CORVETTE 2017

WILL CORVETTE DEFEND THE CROWN? CORVETTE RACING CHASING ANOTHER TITLE CORVETTE C 7. R CORVETTE RACING’S WINNING WAYS

The Champs “The nature of GT is that there are “Rolling out a new car at the two Broad Performance Bandwidth features and any updates in the class technical rules If you must beat the champ to always three phases,” said Corvette longest and toughest races here is While some cars seem to be stronger at certain tracks and less so into the newest cars. become the new champ, then the Racing driver Antonio Garcia. a very tall order,” said Chris Baker, at others, the Corvette C7.R has demonstrated a wide performance Manufacturers will typically have spent six to ten car and team for BMW, , Ford “You have a new car, then you reach director of motorsport, North bandwidth with wins on the big, fast Daytona International months and several thousand miles in track testing and and to beat in international a peak where you have developed the America. Speedway, the legendary at Le Mans, the fast development before their first race. sports car competition is the car, and then you try to keep the car After disappointments in the first and bumpy Sebring circuit, the shortest circuit on the series - Lime Given the extensive experience of the GTLM teams Corvette C7.R and Corvette Racing. competitive as other new cars arrive. two races, Garcia and co-driver Jan Rock Park - and on the streets of Long Beach. and the use of increasingly sophisticated simulators it Corvette Racing scored five “Corvette Racing has run over Magnussen scored the first victory for The C7.R begins 2017 competition having already claimed doesn’t take long for new cars to debut already on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar several versions of the cars before and the Corvette C7.R in the next stop at pairs of wins at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve pace. Championship GT Le Mans class wins been competitive in later stages in the Long Beach, and immediately built a Hours of Sebring iced by a victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours (Daytona, Sebring, Lime Rock, Road past in the last years of car. We just streak of four consecutive wins with race. The X Factors America and VIR) in 11 races in 2016 keep rolling.” victories at Raceway Laguna In its first three seasons, the C7.Rs have taken wins at a “The advantage of the established car is that the reliability is to claim the series’ manufacturer, The record certainly backs him up Seca, Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire total of 10 different circuits; Le Mans, Daytona (2), Sebring pretty well sorted,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug team and driver championships as Garcia, co-driver and Motorsport Park before falling to (2), Long Beach, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Watkins Fehan. in the third year of the car’s Corvette claimed the series titles in Balance of Performance adjustments. Glen, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock, Road “Our team has a very thick book on its nuances and chassis competition cycle. 2013, the final year of the predecessor, They then opened the 2015 season America and VIRginia International Raceway. setups for all of the tracks on the WeatherTech Championship trail,” Through its first three seasons, Corvette C6.R. with wins at Daytona and Sebring. said Gary Pratt of Pratt & Miller Engineering, which runs the Corvette the Velocity Yellow pair of Corvette “We just keep working. We know Midway through 2015, momentum New Challengers Racing program for Chevrolet. Racing C7.R entries has combined what we have developed and do as shifted to the other half of the Corvette With Ford, Ferrari and BMW entering new “The flip side is that after a year or two, the big gains are pretty for 12 wins in 35 races, while taking much as we can,” said Garcia. Racing tent as teammates models in 2016 GTLM class competition, and much gone and you are looking at smaller and smaller increments.” a championship at Le Mans and a “The curve we go through with and (joined by Jordan Porsche debuting the new Porsche 911 RSR in “Top teams like Corvette Racing are very good at understanding the sweep of the 2016 GTLM titles in North this car gets more difficult later in the Taylor) took an inspired victory at Le 2017, the Corvette C7.R, now in its fourth season strengths and weaknesses of their cars, teams and drivers, and assessing the America. That is a 36 percent strike cycle.” Mans. of competition, is the oldest car competing in competition” said Baker. rate in the fiercest class in international The 2016 season saw the arrival of the factory dominated GTLM class. “They play to their strengths. One of those strengths is that they have competition. Tracking the Corvette the new Ford GT, Ferrari 488s and the “Race cars have an accelerated life cycle, developed the C7.Rs to be remarkably consistent, lap after lap. C 7. R BMW M6 GTLMs but Gavin and Milner, especially in a class like GTLM where the big “The Corvette drivers are all multiple-time champions and the team has a The Three Phases of GT In 2014, Corvette introduced the joined by Marcel Fässler, nipped their factory teams are constantly testing, and tremendous amount of experience and a winning culture. The 2017 season marks the C7.R the hard way, making its debut at teammates for the win at Daytona refining,” said Chris Baker. “Their race strategies and pit work allow them to create or take advantage of fourth year in competition for the the two longest races in North America, and went on to claim Sebring to start The newest cars have the benefit of every opportunity and to apply relentless pressure to the competition. Corvette C7.R, the latest in a series of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil a run that carried them to the 2016 seeing any innovations that others have “The combination of the Corvette Racing team and the C7.R is very difficult to championship-winning Corvettes. 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. championships. or the trends and incorporating those beat.” 2 3 MILNER & GAVIN’S PATH TO VICTORY

