Magnussen and Garcia Denied Podium Finish on Final Lap, Gavin and Milner Suffer Setback on Final Pit Stop

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Aug. 18, 2012 – The Road America Road Race Showcase was going Corvette Racing’s way for the first three hours, but the final 60 minutes saw a reversal of fortune for the Chevrolet team. After running at the front from the start of the four-hour race, the Corvettes were shuffled down the finishing order in the closing minutes.

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner finished fourth in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R after their pit stop strategy was undone by an ill-timed yellow flag. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia were sixth in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R after Magnussen was hit from behind in the final corner while running third. The victory went to the No. 55 BMW driven by Bill Auberlen and Joerg Mueller by 2.631 seconds over the No. 45 Porsche of Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long.

“We saw one of the most interesting final hours of racing in this team’s history,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “We had what we thought was a very successful pit strategy planned, but coming out of the last yellow, the BMWs were first and second and the No. 3 Corvette was third. The BMWs went from being out of contention to running at the front with yellow flags and pit stops. It was unfortunate for us and fortunate for them. We’ve won races that way, and this was one that we didn’t win.”

Magnussen was running fourth when racing resumed with 20 minutes on the clock after the race’s fourth full-course caution period. He passed the No. 01 Ferrari of Johannes van Overbeek in Canada Corner on the restart, and set out in pursuit of the race-leading BMWs. He made his move in Turn 1, but Joerg Bergmeister slipped through in a cloud of tire smoke to take second. Just as the checkered flag flew, contact with the No. 01 Ferrari in the final corner spun Magnussen off the track.

“I passed the No. 56 BMW in Turn 1 with a move similar to Laguna Seca where I towed up behind a prototype,” Magnussen said. “He went to the inside and I followed. Suddenly the prototype stopped, I flat-spotted my tires and lost a lot of speed. Joerg got by, so I was still in third and I was going to try to salvage a podium finish, which would have been good for Chevrolet in the manufacturer championship. Then in the last corner, Van Overbeek drove into the back of my car. I’m very disappointed, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Magnussen’s incident with the No. 01 Ferrari is under review by race officials.

Gavin drove the first stint in the No. 4 Corvette, Milner the second, and then Gavin double-stinted to the finish. The Englishman moved to second at 2:21 into the race, and held that position for nearly an hour until the third pit stop under caution. Gavin lost positions due to a balky door latch, but there was a bigger problem: The BMWs and Ferrari had pitted just before the yellow, gaining track position. Gavin was seventh after the pit stop cycle, and had to battle his way forward.

“During the last stop we had a problem with the door and lost positions,” Gavin said. “All of a sudden we were caught in a mess with traffic and issues everywhere. To top it off, the No.56 BMW was forced wide in Turn 5, I tried to get a run on him, and we banged doors coming through Turns 6 and 7. Going down the hill into Turn 8, he was defending and it seemed to me that he braked early. I caught his right-rear corner and turned him around. I certainly didn’t intend that to happen.”

Gavin started the No. 4 Corvette third on the GT grid and Garcia started fifth in the No. 3 Corvette. Gavin held his position through the opening laps, then passed the pole-winning No. 44 Porsche on the fourth lap to take second behind the No. 45 Porsche of Joerg Bergmeister. Garcia was boxed in at the start and slipped to seventh, but moved up a spot on the seventh lap.

“At the start, we were bottled up behind some LMPC cars, and I managed to hold my position in the mad scramble,” Gavin said. “Antonio was alongside me, and tried very hard to avoid hitting us, which cost him some positions. I was a bit quicker than Holzer, and I got past him in Turn 5. I thought perhaps I could challenge Joerg, but as the stint went on, I ceded the position back to Holzer because there was no sense in taking risks that early in four-hour race.”

Garcia was one of the first to pit at 43 minutes into the race, and when the first full-course caution began shortly afterward, he moved up to second in the order as the leaders pitted. When racing resumed, Garcia grabbed the lead on the restart. Gavin pitted under the yellow flag and handed off to Milner, who emerged in fifth after the pit stop sequence.

