Chevy Racing–FAMILIAR FOUR: CORVETTE RACING RE-SIGNS FULL-SEASON DRIVERS FOR 2016

FAMILIAR FOUR: CORVETTE RACING RE-SIGNS FULL-SEASON DRIVERS FOR 2016
Garcia, Magnussen, Gavin, Milner to form core group of Corvette Racing driving roster

· Quartet has been together full-time at Corvette Racing since 2012

· Team captured endurance racing’s Triple Crown in 2015

· Each driver a past GT class Driver Champion

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 1, 2015) – With its 2015 racing season coming to an end this weekend at Road Atlanta, Corvette Racing already is casting an eye toward the future. The team and Chevrolet announced today that its group of full-season drivers – Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner – will return to drive two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs in 2016.

The Corvette Racing program for next season is expected to include the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship plus a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – a race Corvette Racing has won eight times including a stirring victory this year.

The 2016 season will see Corvette Racing campaign an evolution of the Corvette C7.R based on new GTE regulations that govern Le Mans-style GT racing around the world. It will make its racing debut for the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31.

“We are pleased to have the Corvette Racing driver lineup set for 2016,” said Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing. “Antonio, Jan, Oliver and Tommy have been behind the wheel of the familiar yellow Corvettes for several seasons now. Their ability to work cohesively has resulted in numerous key race wins and championships. We are proud of the accomplishments these drivers and Corvette Racing have delivered, and we look forward to more success.
“Having our drivers in place provides Corvette Racing the opportunity to maintain its focus on preparing for the 2016 season,” Kent added. “With the addition of new cars and competitors to our class, preparation will be key. Our goal is to ready ourselves for the 2016 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and start the season off with a repeat victory.”

The core four Corvette Racing drivers will contest their fifth season together, a testament to the importance of continuity within the team and Chevrolet. In that span, each member of the quartet has claimed GT-class Driver’s championships. Gavin and Milner won the American Le Mans Series GT title in 2012 with Garcia and Magnussen taking honors the following year.

Since the start of the 2012 season, the group has combined to win 16 races in the ALMS, TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and Le Mans.

The team’s recent highlights include victories at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and Rolex 24, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2013 and 2015, and the 2014 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.

Corvette Racing’s two Corvette C7.Rs will contest this weekend’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in the final race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Petit Le Mans is a 10-hour endurance race that Corvette Racing has won nine times.

The event is set for 11:15 a.m. ET for Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. It will air live on FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports Go and IMSA.com throughout the day beginning at 11 a.m. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.

ANTONIO GARCIA: “I really enjoy racing with Corvette Racing and Chevrolet. Joining them in 2009 and moving to a full-time ride in 2012 is the highlight of my career. Together with Jan, Oliver and Tommy, we’ve won many races and championships in the toughest class that sports car racing can offer. Even though we won at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans this year, we are never satisfied. It won’t get any easier with Ford coming in next year along with new cars for everyone in our class. Next season will be one of the toughest challenges we have faced at Corvette Racing, but everyone is ready to meet it.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN: “It’s great to be back with Corvette Racing for 2016. I’ve absolutely enjoyed every season with the team starting back in 2004. All the victories at Le Mans, winning races and championships in the ALMS and now the TUDOR Championship have been great. I’m very proud and very grateful to everyone at Corvette Racing and Chevrolet for giving me an opportunity to race for them over the last 10-plus years.
“Next season will be a huge challenge with new cars and new teams coming in – starting with Ford. It will take a huge effort to maintain the level of success we are used to at Corvette Racing. Having the same full-season drivers for another year is a great start.”

OLIVER GAVIN: “I’m delighted to be back with Corvette Racing for my 15th year. It’s been an amazing career with the team, and we’re looking to build on the last couple of seasons with the Corvette C7.R. We were able to win the biggest three events in endurance racing this year. The goal is to build on that and repeat that success next year.
“The continuity of our driver lineup is fantastic. We have a great mix of youth and experience. It shows with the successes that we’ve had – the championships and race wins – that the core four drivers work well together. There is a transparency back and forth between all four of us – what we see on the track, what we’re working on engineering-wise, what our rivals are doing and so forth. We share all that information and it makes us better as a whole.”

TOMMY MILNER: “I’m very happy to be back again with Corvette Racing. This year was my fifth year with the team, and we’ve already scored two Le Mans wins and an ALMS GT championship together. I certainly hoped those would be the results after five years. We’ve accomplished a lot together and we’re excited to continue working toward those results next year. It will be a little bit different for the GT cars and teams in general. It’s the most significant change in GT racing probably in the last 10 years and we’re all excited for that. It’ll be great to keep working with the guys on the team to make more history with Corvette Racing.
“More than ever, having continuity with the driver lineup is extremely beneficial for Corvette Racing and Chevrolet. There is no adjustment period; it’s business as usual. There’s a lot of work to be done, and having familiarity can only help during the development of these new Corvette C7.Rs.”