New Driver Alignment to Optimize Performance in Sprint and Endurance Events
DETROIT, Jan. 20, 2012 – A new alignment of drivers will pilot Corvette Racing's new Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars when they make their competition debut at the season-opening 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. With additional testing following the announcement of the 2012 driver roster, the team has now finalized the lineups for the twin Corvettes.
Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia will be full-season drivers in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R, joined by Jordan Taylor as third driver in endurance events (Sebring, Le Mans, and Petit Le Mans). Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner will co-drive the No. 4 Corvette C6.R, with Richard Westbrook joining them as third driver in the three long-distance races.
"As part of our comprehensive review of Corvette Racing, we considered every element of the program, from the chassis and engine to the driver pairings," said GM Racing Director Mark Kent. "Preseason testing and data analysis suggested that a revised driver alignment could improve the team's overall performance. Certainly physical size is a factor in minimizing the time required for driver changes during pit stops, but we also evaluated the drivers' individual styles and their preferences on chassis setups. With these pairings, we can minimize compromises and maximize driver confidence.
"This new alignment also combines experienced and younger drivers," Kent added. "We expect the veteran drivers to mentor the younger drivers, accelerating the process of learning and development."
This new driver alignment sees Magnussen, 38, return to the No. 3 Corvette C6.R that he drove from March 2007 to August 2010. The Dane will co-drive with Garcia, 31, who moves from the third-driver role he began in 2009 to a full-season campaign in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team's newest member, Jordan Taylor, a 20-year-old from Apopka, Fla., joins Magnussen and Garcia as the third driver in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R.
Tommy Milner, 25, of Lake Mary, Fla., joined Corvette Racing in 2011 as a full-season driver in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R. Milner now moves to the No. 4 Corvette C6.R alongside Oliver Gavin, 39, a Corvette Racing driver since 2002. Richard Westbrook, 36, will mark his second year as third driver in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R.
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