“On the start, I took the wrong line again, like Mid-Ohio, and lost several positions,” Garcia said. “It’s difficult for a driver to give up a position, but I avoided contact with the No. 4 car, which was important. I started to put pressure on the No. 01 Ferrari and No. 17 Porsche, but after 10 or 15 laps the tires started to lose grip and we pitted early. The BMW followed us in, and I was anxious at the start of the second stint about the setup. The car was really good on the new tires and I passed for the lead after the caution. Then there was a point when there was oil in the Kink, so I decided to be cautious and let the BMW pass. The car stayed very consistent and we could run to our strategy.”

Milner drove the second stint in the No. 4 Corvette, then handed it back to Gavin. “Today the car wasn’t very comfortable for me,” he reported. “We made some changes along the way and I think the last change was better for the car. Oliver was more comfortable so we decided that it was best for the championship to keep Olly in the car as long as possible. I did my time in the car and then turned it over to him. It got a little hairy at the end. It wasn’t our best race, so now we just have to move on.”

With 58 minutes to go, the third full-course caution tightened the field. Both Corvettes pitted under yellow, with Magnussen and Gavin staying in. The two BMWs and the No. 01 Ferrari pitted just before the yellow, gaining track position. When racing resumed, the No. 3 Corvette was fifth and the No. 4 Corvette seventh. Minutes later, the fourth caution set up the shootout for the checkered flag.

Gavin and Milner now lead the GT driver championship by 17 points in the unofficial standings over teammates Magnussen and Milner (105-88). BMW drivers Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller are third with 81 points, and Sharp/van Overbeek fourth with 80. Chevrolet leads the GT manufacturer championship by 10 points over BMW (126-116) with three races remaining, followed by Porsche (103) and Ferrari (100).

For the fourth time in 2012, the No. 3 Corvette C6.R won the Michelin Green X Challenge in the GT class with the best score for clean, fast, and efficient performance.

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Baltimore Sports Car Challenge presented by SRT on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Road America Road Race Showcase GT Provisional Results (Top 10)

Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps

• 1. 55 J. Mueller/Auberlen, BMW E92 M3, 97
• 2. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 97
• 3. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 458 Italia, 97
• 4. 4 Gavin/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 97
• 5. 48 Miller/Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 97
• 6. 3 Magnussen/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 97
• 7. 23 Sweedler/Bell, Lotus Evora, 97
• 8. 44 Neiman/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 96
• 9. 91 Wittmer/Farnbacher, SRT Viper GTSR, 96
• 10. 56 D. Mueller/Summerton, BMW E92 M3, 95

Classic Wisconsin Circuit Is Corvette’s Proving Ground and Ancestral Home

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Aug. 13, 2012 – The long and winding road to the American Le Mans Series championship runs through Road America, a track that is revered and respected by generations of sports car racers. The classic 4-mile circuit in the rolling Wisconsin countryside will host the Road America Road Race Showcase, the seventh round of the 2012 ALMS on Saturday, followed by the Corvette World Tribute on Sunday.

Like the famed French circuit that is the series’ namesake, Road America’s soaring straights and high-speed curves are a test of both horsepower and fortitude. The track has long been a proving ground for America’s iconic sports car, from the early days of solid-axle Corvettes, Sting Rays, and Grand Sports to today’s advanced Corvette C6.Rs.

“Road America is a fantastic circuit, a great track for teams, drivers, and race cars,” said Oliver Gavin, who shares the GT championship points lead with teammate Tommy Milner. “It’s got all the ingredients to make a great race. It’s the highest speed track we run on apart from Le Mans, and it’s the one track where we can test for the 24-hour race.”

“I like race tracks that are fast, with quick corners and a layout that has a rhythm – and Road America has all of those things,” said Milner, Gavin’s co-driver in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. “When the setup is right and the car feels comfortable, it’s a very rewarding lap. With the long straightaways and heavy braking zones, you can make passes happen.

“We tested at Road America early in the year when we were preparing for Le Mans,” Milner revealed, “and the new wide-body C6.R was very good there. I got a feel for how far the car has progressed since last season.”

Gavin and Milner are riding a wave of momentum after scoring their third win of the season and regaining the points lead in the preceding round at Mid-Ohio. With four races still to run, both are mindful of the championship scenarios.

