Tag: jan magnussen

Corvette Racing Team Wins 3rd Championship in a Row, Plus the Driver’s Championship – Videos

Published on by Scott

How do you win a championship without winning a single race? Outstanding teamwork!

Dateline: 10.17.18 – The Corvette Racing Team beautifully finished their 20th season with a spectacular Team Championship and Driver’s Championship. And 2018 is the third year in a row that the Corvette Racing team has won the Championship. Chris Draper from the YouTube Channel, “My Corvette Life” delivered the below overview of the 2018 Petit le Mans race at Road Atlanta on October 13, 2018. Chris is also the editor and chief of www.BadBoyVettes.com the exclusively covers the Corvette Racing Team.

Since we like nice, round numbers, here’s a review of the Corvette Racing Team’s 20 years of success.

* 1999 was the official debut of the Corvette Racing Team with the launch of the partnership of Chevrolet with Pratt & Miller.

* Since the Corvette team was launched, the team has racked up 107 total wins, more than any other IMSA entrant.

* The Corvette Racing Team has won its class at at Le Mans eight times.

* The Corvette Racing Team has won its class at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona three times.

* The Corvette Racing Team has won its class at at the 12 Hours of Sebring 11 times.

* From 1999 to 2013 the Corvette Racing Team lead the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in all-time wins and 1-2 finishes.

* To date the Corvette Racing Team has won 11 ALMS Team Championships.

* To date the Corvette Racing Team has won 10 ALMS Manufacturer Championships.

* To date the Corvette Racing Team has won 10 Driver’s Championships.

Photo: CorvetteRacing.com

The last 20 years of extraordinary racing success has more than made of for previous years of spotty and sometimes embarrassing performance. Corvettes were long looked down upon as cars that were loud, brash, set track records, had pole starts, but rarely finished races.

Yes, there were exceptions, but overall Corvettes were the Rodney Dangerfield of sports race cars, “I’ll tell’m ya, I get no respect!”

Photo: Retroland.com

With the launch of the C5-R Corvette Racing Team, Corvettes have become the Charles Atlas of the sports racing car world. No one kicks sand in our faces anymore. All it took was training and teamwork.

In November 2012 I had the opportunity to see Doug Fehan and the Corvette Racing Team at the Simeone Museum for Simeone’s first “Corvette Racing” seminar. The C6.R “show car” was there along with Simeone’s 1963 Wintersteen Grand Sport #002. As part of the program, they presented a film explaining how the Corvette Racing Team prepared for one of their Le Mans assaults. They are consummate professionals and their level of professionalism is truly world-class. Everyone came away with a whole new level of respect and admiration for the Corvette Racing Team.

Here’s the view from inside Tommy Milner’s #4 office!

Yet, despite IMSA’s efforts with their Balance of Power (BoP) rules, the Corvette Racing Team out-flanked all competitors by being a better and more efficient team. “Racing” is supposed to be about the best car and team winning races, but IMSA is practically giving everyone a participation trophy by attempting to have an even race. Leave that to the spec racers.

While I am seriously at odds with IMSA and their absurd BoP rules, this year’s third team Championship is sweet revenge from a team that has obviously been held back by IMSA. Consequently, the team did not win any races in 2018, but took the championship just the same. The Corvette Racing Team also vanquished that tired old claptrap about how the Corvette’s front-mid-engine design is outdated. Really? The Ford GT and Porsche didn’t just score their third team Championship in a row, did they?

C8.R
Photo: Motor1.com The C8.R Corvette race car was seen in testing in summer 2018.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing the mid-engine C8.R competing in the 2019 season. I have no “inside connections” but I do believe we will see the C8.R debut at Daytona in February 2019. Why? Because we have already seen the C8.R being tested last July. They wouldn’t have let out those images if the C8.R was going to compete in 2020. At least, that’s my speculative guess.

Till then, CONGRADULATIONS to the entire Corvette Racing Team, and drivers; Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Marcel Fassler! – Scott

Enjoy the eye candy!

CorvetteNews: 3-24-2012: Driver Reports From Gavin & Magnussen, 60th Anniversary TV Ad, & Bowling Green Readies For The C7

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 3.24.12

Breaking news and information for Corvette friends and fans around the globe!

* Driver Report: Corvette RacingTeam driver Oliver Gavin’s report on the team’s 2nd and 3rd place wins at the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race. CLICK HERE.

