CAMARO Z/28.R AT COTA: Come-from-Behind Victory for Davis, Liddell
Fourth Grand Sport victory of 2015 in No. 6 Stevenson Camaro Z/28.R
AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 18, 2015) – Andrew Davis, Robin Liddell and Stevenson Motorsports made the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R a winner again in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge on Friday. Davis and Liddell won in the series’ Grand Sport (GS) class for the fourth time this season with a victory at Circuit of The Americas in Stevenson Motorsports’ No. 6 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R.
The result unofficially increased Chevrolet’s lead in the GS Manufacturer standings to 15 points with one race and 35 points remaining in the season finale at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans in two weeks. Davis and Liddell saw their lead in the Driver’s Championship from 10 points to 28 points.
Liddell took the checkered flag by 1.292 seconds over Billy Johnson.
“Congratulations to Andrew Davis, Robin Liddell and the Stevenson Motorsports team on today’s victory,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. “The race showed that speed, strategy and a little bit of luck can make all the difference in this series. There were great pit calls, excellent strategy and great driving by both Andrew and Robin. This puts in great position for the GS Championship heading to Road Atlanta for the final race of the season.”
The drive to Friday’s victory started with the first pit stop 48 minutes into the two-hour, 30-minute race. Davis started fifth and was the first driver to stop for fuel, tires and the driver change to Liddell. The first of two full-course cautions came out a lap later, and after the pit stop cycle Liddell found himself second.
Liddell pitted again under yellow with less than an hour to go. The team opted for fuel and right-side tires only, gaining the lead in the process and stayed there the rest of the way. Adding to the team’s fortune was a mechanical issue for the No. 6 Camaro Z/28.R’s closest championship challenger with 45 minutes to go.
Lawson Aschenbach and Matt Bell placed eighth in Stevenson Motorsports No. 9 Camaro Z/28.R. The duo ran as high as third after the final caution. A drive-through penalty for avoidable contact halted their charge.
Kyle Marcelli and Martin Barkey led Mantella Autosport’s effort Friday with a sixth-place finish in their No. 80 MBRP/Praxair/The Sport Lab Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R.
The Camaro Z/28.R is based on the road-going Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, and the two share considerable traits:
Engine and displacement (7.0-liter V-8, 427 cubic inches)
Front splitter and rear spoiler with wickerbill
Hood extractor vent
Rockers, wheel-house extension and front tire deflectors
Belly pan
The final race for the 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge is set for 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 2 from Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., with live coverage on IMSA.com and IMSA Radio. Television coverage on FOX Sports 1 is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct 14.
ANDREW DAVIS, STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS NO. 6 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28.R – RACE WINNER: “We had been struggling for pace and that had us down a bit. This team never stops fighting. This Stevenson Motorsports team worked so hard and we had our Camaro Z/28.R running really well for the race. We were able to struggle through it and end up with a very unexpected win. I hate for our competition to have a failure like that but it’s exactly what we needed for the championship. I’m so proud for everyone at Stevenson Motorsports, Team Chevy and Pratt & Miller Engineering. I’m so happy for this victory.”
ROBIN LIDDELL, STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS NO. 6 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28.R – RACE WINNER: “We had to work so hard for this. The last few races we looked like we didn’t have the pace to do it. Maybe at Lime Rock we had a chance, but even at VIR we couldn’t race the car in the current configuration. There has been a lot of talk about that, good and bad. But to be honest, if you’re in the seat of the car you don’t know really know what it’s doing to your ability to compete on the race track. We’re absolutely delighted as you can imagine. We never expected this. It’s a shame for the Rum Bum that they had a bad day. I really don’t like to win with the benefit of a competitor like that. But we did absolutely everything we could do to put ourselves in this position, and it worked out perfectly. I’m so proud of and happy for everyone on this Stevenson Motorsports team and Team Chevy.”
MATT BELL, STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS NO. 9 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28.R – FINISHED EIGHTH: “First of all, huge congrats to the guys on the No. 6 car. They put together the perfect race. Strategy was spot on for both cars. I think that the better call would have been to put on the right-side tires like they had done. We just didn’t know what the car was going to end up doing. We were also struggling on a braking issue, so Lawson was pushing just a little bit harder than everyone out there to make up for it. Without the front tires being new, he probably picked up a bit of a push. He definitely gave it his all, maybe a little bit more. The car was balanced. They found a way to get the car to what we needed it to be. The car was fast over the long run. If it weren’t for the braking problem and maybe not quite the right tire call, we would have been there right with the No. 6 car. It’s good to know we have it. We’re well out of the points battle, so going into Atlanta, we’re going to give it our all and play defense for the No. 6 car and make sure they secure this championship.”
LAWSON ASCHENBACH, STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS NO. 9 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28.R – FINISHED EIGHTH: “First off congrats to the No. 6 car guys, Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell. They’ve driven so well this entire season and to see them get another win is pretty awesome. Although it’s tough for Matt and I, but you want your teammates to win more than anybody else if you can’t win yourself so I’m very happy for them. More importantly thanks to everyone at Stevenson Motorsports. Our Camaro Z/28.R was fast! We just kind of got a little bit unlucky out there today, had a bit of a melee with a lot of passing and trying to hold on for dear life because unfortunately the balance of performance is not that great for us right now but it is what it is. I had a good battle there with the Nissan and unfortunately I kind of hit him and it was my own fault. I wish that didn’t happen but regardless I’m really happy for the team right now because we’ve got a good lead for the No. 6 car in the championship.”