Chevy Racing–CORVETTE DPs AT CTMP: New Challenge North of the Border

CORVETTE DPs AT CTMP: New Challenge North of the Border
Championship-leading Corvette DPs to run for first time at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

·        New stop for contingent of Corvette Daytona Prototypes
·        Spirit of Daytona Racing, Action Express Racing coming off strong showing at Watkins Glen
·        Chevrolet, Wayne Taylor Racing remain out front in Prototype championships

DETROIT (July 8, 2014) – A new stop beckons for Chevrolet’s Corvette Daytona Prototypes as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship hits its stride for its summer schedule. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) is one of Canada’s oldest permanent road-racing venues and was the site of the first Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in 1967. It holds its first TUDOR Championship race this weekend – the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance.

The circuit played host to the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) from 1999-2013. With the advent of the TUDOR Championship – a merger of the ALMS and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series – a new age of sports car racing is set to make its mark at the track. The Corvette DPs will be at the forefront and look for a third straight victory in the TUDOR Championship. Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante won the last round at Watkins Glen International for Spirit of Daytona Racing. Heading to Canada, Chevrolet continues to lead the Prototype engine manufacturer championship lead with three wins on the season.

Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor lead the driver’s championship in their No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP, which also is up front in the team standings. Action Express Racing’s Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi – winners of the Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the season – moved into second-place following a third-place showing at Watkins Glen.

Marsh Racing’s Corvette DP of Eric Curran and Boris Said finished sixth in class at Watkins Glen to tie its best result of the year. Of all the teams in the Corvette DP camp, the Whelen Engineering group has the most experience at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a number of races and victories there in SCCA World Challenge competition with a Corvette GT car; Curran won back-to-back races in 2007 and 2008.

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – still known as Mosport to many – is a classic track and one of the fastest in North America. It has a number of medium- to high-speed corners that can amplify mistakes. Those sections also should favor the lighter P2 cars in the Prototype class.

“Our Corvette DP teams carry a tremendous amount of momentum to our only stop in Canada,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Corvette Daytona Prototype Program Manager. “We have shown good pace and reliability with our Chevrolet V-8 power. We are faced with a new challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, which should be a thrill for our drivers and fans alike. It is one of the fastest tracks we run with huge amounts of elevation change and long, sweeping corners. The lighter P2 cars may have a slight advantage in those areas, but overall the performances of all the cars in the Prototype class appear to be good. It should make for a great race Sunday.”

Camaro Z/28.R Continuing Strong Debut Season
Chevrolet also had a bountiful weekend at Watkins Glen in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge thanks to a second victory for the new Camaro Z/28.R of Stevenson Motorsports’ Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis. The duo’s victory moved Chevrolet into the manufacturer championship lead of the series’ Grand Sport (GS) class.
CKS Autosport’s Eric Curran added to the history-making weekend with the first pole for the Z/28.R. Camaros ran 1-2-3 for much of the race, a testament to the amount of development by the teams, Chevrolet engineers and GM’s Powertrain group.

Stevenson Motorsports and CKS Autosport each will have two Camaros for the race. CKS’ Ashley McCalmont, driving this weekend with Mike Skeen, will race at her home track for the first time in the Continental series.

“Watkins Glen was a bit of a dream weekend for Chevrolet and the Camaro Z/28.R,” said Lisa Talarico, Chevrolet’s Camaro Z/28.R Program Manager. “Gaining the lead in manufacturer points is a huge accomplishment for everyone involved with this program. Keeping it will prove just as difficult. This will be the first time for the Continental Sports Car Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, so every minute on the track will be a learning experience.”