Gavin Grabs Third on Final Lap as Traffic and Red Flag Complicate Qualifying at Lime Rock Park
LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 6, 2012 – Corvette Racing’s twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars qualified third and sixth in the GT class for Saturday’s American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park. Traffic played a key role in qualifying on the tight 1.5-mile circuit, and after a red flag interrupted the 15-minute session, it came down to a two-lap shootout to determine the GT grid.
Oliver Gavin qualified the No. 4 Corvette C6.R third in the 11-car GT field with a 51.299-second time (103.441 mph) on his final hot lap. The Englishman equaled the time of Marco Holzer in the No. 44 Porsche, but Holzer was awarded the second spot on a tiebreaker. Jan Magnussen posted a 51.505-second time (103.027 mph) to place the No. 3 Corvette C6.R sixth on the GT grid. Bill Auberlen claimed the GT pole with a time of 50.920 seconds (104.211 mph) in the No. 55 BMW.
The heat was on at Lime Rock Park with the air temperature at 93 degrees and the track temperature at 123 degrees when the session began. The Corvettes elected to wait in the pit lane for several minutes before they ventured into the fray. Unfortunately Gavin and Magnussen both encountered traffic before a red flag for debris in Turn 5 halted their runs after three flying laps. When qualifying resumed seven minutes later, there was just enough time remaining on the clock for two laps. Both Corvettes ran their quickest times on their seventh and final hot laps.
“Before the start of qualifying, Tommy and I agreed that if we could be in the top two rows, that would be great, and we accomplished that,” Gavin said. “The setup we had in qualifying was good and that enabled me to get that time. Qualifying position is important here, and hopefully our spot will keep us ahead of the chaos that can happen. It’s going to be a very hot and a very long day tomorrow.
“In the first segment, a Porsche in front of me was going off the road on every exit, bringing dust onto the road and under my tires,” Gavin reported. “Then in the next corner I’d turn in and lose the rear of the car – I had a huge moment in Turn 7 and for a moment I thought it was going to be really bad. Fortunately I gathered it up, and then the red flag came out. Then it was a two-lap sprint to see what we could do. Fortunately the Corvette pits are at the end of the pit lane. I got out quickly and was free and clear, so I went for it!”
Magnussen also was stymied in his initial qualifying run. “When I went out a couple of minutes into the session, I ended up right in the middle of traffic,” he said. “I tried to find a gap, somebody spun off, and then came back on track right in front of me. I had just made a gap and then the red flag, so I really only got one attempt. I’m quite happy with the car, but the situation didn’t allow us to get the best out of it.”
Magnussen will make his milestone 100th career start in ALMS competition tomorrow. “Yes, it will be a special race, but it pays the same points as any other,” the Dane declared. “The 100th, the 101st, the 102nd – I want to win them all!”
The two-hour, 45-minute American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix will start at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 7, and will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix GT Qualifying (Top 10)
American Le Mans Series Returns to Series’ Shortest Track for Rough-and-Tumble Fourth Round
LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 2, 2012 – With the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the rearview mirror, Corvette Racing is now driving for the American Le Mans Series GT championship. The series’ fourth round, the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, will be contested on Saturday, July 7, in the tight confines of Lime Rock Park. This 1.5-mile circuit in the Connecticut countryside is road racing’s equivalent of a short-track bullring – albeit with more ups and downs than the stock market.
With the exception of the Esses and a pair of chicanes, all of the corners at Lime Rock Park are right-hand turns – a layout that affects both setups and attitudes. Several of Corvette Racing’s key team members began their racing careers on bullrings, and they bring that hard-edged experience to Lime Rock.
Long before team manager Gary Pratt was winning titles in Le Mans, he was racing late-model stock cars on short-tracks in Michigan and Ohio. Lessons learned there still apply today.
“Lime Rock is basically a clockwise oval track, so we try to maximize right-side weight because there are so few left-hand corners,” Pratt explained. “The racing on short-track ovals is usually rough-and-tumble, and that’s the way it is at Lime Rock.”
Lime Rock Park has not been kind to Corvette Racing recently. Hard contact took out the No. 3 Corvette C6.R in 2010, and last year both Corvettes were caught up in a chain-reaction accident early in the race that relegated them to ninth and 10th at the checkered flag.