Main Street with Corvette “Tommy did well at the test, and Gary Pratt, Doug Racing Louth, and I all felt that he would be a good fit with the One of the most important moments team,” said Fehan. of Tommy Milner’s racing career came not at a race track, but literally on Main Street in The First Season and the downtown Greenville, South Carolina. breakthrough It was there in September 2010, signing Getting started, the 2011 season was a mixed bag autographs in a BMW race car display at a daylong for Milner. He struggled with consistency and the early Michelin fan event called “Motorsports on Main” season results were disappointing. that Milner’s career path was forever changed. Milner’s defining moment came at the biggest race “Michelin put together a great, really well- of all: Le Mans. promoted event for the Friday before the When Jan Magnussen’s class leading Corvette race week and they invited all of the teams, including crashed out of the race shortly after dawn on Sunday the (then) non-Michelin teams like BMW,” recalled Doug morning, Milner and co-driver Antonio Garcia Fehan, program manager Corvette Racing. became the team’s only remaining hope, and they “BMW has a big presence in the area, but Tommy were a full, 8.5-mile lap down to the class-leading was the only BMW Team RLL factory driver there, and he Ferrari. was doing a great job signing autographs, talking with Adding to the challenge, their veteran co- fans, doing interviews and promoting the brand all day driver, , had become ill driving long,” said Fehan. during an extended caution period, leaving Garcia and Milner to handle the last 14 The Corvette Way hours of the race. “The Corvette Racing philosophy is a After Garcia wrapped up an little different than most,” said Fehan. outstanding triple-stint to slice the gap “Our Corvette drivers are not only to the lead Ferrari, Milner would be on expected to win races, but also to be great the spot to continue the march. ambassadors for the brand. We were looking Awaiting the driver change, for an American driver and from the outside it team boss Gary Pratt could see the looked like Tommy was kind of low man on the tension in his young driver. He put driver totem-pole at BMW.” an arm on his shoulder: “Tommy, “We knew that Tommy had talent and was still you’ll be fine. Just drive the car growing as a driver, but we hadn’t been able to see if like always and you will do he was the kind of driver that would understand and fine.” buy into the Corvette Racing program,” said Fehan. Milner picked up “That day at Motorsports on Main gave me that where Garcia had left off, opportunity.” relentlessly slicing away at When the season ended, Corvette Racing invited the the Ferrari margin. Then it 24-year-old Virginian to test with the team at Sebring. began to rain.

