CORVETTE DPs AT SEBRING: Taking on a 12-Hour Challenge
Goal is first victory at America’s oldest sports car race

· Four Corvette DPs set for second TUDOR Championship race at Sebring
· Action Express Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais claimed 2014 pole position
· Two Corvette DPs on podium at Daytona season-opener

DETROIT (March 17, 2015) – After more than an eight-week layoff since the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype teams return to Florida this week for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Four Corvette DPs will contest the second round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship from historic Sebring International Raceway in central Florida.

The event will mark only the second appearance for the Corvette Daytona Prototypes at Sebring – a 3.7-mile, 17-turn layout with a number of different surfaces and bumps throughout. Drivers often state that Sebring is the most physical track on the TUDOR Championship schedule.

Action Express Racing placed third last year at Sebring with eventual TUDOR Championship Prototype champions Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi teaming with Chevrolet IndyCar V6 regular Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 5 Corvette DP. Bourdais was the pole-winner in Prototype qualifying.

The trio started the 2015 season in strong fashion with a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in their Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. Corvette Daytona Prototypes took two of the three podium spots at Daytona as Richard Westbrook, Michael Valiante and Mike Rockenfeller placed third in their No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP.

The Daytona results have Chevrolet second in TUDOR Championship’s Prototype Engine Manufacturer points. Chevrolet has won three straight manufacturer titles – 2012 and 2013 in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and last year in the TUDOR Championship.

In addition to the No. 5 and No. 90 Corvette DPs, two more Corvette Daytona Prototypes will contest Sebring: the No. 31 Action Express Racing Whelen/Team Fox Corvette DP of Eric Curran, Dane Cameron and Max Papis; and the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Konica Minolta Corvette DP of Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli.

Three of the four cars tested last week at Sebring for two days. A victory for the Corvette DP would be the first overall at Sebring for Chevy power since 1965.

“Sebring is a unique circuit – one that can’t be replicated anywhere,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “The racing surface is rough and changes throughout a lap from concrete to asphalt and back again. It represents one of the toughest, most physical challenges anywhere in racing. Our Corvette DP teams had a positive test at Sebring last week with each recording a significant number of laps. It’s not speed that wins at Sebring but reliability and consistency. Our Chevrolet engineers have worked hard to develop optimal setup suggestions for the teams. That data along with managing traffic and staying in the race will be keys.”

For the 2015 TUDOR Championship, all Corvette DP cars are running with updated Chevrolet bodywork that reflects the Corvette C7 production line.

The frontal area sees a striking change in design from the previous generation Corvette DP, including updates to the hood surface, headlights and radiator inlet area. The rear window area also has been updated. The Corvette DP will take styling cues from the C7 including the rear taillights.

At the heart of the Corvette Daytona Prototype is a purpose-built 5.5-liter Chevrolet LS9 V-8 engine developed by ECR Engines. The peak output is 560 hp as the power is regulated by a pair of sonic air restrictors that are mandated by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) – the sanctioning body of the TUDOR Championship.

The Corvette DP also features a new engine management system from Bosch Motorsport for 2015 and a continuation of a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shift. The brakes feature six-piston calipers with carbon rotors. Without the driver, the Corvette DP weighs 2,285 pounds.

The second round of the 2015 TUDOR United Sports Car Championship is the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 21 from Sebring International Raceway. Coverage will alternate between FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and IMSA.com. Flag-to-flag radio coverage will be available via IMSA Radio.

Corvette, Chevrolet on Display at Sebring
In addition to the on-track activity at Sebring, fans can learn all they need to know about Chevrolet by visiting the Corvette Racing Display from Thursday to Saturday in the Sebring Midway. Among the Chevrolet attractions at the Display and at Sebring include:

• Chevrolet production vehicles such as the 2015 Corvette Stingray, Impala SS and the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, the Chevy Colorado.
• A Corvette C7.R show car and its production counterpart – the 2015 Corvette Z06. They represent the strongest link between Corvettes built for racing and the road
• The Ultimate Track Camaro SS, which features suspension components from the Z/28, as well as a high-performance camshaft and complementing, higher-flow cylinder heads from Chevrolet Performance for a greater output of horsepower
• Samples of Chevrolet engines, performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer
• A variety of interactive games for adults and kids
• Commemorative t-shirts for fans who sign up with Corvette Racing.

The Corvette Racing display opens 9 a.m., Thursday and 8 a.m., Friday and Saturday.

In addition, Chevrolet will pace the two highest-profile races of the Sebring weekend. A Chevrolet Corvette Z51 will lead the field around for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and a Camaro Z/28 will do the same for Friday’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge event.

Corvette Daytona Prototype Quotes
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, NO. 5 ACTION EXPRESS RACING MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP
“The first challenge at Sebring is finishing the race. Our guys have a great track record of producing reliable cars that can run a blistering pace so we have a lot of confidence going into the race. The second challenge is keeping the car out of trouble for 12 hours. You have 47 cars on the entry list this year so there is going to be a lot of traffic to deal with, and when the sun sets it makes it even more challenging. Then the third challenge is keeping yourself hydrated and rested. Sebring is typically a hot race and you need to stay hydrated at all times, if you don’t you aren’t going to be on the top of your game when you need to be.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING KONIKA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP
“Daytona is a 24-hour and Sebring is a 12-hour, but Sebring is almost a tougher race – definitely from a physical point of view. Sebring is way more physical for a driver mentally and physically, and it’s a lot tougher of a racetrack on the cars because it’s so rough and bumpy. If you’re going to have any car issues during the season, they’re likely going to happen at Sebring because it’ll shake any problems you might have right out of or off the car. It’s a tough race with a lot of high- and low-speed corners, so with all the cars you have to deal with out there, there is traffic to deal with all over the track, every lap. You really need to be aggressive because the pace is so competitive, but you also have to be careful about when and where to take calculated risks, which are the name of the game there.”

DANE CAMERON, NO. 31 ACTION EXPRESS RACING WHELEN/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP
“The 12 Hours is one of my favorite events of the season by far. I love the track, and the event has such great history; the diehard Sebring fans are unlike anything else in the world. As a new group, I think everyone on the Whelen Engineering car was really gelling well together by the end of the Rolex 24 and I can’t wait to get back to the track now. We had a good run at Daytona and it was great to leave with fourth place after an early issue but we will be looking to put the No. 31 Corvette DP on the podium in Sebring.”

MICHAEL VALIANTE, NO. 90 VISITFLORIDA.COM RACING CORVETTE DP
“It’s a toss-up to determine what Sebring is harder on – drivers or cars. The teams have done so much to improve the reliability of these cars that so that it seems like Sebring is harder on the drivers. It’s hot so trying to stay hydrated becomes a priority, then you have to eat and you try get some rest in there so you’re fresh for your next stints but resting is difficult to do with the intensity level. I feel like we performed well in the two-day test last week and that speaks volumes for the effort that all the guys on the team put forth after Daytona. Despite some struggles at Daytona we still had a great result, finishing third, so we carry that momentum.”