like to drive like a champion. The entire organization had excellent preparation all season. They came into Houston with a plan, executed the plan and won the race and the championship. It is a great team win.”
“That was a fierce battle,” David Caldwell, Team Cadillac technical program manager, said. “This race demonstrated some of the best racing that can be found in any series and at any level! I’m so proud of our drivers – they raced with precision and executed every lap without error. Johnny was able to take the lead for the final laps and clinch the driver’s championship with Andy close behind finishing third. I want to thank every member of the Team Cadillac for putting in the extra effort all year long to deliver both the Manufacturer and Driver’s championship titles for Cadillac.”
2013 Pirelli World Challenge Drivers’ Points Standings:
1. Johnny O’Connell, Team Cadillac, Cadillac CTS-V, 1481
2. James Sofronas, GMG Motorsports Audi R8 LMS, 1444
3. Andy Pilgrim, Team Cadillac, Cadillac CTS-V, 1379
4. Randy Pobst, K-Pax Volvo S60, 1321
5. Alex Figge, K-Pax Volvo S60, 1177
2013 Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer Championship Points:
1. Cadillac 109
2. Audi 82
3. Volvo 80
4. Chevrolet 30
The Pirelli World Challenge Championship season finale FOAMETIX Grand Prix of Houston will be televised on NBC Sports, Sunday, October 20 at 4 p.m. ET.
The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championship will kick-off at the Tampa St. Petersburg Grand Prix March 28-30, 2014.
Team Cadillac 2013 Pirelli World Challenge GT Results
Garcia/Magnussen 3rd, Gavin/Milner 6th on title-winning day
ALTON, Va. (Oct. 5, 2013) – For the 10th time in the 15 years of the American Le Mans Series, Corvette Racing can lay claim to an ALMS team championship. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen finished third in the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway in their No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R to clinch both the ALMS manufacturer and team titles with one round of the series to go.
The result moved Garcia and Magnussen ahead in the drivers’ standings by 18 points with 24 available at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans in two weeks.
Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette placed sixth on an up-and-down day that saw the cars begin the race eighth and ninth on the GT grid. Once again, clever strategy and engineering plus quick pitwork allowed the two yellow Corvettes to march toward the front early.
Garcia made a steady and sometimes aggressive charge to the race lead by the end of his stint. The Spaniard displayed many of the same skills in traffic that delivered a Corvette Racing victory in the previous ALMS round at Circuit of The Americas. He handed the C6.R over to Magnussen with a little more than an hour left, and the Dane drove a measured stint the rest of the way.
Meanwhile in the No. 4 car, Gavin had a rough-and-tumble two hours that saw him work his way into the top-five at one point before multiple incidents of contact and a one-minute penalty after colliding with a GT Challenge Porsche just after the one-hour mark. Gavin handed off to Milner with 60 minutes left, and the Virginia native moved up quickly through the field to fourth late in the race. As the final 10 minutes of the race clicked away, Miler and the No. 56 BMW became involved in a dicey fight. The pair battled to the checkered flag which saw the No. 4 car settling for the sixth finishing position.
The 2013 American Le Mans Series closes with Petit Le Mans on Saturday, Oct. 19 from Road Atlanta. The 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance race will air live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.
EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“After yesterday, we knew would be a hard race. We knew that if we didn’t have ultimate pace, we would focus on at least having a good car for the race. We worked on not having a lot of tire degradation, and that’s what saved us on race pace. We definitely needed to move up quickly, and Olly (Gavin) and I did at the start. Even when we fell back early after the first stop, I was able to muscle back toward the front. Our Corvette was very good, and our pace was really good. That’s what allowed us to catch and pass people, sometimes very aggressively. We needed to keep moving forward. Overall, we had a nice car and good stops.
“Even if we couldn’t win, we ended up with really good points. The most important thing is that we wrapped up the manufacturer championship for Chevrolet and the team title for Pratt Miller. That is a great goal and I am very happy we were able to win these championships for them.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“Antonio did a fantastic job in his first two stints. When I got in the car, I really felt like there was a lot on the line. I couldn’t risk anything – there could be no penalties or anything. We had to lock up the manufacturer championship, and we could do that by finishing ahead of the BMWs. That was the number one goal. I was far from as aggressive as I normally would have been. It was difficult because you definitely lose a little bit of your edge. I had to defend a couple times on the BMW; he was fast in some places and I was faster. Every time I got a gap over him, something would happen and he would catch right back up. It was tough, but I’m happy for Chevrolet. I’m happy for Corvette Racing. It’s great to get both these championships today.”
