DETROIT (June 1, 2016) – The world’s toughest endurance race beckons once again for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing as the two-car squad aims to write another chapter in its endurance racing history book.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the marquee event for Corvette Racing each year; the results since 2001 bear out how important the event is to Chevrolet.

Corvette Racing will arrive at Le Mans for the annual Test Day in search of its ninth class victory and a second consecutive triumph.
Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor in the No. 64 Konica Minolta/Mobil 1/Sirius XM Corvette C7.R lead the charge for Corvette Racing as the reigning GTE Pro champions following a storybook race in 2015. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor share the No. 63 Corvette C7.R – the first race together for the trio.

The six drivers have combined for 15 career victories at Le Mans with Gavin winning for the fifth time last year. The No. 64 Corvette was the lone entry in the race following a crash in qualifying for the No. 63 C7.R that forced its withdrawal.

This year’s race will pit Chevrolet against a number of premier automobile manufacturers – many of which also compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. Through four races, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing lead the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Manufacturer and Team championship.

Endurance and Corvette Racing go hand-in-hand. No manufacturer can match the record of Chevrolet and its flagship sports car racing team with 27 long-distance victories since 1999.
That includes five straight victories in Triple Crown events; in addition to last year’s Le Mans, Corvette Racing has won the last two years in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. No sports car team, regardless of class, can boast that level of continuous success in endurance racing’s premier events.

The test program ahead of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans has focused on finding the right aerodynamic package for the 2016-spec Corvette C7.R, which meets this year’s Automobile Club de l’Ouest regulations for top-level GT cars that compete in both GTE Pro and the IMSA GTLM class.

There are a number of aerodynamic changes from last year’s car including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette. Side skirts and a repositioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTE Pro and GTLM cars.

All of those facets along with Michelin tires specific to FIA World Endurance Championship competition have been the focus of Corvette Racing’s on-track testing and engineering preparations. The two Corvette C7.Rs and six drivers performed a final pre-Le Mans test at Road America earlier this month.

Side-by-side, the road-going Corvette Z06 and C7.R race car are virtually identical – a hallmark of Chevrolet’s philosophy of technology transfer.

Both cars share a common aluminum frame that provides stiffness (and added safety) while at the same time a weight savings over the previous generation of racing Corvette. Advanced aerodynamics help with air flow, engine and braking cooling, and downforce in the high-speed corners that dot the nearly 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe.

The Corvette C7.R and Corvette Z06 also benefit from the use of direct fuel injection, which helps improve fuel economy to the Chevrolet small-block V8. That often proves critical at Le Mans where longer runs on fuel can mean as much as an extra two laps between stops.

The Le Mans Test Day starts at 9 a.m. CET/3 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 31. The 83rd running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 13.


ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“You need to maximize as much track time as possible on the Test Day.
I hope the weather is good but even if it rains you need to try a few things. Laguna Seca the last few years has been where we’ve started running the new Michelin tire for Le Mans. But you don’t really have time to focus on making it work there. So when you get to Le Mans, one of the most important things to concentrate on are tires and then all the new bits and pieces that we have in the Le Mans-spec aero.
Year after year, Le Mans has gotten more competitive. Every single tenth of a second there counts, which might seem strange to say considering the length of the track. We have to use all the experience we’ve gained over these first four races in the U.S, and be ready with any improvements as soon possible so we can be as competitive as possible.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“For us, the Test Day is about getting back in the groove of Le Mans. We come there with a new car and different levels of downforce. We need to learn what the car will do. We won’t pay too much attention to what others will do. When it’s all over we will use that as a gauge to where we are. Our main focus is learning the car and fine-tuning the new aero.
When you go there for the test, that’s pretty much what you have. You can adjust a lot of stuff but you’re doing going to redesign anything. You won’t have a chance to know if it will last 24 hours. Obviously after the test we can go back and have a rethink. It’s a lot of time for the engineers to look through the data and try to come up with solutions to whatever problems we’ve had.
It is exactly what it is: a test and practice before the main event.”

RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“GTE Pro is always super-competitive at Le Mans.
This year with four Fords going, just by numbers it will be one of the toughest years ever. Getting that time at Road America and working through lots of things and getting an idea of what the engineers can simulate on the computers over the stretch before the race and understanding certain parameters of the car that apply to Le Mans is important.
The team has a solid plan about what we want to do and changes to make. Jordan and I aren’t getting there until the afternoon, so it will be a busy time getting some laps and getting to work through a couple of changes. The team has a solid plan. They’ve done this so many times that while it’s not exactly routine but they can handle themselves well and get a lot of good work done.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“The Test Day has always been important, but as things have gotten more finely tuned, and you know what to expect from the car and you know what you should be doing, it becomes quite clear where you are in terms of the car’s performance compared to previous years.
You then have to see how that stacks up against competition. I’ve had really good cars at Le Mans and I’ve had some cars that have been quite hard to drive. You always hope that every time you go there, that the package you bring is going to come together and give you a nice, comfortable feeling to give you an attacking style you want to use around Le Mans.
If you don’t have that, then you know you’re likely going to be in for a long 24 hours and it makes the job incredibly more difficult to drag a good result out of it.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“This year especially the Test Day is more important than it has been in years past.
We have a new rules package for GTE Pro. It’s the biggest change in our Corvette since we went from C6 to C7 a few years ago. Even then the rules were fundamentally the same. Now we go there with a car that will have quite a bit more downforce potentially. Plus you had on the extra pressure from Ford, Aston Martin has a renewed interest and program… there’s just lots of ‘new’ everywhere.
For us, we have something new but it’s not quite as new, which I think will help us.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“Every year when you go to Le Mans, any track time you can get is important – especially with the added car count this year.
You really have to be on your game from the word go. Yes we have two long sessions but the lap is four minutes long so by the end of the day you aren’t really going to have that many laps in.
You really have to make the most of it. For the drivers, it’s nice to get used to the track again and for the engineers, it’s valuable data they can take to the raceweek.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:

“In our 17 years of coming to Le Mans, I’m confident that this will be toughest test we will face at the 24 Hours.
The Test Day is more critical now than it ever has been with the number of new cars and new manufacturers. For us, we have spent many hours testing and performing simulations in order to arrive at a package that will give us the best opportunity to win at Le Mans for the ninth time.”

Oliver Gavin fourth-quickest in class as No. 64 team goes for second straight Le Mans win
· Focus turns to race-week preparation for what will be hard-fought class battle
· Team going for ninth class win in 17th Le Mans appearance
· Corvette Racing with five straight Triple Crown event victories

LE MANS, France (June 5, 2016) – Corvette Racing ended the Le Mans Test Day with the fastest time in the GTE Pro class as Antonio Garcia set a lap of 3:55.122 (129.680 mph) in the No. 63 Konica Minolta/Mobil 1/Sirius XM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. Garcia, who celebrated a birthday Sunday and will team with Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor, led a Corvette Racing effort that focused on race setup and strategy as the team works toward what it hopes will be a ninth victory at the French endurance classic.

Both Corvettes were among the four fastest cars in what should be a highly competitive fight in GTE Pro. Oliver Gavin in the No. 64 Corvette C7.R was fourth-fastest with a lap of 3:55.837 (129.245 mph).
He, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor are the defending class winners at Le Mans, and Gavin and Milner won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to open the season.

Both Corvettes recorded significant mileage around the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe.
The No. 64 Corvette turned 81 laps while the No. 63 Corvette posted 73 laps. The entire day was run in warm, dry conditions which allowed the team to maximize its efforts to find the best race setup for the 2016-spec Corvette C7.Rs.

Sunday marked the first time at Le Mans for the cars, which feature a number of changes from 2015 including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette.
Side skirts and a re-positioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTE Pro cars.