4 5 had gambled and lost with an wedged into the throttle linkage of the rankings and they stayed there aggressive restart. Magnussen/Garcia/ car during fighting back a mid-season run This time, rather than risk Thursday night qualifying. The car was by Ford GT’s Ryan Briscoe and contact in the dicey first turn on heavily damaged in a crash and could not . Gavin the restart, he wisely consolidated be repaired in time for the race. and Milner scored Corvette his position and used the second For the first time in its proud Le Mans Racing’s 100th win at Lime place points to move he and Gavin history, Corvette Racing would have only Rock Park and with Milner’s into a commanding lead in the drivers’ one car on the Le Mans starting grid. stunning fifth-to-first dash championship. There would be no options of splitting in the final five minutes At VIR, Milner’s home track, they took race strategies, no sharing set-ups, data, at , their fourth win of the season and locked or Michelin tire strategies. The team had subsequent control of up the 2012 ALMS Manufacturer, team, just one bullet. the championship. and driver championships. And Gavin and Milner, joined there by “Last year (2016) In his first two seasons with Corvette Jordan Taylor, had not won in their last 21 we didn’t have that Racing, Milner had a victory at Le Mans, starts, dating back to CTMP 2013. same stress as we four IMSA wins and a series championship Yet, there was a quiet confidence as did in 2012,” said on his Corvette Racing scorecard. the team rolled the remaining car to the Milner. starting grid. The entire Corvette Racing “We had The Magic Stalls team; all of the engineers, mechanics and been there Their momentum continued into drivers had come together to support together 2013. At Sebring, following a strong, Gavin, Milner and Taylor. before. Our late race stint by Gavin, Milner tracked Gavin opened the race with a strong personalities down and passed the class-leading Ferrari stint and soon thereafter Milner put the match well. for the win. Corvette in front and they remained in the We strive to be successful.” In Canada, at Canadian Tire battle for the lead with Ferrari and Aston Now, entering his seventh season with Motorsport Park, Milner defended against Martin until, once again, Corvette Racing Corvette Racing at age 30, Milner has a fierce two-pronged Viper attack over was atop the podium at Le Mans. a pair of wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours the entire final stint to claim the win. race, and a pair of championships in what Having won both as the attacker at Back to the Front many regard as the toughest class in Sebring and the defender in Canada, The 2016 season opened with Gavin international endurance racing. Milner’s growth, and Gavin and Pratt’s and Garcia locked in a stirring battle His once blank IMSA slate now shows Milner seized the opportunity to carve Now, Gavin was being asked to help A Championship Fight influence was becoming more obvious. at Daytona, with Gavin prevailing by a 10 wins including Daytona, Sebring, (2) away chunks of time on a circuit where this young American grow to the next “We led the (2012) championship for Then something strange happened. mere 34 thousandths of a second at the Long Beach, Monterey, CTMP, Lime Rock, dry conditions on one side of the track can level. several races, but Oliver didn’t say much Gavin and Milner suddenly stopped finish. Mid-Ohio, VIR, and Road America. quickly betray a driver when he arrives His continued success and, in some about the championship, until about the winning. The pair, (with an assist from Marcel “It has been fun to watch how Tommy on the opposite side, or returns nearly ways the balance of his Corvette Racing race before VIR (Baltimore), then he found It was Garcia and Magnussen taking Fässler) won again at Sebring as Gavin and has grown,” said Gavin, who, with a four minutes later to what had been a dry career, would be determined in no small a casual time to talk about our position,” the championships for Corvette Racing in Milner shot to the championship lead. hearty laugh concludes, section. part by Milner’s progress. recalls Milner. 2013. The season opening wins put Gavin “I’m beginning to think that he may By noon-time, Garcia and Milner “Oliver has a legacy with Corvette “He asked how I felt and told me his When the new Corvette C7.R debuted and Milner atop the championship have a future at Corvette Racing!” had taken the lead and Corvette Racing Racing,” said Milner. thoughts.” in 2014, it was Garcia and Magnussen claimed another victory at Le Mans. “He had done a lot with the team. He’s “He didn’t challenge me,” said Milner. rolling off four consecutive wins, before been with the team almost since the start “He wasn’t talking down to me. He the dreaded Balance of Performance Gavin Shows the Way and has been so successful. It is great to had won a bunch of championships and tables were adjusted mid-season to slow When testing got underway for the have him as a teammate and co-driver.” this was my first championship fight. the Corvettes. 2012 season, Fehan and Pratt delivered It didn’t take long for the new Oliver found the perfect way to provide Gavin and Milner ended the 2014 a surprise by changing up the driver combination to pay off. Gavin and Milner me with extra motivation. season with just a single podium finish pairings. Garcia was replacing Beretta as won at Long Beach, in just their second “I felt his confidence and reassurance. and placed a miserable 10th in the driver a full-season driver and would be paired start together. I understood that it was a team effort. championship. with Magnussen. The veteran Gavin would It was Milner’s’ first win in IMSA He had put in a lot of work and together now be teamed with Milner. (ALMS) competition. we were going to succeed or fail, but we Finest (24) Hour Gavin’s initial response to the switch The confidence from a first win often were going to do it together.” Milner and Gavin continued to was mixed. A five-time Le Mans winner leads to another, and, indeed, Gavin In the Baltimore race, Milner was struggle in early 2015 competition. and four-time IMSA series champion, he and Milner immediately won again at closing on the race leading Porsche At the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hour had enjoyed great success with Magnussen Monterey. A third win arrived at Mid- when a late race caution appeared. In race, Corvette Racing faced a new and before that with Beretta. Ohio. a similar situation the previous year he challenge. A stone had somehow