“We need to be faster at Lime Rock so we can qualify up front and not have to contend with traffic at the beginning of the race,” Pratt said. “When you’re at the back of the line and somebody makes a mistake, it’s just a domino effect. I’m optimistic that with the wider track, higher downforce, and other improvements that we’ve made in the Corvettes, we can qualify higher and not get stuck in traffic.
“If we do encounter traffic, we need to be smart on the radio and tell our drivers to leave some room to avoid accidents. The time to start racing hard is after the final pit stops. Until then it’s risky to run nose-to-tail in a pack of cars.”
Dan Binks, crew chief for the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, earned his racing stripes running in NASCAR circles with the likes of Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch. “You always look forward to races at short tracks like Martinsville and South Boston because the gloves are off,” said Binks. “You race as hard as you can, and hopefully you’re around for the green-white-checker at the end.”
“At Le Mans you conserve a little, do the best job you can without taking too many chances – Lime Rock is the total opposite,” Binks added with a laugh. “You have to get as much as you can in that kind of racing, and hopefully you’re on the giving side instead of the receiving side. Two years in a row, we’ve been on the receiving end, so I’m hoping that our cars are fast enough this year that we’ll be ahead of the pushing and shoving.”
Going into the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, Corvette drivers Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner lead the GT drivers standings in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R by seven points on the strength of back-to-back wins in Long Beach and Laguna Seca. Teammates Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen (who will make his milestone 100th ALMS start at Lime Rock) are third in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 11 points back. Chevrolet leads the manufacturer championship over BMW, Ferrari, and Porsche, and Corvette Racing is first in the team standings. When the dust finally settles at Lime Rock, Corvette Racing is aiming to remain on top.
The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix will start at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 7, and will be broadcast same day on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
Both Compuware Corvettes persevering through safety car periods
LE MANS, France (June 23, 2012) – Through three-quarters of the world’s greatest road racing, Corvette Racing’s two Compuware Corvette C6.Rs continued to persevere through the night and into the daytime. At the end of 18 hours, Tommy Milner ran seventh in GTE Pro and Jan Magnussen was eighth in the class.
The race likely will be remembered for the number of safety car periods – nine so far, to be exact. Both Jordan Taylor in the No. 73 Compuware Corvette and Oliver Gavin in the No. 74 spent most of their night driving in more changing conditions with a mix of dry and wet track to go along with cool temperatures and wind.
Things weren’t much different for Richard Westbrook during his night-time stint in the No. 74 and Antonio Garcia in the No. 73. Adding to the disrupted flow of the race was the duration of the safety car periods due to repairs to safety barriers and walls throughout the first 18 hours.
The next Corvette Racing update will be following the race at 3 p.m. local time/9 a.m. ET.
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“This was probably one of the trickiest stints in my life, because when I got in it was raining on the first third of the track and the rest of the track was dry, so we went on the dry-and-wet tires. That was just super difficult, trying to keep heat in the tires in one section and overheating them in the next. We then put on slicks and tried to figure out how fast we could go on those. Once we got into a rhythm the car was good and quick, and we just tried to maintain our pace without making any mistakes.”
RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R
“It’s definitely not been a typical Le Mans, that’s for sure. I’m not sure what the deal is with the safety barriers … it seems that if anyone touches them we have a long safety car period. It’s disrupting the flow of the race – stop, start, stop, start. The tires get cold and take awhile to warm up and sometimes you don’t really get going on the rest of your stint after a safety car. Sure it’s frustrating but it’s the same for everyone. Our plan is the same – to keep going and see how things are at the end. I don’t know the history books, but I’d guess (the number of safety cars) would be a record. And they’ve all been long ones as well. I was in for three hours during the night and it felt like two hours were behind the safety car. I think it was 45 minutes but you’re bored and you want to go. But there is a reason for them and the organizers do have our safety in mind.”
Corvettes Overcome Adversity to Take Checkered Flag in GTE Pro LE MANS, France, June 17, 2012 – Corvette Racing finished the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 12th time in 13 attempts as both the No. 73 and No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars
LE MANS, France, June 17, 2012 – Corvette Racing finished the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 12th time in 13 attempts as both the No. 73 and No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars were running at the finish of the world’s most demanding sports car race.
