Wild Finish Propels Corvettes to Podium in Closing Minutes of 12-Hour Race

SEBRING, Fla., March 17, 2012 – Corvette Racing celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in style, finishing second and third in the closely contested American Le Mans Series GT class. The final minutes of the 12-hour race saw dramatic shifts of fortune that shuffled the finishing order and propelled both Compuware Corvette C6.Rs onto the podium.

Running third at the start of the last lap, Jan Magnussen passed the No. 71 Ferrari to take second after the Ferrari and the class-leading No. 56 BMW fought for position. Moments earlier, Oliver Gavin passed the No. 155 BMW to secure third on the ALMS podium.

“I really don’t know what happened, but apparently the BMW and Ferrari got together,” Magnussen said. “I didn’t even know that I had passed the Ferrari in the darkness. We were struggling at the end of the race with the track conditions, so second is a huge bonus and a fantastic foundation to build on. Sebring is such a difficult race, and I’m very happy with a podium finish.”

The combination of a new wide-body Corvette C6.R race car and a new driver lineup that teamed Magnussen with Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor produced results quickly. “It’s a brilliant result for the entire Corvette Racing team, and a brilliant result for the No. 03 Corvette,” said Antonio Garcia, who made the transition to a full-season driver in 2012. “Track conditions were really difficult with traffic and crazy restarts, but Jan, Jordan and I just kept digging, and we finished with a great result.”

Making his debut with Corvette Racing, third driver Jordan Taylor led the GT category during his first stint in the No. 03 Corvette C6.R. “It was very exciting at the end,” said the 20-year-old racer. “Second overall and second in ALMS championship – I can’t complain about that! Now I’m looking forward to Le Mans.”

The No. 4 Corvette driven by Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Richard Westbrook ran at the front for much of the race, but lost track position during a late-race pit stop.

“The result was a bit of an anticlimax after leading and running at the front for most of the race,” Gavin said. “Our strategy anticipated a caution that didn’t come. Nevertheless, third place pays good points for the ALMS championship. Tommy drove brilliantly and Richard did a fantastic job, so our partnership is working well.”

There were 15 entries in the combined American Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship GT class – 10 in ALMS and five in WEC. The race awarded championship points in each respective series based on finishing position among the ALMS and WEC entries.

Gavin started fourth on the grid in the No. 4 Corvette, and worked his way to second during his first stint after an opportunistic pass after the first caution period. “On the restart, it seemed like the Ferrari guys were sleeping a little, and Jan and I got a jump coming into the last corner when the track went green,” Gavin recalled. “Then it was a case of racing hard for the next 20 laps – it was quite fun, actually.

“The track was very changeable, and you really needed to be on top of it,” Gavin added. “It was difficult to know what each corner would be like – sometimes sand on the racing line, sometimes grass, and a lot of oil coming off several cars.”

Garcia had a close call during his first stint in the No. 03 Corvette C6.R when he was hit by a prototype under braking going into Turn 7. He took the escape road in the Hairpin and continued, recovering to fourth by the end of his stint.

“There are different kind of drivers out there,” Garcia observed. “The big P1s pass you clean and fast, but the others – one was halfway to my door and thought he was clear to go left. I was lucky to keep the car on the track.”

Westbrook also had a moment during his first stint in the No. 4 Corvette when an accident involving the class-leading Ferrari and a prototype unfolded in front of him in Turn 13. “The two cars in front of me hit oil on the track, but my view was obscured by a GTC car,” Westbrook reported. “I hit the oil, managed to put the car in spin, and fortunately avoided hitting the wall. We got away with one there, and we were still very much in the race.”

Taylor took the lead in the GT class with a pass on the No. 77 Porsche in the fourth hour. “It was exciting for sure, and unexpected,” said the Sebring rookie. “The No. 03 Corvette was running in the top five for most of the race, and when the caution period cycled through we were in the top three and I was able to pick off two guys to take the lead. I was putting some pressure on the leader, showing him my nose, and trying to get him a little rattled. Eventually I went inside under barking, got it done, put my head down, and went forward. It was really cool, and a special moment. We definitely have a strong and durable Corvette.”