“Every race is important, and there are bonus points on the table at Road America because it’s a four-hour race,” Milner explained. “It would be great to have a cushion going into Baltimore because anything can happen at street races.”

Gavin agreed: “I think that a four-hour race at Road America suits Corvette Racing’s strengths,” he said. “We seem to have a good approach to these longer races. With the opportunity to clock up some more points, it’s vital to keep that scoreboard ticking over.”

Jan Magnusssen and Antonio Garcia are aiming to rebound after contact in the closing minutes at Mid-Ohio knocked them out of the lead in the GT championship race. They will go into Road America third in the standings, 13 points behind their teammates.

“Road America is a very challenging track with mega-fast bits and some good technical corners,” Magnussen said. “Of course there is the Carousel and the Kink that everyone talks about. It’s a fantastic feeling going through there when the car works – and when it doesn’t work, it’s not so fantastic!

“Racing for four hours at Road America adds both strategy and points,” he continued. “The track lends itself to really good racing because of the long straights; it’s possible to tow up behind people and then outbrake them going into Turn 1 and Turn 5. We’re going there with a clear goal – to win the race.”

The action at Road America will continue on Sunday, August 19, with the Corvette World Tribute, a gathering of vintage and contemporary examples of America’s favorite sports car that celebrates the marque’s 60th year in production. The Corvette World Tribute offers a full slate of activities for participants, enthusiasts, and spectators to experience the Corvette lifestyle. Autocross and slalom courses, a concours featuring People’s Choice awards, a road rally, and track sessions for touring and race-prepared Corvettes will provide nonstop activity.

The Corvette Racing Display also will on hand at Road America on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and fans can receive a Corvette Racing T-shirt for registering at the display. On Friday and Saturday, the Team Chevy Test Drive will be in operation in the karting area near Turns 7 and 8. This ride-and-drive gives customers the opportunity to drive a variety of Chevy vehicles, including Corvette, Camaro, Volt, Cruze, and Sonic. Participants in the Test Driver will receive a 60th Anniversary Corvette T-shirt.

The four-hour Road America Road Race Showcase, the seventh round of the 2012 American Le Mans Series, will start at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, August 18. The race can be viewed live on ESPN3.com starting at 3:15 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will televise the race at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 19.

Gavin and Milner Score Third Win of Season, Take GT Championship Lead

LEXINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 4, 2012 – In Olympic terms, Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner won the gold today in the GT class at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series. Instead of medals, Gavin and Milner were awarded silver trophies and the maximum championship points as they notched their third win of the season in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R.

The pair reclaimed the lead in the driver standings with a .283-second victory over the No. 45 Porsche of Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, and extended Chevrolet’s lead in the GT manufacturer championship. The win was the eighth for Corvette Racing at Mid-Ohio, but the first in the GT class after a string of three consecutive runner-up finishes that began in 2009.

The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia was running third with 20 minutes remaining when contact with a GTC Porsche punctured the left-front tire and damaged the suspension. The Corvette crew repaired the car and returned Magnussen to battle, but the 12 minutes lost in the pits dropped the No. 3 Corvette to 13th at the finish.

Gavin made the decisive pass for the victory immediately after the final round of pit stops with one hour remaining in the two-hour, 45-minute race. Gavin caught Magnussen on his out-lap and then passed race leader Bergmeister with a daring outside move to notch his third ALMS win at Mid-Ohio and the 37th of his career.

“I had one lap on my new tires, and I caught Jan going into Turn 2,” Gavin said. “My crew chief radioed that Joerg was on cold tires and told me to go for it! Last year I passed him around the outside into Turn 4, and I did the same again. I thought I could pull it off, and I’m so pleased that I did.”

Bergmeister responded by putting intense pressure on the Corvette as the pair raced nose-to-tail in the closing laps.

“At the end of the race, there wasn’t much between us and I got caught up in some traffic,” Gavin reported. “It was tough, and those last few laps were really hard. I’m thrilled with the result and what it means for the championship. This is exactly what we needed after a couple of difficult races.”