The No. 73 Corvette C6.R driven by Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor completed 326 laps and finished fifth in the GTE Pro category. The No. 74 Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Richard Westbrook completed 215 laps and was sixth across the finish line, but was not classified because the car did not complete the minimum race distance. The No. 51 AF Corsa Ferrari won the GTE Pro class by a three-lap margin with 336 laps completed.
The No. 73 Corvette crew was relentless as the drivers and mechanics clawed their way back into contention after losing time to a steering rack replacement and electrical problems. With four hours to go, the crew replaced the alternator and then made a series of battery replacements to cope with a problem in the charging system. Le Mans rookie Jordan Taylor did a triple stint at dawn, followed by doubles by Jan Magnussen and a triple by Antonio Garcia. Magnussen drove the car to the checkered flag.
The No. 74 Corvette suffered extensive damage in a crash in the Porsche Curves in the 18th hour. Tommy Milner nursed the battered car back to the garage, where the Corvette crew virtually rebuilt the back half of the chassis. After a 2 hours and 12 minute pit stop, Oliver Gavin had the No. 74 back on track. With no possibility of advancement in the final standings, the star-crossed car was held in its garage until the final 40 minutes of the race. Gavin drove the car to the finish in his 12th appearance at Le Mans.
Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing Program Manager: “Sometimes in motorsports, the greatest battles that are waged are not against a competitor, but rather against the challenges that one faces. Today was one of those days for both the No. 73 and No. 74 Corvettes. When we got to the 12-hour mark, it became clear that it would be difficult to leave Le Mans with a victory. At that point we engaged the enemy head on, which was adversity. I think by any measure, anyone who watched this event saw us emerge victorious against that enemy as we brought both cars home once again to a finish in one of the most brutal, hard-fought battles in our Le Mans history. I think we can all be proud of the passion, the dedication, and that never-say-die attitude of Corvette Racing. Hopefully, our fans enjoyed every minute of it.”
Antonio Garcia, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “All I could do was push, push, push, but in the end it’s not down to us whether we finish on the podium or not. It’s a shame, of course, because the car was really good throughout the race, except for the problems with the steering rack and the alternator. Some years ago you could maybe still hope to make up a five-lap deficit over 12 hours, but nowadays the competition is so tough that the slightest problem puts you out of contention. We’ll have to come back next year for some suitable revenge.”
Jan Magnussen, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “The car was fantastic, very fast and very consistent. My double stint in the morning was the best double I had in the entire race. It’s a shame we lost some time by changing the alternator. Other than that I’m feeling fine when I’m in the car as the adrenaline takes over and I then don’t suffer from my cold and fever.”
Jordan Taylor, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “It was great to race at Le Mans, every stint I’ve done has been better and better. It was a relief to get through those stints safely, without any mistakes and keeping the car on the track. That’s the name of the game here. We didn’t make any mistakes, although we did have mechanical problems. It was just beginning to get light when I started, and it was really cool to go through the Porsche Curves at sunrise and then down the Esses at Dunlop, to remember the footage and photos from the old days and to think that I was in the same position as those cars. I’m glad I got to do that kind of stint and feel the history while I was driving.”
Doug Louth, Engineering Director: “We had the drivers, cars, and team to compete for a win this weekend. It was a pleasant surprise to find our lead increasing at night as the cool conditions are the most challenging for us. It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to leverage our warm weather performance on Sunday afternoon – we expected to gain performance as the temperature increased and for our competitors to drop off. What we ended up with is a fresh reminder of the scope of the undertaking that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There are so many details, checklists, and tasks that go into running the perfect 24-hour race. We missed a few of these today and had some bad luck along the way, but we have our 13th Le Mans 24 behind us, and we’re already looking to 2013.”
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Results:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, 336
2. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 333
3. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 332
4. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 326
5. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 326
6. 74 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 215
7. 66 Cocker/Walker/Wills, Ferrari 458 Italia, 204
American Team Perseveres Through Problems, Corvettes Run Fifth and Sixth in GTE Pro LE MANS, France, June 17, 2012 – It was a long night and a difficult morning for Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The aftereffects of the previous issues wi
LE MANS, France, June 17, 2012 – It was a long night and a difficult morning for Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The aftereffects of the previous issues with the No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R and two accidents required repeated visits to the garage, while the No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R also had to overcome mechanical problems. As a result, the Corvettes were fifth (No. 73) and sixth (No. 74) at dawn in Le Mans.