The Corvettes took command of the GT race at the midpoint, as Magnussen, Gavin, Garcia and Milner exchanged the lead. Gavin completed a double stint before handing off to Milner at 5:42 into the race.

“Our Corvette is fantastic under braking, and we’d just eat them up,” Gavin said. “I was behind a Porsche, and he was very defensive. I kept pushing him to make mistake – he did in Turn 15 and I got by him.”

After seven hours of racing, the intense competition that is the hallmark of the GT category was evident. Seven cars were on the lead lap, with the top six separated by less than nine seconds. At the eight-hour mark, the Corvettes were running first and second, with Westbrook leading in the No. 4 Corvette and Magnussen second in the No. 03 Corvette.

“The car was comfortable and we had the pace,” said Milner after completing a double stint and handing off to Westbrook. “The team worked so hard in the off-season to build these new cars, and it’s paying off.”

In the ninth hour, a battle between Corvette and BMW broke out, with Westbrook leading, the No. 155 BMW second, Magnussen third, and the No. 56 BMW fourth, followed by a Porsche and a Ferrari. With lap times quicker than last year’s qualifying pace, the racing was riveting. Less than six seconds separated the top five cars in GT.

“At that point, the track really suited both the Corvettes and the BMWs, so it was really tight,” Westbrook said. “We had to work hard to stay in front. I was proud to be driving this car in P1 in such a tough GT field.”

The 10th and 11th hours saw the pitched battle between Corvette and BMW continue as the lead changed hands on the track and in the pits. Milner dueled with Joey Hand, with less than a second separating the two cars.

“I had a great fight with Joey, going two-wide through Turn 17, side-by-side through Turn 1, splitting cars, and passing everywhere,” Milner said. “The Corvette was really fast and comfortable to drive, everything you want in a race car.”

The gap between the BMWs, Ferrari, and Corvettes expanded and contracted as the drivers worked their way through traffic, setting up the dramatic dash to the checkered flag.

“What an exciting way to start the season at Sebring International Raceway as they celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 12 Hours of Sebring,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This Corvette team has that never-give-up attitude, and I’m proud of how they finished. We’re on a journey for this season, and it’s off to a great start.”

ABC will televise the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 18. Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on Saturday, April 14.

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring GT Results

(Combined ALMS/WEC Top 10):

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

1. 1. 56 Muller/Hand/Summerton BMW E92 M3, 307
2. 2. 03 Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 307
3. 3. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 307 (WEC)
4. 4. 4 Gavin/Milner/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 307
5. 5. 155 Muller/Auberlen/Alzen, BMW E92 M3, 307
6. 6. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Pilet, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 306 (WEC)
7. 7. 48 Miller/Maassen/Bell, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 303
8. 8. 044 Neiman/Law/Lally, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 303
9. 9. 02 Brown/Segal/Lazzaro, Ferrari F458 Italia, 303
10. 10. 97 Mucke/Fernandez/Turner, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 292 (WEC)

Magnussen and Gavin Post Third and Fourth Quickest Times in Combined WEC/ALMS Qualifying Session

SEBRING, Fla., March 16, 2012 – Corvette Racing kicked off Corvette’s 60th year by posting the quickest lap times in the American Le Mans Series GT class for Saturday’s 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Running concurrently with the inaugural race of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the two Compuware Corvette C6.Rs driven by Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin were third and fourth respectively in combined ALMS/WEC GT qualifying.

The new wide-body Corvette C6.Rs are making their competition debut in the season-opening round of the ALMS, turning qualifying lap times more than 2.5 seconds faster than last year. Magnussen ran his quickest time in his fifth and final lap around the historic 3.7-mile circuit at 1:58.996 (113.147 mph) in the No. 03 Corvette C6.R, while Gavin posted his best time on his fourth lap at 1:59.007 (113.136 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R. Gianmaria Bruni recorded the fastest time in the WEC GT category at 1:58.427 (113.690 mph) in AF Corse’s Ferrari 458 Italia. The 12 quickest qualifiers in the combined GT category eclipsed the class qualifying record set in 2010 at 2:01.150.