Corvette Racing engineers, crew and drivers will spend the days leading up to next week’s practice and qualifying sessions pouring over data to fine-tune the performance, reliability and efficiency of the two Corvettes. The task is monumental given the quality and quantity of the other manufacturer-based teams in GTE Pro.

The 84th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 18. Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for June 15-16.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“It's been a while since we've had such a clean test day with no worries.
That helped us a lot in going through our test program.
We're happy with where we are, and we're well prepared for the race.
Now we have a ton of data to go through, but it looks like it will be a great race with a very competitive field in GTE Pro."

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

"I'm quite happy with what we've achieved today.
We had a problem-free test and tried some different possibilities for the race.
It's always a bit of a guess to know how much grip the track will gain throughout the race week, but we're in good shape."

RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

"It was great to be in Le Mans with the Corvette Racing team for the first time!
The balance of the car was very good, so I could take my time to get up to speed.
It's a pity about the red flag which cut short the last session while I was driving, but I'm sure the car will be very strong."

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

"It's been a productive day.
It's very close between all competitors in the GTE Pro class.
I feel that we've learned a decent amount and that we're in a good spot.
The weather was quite stable throughout the day and we'll have to see what the race week brings."

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

"It was great to be back and get the Le Mans experience going again.
It's nice to come here with a car that's a bit different from what we had here in last couple of years with the new aero package.
We were trying to make sure we ticked all the boxes, and we did that.
We also tried some different things and learned a lot from that. We were pretty quick and finished fourth in class which is a good place to be in. We're all fairly comfortable with the car, so it's ‘Mission Accomplished’ as far as the Test Day went."

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

"It was good to be back.
It always takes some ten laps to get back into the rhythm of things, but the car felt very good, so I'm happy.
You do feel a little bit better aero.
At Le Mans you’re completely trimmed out so any additional downforce you can get without the drag is important, and I think that’s what Corvette has done with this new C7.R – increased the level of downforce and reduced the drag.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:

“We come to Le Mans each year with our list of items and settings to work through to put us in the best possible position for when we come back for the race.

That is what we accomplished today with both our Corvette C7.Rs. Antonio going quickest in the class is a good indication of the quality of the effort our engineers and crew have put forward.
Although we are pleased with today's results, we realize we still have more work to do. Preparation, strategy and execution are what we have used to win eight times at Le Mans, and it’s what we will count on again this year.”

Ford’s eagerly-anticipated return to Le Mans this year is turning the heads of motorsport fans and GT rivals (Corvette) alike.
Mobil 1 The Grid spoke to the men behind the so-called U.S. invasion to find out more about why having an American presence at the famous 24-hour race is vital for the sport.
Ford GT’s Scott Dixon and Joey Hand both feature alongside Corvette Racing’s Doug Fehan, Tommy Milner and brothers Jordan & Ricky Taylor.

· Eight class wins in 16 races at Le Mans for sports car racing’s top GT team
· Garcia fastest on Test Day in No. 63 Corvette C7.R
· Gavin, Milner, Taylor defending GTE Pro class winners in No. 64 Corvette
· A Le Mans win would be No. 100 overall for Corvette Racing program

DETROIT (June 13, 2016) – A year ago, Corvette Racing stood on the top step of the podium after winning endurance racing’s biggest event for the eighth time.
It’s now another season and another chance for Corvette Racing to claim victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Doing so will write another chapter in the team’s and Chevrolet’s racing history.

This marks the 17th consecutive Le Mans for Corvette Racing, which enters the GTE Pro class with two Konica Minolta/Mobil 1/Sirius XM Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs.
There is momentum on the team’s side heading into a race that will be tougher than any previous season, given the number of teams and manufacturers in the class.

Consider the following:

· Corvette Racing has won five straight Triple Crown events – the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2015, 2016), Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (2015, 2016) and 24 Hours of Le Mans (2015). No sports car team in any class can claim that feat.
· Corvette Racing has 21 all-time victories in Triple Crown races.
· Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor won last year’s GTE Pro class at Le Mans by five laps in a race where their No. 64 Corvette was the team’s lone entry following a qualifying crash for the No. 63 car. All three drivers are back this year to defend.
· Antonio Garcia set the fastest time in class during this year’s Test Day in the No. 63 Corvette C7.R that he will share with Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor. The No. 64 Corvette was fourth-quickest with Gavin at the wheel.