After 12 hours of racing, a recurring problem with the steering rack in the No. 73 Corvette required a lengthy pit stop to install a new unit. On the other side of the garage, the No.74 Corvette was virtually rebuilt as the drivetrain, uprights, diffuser, and floor were disassembled and repaired. Then in the 17th hour, the No. 74 suffered right-side body damage in an encounter with an Audi prototype and then a spin in the Porsche curves that damaged the rear bodywork, dry sump tank, air conditioning system, and suspension cradle.
The drivers and crew persevered through the adversity, and as other teams encountered their own difficulties, the Corvettes continued on at the Circuit of the Sarthe. Antonio Garcia hauled the No. 73 Corvette up from seventh to fifth by sunrise at Le Mans, while young Jordan Taylor ran sub-4:00 lap times with regularity during his triple stint at dawn. As attrition claimed more cars in the GTE Pro class, the No. 73 Corvette was within sight of a podium finish with six hours remaining.
Oliver Gavin, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “This is a difficult one to sum up. I’m sure that everyone on the team is feeling disappointment. It’s almost like the race is unreal; you’re in a sort of trance at this point. When you’re at the front you are running on adrenaline, and when this sort of thing happens you start questioning things. The problem that we had with the car, Richard and I both thought it was a transmission problem, but it was part of the floor and diffuser. I feel sorry for the guys who had to rebuild the car around me. They’ve had a really tough night, and it’s been a tough race for everybody at Corvette Racing. When the 74 Corvette had a problem, the guys from 73 came over and helped out, and when 73 had a issue, the 74 crew was helping. It’s been all hands on deck, and that’s what is so marvelous about Corvette Racing. I’m proud to be part of this team.”
Tommy Milner, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “Two big wrecks there. The first one, I tried to keep out of the Audi’s door; he was going quick, and I pinched the car down more than I wanted to and lost control. The second one, I really don’t know what happened – basically cold tires and I may have gotten on the curb. I wasn’t pushing, but I was a little nervous about the LMP cars. I feel bad for the guys.”
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro at 18 Hours:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia
2. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia
3. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8
Class-Leading No. 74 Corvette C6.R Suffers Mechanical Mishaps LE MANS, France, June 17, 2012 – The Corvettes were in control of the GTE Pro class, running first and third after 10 hours of racing when the class-leading No. 74 Corvette C6.R suffered a
LE MANS, France, June 17, 2012 – The Corvettes were in control of the GTE Pro class, running first and third after 10 hours of racing when the class-leading No. 74 Corvette C6.R suffered a sudden reversal of fortune. The No. 74 Corvette had taken the lead in the fifth hour, but after a routine pit stop and driver change, the No. 74 lost its left-rear tire. Driver Richard Westbrook nursed the car back to the pits, and the crews from both cars descended on the damaged machine. Ten minutes later it was back on track, having fallen from first to sixth in the standings. But the misfortune continued when Westbrook had to take evasive action in the first chicane on the Mulsanne Straight to avoid a car and eased into a tire barrier, damaging the nose and requiring another extended stay in the garage.
“Driving around with the left-rear wheel missing damaged the diffuser, so that was the major repair,” said team manager Gary Pratt. “We also changed the brakes, since that was scheduled to be done soon. We don’t know why the wheel came off – obviously the nut wasn’t tightened completely, but we don’t yet understand why that happened.
“Then as Richard came up on a car in the first chicane, the other driver checked up and Richard had to swerve to miss him and ended up in the tire barrier,” Pratt explained. “We changed the nose, and then saw that the previous incident had damaged the gearbox, so we changed that as well.”
The No. 73 Corvette C6.R moved up from fifth to third as Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor cycled through their stints.
When the first safety car period ended at the 6:14 mark, both Corvettes came to the pits for fuel, tires, and driver changes. Antonio Garcia went into the No. 73 Corvette and Oliver Gavin into the No. 74 Corvette. Gavin retained the lead over the No. 51 Ferrari, and Garcia emerged in fifth. In the next hour, Garcia moved up to third, while Gavin continued to lead. Shortly after eight hours of racing, Garcia committed to a third stint, pitting for fuel only. Gavin pitted after his double stint and handed over the No. 74 Corvette to Tommy Milner, who extended the gap to the No. 51 Ferrari in second place to more than 50 seconds before the fateful pit stop.
