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[h=2]Chevy repeats as GTLM manufacturer champion[/h] Saturday, 07 October 2017


Image by Richard Dole/LAT



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Chevrolet earned its second consecutive Manufacturer Championship in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's GT Le Mans (GTLM) category Saturday at Road Atlanta. A second-place finish in the 10-hour Petit Le Mans for the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R gave Chevrolet its 12th GT Manufacturer title dating back to the 2001 American Le Mans Series season.

Chevrolet and Corvette Racing won four times in 2017 with the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, powered by a 5.5-liter Chevrolet small-block V8. Drivers Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen also claimed the GTLM Driver Championship, and the No. 3 Corvette won the GTLM Team title.
"This Manufacturer Championship is so special because of the amazing team effort in this intensely competitive GTLM class," said Mark Reuss, Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. "Corvette Racing's passion, dedication and perseverance made the difference. We love racing and learn from every lap about how to deliver the right combination of power, reliability, efficiency and overall performance. We apply those lessons to every Corvette on and off the track. I'm so proud of everyone on the team."
With 35 total victories in several classes, Chevrolet is the most successful manufacturer in IMSA competition dating back to the sports car merger between the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am in 2014. Of those, 15 have been produced by Corvette Racing in the production-based GT ranks.
Historically, Corvette Racing and Chevrolet have recorded 106 victories – 98 in the IMSA ranks. Both are North American professional sports car racing records. Among those 106 victories are eight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, three in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and 11 in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

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[h=2]Corvette Racing secures GTLM championships[/h] Saturday, 07 October 2017





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With the opening stages of the 10-hour Petit Le Mans endurance race in the record books, Corvette Racing's Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen clinched the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Drivers' title in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The start of the season finale also means the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R squad earned the GTLM Team Championship.

The Garcia/Magnussen pairing claimed three class victories this season entering today's race at Road Atlanta, having won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring as well as GTLM rounds at Circuit of The Americas and Virginia International Raceway. They also finished third at Watkins Glen.



"This was a very hard year. We haven't had the strongest car this year. If we had a Corvette to finish third, fourth or fifth, we would finish first, second or third," said Garcia. "No matter the kind of car we had, we could gain two or three positions ahead of that. The Corvette Racing team did a great job all season with pit stops, strategy and preparation. No one put a foot wrong all season. Most of the time we stuck with the pace we had and let others make mistakes or apply pressure to our competitors. This was a very intense year but we maximized our results every weekend. Those fourth- and fifth-place finishes are where we got the most out of things. That's a large reason why we have won this championship."








Added Magnussen: "I'm super happy for the whole team to be in this position to take the green flag. It has been a hard season where we have had to make the most of sometimes bad positions, and I think that is what made the difference. We overachieved on the tough weekends and got the absolute most out of things when we needed. We also won the races we could. This is an absolutely fantastic feeling and a fantastic program to be in. Now on to the Manufacturer's Championship!"
"This championship was absolutely a team effort," said Mark Reuss, Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. "The drivers, crew members and engineers were versatile and adaptable, and everybody on the No. 3 Corvette C7.R team contributed throughout the season. Jan and Antonio were consistent, smart behind the wheel and took advantage of opportunities when it mattered most. This was a hard-earned championship."
It is the second championship effort for the duo, with the first coming in the 2013 American Le Mans Series GT class. As a result, both of Garcia's championships have come with Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette. Magnussen also was ALMS GT1 Driver's Champion in 2008 with Corvette Racing.
In all, Corvette Racing has now earned 11 Driver titles and 12 Team championships in North American professional sports car racing dating back to 2001. Corvette Racing won both GTLM Driver and Team titles for the second consecutive year as Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner were 2016 champions in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R.