CORVETTE RACING AT MONTEREY: Strong History at Laguna Seca
Seven class victories and three wins in last four seasons at Monterey
Gavin, Milner enter with GTLM points lead, Rolex and Sebring wins
Garcia, Magnussen went back-to-back in 2013-14
Corvette Racing with 99 victories in program history
DETROIT (April 27, 2016) – Corvette Racing will wrap up its two-race swing on the West Coast at one of its most successful venues – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for a two-hour sprint race near the Monterey coast. The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix presented by Mazda is the team’s third race of the season and last before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A victory Sunday would be Corvette Racing’s eighth at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit on the Monterey Peninsula and fourth in five seasons. Four different models of Corvette have won races there including the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R that won in 2013 and 2014.
Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, drivers of the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, were winners in the 2012 race in the previous-generation Corvette C6.R. The pairing is the hottest driver in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. They opened the season with victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
They seemed on their way to a victory two weeks ago at Long Beach – which would have been No. 100 for Corvette Racing – before another GTLM competitor knocked Milner from the lead with two minutes left. He and Gavin still managed to place second and lead the class Driver’s Championship by 18 points, while Chevrolet leads the Manufacturer Championship by five points.
Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R won in 2013 and 2014 at Laguna Seca. They are looking to end a string of bad luck that resulted in ninth-place finishes in their last two events. They were runners-up to the No. 4 Corvette at Daytona.
The Continental Tire Grand Prix of Monterey for GTLM and Prototype entries is set for 11:15 a.m. PT on Sunday. It will air live on FOX Sports 1 with audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
Corvette Racing Display on Location in Monterey
Corvette Racing fans will have plenty to see and do at Laguna Seca. In addition to the on-track activity for Corvette Racing and Corvette Daytona Prototypes, the Corvette Racing Display will be open starting Friday morning. Fans can learn all they need to know about Chevrolet and see a number of Chevy attractions:
• Award-winning Chevrolet 2016 production vehicles such as the Colorado Diesel – the 2016 Motor Trend Truck of the Year – and the Camaro – the 2016 Motor Trend Car of the Year
• Additional Chevrolet vehicles including Silverado HD, Malibu, Cruze, Equinox and Corvette Stingray
• A Corvette C7.R show car
• Samples of Chevrolet engines, performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer
• A variety of Chevrolet and racing related activities for adults and kids
• Commemorative t-shirts for fans who sign up with Corvette Racing.
The Corvette Racing display opens at 8 a.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Jan and I are in a similar situation as when we arrived at Laguna Seca in 2013. We had a fast Corvette and were in contention during a number of races prior, but we finally broke through for our first win together in Monterey. It was a great race and very satisfying. We arrive again looking to turn around our fortunes. We’ve led every race this year but haven’t gotten the results we feel we deserve. Hopefully we can break through before we head to Le Mans.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a fun track to drive and really one of my favorites. There are passing opportunities at the final turn and the hairpin, and you can also grab an opportunity at the Corkscrew but you really have to commit. With split races for the classes this weekend run over two hours, the weekend is going to be really interesting. If we don’t have any yellows, then two hours is going to be right on the limit of trying to make it on one stop. The place here at Laguna really has an awesome flow to it. After the Andretti hairpin you can really get an brilliant run through the next flow of corners up to the Corkscrew.
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Laguna Seca is one of the best venues for sports car racing in America. It’s a fantastic area and that adds to the history of the track and motorsport in the Monterey area. It also helps that Corvette Racing – and myself personally – has had a great deal of success at Laguna Seca over the years. Tommy and I have great momentum after the first three rounds of the season. What happened at Long Beach is still disappointing but we would all like nothing more than to get back on a winning track in Monterey before we prepare for Le Mans.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Long Beach is over and everyone on the No. 4 Corvette team is ready to move on to Laguna Seca. It’s a great place to be and is one of my favorite stops on our schedule. You face a number of challenges with small mistakes potentially leading to bigger problems. Keeping the car on the track and out of the sand and gravel is a priority. Fortunately we have a Corvette that brakes and turns well in the mid-speed corners that make up the layout. Leaving here with the points lead and a victory would give us great momentum ahead of our return to Le Mans in June.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “The Monterey Peninsula is certainly the most panoramic region we visit, and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the most formidable circuits on which we race. From the iconic Corkscrew to the windblown sand, this place presents every driver with daunting challenges at every corner. After our brush with victory in Long Beach, I can assure you all our guys are totally engaged and fully prepared to give our fans what they pay to see and move on to Le Mans on a positive note.”