Antonio Garcia, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “That was long – three hours! But it was a lot of fun as I was on the track together with Olly for most of the time. By also triple-stinting the tires we managed to gain some 16 seconds at each pit stop, while I only lost three seconds or so over an entire stint against the guys who’d put on new ones. Now I need some rest!”
Jordan Taylor, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “It was tough out there. The first couple of laps of my second stint I had to adapt to the full tank again. I followed a couple of quicker guys around the track so I could learn more myself. The car is quick, but I don’t think we need all the speed it has just now as there are guys going off everywhere. We’re still only halfway.”
Oliver Gavin, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “I was out in the car at good time, with the sun going down and the track cooling down a bit. The Michelin tires were working well, and I had a great battle with Melo in the Ferrari and also Antonio in our sister car. It was hard racing, hairy at times, measuring the risk versus reward trying to put them a lap down. After Melo got by me the second time, I decided to follow him and try to push him into making a mistake. We managed to get by him on the pit stop and then pull away on the second stint.”
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro at 12 Hours:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car
1. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia
2. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia
3. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R
4. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8
Opening Segment Features Fierce Fight Between Corvette, Aston Martin, and Ferrari LE MANS, France, June 16, 2012 – Corvette Racing led the GTE Pro class at the six-hour mark in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliv
LE MANS, France, June 16, 2012 – Corvette Racing led the GTE Pro class at the six-hour mark in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Richard Westbrook was in the middle of a three-way battle, trading the lead repeatedly with the No. 97 Aston Martin and the No. 51 Ferrari. The No. 73 Compuware Corvette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor fell back initially, and then rebounded to run fourth as the first quarter of the race ended.
Despite predictions of rain, the only precipitation was a light sprinkle at the start. The racing was interrupted at the five-hour mark by an extended safety car period following a huge crash involving the No. 8 Toyota and No. 81 Ferrari at the Mulsanne corner. The field continued to circulate behind three safety cars at the six-hour mark while the damaged cars were removed and the tire wall repaired.
Starting third on the GTE grid, Gavin quickly moved to challenge the class-leading Aston Martin on the first lap. He took the lead shortly after the first hour, and then traded places with his rival throughout his second stint. Tommy Milner took over at 1:49 mark and the battle resumed – with the addition of the No. 51 Ferrari that had started at the rear of the field after missing qualifying due to an accident. Milner also did a double stint, handing off to Richard Westbrook at the 3:43 into the race.
Jan Magnussen started the No. 73 Corvette C6.R fifth on the GTE grid, but handling problems caused him to drop back to seventh. Antonio Garcia went in on the first pit stop, and an adjustment changed the character of the car as the Spaniard moved up to fifth. Jordan Taylor began his first stint as a Le Mans racer at 2:44 into the race, followed by Magnussen at 3:34.
Jan Magnussen, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “I had some serious understeer throughout my first stint coming out of the corners. Since we had some other issues in practice and qualifying we’re maybe a bit behind in the development of the best race setup. They’ve now adjusted the rear of the car a bit to see if that can cure the problem for Antonio. Personally I don’t feel too well as I woke up with a cold and some fever. I can more or less drive around it as the adrenaline sort of takes over as soon as you’re in the car, but I don’t feel good enough yet to do double stints.”
Antonio Garcia, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “That was quite all right, I think. I knew from Jan’s feedback that I would have to work the car a bit harder than usual. I had some understeer which I tried to compensate for, but maybe I tried a bit too hard because the lap times were quite good. We then adjusted the pressure in the rear tires for my second stint on the same set, and that brought the car back into the comfort zone.”
Jordan Taylor, No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “I had a good stint, feeling more and more comfortable each lap. A slow puncture in the right-front tire messed with my head a bit, giving me understeer in the left-hand corners and snap oversteer in the right-hand corners. Other than that, no real issues, apart from two guys who held me up through Porsche Curves.”