Milner started sixth on the GT grid, but rocketed to third on the first lap. He held that position until the first pit stop at the 30-minute mark as the team got both Corvettes in just seconds before a full-course yellow closed the pits. That strategy vaulted the Corvettes to second and third when racing resumed.

“I had a great start,” said Milner, who scored his third career ALMS victory today. “I’d like to say that I planned it, but it was more about being in the right spot at the right time. I gained three spots and then the Corvette crew did a great job with the first pit stop. That was a brilliant call that put me ahead of the BMW. I ran down the No. 45 Porsche, but just couldn’t get close enough to pull off a pass. I tried on the restart on Turn 2 and got alongside him, but couldn’t make it stick.

“The pit stop and Oliver’s out-lap made the difference,” Milner explained. “The stop was flawless and that got us ahead of the No. 3 Corvette, and then the No. 45 Porsche. It was a perfect day from the crew – the right calls and flawless execution.”

Crew chief Brian Hoye agreed: “Pit stops did make a difference,” he said. “We’ve been practicing over and over, week after week. We knew it was going to come down to a pit stop in one of these races, and the hard work paid off today.”

Garcia started fifth but was bottled up at the start as the field raced two-wide around the narrow 2.25-mile, 13-turn circuit. He was seventh after the first lap, but worked his way back to fifth two laps later. Garcia also benefited from quick pit work on his first stop, emerging in third after the pit stop cycle.

“We were packed up at the start, two and three wide, and at that point you are stuck in one line,” Garcia said. “An LMP spun in front of us and I lost positions. I made up as many spots as I could, but the Ferrari was very fast and aggressive. A great pit call by the Corvette team gave us the opportunity to run up front again and make a charge on the Porsche. I had a very quick car, and every time they opened a gap in traffic, I could make up time. We got caught in some traffic on my in-lap for the second stop; it was a good call by the No. 4 car to get a clean run into the pits a lap earlier.”

Magnussen was in hot pursuit of the Porsche for second place when he was caught out by a GTC driver in Turn 6. “He opened the door and then slammed it shut,” Magnussen said. “I came up to the GTC car and he opened the door for Joerg to go through. I was a car length behind and was going through on the same gap, and just as I made the move, he shut the door. I was committed and I hit him. We’re racing for positions and running for a championship. We all have to race, and I feel bad for all the guys. I had a great car and great pit stops.”

Today’s victory gave Gavin and Milner a 12-point lead in the unofficial standings over BMW drivers Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller (93-81). Magnussen and Garcia are one point back (80). Chevrolet increased its lead in the GT manufacturer championship to 20 over BMW (114-94) with four races remaining.

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Road America Road Race Showcase at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on Saturday, August 18.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge GT Results (Top 10)

Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps

• 1. 4 Gavin/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 115
• 2. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 115
• 3. 55 J. Mueller/Auberlen, BMW E92 M3, 114
• 4. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 114
• 5. 56 D. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 114
• 6. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 458 Italia, 113
• 7. 44 Neiman/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 113
• 8. 02 Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari F458 Italia, 112
• 9. 48 Miller/Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 112
• 10. 91 Wittmer/Farnbacher, SRT Viper GTSR, 111

Garcia and Milner Qualify within Half-Second of Pole in Hotly Contested GT Class

LEXINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 3, 2012 – The heat was on at Mid-Ohio today during GT qualifying for Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series. As the ambient temperature topped 94 degrees and the track temperature climbed to 110 degrees, Antonio Garcia qualified the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R fifth in the hotly contested class at 1:19.536 (102.213 mph). Tommy Milner was right behind his teammate, qualifying the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R sixth at 1:19.727 (101.958 mph).

Garcia was .238 seconds off GT pacesetter Joerg Mueller’s 1:19.298 (102.510 mph) lap in the No. 55 BMW, and Milner was .429 seconds back. The eight fastest qualifiers ran quicker than last year’s pole-winning time on the 2.25-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“I had a really good balance in qualifying, and if I’d put together a perfect lap my time would have improved,” Garcia said. “There are four guys ahead of me who put it together better than I did.