6 7 THE BEST PARTNERSHIPS ARE CHOSEN Michelin is proud to partner with Corvette for both motorsport and original equipment One of the secrets to success in They must share a car with another, at fighting early race traffic and closing international is in the equally quick driver whose style and out a finish. driver pairings. Pairing championship set-up preferences may differ. They must “Obviously we’ve formed into a winning drivers on a big factory team is trust to put their results in the hands of really good partnership over the years, not the work of a moment. another driver with no second guessing but it is not just Antonio and myself – THE MAGS Everything from driver size, to allowed. the secret to success is how the entire driving styles, personalities, and Both Magnussen and Garcia are very team works together so it’s about how experience can all come into play. quick and consistent, but part of their we interact with Dan, Kyle and all the In the factory dominated GT success is based on their mutual pace, guys on the crew,” Magnussen said. & ANTONIO category, Corvette Racing’s combination persistence and focus. “All egos are parked at the door of Denmark’s Jan Magnussen and Spain’s In his open wheel days, Magnussen and it really doesn’t matter who might Antonio Garcia, the 2013 American was described as the fearless hammer, be faster on any particular day. It is all Le Mans Series GT champions, have driving the wheels off a car regardless about the end result. continued to set the standard, leading of its handling. Garcia is considered “Antonio and I have slightly different SHOW all GT Le Mans class duos with seven to be the surgeon; smooth, precise, driving styles but that can sometimes be wins in the first three years of the IMSA calm, consistent and equally relentless. an advantage because we are prepared IMSA’S WINNING GTLM COMBO WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. “Neither is on the radio very much. If to try different solutions which we The secret to their success is simple Antonio is saying much on the radio it might not have done otherwise if we in concept and incredibly difficult in means something is going on,” said a liked everything the same. application: “Jan and Antonio both get veteran team member. “We finished the ALMS in the best the most of the car every time,” said “They are a little different in possible way with a championship and their No. 3 Corvette Racing C7.R crew their driving styles,” acknowledges lead the new series with wins, but we’d chief, Dan Binks. Binks. “Jan prefers the car a bit love to get another championship. Those seven victories have come at looser. Earlier in his career, Jan “It is all about momentum. Last year Daytona, Sebring, Long Beach, Mazda would manhandle the car, but he’s we finished second at Daytona by inches Raceway Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen, calmed down a little bit since those and took the lead at Sebring only to be Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and days.” crashed out almost instantly after we VIRginia International Raceway, a list made the pass. that includes both the longest race, the Start to Finish “If either of those situations had Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the shortest, Under IMSA rules, the driver who been different – who knows what would 100 minutes through the streets of Long qualifies must also start the race. have happened. Beach. Corvette Racing typically alternates “The important thing is that Corvette qualifying, so both Magnussen and Racing got the championship victories Hammer Meets Scalpel Garcia qualify well to gain valuable and that is what we’re here for and Now in their sixth season as starting positions and are equally adept what both cars strive for.” co-drivers on the No. 3 Corvette, Magnussen and Garcia have proven to be a formidable combination. IMSA VICTORIES “Both Jan and Antonio are super easy to work with,” said Binks. “They Through the first three post-merger seasons of the IMSA WeatherTech get along really well and work very well SportsCar Championship (32 races), Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen with our engineer, Kyle Millay.” and Antonio Garcia lead all GTLM class driver duos with seven wins:

As they climb the racing ladder, * Co-drivers Pierre Kaffer (2); (1) drivers often enter single seater PAIRING WINS TEAM formulas where the driver is the center Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia 7 Corvette Racing of the team’s universe. /Nick Tandy 6 Porsche N.A. Some teams attempt to boost a new Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner 4 Corvette Racing driver’s confidence and comfort level by Giancarlo Fisichella* 3 Ferrari making seemingly endless adjustments Ryan Briscoe/Richard Westbrook 3 Ford to the car, the crew roster, team / 2 BMW Team RLL processes and even the catering menu. / 2 SRT Viper Sports car drivers live in a different / 2 Walker Racing Porsche world. Drivers in a factory team know John Edwards/ 1 BMW Team RLL that the team structure, processes and /Michael Christensen 1 Porsche N.A. culture come first. /Frederic Makowiecki 1 Porsche N.A. 10 11 FIND THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR CORVETTE

MICHELIN® Tire Fitments and Part Numbers Vehicle Model Tire Sizes Pilot® Sport Pilot® Super Pilot® Super Pilot® Sport Pilot® Sport Pilot® Sport Pilot® Sport Pilot® Sport Pilot® Alpin 4 S Sport Sport ZP PS2™ PS2™ ZP Cup 2 ZP A/S 3+ A/S 3+ ZP PA4

Generation Model Year Option Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear Front Rear

C5 1997-2004 Standard P245/45ZR17 LL 89Y P275/40ZR18 LL 94Y 24186 02344 02824 19056 95937 98631