“Now we go to Petit Le Mans with a good margin (in the drivers’ championship). We can relax a little bit, and the pressure is on the 56 car to win or finish second. If we score even just a few points, I think we will have it.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“Today was quite a tough day. Every way I seemed to turn, there was contact or people hitting me. The track is so narrow and slick at times with the different amounts of dust and rubber on it; it makes for a very tricky surface to race on. The first stop was a great job by the guys to get us from almost last to almost first. But after that, something silly would always happen. Our car wasn’t great toward the second stop; we were on the harder tire, and the car was nervous, skating around and wasn’t hooked up. The thought was to get through my stint, hand over to Tommy, we’ll make some changes and we’d move on from there. But I got blocked by a slower GTC car and caught another slow car at the end of the backstraight. He blocked me all the way down to the last corner before pit entry. He stopped on both apexes and we had contact. We ended up both spinning, I fell back and then had to serve the penalty. It was super-frustrating. Fortunately we got a caution and got Tommy in the car. He did a great job all the way to the end under difficult conditions. For sure, the BMW was blocking him but the officials didn’t want to look at it that way.
“It’s been a rough day and weekend for the No. 4 car. But it’s a great day to come away with a great result in winning the manufacturer and team championships. The manufacturer title is the main goal for the whole year. Everyone is and should be happy about that. All in all and in the bigger picture, it’s been a great day considering how we started. The crews were fantastic in the pitlane and delivered.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“Oliver had a really tough two hours. But after all that trouble in Oliver’s stint, I got in and came out right on the tail end of the lead lap with a car that was still pretty quick. I was chomping at the bit to go chase after some guys. I had fun for awhile there – passing some of the other GT competitors and getting into the race. I was quick initially and then settled in with five other cars and we ran together for awhile. At the end, Dirk (Muller) flat-out blocked me and it should have been a penalty. In the end, we are ALMS GT manufacturer and team champions, so that’s not a bad way to end the day.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“I spend a lot of time not only in Europe but among the people that run and organize (Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship), and to a man they look at the ALMS as the most competitive GT racing in the world. I think you would have a difficult time arguing that if you look at every race this year – including all day here at VIR. We were eighth and ninth on the grid, and they were many out there who would have written us off. We have been in that position before. The beauty of continuity and keeping a team together over the years is that you develop an inner strength that galvanizes the team to an extent that makes you literally unbeatable. This is a team that does not give up despite all the odds. We took a car that qualified eighth and ninth, but ran up front with both of them. That is a testament to the team Gary (Pratt, team manager), the drivers and the crew.”
GARY PRATT, CORVETTE RACING TEAM MANAGER
“This means everything to us. Our number one goal when we start at Sebring is the manufacturers’ championship. Once we get that, we go on to the drivers and team championships. When you execute like the guys did today and have a good strategy –even though we aren’t the fastest car, somehow we get it done with great pit stops. We have what we think are the best drivers in the paddock; they execute and do a great job every single race. Chevrolet expects a lot out of us, and we just try to deliver. There is a lot of good engineering and a great group of mechanics and crew chiefs that execute in the shop, in the paddock and in the pits. Sometimes it looks easy but it’s really not.
“I also want to thank Chevrolet. We started in 1999 doing just the endurance races. They were patient, let us build the team and get experience. We didn’t have a lot of engineering on staff but we were able to go out and get Doug Louth and Lynn Bishop as our head engineers. That mix of good engineering, great mechanics and good drivers has really paid off. Corvette is a great product to start with. And the patience from Chevrolet with us to build the team and allow us to continue to do this after this many years really puts us in a big advantage.”