Not only are Corvette Racing and the Corvette C7.R proven commodities, so is the driving roster.
The six drivers have 52 combined starts at Le Mans with 15 victories. Among them, Gavin has five wins (all with Corvette Racing), Magnussen four (all with the team), Garcia three (two with Corvette Racing), Milner two (both with Corvette Racing) and Taylor’s last year.

Heading into Le Mans, Corvette Racing has 99 victories in program history.
The team will be the first in IMSA and North America’s highest levels of professional road racing to accomplish that feat.
Of note, nine different drivers have won at Le Mans for Corvette Racing throughout three different classifications and four models of Corvette race cars.

The competition this year in GTE Pro is full of familiar names.
Many of the same teams and manufacturers that Corvette Racing will face also competed in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Gavin, Milner and the No. 4 Corvette C7.R lead the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Driver’s and Team championships, as does Chevrolet in the Manufacturer standings through four races. In addition, Jordan and Ricky Taylor have two overall victories for Wayne Taylor Racing in their Corvette Daytona Prototype and lead the Prototype Driver’s Championship.

The Test Day was the first time the 2016-spec Corvette C7.R appeared at Le Mans, which meets this year’s Automobile Club de l’Ouest regulations for top-level GT cars that compete in both GTE Pro and the IMSA GTLM class.
There are a number of aerodynamic changes from last year’s car including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette. Side skirts and a repositioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTE Pro and GTLM cars.

All of those facets along with Michelin tires specific to FIA World Endurance Championship competition have been the focus of Corvette Racing’s on-track testing and engineering preparations.

The Le Mans Test Day starts at 9 a.m. CET/3 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 31.
The 83rd running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 13.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“The Test Day went very smooth and we ran through our program.
We just need to go back and look at all the data; there is a lot to go through and analyze. We have to do what we can to make the car stronger because all the other teams will do the same.
It’s probably the most important week of the year for that. We’ve had years in the past where we have had a lot of cars. But this year is as tough as I can remember.
The main thing is that no matter the other manufacturers, you need to win. So I’m good with whoever comes second. I’m confident. As a team we won the first two big races of the year: Daytona and Sebring.
So I’m hoping to repeat what we did last year and win at Le Mans.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“Le Mans is an event that really is unique.
This is my 17th Le Mans and I don’t think there is one that has been the same as another. It is the nature of the race - the track, the weather and your competitors are all different each year.
We are pretty satisfied following the Test Day. The Corvette showed good speed over one lap but also we did a lot of work on long runs with our race setup. So I feel we are very prepared.
The thing about Le Mans is that once you get to the race there are so many variables that are out of your control and are difficult to account for.
You have to trust the engineers, crew and your own abilities to make it through.”

RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“The following at Le Mans is huge for Corvette Racing.
The fans are awesome over there. It’s amazing how the French people and fans from around the world love the roar and sight of the Corvette. For me, that’s a lot of pressure to live up to.
This team has a great legacy at Le Mans. Looking forward, it’s an opportunity to be with a winning team.
Not often in your career do you get to do a race like this with a proper chance of winning. For me, this is a great opportunity to be part of that.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“You always have to look at every year somewhat fresh. We’re going there with a new tire and aero package. That will have a new spin on things and we’ll have our eyes on that.
It’s a case that you always have to look at how the track develops and the weather conditions. We’ve had for quite some time now some pretty cool and changeable races.
We haven’t had a really hot race for about 10 years now, and I think everyone is waiting for one of those to come along. I don’t think that wouldn’t be a bad thing for us. That would suit our car and our setup.
I don’t think the turbo cars would have as much of an advantage on warm nights than they would if it were cold.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“Having a good test with no mechanical issues makes race week that much less stressful. You can focus on the details of the race, getting all three drivers cycled through and not worrying about finding extra speed.
hat’s what we had last year. We had a Corvette that was comfortable and fast.
Jordan came in and was on-pace right away, which is obviously good. Going back there with the same driver lineup leaves us feeling pretty confident that we can achieve that again.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