2001-2004 Z06 P265/40ZR17 LL 91Y P295/35ZR18 LL 91Y 44359 05271

C6 2005-2013 Standard P245/40ZR18 LL (88Y) P285/35ZR19 LL (90Y) 37666 44057 03264 29422 69693 10332 02550 90342 25155 32831 12852 35211

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2009-2013 ZR1 P285/30ZR19 LL (87Y) P335/25ZR20 LL (94Y) 05916 02430 08704 51138 71621 06609

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2011 Z06 w/Z07 Performance Package P285/30ZR19 LL (87Y) P335/25ZR20 LL (94Y) 05916 02430 08704 51138 71621 06609

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C7 2014+ Standard P245/40ZR18 (93Y) P285/35ZR19 (99Y) 37666 44057 03264 29422 69693 10332 02550 90342 25155 32831 12852 35211

2014+ Z51 P245/35ZR19 (89Y) P285/30ZR20 (95Y) 15466 61244 25687 11313 06553 05258 19713 05262 03949 10712

2015+ Z06 P285/30ZR19 (94Y) P335/25ZR20 (99Y) 05916 02430 08704 51138 71621 06609

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12 13 BACK TO SCHOOL CHECK OUT THE Performance Driving SCHOOL IN LAS VEGAS

The only thing better than owning a is being able to maximize the performance and exhilaration that it can ON TRACK IN provide. That is where the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School shines. KENTUCKY Set against a stunning mountain backdrop just 55 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, the Driving School is located within the Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club, Pahrump, Nevada. The Ron Fellows Performance Driving School offers high- performance driver training to improve driving technique, provide professional racing instruction, or simply enjoy the opportunity to drive one of America’s fastest production cars. Paticipants are trained to test driver and vehicle limits on an exhilarating, purpose-built road course in a safe, controlled environment. As the Official High Performance Driving School of Corvette, the Driving School uses current The National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park opened in Park consists of a twin circuit arrangement of a two-mile / 13- model Corvette C7 Stingray and ZR1 models on August 2014 and has proven to be a highly popular venue for turn West course and a one-mile / 10-turn East course which can MICHELIN® tires. Corvette owners and performance enthusiasts from around the be combined into multiple configurations. The race track offers an exciting country. The Park is one of the most centrally located and easily combination of fast sweeping corners, quick The vision was to create a safe and challenging environment accessible driving facilities in the country. esses, off-camber turns, over 125 feet of where drivers of all ages, interests and skill levels can become Both circuits feature technical turns, straights and elevation elevation change and four high- more proficient behind the wheel with a top priority of changes. These two courses can be used independently for straights, with replicas of some of racing’s education and safety. multiple events, or connected together into a unique large most famous corners including Canadian Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on approximately 184 course. Tire Motorsport Park’s 5a and 5b, the acres of land with 1.5 miles of frontage on I-65 and directly Michelin is proud to be the official tire of the NCM Watkins Glen “Bus Stop”, ’s across the interstate from the National Corvette Museum, the Motorsports Park. Turn 1 and Laguna Seca’s “Corkscrew.”

14 15 Last July, Corvette Racing driver’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner scored the GTLM class victory at in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This was not only a key win toward their championship-winning season; it was in fact Corvette Racing’s 100th career race victory – a first for any team in major North American sports car racing. In addition, teammates Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen finished second to score the teams 60th 1-2 class finish. “It was amazing to get the 100th win,” said Gavin. “I’ve been part of the Corvette Racing team for a long time, and this team has done an amazing job throughout my career.” Corvette Racing’s record is staggering and includes 10 manufacturer and team championships, eight class wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours, three wins at the Rolex 24 At Daytona (including an overall win) and 10 class wins at the Twelve Hours of Sebring. In 2015, the team won all three major endurance races – Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans – to complete endurance racing’s Triple Crown. “Achieving 100 victories is a tremendous accomplishment for Corvette Racing,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “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 certainly couldn’t have achieved this milestone without the support of our partners at Pratt & Miller, Mobil 1 and Michelin.” Corvette Racing’s 100 wins spans a number of different racing series including Le Mans, , GRAND-AM and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Corvette Racing made its first start in January 1999 at Daytona and scored its first win in 2000 at Texas Motor Speedway. The team claimed two more wins in 2016 pushing their win total to 102 and now sets their sights on more wins in 2017.

Michelin North America, Inc • One Parkway South, • Greenville, SC 29615 • TEL: 1-800-458-5000 • www.michelin.com Printed on recycled paper • 10% Total Copyright © 2017 Michelin North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Printed in USA, March 15, 2017 • Volume 11, Issue Corvette Recovered Fiber • All Post-Consumed Fiber No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the publisher. 16