Another 1-2 finish as # 4 Gavin/Milner rack up Corvette Racing’s 100th win at Lime Rock Park Northeast GP
# 4 Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner won the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class at Lime Rock Park. It was the 100th all-time win for Corvette Racing.
The Corvette Racing team is no stranger to close-quarters racing on the short slippery Lime Rock circuit, having won 4 times there before.
Milner qualified third and drove the first 90 minutes including one pit stop and five full-course caution periods, moving up to second before the driver change. Gavin tailed the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella and took the lead when he left the track with 31 minutes to go. Garcia took second place when Fisichella slid off again, same place exiting big bend.
# 3 Antonio Garcia, teamed with Jan Magnussen crossed the finish line within a second. Magnussen overcame a drive-through penalty after starting 6th. He and Garcia were great on re-starts and leapt from fifth to third in GTLM Driver Championship points.
Watch 100th win video by Mobil 1 (paste link in browser) https://youtu.be/tVNTeyNFLl8
Watch video of historic win (paste link in browser) http://imsatv.imsa.com/video/072016/corvette-racing-captures-100th-sports-car-racing-victory
Race results compiled by Wayne Ellwood
With 4 races to go, winning at LRP added 10 points for leading GTLM drivers Gavin and Milner. Same for the Team Championship. Chevrolet leads Ford by 10 points in the GTLM Manufacturer points.
Corvette Racing is the first team in IMSA history (including the ALMS which it absorbed in 2013) to score 100 victories. The team’s first win came Sept. 2, 2000 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Since its first start on Jan. 31, 1999 at Daytona, Corvette Racing has claimed wins and championships at the world’s most important endurance racing circuits. Le Mans 24 hr-8 class wins. Daytona 24 hr- 3 class wins including overall in 2001. Sebring 12 hr-10 class wins. ALMS-82 wins, 10 manufacturer and team championships, 9 driver titles.
Per Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, “Achieving 100 victories is a tremendous accomplishment. It’s a testament to the dedication of all the crew members, engineers, drivers and our engine team members over the past 17 years. We couldn’t have achieved this milestone without the support of our partners at Pratt & Miller, Mobil 1 and Michelin. Everyone with Corvette Racing operates as one team and embodies the competitive spirit of Chevrolet. We’re happy to share this success with our passionate Corvette owners and supporters. Technical learnings gained from racing directly benefit our production Corvette and powertrains.”
Next up is the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase from Road America on Sunday, Aug. 7.