Oliver Gavin, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “As usual it was a bit chaotic at the start. I was side-by-side with the Aston Martin coming out of the last corner. The 59 Ferrari was a bit tentative, and the Aston Martin was just gone on the straight. I knew I had to get past the Ferrari before his tires came up to temperature. I followed the Aston for the next 11 laps or so; my Corvette was very good on the brakes and in low-speed parts, but he was fast on the straight and the high-speed sections. On the second stint he was having a problem getting his tires up to temperature and I got inside of him going into the second chicane, but then I started sliding around and he went back by me. The sun had come out and the track temp was going up, our tires were coming in, and the circuit was rubbering up, so I think we’ll be pretty good as the race continues.”
Tommy Milner, No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R: “It was a lot of fun out there! You could see that Darren and I were being very polite to each other, which is how it should be at this stage of the race. It’s more entertaining when you’re racing someone close, either chasing or being chased. Our Corvette felt really good, quite consistent, even though the track was a little greasy. As the temperature cooled off the car felt better. The Aston Martin was very quick on the straights but I could see that their setup is not quite right. The Ferrari was quite a way behind, so for them to get back to the front shows they are quick as well.”
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro at Six Hours:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. 74 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 81
2. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, 81
3. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Henzler, Porsche 911 RSR, 80
4. 73 Garcia/Magnussen/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 80
5. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 80
6. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 80
7. 66 Cocker/Walker/Wills, Ferrari 458 Italia, 79
8. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 77
Team Focuses on Final Preparations in Four Hours of Qualifying
LE MANS, France, June 14, 2012 – When the clock struck midnight at Le Mans, the field was set for the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Corvette Racing’s Compuware Corvette C6.Rs will start third and fifth in the GTE Pro field in the classic endurance race. A pair of two-hour qualifying sessions that ended at midnight determined the final qualifying order, but the Corvette Racing crew concentrated on preparations for the upcoming 24-hour test of endurance.
Both Compuware Corvette C6.Rs stood on their qualifying times set on Wednesday night. The No. 59 Ferrari turned the fastest lap in today’s first session at 3:55.393, followed by the No. 97 Aston Martin at 3:55.870, knocking the No. 74 Corvette C6.R off the GTE Pro pole that it had held provisionally at the end of yesterday’s session. Oliver Gavin turned a lap in 3:55.910 on Wednesday night, and that time held for the third spot in GTE Pro.
“Track conditions were different tonight and that seemed to affect us more than the others,” Gavin said. “I just couldn’t generate the same cornering force that I could yesterday, and couldn’t attack the corners like I did yesterday. It was very close with the Aston Martin getting ahead of us by only a few hundredths of a second on an 8.5-mile circuit. So we’ll go with what we’ve got – third is quite good. I’m looking forward to the race now.”
Jan Magnussen’s 3:57.181 in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R on Wednesday was the fifth quickest in the GTE Pro category.
“In the first session tonight we gave Jordan (Taylor) as much track time as we could to make sure he’s comfortable with the car and the track,” Magnussen said. “As for a fast lap, we decided not to go for that since Antonio (Garcia) still had to get his night time laps in and we were still working on finding the right setup. The good news is that we’ve saved an extra set of soft tires for Saturday and Sunday.”
Garcia agreed with his Danish co-driver: “The car is good but we’re still trying different setups and ideas to make sure we have the best possible package,” he said. “All three of us put in a good number of laps at night to get used to the darkness and the traffic, which is a good practice for Saturday night. All in all we’re ready to go.”
Long runs in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R bolstered the confidence of the team’s youngest driver, 21-year-old Jordan Taylor. “Today was definitely an improvement over yesterday,” he noted. “I felt more confident and my lap times were a lot more consistent, which was exactly what I wanted to accomplish. I still keep learning the track over the course of each session, and will continue to do so throughout the weekend.”
Tommy Milner opened today’s first session with a solid one-hour stint in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R, setting the early pace with a 3:58.214 time that stood as the fastest lap for the first hour.
“I had relatively little traffic tonight, a stark contrast to last night,” Milner reported. “We worked through several setup options and made improvements. Ultimately the race is the most important thing, so we’re working on making the car comfortable. This is a great test for us, with conditions that are comparable to what we’ll see in the race.
“Comparing to last year’s car, I’m much happier with the new wide-body C6.R,” Milner noted. “Speeds are definitely faster, although some that has to do with the track resurfacing. I would say that all of the computer simulations and technology have paid off.”
Richard Westbrook ran nearly an hour in the first session in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R and then completed his mandatory laps in darkness in the second session.