“It’s hard not to say the lasting image of last year’s race is standing on the podium and looking at the crowd. You get goosebumps just thinking about it, and then when you’re actually able to see it, it’s so surreal.
When I was up there in the moment, it was hard to believe. I’m glad I took some pictures and video of it because it all goes blurry when you’re up there and that excited.
Hopefully next time I’ll be a little more relaxed where I can savor it a bit more. Le Mans is the pinnacle in world sports car racing, and GTE Pro when you look at the field and the talent, every single car can win.
When you’re looking at something like that, it’s intense and everyone has be on their game. There can be no mistakes.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:

“Our Test Day experience demonstrated the proficiency of our engineering staff, the dedication of our powertrain guys and the implementation capabilities of our our crew.
Now they are all facing a new challenge as we excitedly approach two days of qualifying.
There is a reason we have won here eight times: we operate as a unified team that focuses on winning regardless of the odds.
This has the potential to be the hardest-fought GT race in Le Mans history and we at Corvette Racing, along with all our fans, can't wait for that green flag to drop!”

LE MANS, France (June 15, 2016) – Corvette Racing drivers and team management met with members of the media at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Wednesday.
The topics included last year’s GTE Pro victory for the No. 64 Chevrolet Corvette of C7.R, the team’s strong history in sports car racing’s endurance events with eight wins in 16 Le Mans starts, and the outlook for the weekend.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/XM SIRIUS CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

You and Jan have been very competitive in the U.S. this year, despite final results.
What is the biggest key to getting the result the 63 team deserves?

"We’ve been very strong over the last year. Last year it was our turn to win Daytona and Sebring, and this year it was the No. 4 car’s turn to do that. We just need to execute, stay on track and stay out of trouble. In racing there are always things that you cannot control. We need to do our part, and if everything goes to plan we will be in a very strong position to win."

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/XM SIRIUS CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

Why has this team been so successful at Le Mans and in the endurance events for so long?

"It’s continuity within the team – the drivers, team, mechanics, engineers. We usually come away from every endurance race having learned something new. We can use that to be better every time we arrive at Le Mans, which is the most important race for us.
Our record and 50 percent win rate speak for itself. It’s impressive for any team that has been here.
Hopefully we can carry on learning and carry on winning."

RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 63 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/XM SIRIUS CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

How has your first experience around Le Mans with Corvette Racing been thus far?

"Coming to Le Mans is obviously a big deal. My other two starts with Pro-Am teams, so the expectations weren’t always to win. The goal was to finish the race and be on the podium. But when you come to Corvette Racing, this is a team that always expects to win. You have to adjust your own expectations a little bit.
It’s a real honor to be a part of this group.
Very rarely do you have the chance to come to such a big event like Le Mans with a team that has a record like Corvette Racing. For me it’s about seizing the opportunity and doing the best I can to support Jan, Antonio and the rest of the Corvette Racing team."

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/XM SIRIUS CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

Last year was LM win No. 5. Given the circumstances, where does that rank for you personally?

"Certainly the victory last year was hard-fought and hard-earned. I was very fortunate to share the 64 Corvette with two fantastic teammates in Tommy and Jordan. We had a fantastic team at Corvette Racing that rallied around us after the extremely unfortunate incident with the 63 car. The way it turned out and being in the car at the end was a quite exceptional moment.
To get my fifth win was fantastic and amazing, but crossing the line and seeing all the guys hanging over the wall in celebration, then doing the slow-down lap was special and then to come back around by the pitfall and do a little burnout in front of everyone was very cool!
I did a little practice out back on the circuit to make sure I didn’t screw it up! I didn’t want to make a fool of myself! It was a great and amazing victory for Corvette Racing and one I’ll always remember."

