TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
MOBIL 1 TWELVES HOURS OF SEBRING FUELED BY FRESH FROM FLORIDA
SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
CORVETTE RACING AND CORVETTE DP DRIVERS POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
MARCH 21, 2015
CHEVROLET CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE (DP)
JOAO BARBOSA, NO. 5 ACTION EXPRESS RACING MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – RACE WINNER
YOU THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT THIS TEAM HAS DONE VICTORIES AT DAYTONA, THE RACE WINS, THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WHERE DOES THIS STACK UP?
“It’s right there. What an unbelievable race. The car ran flawlessly. These Action Express guys are really the best. The car ran no problem. It’s really good to bring Corvette back here in Victory Lane after over 50 years I think. Our Mustang Sampling Corvette was awesome the whole day, just kept improving and getting better as the night was going through. Obviously my teammates – what a phenomenal job. The car is still clean, it’s a little dirty, but all the pieces are still in there. What a tremendous result for everybody. They really deserve it they should be very proud of all the achievements they have done.”
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, NO. 5 ACTION EXPRESS RACING MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – RACE WINNER
I ASKED YOU ABOUT THE BROKEN FRONT SWAY BAR AND YOU SAID OBVIOUSLY IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER BECAUSE THE CAR RAN FLAWLESSLY AND HANDLED FLAWLESSLY EVEN WITH THAT PROBLEM:
“Well it’s not that it doesn’t matter. We couldn’t fix it in the middle of the race. We had what we had and we just had to make the best of what we had. As I mentioned before the car was really great all the way through the race. I don’t know what to say. I’m unbelievably happy. In one year we had so many wins and Action Express has done an awesome job, ECR (Earnhardt Childress Racing), Mustang Sampling, Chevy – thank you very much. Joao (Barbosa), Seb. (Bourdais) like what a great team. Awesome, awesome, awesome.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 5 ACTION EXPRESS RACING MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP – RACE WINNER
THE INDYCAR SEASON IS ABOUT TO START, BUT THESE GUYS ARE BRINGING YOU LOTS OF HARDWARE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE THIS TO THE INDYCAR SIDE:
“Oh yeah I mean that is a good way to start the year. Second place in Daytona and first here it was the manner obviously putting the field a lap down. That was a heck of a race. Thanks for the guys that first because it’s been a tough day. It was something like 125 degrees in the car and that blower for the helmet was pretty weak all day. We have been earning it today I think. Hats off to everybody, Chevy and Mustang Sampling, everybody thanks for the hard work it was a heck of a day.”
RICKY JORDAN, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP:
SECOND PLACE AFTER ALL YOU WENT THROUGH TODAY, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THIS TEAM?
“This is the best recovery I have ever seen. I mean going from those braking issues on lap four thinking that our race was pretty much done because it was such an odd problem. Then and hour and a half later getting absolutely smashed by a PC car, and then fixing the brakes; fixing the car and finishing second which was kind of the best of the rest was pretty special. We finally got some points when I thought we were going to be out. Good points. Good day. I can’t believe we solved that brake issue. That was incredible.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP – FINISHED 2ND
AFTER ALL THE TEAM WENT THROUGH, ON PODIUM: “It is kind of the same story as Daytona. We went into both races on our back foot with problems and having to solve them in the race. At Daytona we fixed it on the first pit stop, and then this race it took us a few hours, but after six hours of trying every pit stop, the guys actually figured it out which is unbelievable after four practice sessions, qualifying, six hours of racing we got it sorted out. We look back with second, we could be a little bit disappointed, but if you would have told us four or five hours into the race we would have been on the podium, we wouldn’t have believed you. So, I think we can all be pretty proud of the effort.”
MAX ANGELELLI, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE KIND OF RACE WE HAD?
“Very amazing because six, seven hours ago we had absolutely no faith in finishing in the top five. But the Konica Minolta racing team just pulled out this magic and the guys in the time stand with the strategy they made it happen.”
ON THE RACE:
“I guess I was waiting for that yellow. It paid for Ricky and Jordan finishing the race. I believe that made it. We were all waiting and hoping for that yellow. But that is racing and we were happy with our Konica Minolta Corvette it performed really well especially at the end of the race. Ricky and Jordan did great supporting me and we will take second.”
RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 90 VISITFLORIDA.COM RACING CORVETTE DP – FINISHED 3RD
ON THE RACE:
“It was really good. It’s just a shame we had an issue with the last two pit stops where we lost a load of time. We need to find out what that was. I think it was a problem with the air jack or something. So it was really frustrating because we would have been in second. It put us down to fourth and I had a lovely fight with Scott (Dixon) and it was really good racing. He was very fair, side-by-side in (Turn) 17 and we both gave each other room. He was struggling on his tires and we came out on top. Really happy for the boys at Visit Florida to get home podium and share it with Rocky (Mike Rockenfeller) and Michael (Valiante) it is extra special.”
MICHAEL VALIANTE, NO. 90 VISITFLORIDA.COM RACING CORVETTE DP – FINISHED 3RD
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH A PODIUM FINISH?
“Yeah, I mean (Richard) Westbrook did an amazing job. Hats off to him to bring us back from the jack failure we had. After the tough week we have had we didn’t expect to be on the podium. So to regroup and make the car better and have a solid race and finish third that is fantastic.”
ON HIS RACE:
“It was great we are really happy with this third place. The engine ran fantastic. We had a few issues, but we finished third and we will move on to Long Beach.”
MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 90 VISITFLORIDA.COM RACING CORVETTE DP – FINISHED 3RD
ON HIS RACE:
“I mean thanks to the boys they did their best and they did a good job. We had a tough race still we were lacking pace some stages of the race. Overall I think we all did our best. We had some issues at the end with the air jack, so some problems on pit stops. Richard (Westbrook) did really well at the end to overtake the No. 01 car to make sure that we finished on the podium. I think that is all we could do today. It was almost a trouble free race on track. Just one small incident, but other than that we didn’t have the pace to be better than third that is for sure.”
TROY FLIS, TEAM OWNER, NO. 90 VISITFLORIDA.COM RACING CORVETTE DP – FINISHED 3RD
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH A PODIUM FINISH?
“Yes and no. We thought we were going to be happy with a third-place finish, but how the race went I think we had a second-place car. Had a couple of issues at the end, we had an air jack hose break or something. Still think we could have raced the No. 10 car to the end there. But the last couple of pit stops really killed us. It is what it is. We just got to keep digging. The team, we keep getting these third places that is going to make championships out of us. That is what we are going to go for.”
CHEVROLET CORVETTE GTLM
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
WHAT WAS THE KEY TO GETTING THIS WIN?
“I don’t know. I think strategy was a key thing here. I mean we definitely didn’t have the fastest car out there, but consistency was the key thing. We were making out of pressure on them. Even though we were not able to be in the lead and pull away like at Daytona, we were hammering them. We didn’t want them to bail or just to take it easy. Maybe that is why they catch some problems, but at the end strategy was the key thing. Maybe they run into problems, but they had to stop anyway. So, Corvette Racing again strategy was brilliant. Pretty happy for these two guys and two in a row I can’t say more.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
THIS IS YOUR FOURTH WIN HERE AT SEBRING WHERE DOES THIS ONE RANK?
“Sebring ranks high. It’s one of the biggest victories you can get. To win this way like was said before we didn’t have the fastest car, but we had a fantastic team and good strategy. Antonio, the closer, was fantastic.”
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
YOU ARE THE THIRD DRIVER NOW YOU HAVE TO STEP AWAY. HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE GOING OUT AFTER TWO RACE WINS?
“I know, it’s hard, I wish I could stay and be the third guy at all the races. What a great start to the year. This team has just been working tirelessly. We had some bad luck in these first two races last year. I think it’s really turned around for us. I mean just not mistakes, the car has just been absolutely rock solid. Just so thrilled to be a part of this team and winning races. It’s awesome.”
OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It’s an unfortunate end our race with the equipment malfunction. We showed throughout that our Corvette C7.R had good pace. I was able to challenge and post solid lap times in both stints, and I felt like we had a car that could certainly challenge for the podium. Sebring is tough on drivers and the cars, as we saw again today.”
TOMMY MILNER, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “What another crazy Sebring race. We felt really good about our Corvette C7.R after last week’s test and practice this week. We struggled with pace in the heat but could challenge and were making gains as the temperatures dropped. A belt issue set us back first, then we had more mechanical trouble with Oliver in the car. It’s a tough result for us. But congratulations to the 3 car on another great win for Corvette Racing.”
SIMON PAGENAUD, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It has been a good time for Corvette Racing. I enjoy driving the Corvette C7.R. It is a beautiful car. It is sad that this is last time I am with the team, but hopefully we will be able to be together in the future. I am quite excited to get back to my daily duties with Team Penske (No. 22 Team Penske Chevrolet in the Verizon IndyCar Series). This was really fun, and as you know I love sports cars. I still feel like I belong here. I hope I can come back and race again with Corvette Racing.”