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CORVETTE DPs AT WATKINS GLEN: Still on a Roll
Four straight TUDOR Championship wins for Corvette Daytona Prototype
2015-06-24
GM Press Release
DETROIT (June 24, 2015) – With four victories in five TUDOR United SportsCar Championship events, Chevrolet and the Corvette Daytona Prototype arrive at Watkins Glen International riding solid momentum in the series’ Prototype class. Four Corvette DPs return to the track this week for the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen from the historic road course in central New York.
Thanks to such a strong start, Chevrolet holds a 15-point lead in the Prototype Engine Manufacturer Championship. All four Corvette DP teams have won races this year including the first-year pairing of Eric Curran and Dane Cameron in Action Express Racing’s No 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP. They will drive with Max Papis this weekend.
“The Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen has been good to Chevrolet and the Corvette Daytona Prototype program over the last three years,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “There is no reason why this run of success can’t continue. Four wins to start this year’s TUDOR Championship is an excellent way to begin the push toward another Prototype Engine Manufacturer title for Chevrolet. We are buoyed by the fact that each of our four Corvette DP teams have won races this year. Combine that with consistent reliability and endurance, and we feel confident in another victory at The Glen.”
In addition to being the sixth round of the TUDOR Championship, Watkins Glen also is the site of the third event in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. It is a four-race competition featuring the premier long-distance races on the TUDOR Championship schedule. Chevrolet leads the Prototype Manufacturer standings as well.
Four Corvette DP drivers are tied for first in points heading to Watkins Glen. Among them are Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook in the VisitFlorida.com Racing No. 90 Corvette DP, winners at Watkins Glen last season and also this year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The duo have four podium finishes in five years, the most among Prototype driver pairings.
Defending Prototype champions Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi share the points lead in their Action Express Racing No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. They already have an endurance victory to their credit by winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Their showing at Sebring and second-place finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona placed them first in the Endurance Cup standings.
Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP features Ricky Taylor, 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro winner Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli. The trio are third in Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup points, and the Taylors were winners at Long Beach in April.
For the 2015 TUDOR Championship, all Corvette DP cars are running with updated Chevrolet bodywork that reflects the Corvette C7 production line. The frontal area sees a striking change in design from the previous generation Corvette DP, including updates to the hood surface, headlights and radiator inlet area. The rear window area also has been updated. The Corvette DP will take styling cues from the C7 including the rear taillights.
At the heart of the Corvette Daytona Prototype is a purpose-built 5.5-liter Chevrolet LS9 V-8 engine developed by ECR Engines. The peak output is 560 hp as the power is regulated by a pair of sonic air restrictors that are mandated by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) – the sanctioning body of the TUDOR Championship.
The Corvette DP also features a new engine management system from Bosch Motorsport for 2015 and a continuation of a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shift. The brakes feature six-piston calipers with carbon rotors. Without the driver, the Corvette DP weighs 2,285 pounds.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen is the fifth race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing. The event is set for 10:10 a.m. PT on Sunday, June 28, from Watkins Glen International. Live TV coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 with FOX Sports 2 picking up the race at 2 p.m. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.
CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE QUOTES
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP: "When you look at the improvements the guys made after the West Coast swing leading up to Detroit, it was amazing. We struggled out west and as a result, the guys worked extremely hard to put us back on top. We were able to set the track record in Detroit and run the fastest lap of the race with our Mustang Sampling Corvette and ultimately finished third, while our teammates celebrated their first win of the season. I think we have a great opportunity this weekend with our Mustang Sampling Cider Tree Corvette, but the competition is going to be tough and I think it starts with our teammates in the Whelen Corvette."
JORDAN TAYLOR, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP: “I’m really looking forward to heading back to Watkins Glen. We’ve always had a strong car at that track but haven’t had the results to show it lately. The first half of the season was up and down. We’ve had both good and bad results, but I think the most important thing is that we’ve been competitive at every race and have been in contention to win. Heading into the second half of the year, we know we have the package to win races. The car has always been fast at Watkins Glen. It is a six-hour race, so a lot can happen. But, with this series now, you are flat out for the entire race. We just need to keep everything clean for the first four or five hours to fight for the win in the final hour. We need to start making some ground back in the points race.”
