NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 22, 2015

KEVIN HARVICK LEADS TEAM CHEVY WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH AT FONTANA
Chevrolet SS Parade Features Eight Race Cars in Top 10

FONTANA, Calif. – March 22, 2015 – Kevin Harvick led a parade of Chevrolets to the checkered with a second-place finish in his No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevy SS in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, Round 5 of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. This weekend’s race marked the third and final race of NASCAR’s West Coast Swing, in which Harvick took Chevrolet to victory twice at Las Vegas and Phoenix. With his second place run at Auto Club Speedway, the reigning Sprint Cup champion has now finished first or second in eight consecutive races. The Series record is 11, posted by Richard Petty in 1975. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway Post Race →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
MARCH 22, 2015

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S/BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 2ND
AFTER WINNING THE LAST TWO RACES IT’S GOOD TO BE DISAPPOINTED FOR SECOND. DESCRIBE THE AFTERNOON FOR YOU GUYS:
“I’m not disappointed at all. I’m just glad to be a part of such a good race there. I’m really happy that all the fans got to come out and see a great finish to a great day. I’m just really proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team. You could have flipped a coin as to what the right strategy there was at the end with tires. Just proud of Rodney Childers (crew chief) and the pit crew and everybody for just having a solid day.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Post Race →

Donny Schatz Scores Close Win at the FVP Western Spring Shootout
Becomes the first repeat World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series winner of 2015 and ends winless streak in California
STOCKTON, Calif. – March 21, 2015 – Shane Stewart had victory in sight as he rounded turn four on the final lap of Saturday night’s FVP Western Spring Shootout at the Stockton Dirt Track. Reigning World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz had other things in mind though as he dove to the bottom of the track and drag raced Stewart to the finish line. Continue reading World of Outlaws–Donny Schatz Scores Close Win at the FVP Western Spring Shootout →

CORVETTE DPs AT SEBRING: Action Express Racing Leads Podium Sweep
Barbosa, Fittipaldi, Bourdais lead charge for Chevy power in No. 5 Corvette DP

· First overall Sebring victory for Chevrolet-powered car since 1965
· Winning trio has completed every lap in TUDOR Championship competition
· Corvette DPs from Wayne Taylor Racing, VisitFlorida.com Racing round out Prototype podium

SEBRING, Fla. (March 21, 2015) – The Corvette Daytona Prototype wrote a new chapter in Chevrolet’s road-racing history with the manufacturer’s first overall podium sweep at Sebring International Raceway on Saturday. Action Express Racing’s Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais won the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida for Chevrolet’s first overall victory at Sebring since 1965. Continue reading Chevy Racing–CORVETTE DPs AT SEBRING: Action Express Racing Leads Podium Sweep →

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: A Florida Sweep for No. 3 Corvette C7.R
Briscoe, Garcia, Magnussen follow Rolex 24 win with Sebring 12 Hours victory

· Ninth class win at Sebring for Corvette Racing since 2002

· No. 3 Corvette C7.R increases early-season GT Le Mans championship lead

· No. 4 Corvette strong early before mechanical issues sideline challenge

SEBRING, Fla. (March 21, 2015) – Corvette Racing won in class for the ninth time at the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida as Ryan Briscoe, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen added Saturday’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory to their Rolex 24 At Daytona win from January. The trio started the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season with consecutive victories and lead in GTLM points after two rounds.

Garcia won by nearly one minute as the Corvette Racing team played out its fuel strategy perfectly. Garcia pitted with 54 minutes remaining and stayed consistent as two cars ahead of him fell into trouble. Briscoe recovered from a small spin in his opening stints to post his fastest laps of the race, and quick pit work by the Corvette Racing crew and a key out lap by Magnussen early in the race gained two positions during a full-course caution period.

The winning Corvette completed 330 laps for 1,221 miles.

“The win by the No. 3 Corvette C7.R team in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was a total team effort by everyone at Corvette Racing,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The win was the result of great driving, quick pit stop by the crew and strong race strategy. Congratulations to Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Ryan Briscoe and the team on winning today.

“We were very proud to have so many Corvette owners on hand to watch the No. 3 C7.R become the first team and driver combination to win their class in both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours in 15 years,” Campbell added.

Saturday’s win was Magnussen’s fourth at Sebring – all with Corvette Racing. Garcia won for the second time at the event to go along with his 2009 victory, also with Corvette Racing. Briscoe likewise is now a two-time Sebring winner.

On the other end of the spectrum, the No. 4 Corvette C7.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Simon Pagenaud left the race with less than two hours remaining with a mechanical issue. The trio had challenged for the class podium in the race’s opening half.

After two races in the TUDOR Championship, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing lead all three point tables. Chevrolet increased its lead in the GTLM Manufacturer championship, as does the No. 3 Corvette C7.R in the team standings.

