Corvette Racing has started its 2017 season with two victories in its first three races. This weekend, it will go for a hat trick at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The circuit, which opened in 2012, has played host to Corvette Racing and other top teams in sports car racing every year since 2013.
Corvette Racing won in its first time at COTA in 2013. Four years later, the twin Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs will try to give endurance racing’s premier GT race team a third straight victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The lineups in each Corvette are the same as in 2013; Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette with Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner sharing the No. 4 entry. Garcia and Magnussen won the American Le Mans Series GT class race at Austin in 2013 and arrive at COTA sitting second in GTLM Driver’s Championship points. They also finished third last year at COTA.
Gavin and Milner are coming off a victory in the most recent GTLM round at Long Beach, which followed a win for Garcia and Magnussen at Sebring (along with Mike Rockenfeller). Those results have Chevrolet one point out of the Manufacturer’s Championship lead in the class.
The Advance Auto Parts Sportscar Showdown at Circuit of The Americas is set for 1:35 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 6. FOX Sports 1 will have television coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET with live audio coverage from IMSA Radio available on IMSA.com.
Corvette Racing Display, Chevrolet Ride and Drive
Corvette Racing’s return to Austin also brings a return of the Corvette Racing Display to Circuit of The Americas. Friday and Saturday, fans on-hand can view and learn about a variety of Chevrolet vehicles, accessories and attractions including:
• The 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, Camaro Redline Edition, Cruze Hatchback and Silverado HD
• The new 2018 Next Gen Equinox
• 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 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Hopefully with COTA now earlier in the year it won’t be quite as hot! The track is very different than what experienced at Long Beach. There are wide-open spaces in the runoff areas so you can be a little more aggressive with your driving. I obviously have some good memories of winning at COTA a few years ago, but it’s time for new ones. Let’s hope it happens this weekend.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The one thing we all are looking for at COTA this year are cooler temperatures. If we get them, hopefully that means the track conditions will be more favorable to us than in past years. Through three races, Antonio and I are in good standing for the GTLM Championship. It’s quite a big difference compared to last year when we couldn’t seem to catch a good break. Hopefully we can continue to earn good results and points to see where we are with a couple races to go.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “COTA is one of the few circuits where I haven’t won a race, and I’m eager to change that. It’s quite different than pretty much every other place we visit. The look of the facility and the smoothness of the track are pretty unique. You can take more risks here than normal with all the tarmac in the runoffs at COTA. All in all, it’s a very difficult challenge but one that everyone at Corvette Racing is ready to embrace.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I enjoy driving at Circuit of The Americas every year. We race at a lot of terrific venues each year, but to compete at one like COTA is a real thrill. Oliver and I haven’t had a lot of success there over the years but this would be a great way to keep our momentum going. It’s never an easy task in this class but this can be a big weekend for everyone at Corvette Racing if the execution and strategy is right. I’m looking forward to it.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Two wins in the first three races of the season is a pretty darn good start. What’s more encouraging is that both Corvettes have shown they can compete for race wins and work toward another GTLM championship. Circuit of The Americas will present a difficult challenge – as it always has. Hopefully, the stars at Corvette will end up being the brightest in the skies over Texas!”