“There is a lot of difference from last year – 2.5 seconds difference!” Magnussen said. “It’s a big step forward for the category. Qualifying was the first time that everyone showed what they can do, and I think it’s going to be 12 hours of really hard racing.

“With the WEC here with ALMS, there is only going to be one winner,” the Dane declared. “My point of view is that we’re here to win Sebring in the GT category, and that includes everybody. There is a championship for us in ALMS and the points are very important, but this is Sebring.”

Running on low fuel, Magnussen ran of E85 on his cool-down lap, while Gavin made it back to his pit box on fumes.

“We definitely got the most of what we had today with both cars, and Oliver did a fantastic job,” Magnussen noted. “We didn’t work on a qualifying setup. It was a little warmer today, but there was a tailwind down the back straight that actually makes the lap a little faster. The wind helps you turn into Turn 16, helps on the exit of Turn 1, and in Turns 13 and 15. I had a feeling that we’d be going faster – but not this fast!”

The difference between the two Corvettes was a scant 0.011 seconds.

“It was intense,” Gavin said. “We kept finding a little more time with every lap we ran. I wanted to go for it again on the last lap, but ran low on fuel. Jan just pipped me and two Ferraris are in front of us, but we’re starting at the sharp end.

“Looking at the lap times, Jan and I were almost dead even all the way through,” Gavin explained. “It’s great that both Corvettes are equally fast, and now it’s up to the drivers and crews to take the fight to the other cars tomorrow. I feel that we’re well poised for the race. We want to beat everyone else in GT, and that’s the plan. I’m very proud to be part of Team Chevy and representing Corvette in the 60th anniversary of Sebring.”

The 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, with live video on ESPN3.com. ABC will televise the race at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 18.

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring GT Qualifying

(Combined ALMS/WEC Top 10):

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

1. 1. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari 458 Italia, 1:58.427
2. 2. 59 Makowiecki/Melo/Vernay, Ferrari 458 Italia, 1:58.723
3. 3. 03 Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor, Corvette C6.R, 1:58.996
4. 4. 4 Gavin/Magnussen/Westbrook, Corvette C6.R, 1:59.007
5. 5. 71 Bertolini/Beretta/Cioci, Ferrari 458 Italia, 1:59.084
6. 6. 56 Muller/Hand/Summerton BMW E92 M3, 2:00.027
7. 7. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek/Cosmo, Ferrari F458 Italia, 2:00.084
8. 8. 45 Bergmeister/Long/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:00.119
9. 9. 97 Mucke/Fernandez/Turner, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 2:00.174
10. 10. 77 Lietz/Lieb/Pilet, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:00.256

Chevrolet Corvette to Be Honored as First American Manufacturer in Sebring Hall of Fame

SEBRING, Fla., March 14, 2012 – Corvette’s racing history runs deep at Sebring International Raceway. On Friday, March 16, Chevrolet Corvette will be honored as the first American manufacturer in the Sebring Hall of Fame. The timing of Corvette’s induction is fitting, as Chevrolet celebrates 60 years of Corvette production in 2012 and Sebring stages the milestone 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 17.

The Sebring road course is the crucible where Corvette’s racing reputation was forged. Once a training field for B-17 bomber pilots, the Hendricks Field airstrip circuit became a proving ground for legendary road racers. It was on Sebring’s punishing concrete runways that Chevrolet’s fiberglass sports car first seriously challenged the European marques. On March 24, 1956, John Fitch and Walt Hansgen raced to a Class B victory at Sebring in a Corvette wearing America’s traditional blue and white racing colors – the first step onto the world stage that established Chevrolet as a contender in top-level competition.

A total of 231 Corvettes have competed in the Sebring 12-hour race, and 24 of them have scored class or category victories in this legendary test of endurance. Just as Sebring evolved from a makeshift 5.2-mile airfield circuit into a 3.7-mile permanent road course, Corvette made the transition from boulevard cruiser to world-class sports car.