The No. 3 Corvette C7.R also won its second straight race in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup and leads in driver and team championship points. Chevrolet extended its lead in the manufacturer standings.

The next round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase from the Long Beach (Calif.) street circuit on Saturday, April 18. FOX Sports 1 will air the race starting at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 19. Live radio coverage will be available via IMSA Radio.

ANTONIO GARCIA, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – RACE WINNER
WHAT WAS THE KEY TO GETTING THIS WIN?
“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 putting pressure on them. Even though we were not able to be in the lead and pull away like at Daytona, we were hammering (the leaders). We didn’t want them to bail or just to take it easy. Maybe that is why they caught some problems, but at the end strategy was the key thing. Maybe they would run into problems, but they had to stop anyway. So, for Corvette Racing again the strategy was brilliant. I’m pretty happy for these two guys (Magnussen and Briscoe) and two in a row. I can’t say more.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – RACE WINNER
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.
“I have to say that two hours before the end of it, I didn’t think we would have a shot at winning. Once it became a fuel race, everything changed. We knew that a safety car would mess things up again. But this another fantastic day. A big thanks to the entire Corvette Racing team and to all the Corvette owners who came to support us and cheer for us the whole way. It was fantastic.”

RYAN BRISCOE, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – RACE WINNER
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 making mistakes. The car has just been absolutely rock solid. I’m just so thrilled to be a part of this team and winning races. It’s awesome.
“This was just absolutely perfect running with great pit stops – purely just fuel and tires and drivers. There were no problems at all. It’s great to be rewarded with the wins for that preparation. The team is just doing a great job. I feel lucky to be a part of it all.”

OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED 9TH: “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 laptimes 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 – FINISHED 9TH: “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 – FINISHED 9TH: “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.”

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.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP →

TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
MOBIL 1 TWELVES HOURS OF SEBRING FUELED BY FRESH FROM FLORIDA
SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
CORVETE RACING AND CORVETTE DP DRIVERS QUOTES – EIGHT HOURS
MARCH 21, 2015

OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The car was better and we seemed like we hit it a little better. We got a clean run with some traffic and could fight with the BMW and overtake them. There is still a long way to go. It was very hard in the heat of the day and with all the sun to try and make the tire last. There is still plenty that can still happen over the next few hours. We’ll see how it goes with Tommy in the car. We seem to be working the rear tire quite hard – harder than the sister car – which is quite frustrating. We’ll see where we are in the last couple hours. Hopefully if this stays we’ll be able to fight at the front.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, CORVETTE RACING CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “That pit stop was really good, and I had a really good couple of stints. Antonio is back in, and we’re back in the hunt. We need to have another couple of hours and we can start to really push. It’s not like we’re relaxing out there; we’re still pushing out there but not taking the chances. It’s difficult to say (when we still start pushing harder). If it stays like this, then I think it will carry on like this except people will start taking more chances.”

JOAO BARBOSA, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP: “Very tough conditions out there. It is very, very hot. The track is very slippery, but we have a great car on the long runs. I would say it is actually running a little bit better than it was. The temperature is going to go down a little bit to help us inside the car. It is very hot out there, but so far, we are where we want to be but there is still a long way to go.”

TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
MOBIL 1 TWELVES HOURS OF SEBRING FUELED BY FRESH FROM FLORIDA
SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
CORVETE RACING AND CORVETTE DP DRIVERS QUOTES – FOUR HOURS
MARCH 21, 2015

ANTONIO GARCIA, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The Porsches seem to be really strong. What they showed in qualifying they are still showing in race pace. Now we’re going into a different period of the race where the track will be completely different. So far the car is behaving how we expected. It feels like the car is slowly coming to us. We need to stay where we are and keep pushing but not do anything crazy out there. If we can find just a little bit more from the car, it will be great.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 21, 2015

CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Auto Club Speedway and discussed the new 2015 rule package, working with the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) alliance, his time spent on the West Coast and many other topics. Full Transcript:

TALK ABOUT YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF THE WEST COAST SWING AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN DOING WHILE OUT HERE:
“I think it has been good. I think it was a great idea to put them all together. It can make for a long three weeks for guys that stay all the way out. I think getting all three of these races kind of knocked out in a row has been good. Vegas was a pretty good day for us, Phoenix we had a really fast race car and we are looking forward to this weekend. I had a rough go at it yesterday. The car wouldn’t turn very well at all, but excited about being here in my home state and hopefully have a good race on Sunday.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Casey Mears →

KURT BUSCH PUTS CHEVROLET SS ON POLE IN FONTANA
Chevrolet SS sweeps the front row for the Auto Club 400

FONTANA, Calif. – (March 20, 2015) – Kurt Busch placed his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS on the pole position for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, round five of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. A fast lap of 38.889 seconds (185.124 mph) earned Busch his first pole of 2015 and 17th of his career. This is his fourth pole in 22 races at the 2.0-mile facility for Busch, a track record.

