Venerable C7.R bows out at Road Atlanta Motul Petite Le Mans
Hats off to the C7.R that won 17 times, claimed 3 Drivers and 2 Manufacturer titles over its 6-year life.
Unfortunately, Corvette Racing missed the set-up and had to start 5th and 7th on the GTLM grid.
They tried different compounds, blistered some tires and fought handling as day faded into night. Further experimenting was curtailed by a green-flag run that lasted 5 hours.
Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller in the # 3 Corvette had the pace and actually led for a spell as fuel as the tire strategies played out. So did Tommy Milner late during the pit stop cycle to no avail.
Antonio Garcia drove the final two-and-a-half hours capturing 4th on the final lap.
Garcia and Magnussen tied for 2nd in GTLM Drivers’ points and Chevrolet was 3rd in the Manufacturers’ standings thanks to consistency.
A stalwart for 16 years, Jan bids farewell to his many fans and welcomes Jordan Taylor who takes over his seat as the C8.R begins its championship quest.
Porsche took 1st in driver and manufacturers points with a special tribute to Coca Cola, the company that put Atlanta on the map way back when.
# 3 crew chief Dan Binks said “it’s a little sad but we have gotten as much as we can out of the C7.R”.
The # 4, directed by engineer Chuck Houghton was hit by a prototype car that spun Marcel Fässler in the fourth hour.
The new mid-engine Corvette C8.R was on display and will debut in the 2020 IMSA Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 25-26.
An arsenal of C5.R, C6.R and C7.R Corvettes that brought success over a span of 21 years was also on display.
Video Road Atlanta wrap-up https://youtu.be/bNKIGDWParc?t=2
Observations and Photos thanks to David Ferguson
This Corvette race report is the product of information and observations from a variety of sources. It is intended to be informative and enjoyable however we make no claims it is objective, accurate and complete.