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/XM SIRIUS CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

How satisfying has it been for the 4/64 car to continue Corvette Racing’s run of success in the endurance rounds?

"Starting with this race last year and carrying over to the first two endurance races of 2016 has been a bit of a turnaround for the No. 4 car. We had about a year there of some bad races and unlucky races. It was frustrating for us as a group on the No. 4 Corvette.
We were able to buckle down even after Le Mans and really wanted to prove our game.
We’ve seen the fruits of those efforts so far this year with the victories at Daytona and Sebring. We still working hard to improve ourselves. This class is so competitive year and it manages to get even more competitive each season.
There’s a lot of work to do for this race to have a good result again but this is a team that’s up to that challenge."

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 64 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/XM SIRIUS CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R:

Does being back at Le Mans as defending class winner change your mindset and the mindset of everyone on the No. 64 Corvette this year?

"I don’t think so. It was obviously great to win last year. But you can come to Le Mans 50 times and never win it because there are so many little things that can go wrong.
Everyone has a chance this year. There are 14 cars in this class and everyone is starting from zero. So you have to rely on experience, trust everyone around you and attack it the same way we always do: have a clean race and be there at the end.
Having Oliver and Tommy win at Sebring shows that the new car is as a strong as ever and compete for 24 hours flat out. We can go into this race with a lot of confidence."

Corvette Racing packed up after Wednesday night's qualifying session and wondered how its thundering C7.Rs went from winning the GTE-Pro class last year to scraping the bottom of the time sheets.

Holding a firm 13th and 14th in the 14-car class, the best Corvette lap--produced by the No. 64 entry--was a full 4.663 seconds behind home state rival Ford, which led the first round of qualifying as its new GTs went 1-2-4-5.
The second of the C7.R twins, the No. 63 car, was 6.782 behind, and this comes after the No. 63 topped the official Le Mans test day on June 5 by a margin of 0.280 seconds. The best Ford, by contrast, was 0.917 seconds behind Corvette at the test.

The FORCED Balance of Performance mandated by the Le Mans organizers took power away from the Corvettes by reducing the size of the holes that feed air to its V8 engines, and with less grunt to rocket out of the corners—and to reach impressive top speeds—the C7.Rs actually ended up slower than all GTE-Pro cars and four of the year-old models in the GTE-Am category.

"I think the timing sheets pretty much speak for themselves," Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan told RACER.
"We ran as good as we can run. That's what our performance level is at this point in time. We don't anticipate anything changing."

The Le Mans organizers rarely make BoP adjustments prior to the race, which dispels any belief the Corvette team is running slower than they are capable to receive a BoP break of their own. If a change were to be made, it would likely involve a cautious approach to avoid skewing the balance towards a different manufacturer.

"It was all pretty close on the test day, we have the fourth-fastest [top] speed on the Mulsanne, then they made the forced BOP adjustment and took away some of our air, and last night's performance was representative of that change," Fehan said.

With a steady rain falling over Le Mans today, and the final two-hour qualifying session set for 7-9 p.m. local this evening, the Corvettes could start the race from deep in the pack and have significant ground to cover in order to challenge for a repeat win.

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Focus Turns to Race Day

Teams calls GTE Pro challenge biggest of team’s Le Mans 17 attempts

Eight class wins in 16 races at Le Mans for sports car racing’s top GT team
Gavin, Milner, Taylor defending GTE Pro class winners in No. 64 Corvette
A Le Mans win would be No. 100 overall for Corvette Racing program

LE MANS, France (June 16, 2016) – Corvette Racing has turned its attention to race setup and strategy with qualifying now complete for this year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The pair of Konica Minolta/Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs completed the pair of two-hour qualifying sessions Thursday night, and work will begin Friday on optimizing the race cars for 24 hours of intense competition in the GTE Pro class.