Victories in Sebring played a crucial role in recasting Chevrolet’s image from a producer of conservative automobiles to a company that appealed to youthful, performance-minded customers. Introduced in 1953 with a six-cylinder engine and a two-speed automatic transmission, Corvette made a great leap forward with the debut of the Chevrolet small-block V-8 in 1955. Legendary racer/engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov continually expanded Corvette’s performance envelope with the development of dual four-barrel carburetors, fuel injection, Duntov-designed solid lifter camshafts, four-speed transmissions, and heavy-duty suspension packages.

Duntov was frequently at odds with the ban on corporate racing enacted by the Automobile Manufacturers Association in 1957, launching a number of unofficial programs to ensure that independent Corvette racers had the equipment they needed to compete successfully. In an era of drum brakes and three-speed gearboxes, Corvette drivers enjoyed the advantages of factory-designed performance packages.

Fresh from a record-setting session on the sands of Daytona Beach (where Duntov set the flying mile speed record at 150.583 mph), the Corvette crew hastily prepared a trio of Corvettes for the 1956 12-hour Sebring endurance race. The untested Corvettes predictably encountered teething problems, but Fitch and Hansgen persevered to finish first in Class B and ninth overall.

That first Sebring victory became the cornerstone of the Corvette legend. Chevrolet’s advertising agency trumpeted the triumph with ads that declared Corvette was “The Real McCoy” and lauded Corvette as “a tough, road-gripping torpedo-on-wheels with the stamina to last through the brutal 12 hours of Sebring.” Further iterations of the first-generation Corvette scored class wins at Sebring in 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, and 1962. Notable Corvette drivers of this era included Dr. Dick Thompson, Briggs Cunningham, Jim Jeffords, 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann., Jerry Grant, Jim Hurtubise, and Don Yenko.

The Sebring Corvettes eventually sired a trio of SR Corvettes – the acronym standing for “Sebring Racer” or alternatively “Sports Racing.” Based on a Sebring Corvette chassis, the SR-2 sprouted a tail fin, racing windscreens, air scoops on the side coves, and an extended front end with driving lights that gave the machine a purposeful appearance. Corvette repeated as the GT class champion at the 1957 Sebring enduro – although it was a production model driven by Dick Thompson, “The Flying Dentist,” and Gaston Andrey that took the honors.

The 1957 Corvette SS that made its competition debut in Sebring was Duntov’s technical tour de force. Conceived to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Corvette SS was a stunning machine, both visually and mechanically. A featherweight magnesium body cloaked a tubular steel space frame that featured coil-over-shock front suspension, a de Dion rear axle and inboard-mounted aluminum drum brakes. A fuel-injected small-block V-8 resided under the long, sloping hood.

A Corvette SS mule car was tested at Sebring by five-time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio and British ace Stirling Moss, running quick lap times in practice for the 12-hour race. Fitch and Piero Taruffi were to drive the Corvette SS in its maiden race, but suspension problems forced its retirement after only 23 laps. There was worse news in store: the Automobile Manufacturers Association announced its opposition to factory involvement in motorsports. The Corvette SS project was shelved – although the SS was resurrected long enough for Duntov to lap Daytona International Speedway at 155 mph during opening-day ceremonies in 1959.

Five lightweight Grand Sport Corvettes constructed in 1962-63 bore the unmistakable mark of Zora. Built behind closed doors when racing was officially discouraged at GM, the handful of featherweight Grand Sports kept the flame of performance alive for the Corvette faithful. Plans for a limited production run of Grand Sports were dashed when the program was canceled to comply with the AMA’s racing ban. Duntov subsequently distributed the Grand Sports to independent racers. Roger Penske and Jim Hall teamed up to win the GT Prototype class at Sebring in 1964 in a Grand Sport, with A.J. Foyt and John Cannon finishing second in Mecom Racing’s Grand Sport. Two of the Grand Sports were eventually converted to roadsters, and today the five examples are among the most prized Corvettes on the planet.

Independent racers also recognized the potential of the Corvette’s small-block powertrain. Chevrolet V-8s became the preferred power source for Lister-Corvettes, Scarabs, Cheetahs and other road racing specials. Jim Hall and Hap Sharp scored an overall victory in the 1965 Sebring 12-hour in a Chaparral equipped with a Chevy small-block V-8 and automatic transmission that traced their roots to Chevrolet R&D. It was the last Sebring overall win by an all-American entry – an American car driven by American drivers.