“There was a lot of pressure in qualifying, and everyone was pushing very hard,” he explained. “Because of all the different series running on the track, we seemed to struggle a little to make our tires work . That is something we will need to take into account tomorrow because the track will certainly change, and I hope it will develop in our favor. We know how our qualifying performance is; now we need to know how our race performance is.”

Garcia turned his quickest time on his fifth flying lap, and Milner posted his best lap on his sixth circuit.

“I’m not disappointed with sixth, but I’m not super stoked,” Milner said. “We made some big changes in the car in the last practice session, working on the race setup. Then at the end we tried to help the car for qualifying.

“Every session we’re out there we learn a lot about this race track,” he noted. “It’s definitely a challenge when we have different series running and different rubber going down. This track especially can change from morning to afternoon and from day to day. When we go out for warm-up tomorrow morning, there will be a lot of IndyCar rubber on the track and we’ll see how the car feels.”

The two-hour, 45-minute Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge will start at will start at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 4, and will be broadcast on ABC at 2 p.m. ET.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge GT Qualifying (Top 10)

Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time

• 1. 55 Mueller/Auberlen, BMW E92 M3, 1:19.298
• 2. 02 Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari F458 Italia, 1:19.329
• 3. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:19.445
• 4. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 458 Italia, 1:19.471
• 5. 3 Magnussen/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 1:19.536
• 6. 4 Gavin/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 1:19.727
• 7. 56 Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:19.754
• 8. 48 Miller/Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:20.209
• 9. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:21.222
• 10. Goossens/Kendall, SRT Viper GTSR, 1:22.158

A Look Back and a Look Ahead at the Midpoint of 2012 ALMS Season

LEXINGTON, Ohio, July 31, 2012 – With five races completed and five to go, Corvette Racing will be halfway home at its home track. Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course signals the start of the second half of the 2012 American Le Mans Series. At the season’s midpoint, Corvette Racing and Chevrolet stand atop the driver, team, and manufacturer championship standings. The fierce competition that has been the hallmark of the GT category is about to become more intense with the return of one of Corvette’s longstanding rivals to ALMS competition.

In the first five races, Corvette Racing scored back-to-back wins with Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R in Long Beach and Laguna Seca. Third-place finishes in Sebring and Lime Rock put the pair in the championship lead after the first four rounds. Then a setback in Mosport, combined with the No. 3 Compuware Corvette’s fourth runner-up finish in five starts, saw Corvette aces Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen take the lead in the championship chase by seven points over their teammates.

“When you look at Corvette Racing’s record for the first half of the season, the results demonstrate the experience and knowledge the team has gained since the debut of the GT-spec Corvette C6.R at Mid-Ohio in 2009,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “With the level of competition we face at every ALMS event, to have two victories, eight podium finishes, a one-two finish, and a pole is a very successful first half by any measure.

“Everyone on the team fully understands that it’s not going to get any easier for the rest of the year,” Fehan continued. “We’re working continuously to improve every aspect of our performance. There is still a great deal of development to be done with the wide-body Corvette C6.R that we introduced this year. I expect that Corvette fans are going to see a great show for the rest of the season.”

When Corvette Racing first entered international endurance racing in 1999, its chief competitor was Viper. That rivalry will be renewed at Mid-Ohio with Chrysler’s return to ALMS competition.

“History has come full circle, and now it’s once again Corvette versus Viper in ALMS – this time with world-class competitors such as Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, and Lotus in the mix,” Fehan noted. “Chrysler’s return makes a huge statement about the strength of the American Le Mans Series.”

Corvette Racing has recorded three straight runner-up finishes in the GT class at Mid-Ohio – Magnussen and Johnny O’Connell in 2009, Gavin and Olivier Beretta in 2010, and Gavin/Magnussen in 2011. Last year’s race ended with a red flag when a monsoon inundated the track; among the drivers who spun off in the deluge was Milner, who was running second when the torrential rain arrived.

“I’ve raced at Mid-Ohio since 2004, in open-wheel cars and GTs, so there’s not much I don’t know about the track,” Milner said. “It’s a place where you can make passes happen, and it usually produces an exciting race. The Corvettes were certainly competitive there last year, and with the improvements that have been made, I expect them to be even better this year.”