Corvette Racing arrived at Le Mans for the 17th time and in search of a ninth class victory. Already, the team has won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring this season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America.
For this weekend’s twice-around-the-clock race, Corvette Racing will rely on the experience and knowledge it gained from those victories with the 2016 Corvette C7.R.

Oliver Gavin was the fastest driver in the No. 64 Corvette C7.R during Wednesday and Thursday’s qualifying sessions with a lap of 3:55.848 (129.245 mph) to qualify 13th. He, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor won Le Mans last year in the GTE Pro class as Corvette Racing completed a Triple Crown season – winning Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans.

In the No. 63 Corvette C7.R, Antonio Garcia was the quickest of its three drivers with a lap 3:57.967 (128.127 mph) for the 14th position. Garcia is driving with Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor, who is making his first start with the team at Le Mans.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday with live television coverage available on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and the FOX Sports Go app. Radiolemans.com will have live audio coverage, as well.

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/SIRIUSXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED 13TH:

"With qualifying behind us we can turn our attention to working on our race strategy, the setup and all the details which are the strength of Corvette Racing. Certainly everyone understands the challenge we face. We were in a situation a year ago where things looked dim with just one car for the race; but we executed well on the track and in the pits, the strategy was good, and we ended up on the top step of the podium.
That has to be our mindset of our team moving ahead to Saturday. Our Corvette C7.R is proven and reliable. I think after the rain we’ve had the last couple of days that Jordan, Tommy and I each feel comfortable with how the car felt in all kinds of conditions."

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 KONICA MINOLTA/MOBIL 1/SIRIUSXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED 14TH:

"It wasn’t very easy in practice or qualifying. We’ve had little dry time which meant we couldn’t quite go through the program we had planned. So we made sure Jan and Ricky got enough laps in the car in the dry before the rain came in.
Thursday’s weather meant we couldn’t improve on Wednesday’s time but at the same time we learned some more about the car in the wet. We have to focus on what we have and race with that – 100 percent until the end."

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:

"We’ve said for some time that this year’s Le Mans would be the biggest challenge that Corvette Racing has faced in our 17 attempts here.
There has been nothing over the last two days that should lead anyone to think otherwise.
The biggest assets we have are our experience and ‘never-give-up’ attitude that has helped Corvette Racing to eight Le Mans wins and the five Triple Crown victories in a row.
Anything can happen at this race, and that’s what we love about Le Mans.
It should be a great battle, and we’re looking forward to adding to our Le Mans legacy."

Le Mans 24 Hours (times in Central European and Eastern Daylight)

Practice/qualifying: 4-8 p.m. (practice), 10 p.m.-midnight CET (qualifying), Wednesday, June 15
10 a.m.-2 p.m. (practice), 4-6 p.m. ET (qualifying)
Qualifying: 7-9 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight CET, Thursday, June 16
1-3 p.m., 4-6 p.m. ET
Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m. CET, Saturday, June 18
3-3:45 a.m. ET
Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m. CET, Sunday, June 18
9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. ET, Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It! (Saturday, June 18-Sunday, June 19 – all times ET)

8:30 a.m. Saturday-2:00 p.m. Sunday (FOX Sports 1)
2:00-4:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX Sports 2)
6-6:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX Sports 2)
7-7:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX Sports 2)
10:30 p.m., Saturday-2:30 a.m., Sunday (FOX Sports 2)
2:30-9:30 a.m., Sunday (FOX Sports 1)

The full race will be streamed on FOX Sports GO

The undeniable speed advantage enjoyed by the turbocharged Ford and Ferrari GTE-Pro cars in practice and qualifying has been met with significant Balance of Performance changes just over 24 hours before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The pole-winning ford GTs, which qualified 1-2-4-5 in the 14-car class, have received an extra 10 kilos (22 pounds) of ballast, moving the four cars up to 1248 kgs (2751 lbs), but that's only a token change.
The big pre-race adjustment is the removal of boost pressure throughout the twin-turbo V6's rev range from 4200-7000 rpms.