Busch’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet SS) set the second fastest lap of the qualifying session, giving Team Chevy a sweep of the front row for the second time in 2015. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Kurt Busch Puts Chevrolet SS on Pole in Fontana →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 20, 2015

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Auto Club Speedway and discussed his California heritage, attending American Idol this week while in Los Angeles and many other topics. Full Transcript:

DO YOU HAVE MANY MEMORIES FROM WINNING THE INAUGURAL RACE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY IN 1997? AND TALK ABOUT YOUR MEMORIES HERE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“I always love coming here. Being in California, even though I feel like we are a long way away from Vallejo, but just the state of California has been amazing for me. This race track has been amazing. We have had great success here over the years. We have tremendous fan support out here. I saw a stat the other day about how many Californians that we have out here, what is there like 10 in this race this weekend or potentially in this race that is pretty amazing. How things have changed over the years. 1997 was certainly a great year out here for us. I honestly don’t remember; it was too long ago for me to remember all the details of that race. We were on a pretty good streak there for a while where we were getting wins at inaugural events. This was one that we added to the list that was really cool to be a part of. Just to see the race happen here let alone be the ones to win it.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–AutoClub Speedway–Jeff Gordon →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 20, 2015

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SCOTT PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the progress of his team, the advantages and disadvantages of being a one-car team, the West Coast Swing, and more. Full Transcript:

TALK ABOUT YOUR TEAM’S PERFORMANCE AND THE MOMENTUM YOU HAVE GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND
“I try not to get too excited about it, but I have definitely improved from where we were last year just throughout the course of the year. The first four races, two of them being on 1.5-mile tracks, and that was kind of our weakness last year. So to run as well as we have been and Phoenix last weekend. Friday and Saturday we didn’t have great days and Sunday to start from the back and move forward I thought we actually had a shot at a Top-10 finish there as well. I’m real proud of the team so far. The RCR alliance, as a whole, from the No. 78 (Martin Truex Jr), the No. 31 (Ryan Newman), and Casey Mears, the No. 13 car, as a group, all of us are running better. There is a lot of hard work that’s went into it on all sides. My guys have worked hard. We’ve got new cars this year and Brian Burns (crew chief) in his third full year as a crew chief but our second year working together, everything is coming together. It’s early. I don’t want to overstate too early, but definitely compared to last year, I think we were like 26th or 27th in points and hadn’t finished on the lead lap yet until this race. We’ve ran all the laps so far, so the reliance is there. It’s good so far. Hopefully we have another solid weekend this weekend.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–AutoClub Speedway–AJ Allmendinger →

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Garcia Qualifies Corvette C7.R Third in GTLM
Rolex 24 winning trio to start on second row in class; Barbosa third overall for Action Express Racing

• Corvette Racing going for ninth class win at Sebring
• Milner, Gavin, Pagenaud to start seventh in class
• Corvette DPs take two of first five overall spots in qualifying

SEBRING, Fla. (March 20, 2015) – Corvette Racing will start from the second and fourth rows of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class for Saturday’s 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R was the third-fastest qualifier in class Friday as he, Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe go for their second straight victory to open the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Continue reading Chevy Racing–CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Garcia Qualifies Corvette C7.R Third in GTLM →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
MARCH 20, 2015

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS WITH HAAS AUTOMATION RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD?
“This is huge for Gene Haas. That is what I wanted to start the interview with is thank you Gene for believing in me. This is my job. Come to the track, drive the car and put it up on the pole and go for wins. That is what Gene has told me to do from the get go and I’m glad I have this chance to go back out there and live up to why he hired me. It feels good. The guys were just spot on all day with all the adjustments. The car started off so fast and it is all due to the work back at the shop. Thank you Stewart-Haas Racing appreciate it, No. 41 car up front feels good.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–AutoClub Speedway Qualifying Notes →

CAMARO Z/28.R AT SEBRING: One-Two Finish for Stevenson Motorsports
Davis, Liddell repeat at Sebring as three Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.Rs finish in top-four

· Bell, Aschenbach take second in No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro Z28.R

· Stevenson Motorsports with four podiums in opening two races of 2015 season

· Barkey, Marcelli fourth for in No. 80 Mantella Autosport Camaro Z/28.R

SEBRING, Fla. (March 20, 2015) – The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R won again at Sebring International Raceway in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (CTSCC) with Stevenson Motorsports posting a 1-2 finish Friday in the Microsoft Visual Studios 150. For the second straight year, Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell drove to a Grand Sport (GS) victory in their Stevenson Motorsports No. 6 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R. Continue reading Chevy Racing–CAMARO Z/28.R AT SEBRING: One-Two Finish for Stevenson Motorsports →