The arrival of the third-generation Corvette in 1968 sparked a racing revival in Sebring. Now armed with big-block Chevrolet V-8 engines, drivers like John Greenwood (teamed with entertainer Dick Smothers), Tony DeLorenzo, Jerry Thompson, David Heinz, and Bob Johnson put Corvette in the Sebring winner’s circle. Corvettes won the GT class at Sebring in 1968, 1970, 1971, and 1972.

Corvette participation peaked in 1973 when18 Corvettes started the Sebring 12-hour race. In the 1973 enduro, Ron Grable, John Greenwood, and Mike Brockman finished third overall, Corvette’s highest finishing position until Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Jan Magnussen duplicated the feat by finishing third overall in 2006 in a Corvette C6.R.

The 1980s saw the advent of the IMSA GTP era and a battle royal among manufacturers. Chevrolet’s entry in the Camel GT wars was the Corvette GTP, based on a Lola chassis and powered by a turbocharged Chevy V-6 that pumped out more than 1,000 horsepower at full boost. The Corvette GTP proved to be fast but fragile at Sebring, recording a best finish of ninth in 1988 with drivers Sarel Van der Merwe and Elliott Forbes-Robinson in Hendrick Motorsports’ entry.

Wally Dallenbach, Jr. and John Jones scored the only class win by a fourth-generation Corvette in the Sebring 12-hour in 1988, taking the GTO trophy in a Corvette built by Protofab. One of the principals of Protofab was Gary Pratt, who would later become the co-owner of Pratt Miller Engineering, Chevrolet’s technical partner in the Corvette Racing program.

Corvette Racing notched the first of its seven Sebring class victories in 2002 with a Corvette C5-R driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell and Oliver Gavin. With wins the previous year in the Daytona and Le Mans 24-hour races, the Chevrolet team added the third jewel in endurance racing’s Triple Crown at Sebring. O’Connell became the most prolific racer in Sebring history when he tallied his eighth career class win (and fifth with Corvette Racing) at Sebring in 2009. O’Connell also will be inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame on Friday.

Corvette Racing will write another page in Corvette’s racing history at Sebring on Saturday with the latest evolution of the Corvette C6.R and an all-star team of drivers. The 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida will begin at 10:30 a.m. EDT, with live video on ESPN3.com. ABC will televise the race at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 18.

New Corvette C6.Rs and New Driver Lineup to Highlight 60th Annual Sebring 12-Hour Race

SEBRING, Fla., March 9, 2012 – Following an intense preseason testing program, Corvette Racing will begin its quest for the American Le Mans Series GT championship in the season-opening 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 17. Originally constructed as a training ground for B-17 bomber crews during World War II, the runways and service roads of Sebring Airport became a proving ground for legions of Corvette racers. Corvette Racing will continue this motorsports tradition with the competition debut of a new generation of Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars and a revised driver lineup at Sebring International Raceway in the most demanding endurance race on the ALMS calendar.

Many of the updates in the Corvette C6.R race cars are the result of changes in the GT class rules for 2012. The new Corvettes are 2 inches wider than the preceding version (80.6 inches overall width). Corresponding revisions in the bodywork and suspension components complement the increased track width allowed by the regulations, with muscular fender flares covering Michelin racing tires that have been optimized for the new chassis configuration. The rear wing is mounted 75mm higher than last year, and the front fascia now bristles with dive plane “whiskers” to enhance front downforce in the close-quarter battles that are the hallmark of the GT category. The heart of the beast is an updated 5.5-liter Chevrolet small-block V-8 that breathes through twin 29.2mm intake air restrictors (.4mm larger than in 2011) as specified by the GT regulations.

“Last year one of our competitors was granted a waiver to run a car that was 2 inches wider than the GT rules allowed, and the regulations were subsequently changed to allow all of the cars in GT to race with this increased width in 2012,” said Gary Pratt, Corvette Racing team manager. “The 2-inch wider track required all-new bodywork and revised suspension components. The updated Corvette C6.R has to go through the homologation (approval) process again, so we had an opportunity to make additional refinements within the parameters of the GT regulations. GM Powertrain engineers went through a similar process with updates in engine tuning and calibrations to improve driveability and throttle response.”

