Corvette celebrates 20 years of racing in Monterey
Corvette celebrates 20 years of racing in Monterey
Corvette Racing’s 20th season of competition sees it hit some tracks for the 20th time. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is one of three tracks that fits that distinction.
The team has seven wins at the classic Monterey road course, although none since 2014. Success has eluded the team in recent years. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia’s win in 2014 was both the team’s most recent win and podium here.
Still, Magnussen and Garcia enter the weekend with the GT Le Mans class points lead in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the first time this year. It’s been a testament to the team effort at Corvette Racing in the class featuring four factory teams, all of whom have selected Michelin as their tire technical partner.
The dynamic duo has banked six consecutive podium finishes in their No. 3 Corvette C7.R. They enter the weekend with a four-point lead over Ford’s pair of Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe.
Magnussen is happy with their consistency but admits a need to tick the win box if they are to defend their GTLM title from 2017.
“I’ve been fortunate to race at Laguna Seca many times,” said the Dane. “It’s always a good trip and a good event. It can be a very tough track to read with the fluctuation in temperatures and amount of sand that comes on the surface. But it’s like many other circuits in our championship where you are punished if you make a mistake.
“Antonio and I continue to be on a great run of races since Mid-Ohio but we aren’t satisfied with podiums. We can’t win this championship without winning a race as well. That continues to be our goal.”
In the sister No. 4 Corvette C7.R, Oliver Gavin has the same amount of wins at Monterey as his car number – four. He and Tommy Milner won here in 2012 in their first championship season together.
“This is a fantastic race track and one we always enjoy going to each year. It has a great series of corners – a tight and twisty track but a great challenge,” the Englishman said. “We at Corvette Racing has had a lot of success there as a program and one we always look forward to this race on the calendar because of the event and the Monterey area.
“This is the business end of the season. Championship points are critical so all the teams will look to strategize and look to do what we can to do to get the best possible result for the championship. We always go there to win, so this will be a vital part of how the championship plays out.”
Corvette Racing remains in search of its 100th win in North America. Monterey could be an ideal venue for the team to reach that milestone.
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