* Driver Report: Corvette Racing team driver,Jan Magnussen weighs in on the 2012 Sebring ALMS race. “We all expected the 12 Hours of Sebring to be one amazing battle, but even I didn’t think we’d end up with three cars from three different makes fighting it out on the final lap.” CLICK HERE.

 

* New Chevy Runs Deep 60th Anniversary Corvette “Candles” Commercial. Look’n GOOD for a 60-year old babe! CLICK HERE. Continue reading “CorvetteNews: 3-24-2012: Driver Reports From Gavin & Magnussen, 60th Anniversary TV Ad, & Bowling Green Readies For The C7” →

Vette Videos – Vette Polls: C6 ZR1 Corvette vs All-Wheel-Drive Lamborghini LP670-4 SV

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 10.6.11
Another look at AWD, does it really matter? 

To visit the official ZR1 website, click the above image.

(Cast your vote at the bottom of this post.)

The other day I was sharing with you the November 2011 Road & track cover story about the 2-second club – three world-class sports cars capable of 0-to-60 in LESS than 3-seconds. Club members include the Nissan GT-R Premium, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, and the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. All three cars had AWD and except for the nuts-o 1,183-HP Bugatti, the other two members have LESS horsepower that the ZR1. Plus, the ZR1 Corvette weighs 225-pounds LESS than the Porsche. So, the Corvette with a 106-horsepower advantage isn’t in the club, what’s up with that? “All-wheel-drive” boys and girls.

 

Mamma mia! That's'a SPICY meatball! And she's nice too!

Well don’t despair Corvette fans, not all AWD supercars are in the 2-second club. The Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV could only to the 0-to-60 scoot in 3.0-seconds, so no club membership card for the Lambo either. The June ‘09 Car & Driver Lambo test car was packing 661-HP, 487 LB/FT of torque, weighed 3,850-pounds, and has a top speed of 209 to 213-mph. All that for only $457,500 – enough to buy three ZR1s and a Z06! But we won’t beat them up over a few hundred grand.

Autocar Magazine created the below video comparison between the top gun Corvette and Lamborghini cars. The Lambo has the horsepower edge plus AWD and the ZR1 has the weight advantage. So who wins on a road course? (The video is on the next page –>>) Continue reading “Vette Videos – Vette Polls: C6 ZR1 Corvette vs All-Wheel-Drive Lamborghini LP670-4 SV” →

Tough Break For Corvette Racing Team at ALMS Mid-Ohio Race

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 8.8.11
Excellent Car, Excellent Drivers, Excellent Team, BAD WEATHER!

Photo credit - MotorSport.com

 

Summertime weather in America is predictably unpredictable. The August 6, 2011 ALMS Mid-Ohio race started out under sunny summer weather. But 2-1/2 hours later, the heavens opened up and drenched the track snatching a victory from the Corvette Racing team after leading the GT class for the first two hours of the two-hour and 45-minute race with the No. 4 C6.R Corvette. When the wet checkered flag came down, the No. 4 Corvette came in 2nd place, with the No. 3 Corvette coming is 6th place. A very tough break for the seasoned C6.R team, but “that’s racing.”

Two hours into the race, as the storm clouds were gathering, the No. 4 Corvette pitted for rain tires. After an excellent pit Gavin was in striking distance of first place – then the rain arrived. Here’s how Oliver Gaven described his rain experiences on the Ohio track, which is notoriously bad in the rain.

C6.R Corvette Racing team driver, Oliver Gavin

“Those last four or five laps were absolutely insane,” Gavin said. “I was driving down the straight with the steering wheel at full opposite lock, with the car just gliding and aquaplaning. Somehow my car straightened up and Pat Long’s car went off into a gravel trap. When Wolf Henzler drove by me, I had no answer for him; he certainly had a good rain setup. I was relieved when they brought out the red flag because it was really tough. “

Racing “rain tires” are only marginally better that the dry slicks that are normally used. It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to be driving a lightweight, high-powered, race car in the wet. DEFINITELY not for the faint of heart. For full details of the race, CLICK HERE.

http://www.corvetteracing.com/history/2011releases/midohio/midohio3.shtml

On the up side, for the second race in a row, the Corvette Racing Team won the Michelin Green X Challenge as the fastest, cleanest, and most efficient entry in the GT class. This speaks volumes for the Corvette Racing Team. WAY TO GO, guys! Continue reading “Tough Break For Corvette Racing Team at ALMS Mid-Ohio Race” →