“Mid-Ohio has been a good track for us in terms of pace and speed the last couple of years,” Gavin explained. “Last year if the rain had turned up 45 minutes later, we likely would have won. Mid-Ohio is Corvette Racing’s home race with lots of friends and family. The circuit seems to suit our car, and with the steps forward taken for this season, we hope to be as competitive as we’ve been the last couple of years. Every team is making steps every race, so nobody at Corvette Racing is taking anything for granted.”

Garcia has raced previously at Mid-Ohio in the Grand-Am series, so Corvette Racing’s new full-season driver will be up to speed quickly on the 2.25-mile, 13-turn road course.

“Mid-Ohio is one of the tracks I know, so I will just need to reconfigure my mind a little from a Daytona Prototype to a Corvette C6.R,” Garcia laughed. “This will take a few laps at most – first some driver tuning, and then some car tuning!

“Mid-Ohio is like two different circuits,” the Spaniard said. “The first part has long straights and fast corners, then the second half is very tight with a narrow racing line. It is definitely a track where you have to deal with traffic. From what I’ve learned so far this season, Mid-Ohio will suit the Corvette C6.R.”

The two-hour, 45-minute Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the 2012 American Le Mans Series, will start at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 4, and will be broadcast on ABC at 2 p.m. ET.

Magnussen and Garcia Take GT Championship Lead with Runner-up Finish

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada, July 22, 2012 – Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen scored their fourth podium finish in five American Le Mans Series races in today’s Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. Their No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R started on the GT pole after setting a qualifying record Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Garcia led the opening 47 minutes in his first race at Mosport, and Magnussen was in contention for the victory on the final lap.

The No. 45 Porsche of Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long finished first on the track, but was subsequently excluded from the results for a technical infraction following a post-race inspection. The No. 01 Ferrari of Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek was declared the winner, and the No. 3 Corvette, third across the stripe, was promoted to second. Garcia and Magnussen’s runner-up finish vaulted them into the lead in the GT driver standings ahead of teammates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, who finished 10th after the Corvette crew changed a malfunctioning transmission in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R.

The closing laps of the two-hour, 45-minute race featured a Porsche-Corvette-Ferrari freight train as the three cars raced nose-to-tail. Magnussen kept the pressure on the class-leading Porsche for nearly an hour. Van Overbeek joined the fray as the frontrunners encountered traffic, and pulled off a pass on Magnussen coming out of Moss Corner on the last lap.

“I’m sure we had a better car than Joerg, but he was fast in some crucial places that made it impossible to pass,” Magnussen said. “I knew I was risking my position, but I had to have a go at Joerg. We got together a little, I lost momentum, and Van Overbeek just went up the inside – it was a fair pass, he saw a gap and went for it.”

Garcia drove a strong opening stint in his debut at the fast Canadian circuit. He started from the GT pole, and led the first 30 laps. After pitting under the second of three full-course cautions, the Spaniard emerged ninth in the GT category. He methodically drove back through the field to P2 before handing off to Magnussen at 1:44 into the race.

“My first race at Mosport had a bit of everything,” Garcia said. “At the start of the race, Tommy and I had a really clear run, and we could make a safe gap to the BMW and Porsche. When the yellow flags came, things started to turn for us, with the No. 4 Corvette having a problem and then the restarts. I was held up behind a prototype coming into the pits, and the run into our pit box was partially blocked so we lost some spots. I was behind cars that hadn’t pitted so traffic was difficult, but step-by-step I was able to gain positions. I think our tires were better, and I could pass cars and close the gap to the Porsche.”

The race’s first full-course caution came 15 minutes after the start when the No. 4 Corvette stopped on the back straight with no drive to the rear wheels. The car was towed to the paddock, where the team performed a 20-minute gearbox change. Milner returned to the race 20 laps down to the leaders.

“I was coming out of Turn 5, putting the power down and suddenly lost drive going from second to third gear,” Milner reported.

Oliver Gavin took over the No. 4 Corvette at the 1:47 mark and drove to the finish. “It’s never nice to have days like this, but you know that at some point in the season you’re going to have a bad weekend – and I hope this was it,” Gavin said. “We’re still not sure what happened with the transmission, but the guys did a fantastic job of replacing it and getting us back in the race. This race had so much promise after qualifying; now we’ve just got to pick ourselves up, move on, and get ready for Mid-Ohio.”

