IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
CORVETTE RACING DRIVER QUOTES – 18-HOUR REPORT
JANUARY 26, 2018
PAGE 6
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2018) – With just six hours remaining in the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, both Corvette C7.R have maintained solid performances as the push to the finish quickly approaches.
Antonia Garcia relinquished the steering wheel of the No. 3 Mobil 1/Sirius XM Chevrolet Corvette to Mike Rockenfeller with just under seven hours left to race. As a result of great pit work and a subsequent perfectly timed yellow flag, the No. 3 got its lap back with the two lead cars in site.
Equaling its team car’s solid and steady run, Marcel Fassler took the cockpit of the No. 4 Mobil 2/Sirius XM Chevrolet Corvette C7 from Tommy Milner as the race headed into its final six hours. Fassler sits in fourth, one lap down to the three leaders, and six laps ahead of fifth place.
Weather was not an issue during this six-hour portion of the race, but the threat of rain exists in the forecast for the last two hours of the contest.
The final Corvette Racing update from the Rolex 24 will come after the checkered flag.
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “In that last stint, the car was really good. The way the track is gripping up is suiting us right now. We’re a little too far behind to do anything. We’ll just keep pushing and see what still happens. We need some safety cars for us to have a real shot. We have good speed. We’re just too far behind right now.”
MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Obviously in the night it is always crazy here. You need to be really focused. I had two incidents… we didn’t lose any time, and I didn’t touch anyone. It was close; people kept spinning in front of me. That was close, and we were lucky. The car is kind of good. The track is changing all the time so I think we need to see where we are at the end. Right now, it looks like the Fords are too fast for us. But we will keep digging and keep digging. It is still a long race, and we know how many things can happen. I am still very optimistic.
“We have only had two yellows, so it’s a bit odd. I was expecting more chaos. There is still plenty of time for something to happen. No one usually wants yellows but I wouldn’t mind a couple to get us closer to the Fords!”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We’re just maintaining our position and circulating… waiting for the sun to come up and see what the morning brings. The car is OK. We had to run a set of tires that weren’t very nice, and I didn’t enjoy that very much. In the first stint I did, the traffic wasn’t so bad. After that, it was ridiculous again. There’s still quite a ways to go. We’ll see what sunrise brings.”