“The car feels good, the lap times are very good, but we don’t know what the competition is doing,” Westbrook said. “Everyone is on a different program. Some are using qualifying as a race setup simulation like us, some are going for a qualifying lap. It’s very difficult to judge where you are. All we can do is our own thing; the Corvette C6.R feels great. It would be nice to know for sure that we are as competitive as it feels we are, but we’ll all know for certain on Saturday afternoon.”
Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 16-17. The race will start Saturday at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET). SPEED and SPEED.com will provide continuous coverage in the U.S. starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on June 16; see local listings for program times.
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Qualifying Times
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time
1. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Farnbacher, Ferrari 458 Italia, 3:55.393
2. 97 Mucke/Turner/Fernandez, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 3:55.870
Gavin Quickest in GTE Pro in First Qualifying Session in No. 74 Corvette C6.R, Magnussen Third in No. 73 Corvette C6.R
LE MANS, France, June 13, 2012 – Preparations for this weekend’s 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans began today with four hours of free practice followed by the first of three two-hour qualifying sessions. Oliver Gavin qualified the No. 74 Corvette C6.R on the provisional pole in GTE Pro with a lap at 3:55.910 in the opening minutes of the qualifying session. Jan Magnussen provisionally qualified the No. 73 Corvette C6.R third at 3:57.181.
“I never thought we would get down to such quick lap times in a GT car,” Gavin said. “It’s amazing to run 3.55s with the regulations in this class. It shows what Corvette Racing can do. The car was really fantastic, one of the best I’ve ever driven at Le Mans.”
Gavin’s time was quicker than his class-leading lap in the second session on Test Day, and quicker than last year’s pole-winning time in GTE Pro.
“I was helped hugely on the lap by Jan,” Gavin explained. “He was just in front of me on the Mulsanne Straight. I started to tow up behind him, and as we came out of the second chicane he let me by – it was just perfect. I know that I left something on the table on that lap. I might have gone quicker on the next one, but a Prototype passed me in the Porsche Curves and held me up just that little bit. Who knows?”
Corvette Racing’s twin Compuware Corvette C6.Rs were third and eighth in the opening practice session. Then after a two-hour break, the initial qualifying session ran from 10 p.m. to midnight on the imposing 8.5-mile circuit.
“My qualifying lap was quite decent,” Magnussen said. “The balance of the car has improved a lot since this afternoon’s free practice session. Straight after I set my time the car developed a power steering problem which the team resolved so Jordan could get in his night laps.”
Jordan Taylor was back on track in the No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R after an encounter with a tire wall during the Test Day on June 3. The 21-year-old Le Mans rookie was quickly up to speed.
“I just wanted to get used to the car again and gain confidence,” Taylor said. “It was a little intimidating going back out there after the test, but I was happy to get in some laps and I’m looking forward to doing more laps to gain experience. The track is a little greener and a little cooler than it was during the test, but it’s always changing here on the public roads.”
Richard Westbrook was unable to participate in the Test Day due to a schedule conflict, so the third driver of the No. 74 Corvette C6.R was eager to get reacquainted with the car that he last raced in March in Sebring, Fla.
“It’s always nice driving a C6.R here at Le Mans,” Westbrook said. “We were expecting the track to have changed quite a bit from the test, but it doesn’t seem to have done that. We have a good baseline and we’re feeling confident.”
Antonio Garcia turned his quickest time in the No. 73 Corvette C6.R in the four-hour practice at 3:59.480. “The car feels good, and we were just getting reacquainted with the track so we ran the entire session on old tires” said the Spaniard. “We know we can go a long distance on the same set of tires, so that’s good news. We also know we’ll be right there once we put on a set of new tires. The track is slowly improving as the competitors are putting in more laps in longer runs, so they’re putting down more rubber.”
Qualifying will continue on Thursday with a second session from 7 to 9 p.m., and conclude with the final session from 10 p.m. to midnight. With the possibility of rain tomorrow, the team has already posted competitive qualifying times with both Corvettes and four of the six drivers have completed their required laps in darkness.
Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 16-17. Practice and qualifying continues on Thursday, June 14 with two two-hour sessions. The race will start Saturday at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET). SPEED and SPEED.com will provide continuous coverage starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on June 16; see local listings for program times.
24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Provisional Qualifying Times