Corvette Racing delivers another Bowtie title with VIR victory
ALTON, Va. (Oct. 5, 2013) – Chevrolet added to its record-setting tally in the American Le Mans Series on Saturday by wrapping up its 10th manufacturer championship. A third-place class finish by the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway was enough to clinch the GT manufacturer title with one round of the ALMS remaining.
This is the second consecutive GT championship for Chevrolet to go along with eight straight GT1 titles from 2001-08.
“It’s exciting for Chevrolet to clinch the ALMS GT manufacturers’ championship for the second year in a row,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This championship is the result of tremendous preparation, persistence, teamwork and great driving all season long. Thanks to the Corvette C6.R drivers, Chevrolet powertrain engineers, and our partners at Pratt and Miller for their efforts and results.”
Saturday’s result also clinched the ALMS GT team championship for Corvette Racing – its 10th in the ALMS and most in the series’ history. In addition to VIR, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing were victorious at Sebring, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Baltimore and Circuit of The Americas.
“The ALMS GT class was as deep and competitive as ever in 2013,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “Winning this manufacturer championship required the highest level of teamwork from our group, Pratt Miller, and GM Racing Powertrain. We look forward to closing the ALMS season at Road Atlanta in two weeks and beginning the 2014 Tudor United Sports Car Championship in Daytona Beach with the Corvette C7.R.”
ESPN2’s coverage of the Oak Tree Grand Prix airs at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
HOUSTON, Texas, (Oct.4, 2013) -Team Cadillac driver Johnny O’Connell will start from the front row in second position for Sunday’s Pirelli World Challenge Championship season finale FOAMETIX Grand Prix of Houston. Teammate Andy Pilgrim will start third.
An early delay in on track action this morning limited run time for the Pirelli World Challenge competitors. In the 15-minute first practice session, O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) was the fastest around the 1.7-mile, 10-turn track that runs alongside Reliant Field, home to the Texans NFL team. He was able to post a time of 1:11.845.Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) was fourth with a time of 1:13.673. A near four hour delay followed the World Challenge practice which resulted in a new chicane being placed at end of the front straight to slow cars down over a severe bump in the track. This delay eliminated the World Challenge qualifying session. The grid for Sunday’s race will be set by driver points, with Audi driver James Sofronas on pole. O’Connell is 21 points behind Sofronas and is in a must win situation to retain his driver’s title.
“We had 15 minutes of track time this morning,” O’Connell said. “This track presents a difficult challenge, with the bumps and the limited track time. I am fortunate that I have run here before. The biggest challenge is to get a car dialed into run the race with so little track time. It would have been nice to have qualifying. I love to qualify. We made some changes to the car for the last practice that I wasn’t too happy with tonight. I liked the car better in the morning. We are in a good position. I have to push hard and go for the win. I feel comfortable on the circuit. Once we get the car working I will be in good shape.”
Audi has brought in factory driver Rene Rast to drive the No. 95 GMG Audi R8 LMS in the finale. Rast had the fast time in tonight’s final practice session.
“Rast can affect the race a lot,” O’Connell continued. “He is starting at the back of the GT grid, so he will have to work hard to get up to us. Getting there and getting by is two different things. I have to run my own race. I have to get a good start and get the lead and let things take care of themselves.”
Pilgrim is disappointed with the amount of track time, but knows that these things can happen on a street course.
“It is not the first time we haven’t qualified on a street course,” Pilgrim said. “The organizers have a lot to do to get these tracks race ready. We have to be flexible, but it is frustrating. Johnny and I wanted to have a run at the pole. It would have been an important seven points to win the pole this weekend. As it is there is nothing we can do. It is an advantage for the guys who have been here before. With little track time, it is a big benefit if you’ve raced here in the past.”
“It is going to be a traffic race,” he continued. “It is going to take a lot of patience and making the moves when they present themselves. You can’t be stupid and make a mistake, like clipping a wall. You can’t afford to sit back you have to go. I think we are going to see the GTS slower cars by about lap five.”
The Pirelli World Challenge Championship season finale FOAMETIX Grand Prix of Houston will take the standing start Sunday morning at 10:45 a.m. CT. The race will be televised on NBC Sports, Sunday, October 20 at 4 p.m. ET.
Team Cadillac 2013 Pirelli World Challenge GT Results