Only the Ford's peak 7100 rpm range was left untouched.

On the Ferrari side, its new twin-turbo V8 488 had its boost figures left untouched, but had an extra 15 kilos (33 pounds) saddled to the three Prancing horses that qualified P3-6-7. The 488s also received and extra four liters of fuel capacity.

The slow non-turbos from Aston Martin, Corvette, and Porsche also had BoP changes made, and most were in the name of improving their pace.

Aston's V8 Vantages will breathe easier thanks to a further 0.4 mm opening of its air restrictors, which will increase power and torque.

The Corvette C7.Rs received a 0.3 mm air restrictor break, but the team only has restrictors in hand that would allow a 0.2 mm break.

"It's a move in the right direction," Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan told RACER. "The [0.3 mm] is enough of an improvement that we need to find a solution because we only have restrictors that will get us [0.2 mm]."

The C7.Rs were also given an additional seven liters of fuel capacity.

The Porsche 911 RSRs did not receive weight or air restrictor changes, but now have eight liters of new fuel capacity.

Altogether, the changes to the Ferraris and Fords should make for an intense fight among GTE-Pro cars throughout Saturday and Sunday in La Sarthe.

BS from Ford :

The pole-winning Ford Chip Ganassi Racing GTE-Pro team has taken the pre-race Balance of Performance changes aimed at slowing its fleet of Ford GTs in stride.

The four GTs have taken on extra weight and lost turbo boost for the 24 Hours of Le Mans after qualifying P1-2-4-5.
Those changes, along with penalties to the rapid turbo Ferrari 488s, and breaks for the slow Aston Martin V8 Vantages and Corvette C7.Rs, should reduce the sizeable 3.7-second gap that separated turbos from non-turbos.

"What we do as a race team is we race the race and try to minimize the things that can stop you from being at the front at the end," Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull told RACER. "You win on racecraft, take what's given to you, and the faster you accept that, the faster you can push yourself to find the best strategy."

Although Hull's outlook might not be shared within every corner of the combined FCGR, Ford, and Multimatic factory Le Mans program, the ace race strategist will use all 24 hours to try and overcomeany performance reductions that may appear on the stopwatch.

"What I like about what's happened with the [BoP change] is it's a compliment to what's Ford's done and the team's done and the sanctioning body's done," he said. "They try to make it fair. You have to accept what you're given. It's the most carnivorous class of racing. The race will demonstrate who has the best racecraft."

The end results are not surprising when 4 Fords with dual turbo were allowed when the car is not even in production versus 2 C7Rs with a 5.5 liter small block with only 480 HP

Only caused both C7.Rs to push the cars the whole 24 hours and end up almost 50 laps plus behind the leaders

The defending GTE Pro race-winning No. 64 Corvette C7.R is out of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 16th hour after Tommy Milner hit the tire barrier hard after locking up the brakes and skidding through the grass through the Dunlop corner while climbing the hill.
He was running eighth in GTE Pro at the time.

"I feel fine, just lucky being in this Corvette, we've seen some big accidents here over the years and drivers walking away fine," he told Radio Le Mans.
"I feel fine, just disappointed, feel bad for our teammates [Oliver Gavin and Jordan Taylor] and our guys for ending our race like that.
That's not how we wanted to end this race.
"If my dad were here, he'd tell me that I ran out of talent," he added, trying to lighten the mood.

"We had just made some setup changes when I got in the car to try to make the car a little bit quicker for the end of the race and I guess we went a little too far with that.
At the end of the day it's on me to make sure that that kind of stuff doesn't happened. Just disappointed."

"It looks to me like he got a little locking on the rears," Gavin told Fox Sports.
"The car's been a little been light like that.
We've had chassis problems through the day and maybe we got too much rear bias.
I'm just glad he's out and OK."
Corvette's sister car, driven by Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor, continued on in eighth in the GTE Pro class but 40 plus laps behind the winning fords taking 1st, 3rd and fourth places