For the third race in a row, the No. 3 Corvette C6.R won the Michelin Green X Challenge in the GT class with the best score for clean, fast, and efficient performance. “Our third straight Michelin Green X Challenge win is a testament to the hard work that GM Powertrain has done with the calibrations for cellulosic E85 ethanol,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “It’s very important for Corvette, Chevrolet, and General Motors to represent the fact that have the environment in mind even when we are racing. This win again demonstrates the dedication of GM and its engineers.”

Garcia and Magnussen unofficially lead the GT driver championship at the midpoint of the season with 80 points, seven points ahead of Gavin and Milner (73) and BMW drivers Hand and Mueller (73). Chevrolet is atop the GT manufacturer standings with 94 points over BMW (81), Ferrari (75), and Porsche (69).

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on Saturday, August 4.

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport GT Results (Top 10)

Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps

• 1. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 458 Italia, 112
• 2. 3 Magnussen/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 112
• 3. 56 D. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 111
• 4. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 111
• 5. 48 Miller/Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 110
• 6. 44 Neiman/Lally, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 110
• 7. 55 J. Mueller/Auberlen, BMW E92 M3, 110
• 8. 23 Sweedler/Bell, Lotus Evora, 110
• 9. 02 Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari F458 Italia, 109
• 10. 4 Gavin/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 91

Momentum Matters as Chevrolet Team Drives for Repeat Victory in ALMS Grand Prix of Mosport

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada, July 17, 2012 – By any other name, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – the track formerly known as Mosport – would still be as fast. With its roots firmly anchored in the ’60s and its character unchanged for more than 50 years, the 2.5-mile circuit in the Canadian countryside near Toronto is decidedly Old School. With daunting high-speed corners and soaring straights, it is not a track for the timid – which is why Corvette Racing’s drivers relish their return to the historic 10-turn circuit for Sunday’s Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.

If a track can suit a race car, then Mosport was custom tailored for the Compuware Corvettes. The Chevy team has scored nine victories there since 2001, including its maiden win in the GT category in 2009 and a breakout victory last season that propelled Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen to a runner-up finish in the GT championship.

Along with its new name, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will see a pair of new wide-body Corvette C6.Rs and a revised Corvette Racing driver lineup for this year’s Grand Prix. Magnussen has returned to the No. 3 Compuware Corvette that carried him to victory at Mosport with Johnny O’Connell in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He’s now teamed with Antonio Garcia, a pairing that finished second in the preceding round at Lime Rock Park and currently stands second in the GT drivers championship.

They’ll face stiff intramural competition from teammates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Gavin and Milner are atop the driver standings on the strength of two wins and four straight podium finishes in the four rounds of the American Le Mans Series contested this season.

“For sheer speed, Mosport is one of my favorite tracks,” Magnussen declared. “It’s such a fantastic feeling when you do a fast lap, because you know there is a big, big penalty for making a mistake.”

Garcia will make his Mosport debut alongside his experienced teammate in his first year as a full-season driver with Corvette Racing. What advice does the Dane have for his Spanish co-pilot? “Just remember it’s not your car, so give it all you’ve got!” Magnussen quipped.

Garcia is taking a measured approach to Mosport. “I’ve been watching videos and in-car cameras, and leading up to the race I will talk more precisely with Jan to learn what to do – and especially what not to do!” he said. “They tell me that it is a fast and somewhat dangerous race track. I’m used to those kinds of circuits, so I’m looking forward to it.”

With three career wins at the Canadian course, Gavin knows Mosport’s nuances. “Every driver looks forward to going there,” said the Englishman. “The characteristics of the Corvette C6.R car seem to suit that layout, and I’m anxious to see how much of a step forward we’ve made from last year. I’ve had some great races there, including a fantastic win with Jan last year. Mosport always seems to bring out the best in Corvette Racing.”

The two-hour, 45-minute Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport will start at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 22, and will be broadcast same day on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available starting at 11:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3.