The wide-body Corvette C6.R race cars still retain strong links to their production counterparts. The hydroformed aluminum frame, bodywork, and aero package are derived from the Corvette ZR1 supercar. The engine is a based on the Corvette Z06’s 7.0-liter naturally aspirated, all-aluminum small-block, reduced to 5.5 liters displacement in accordance with the GT regulations. This tight bond between street and track is showcased in the new 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible, the fastest, most capable Corvette convertible ever produced. The Corvette Racing program pioneered the Corvette 427 Convertible’s 7.0-liter engine, lightweight carbon fiber body components, and aero enhancements.

“A wider car transfers less load under cornering, and consequently it has more lateral capacity,” explained Doug Louth, Corvette Racing engineering director. “It’s not as simple as just making wider fender flares, however. The project involved CFD analysis, surface optimization, and wind tunnel testing. Longer front control arms produce different loads that required new fatigue calculations, durability testing, and packaging studies.

“A key objective was to minimize drag as much as possible with the wider body, while maximizing the downforce potential that it provides,” Louth noted. “Even on a high-speed circuit like Le Mans, the net result favors a wider track width in terms of overall lap time. The wider track has special requirements, and Michelin again proved to be an excellent technical partner. At every test, we had several development tires to evaluate with Michelin engineers. The same Michelin personnel develop tires for the Corvette production cars, so it’s a very deep and productive relationship that encourages the transfer of technology between the two disciplines.”

Success in Sebring is not just about hardware – the human element is also crucial in an exhausting 12-hour endurance test. Corvette Racing has realigned its driver lineup in 2012 to ensure that all six pilots are compatible in both physical size and setup preferences. The No. 03 Compuware Corvette is driven by Jan Magnussen (Denmark) and Antonio Garcia (Spain), with 20-year-old Florida college student Jordan Taylor making his Corvette Racing competition debut as third driver. Oliver Gavin (UK) and Tommy Milner of Lake Mary, Fla., will share the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, with Richard Westbrook (UK) reprising his role as third driver in the long-distance events.

“We work together very, very well,” said Magnusssen about his co-drivers. “We have similar feedback and want similar characteristics in the car. We have arrived at a solution on the seat, the pedals, and the steering wheel that we can all use without seat inserts, which will speed up driver changes. Everybody is up to speed and very fast in the car.”

“It’s great to welcome Tommy on board in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R,” said Westbrook. “I can’t argue with being paired with the reigning Le Mans champion. Olly, Tommy and I get on well, we’ve gelled over the winter, and we’ve learned what each other likes in the car. With our similar sizes, the driving position is more comfortable than last year, which is very important when you’re double-stinting.”

With a total of 63 entries for Sebring (33 ALMS and 30 FIA World Endurance Championship), the 17-turn, 3.7-mile circuit will feature intense racing and heavy traffic.

“It’s going to be a really challenging event,” said Gavin. “My expectations are there will be huge traffic and difficult situations with drivers who haven’t raced at Sebring before. The pit lane has been extended to accommodate the large number of entries, which has changed the entry to the first turn. This will be an issue for the faster prototype cars because they won’t be able to swing out wide to overtake and then arc into the first corner.”

“Sixty-three cars at Sebring will be tough for everyone,” Milner predicted. “I’m glad that I’ve raced there several times before and know the track well. Among all of the endurance races, Sebring is one of the most difficult driving into the night. You have the sun in your eyes in Sunset Bend and smoke from the campfires blowing across the infield. The back section, especially Turn 14, is very dark. When you don’t have any reference points at night, 120 mph feels like 300 mph. Night practice here is very, very important.”

Corvette first competed at Sebring in 1956 when John Fitch and Walt Hansgen raced to a Class B victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the first step onto the world stage that established Chevy’s sports car as a contender in top-level competition. Since then, 24 Corvettes have scored class or category victories in this legendary endurance race, including seven ALMS class wins by Corvette Racing. Armed with new machinery, an international roster of skillful drivers, and a dedicated crew, Corvette Racing is now focused on bringing home its eighth Sebring title.

The 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, with live video on ESPN3.com. ABC will televise the race at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 18.

Chevrolet Team Continues Development of New Corvette C6.R Race Cars

SEBRING, Fla., Feb. 9, 2012 – This was only a test – but as the final shakedown before the season-opening 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the two-day ALMS Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway was crucial for Corvette Racing. The Chevrolet team continued to develop its new Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars and integrate its new driver lineups. The team also unveiled its 2012 livery that features Jake, the team mascot, in the striking yellow and black graphics.

Corvette Racing participated in the series’ official preseason test with two new chassis, one new driver, and a revised lineup. Twenty-year-old Jordan Taylor of Apopka, Fla., made his public debut as a Corvette Racing driver, sharing the No. 3 Corvette C6.R with co-drivers Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia. Tommy Milner settled in with the No. 4 Corvette C6.R that he now shares with teammates Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook.

Announced last month as the third driver for the Sebring, Le Mans, and Road Atlanta endurance races, Taylor adapted quickly to both his new race car and new team. “It’s been exciting so far, being teamed with Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia for the three long-distance races,” Taylor said. “It’s a lot of pressure, but also a huge opportunity for me to drive with these guys and to learn from them.

“Every time I get out of the car, I compare the data with them to see where I can improve,” Taylor explained. “Yesterday Jan was helping me with Turn 1 and now I’m on pace with the quicker guys. Things are going really well so far!”

The twin Corvette C6.R race cars completed nearly 15 hours of track time without any significant issues. While long runs took priority over fast laps, both Corvettes ran considerably quicker than the 2:01.561 lap time that won the GT pole at Sebring last year. The No. 4 Corvette was clocked at 2:00.700, and the No. 3 Corvette turned a lap in 2:00.799 on the historic 17-turn, 3.7-mile circuit.

“The work that the team has done during the off-season gives me a lot of confidence,” said Milner. “I can really feel the results when I drive the car, and that’s very encouraging. Every test matters and every outing counts because the racing is so competitive in GT. Everyone at Corvette Racing is looking toward our ultimate goals – winning races, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and winning the ALMS GT championship. Testing here in Sebring with our competitors has given us a benchmark to see how our work has paid off.”

Milner’s co-driver, Oliver Gavin, agreed: “The new car is very good, and the wider track has helped with the balance,” the Briton said. “I would almost say that this GT Corvette C6.R handles like the GT1 Corvettes we raced several years ago. It’s simply amazing how the technology, the aerodynamic development, and all of the work done by Corvette Racing’s engineers and crew have taken us a step forward for 2012.”

Richard Westbrook, third driver for the No. 4 Corvette C6.R, is looking forward to the start of his second season with Corvette Racing at the Sebring enduro. “Everyone has been very determined this winter, and so far, so good,” Westbrook said. “The car feels great. It’s not just aero, the engines, or one single thing – the Corvette team has taken 50 small items and improved them across the board. As we know, everyone in this class improves every year, so it’s going to be tough as ever, but we feel we’re in good shape.”

Jan Magnussen is equally confident in his return to the No. 3 Corvette C6.R that propelled him to an ALMS championship in 2008. “I’m very positive with everything that we’ve tried,” declared the Dane. “We’ve gone in a new direction with this car, and when we try something new, we then find another 100 things we want to try! I think this test has been super-productive, and the new car is responding well to the changes we’re making. It’s always difficult at the Winter Test because the track will be quite different during the Sebring 12-hour race – but I think we are in quite good shape.”

Antonio Garcia moves from his role as third driver to a full-season seat in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R. He shared his teammates’ optimism after the Sebring test. “We have put all our effort into making this car as fast as possible,” Garcia noted. “There have been big changes overall to the bodywork, so there was a lot of work to be done by the engineers and the crew in the shop. We have certainly improved since last year – the question is, how much have the others improved as well? We won’t know that until the race, so we just need to focus on our program. I think we will have a very competitive car to fight for victory in the 60th running of the Sebring 12-hour race.

Corvette Racing’s next event is the season-opening 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway on March 17.