ERIC CURRAN, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINGEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP: "We knew coming into this year we were going to compete for wins and the championship. Action Express Racing proved last year that they were the team to beat by sweeping the championships at season's end, and we fully anticipated competing with our teammates in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette for the championship. Watkins Glen is a track I've raced at many times, only once in a prototype, but with this team's history here and the chemistry on the No. 31 Whelen/Team Fox Corvette, I think Max, Dane and I are in an excellent position to win the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen."
Corvette Daytona Prototype Results – GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series & TUDOR Championship
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</tbody> TUDOR Championship – Prototype Standings
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Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen – Prototype (all times ET)
· TUDOR Practice 1: 11 a.m., Friday, June 26
· TUDOR Practice 2: 4:05 p.m., Friday, June 26
· TUDOR Practice 3: 10:15 a.m., Saturday, June 27
· TUDOR Prototype Qualifying: 4:55 p.m., Saturday, June 27
· TUDOR Warmup: 8 a.m., Sunday, June 28
· Race: 10:10 a.m., Sunday, June 28 (FOX Sports 1/ FOX Sports 2)
· Replay: 1 p.m., Sunday, July 5 (FOX Sports 1)
Four straight TUDOR Championship wins for Corvette Daytona Prototype
2015-06-24
GM Press Release
· Westbrook, Valiante aiming for Watkins Glen repeat
· Tie among four Corvette DP drivers for TUDOR Championship Prototype lead
· Chevrolet enters with 15-point lead in Prototype Engine Manufacturer standings
· Tie among four Corvette DP drivers for TUDOR Championship Prototype lead
· Chevrolet enters with 15-point lead in Prototype Engine Manufacturer standings
DETROIT (June 24, 2015) – With four victories in five TUDOR United SportsCar Championship events, Chevrolet and the Corvette Daytona Prototype arrive at Watkins Glen International riding solid momentum in the series’ Prototype class. Four Corvette DPs return to the track this week for the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen from the historic road course in central New York.
Thanks to such a strong start, Chevrolet holds a 15-point lead in the Prototype Engine Manufacturer Championship. All four Corvette DP teams have won races this year including the first-year pairing of Eric Curran and Dane Cameron in Action Express Racing’s No 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP. They will drive with Max Papis this weekend.
“The Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen has been good to Chevrolet and the Corvette Daytona Prototype program over the last three years,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “There is no reason why this run of success can’t continue. Four wins to start this year’s TUDOR Championship is an excellent way to begin the push toward another Prototype Engine Manufacturer title for Chevrolet. We are buoyed by the fact that each of our four Corvette DP teams have won races this year. Combine that with consistent reliability and endurance, and we feel confident in another victory at The Glen.”
In addition to being the sixth round of the TUDOR Championship, Watkins Glen also is the site of the third event in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. It is a four-race competition featuring the premier long-distance races on the TUDOR Championship schedule. Chevrolet leads the Prototype Manufacturer standings as well.
Four Corvette DP drivers are tied for first in points heading to Watkins Glen. Among them are Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook in the VisitFlorida.com Racing No. 90 Corvette DP, winners at Watkins Glen last season and also this year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The duo have four podium finishes in five years, the most among Prototype driver pairings.
Defending Prototype champions Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi share the points lead in their Action Express Racing No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. They already have an endurance victory to their credit by winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Their showing at Sebring and second-place finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona placed them first in the Endurance Cup standings.
Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP features Ricky Taylor, 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro winner Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli. The trio are third in Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup points, and the Taylors were winners at Long Beach in April.
For the 2015 TUDOR Championship, all Corvette DP cars are running with updated Chevrolet bodywork that reflects the Corvette C7 production line. The frontal area sees a striking change in design from the previous generation Corvette DP, including updates to the hood surface, headlights and radiator inlet area. The rear window area also has been updated. The Corvette DP will take styling cues from the C7 including the rear taillights.
At the heart of the Corvette Daytona Prototype is a purpose-built 5.5-liter Chevrolet LS9 V-8 engine developed by ECR Engines. The peak output is 560 hp as the power is regulated by a pair of sonic air restrictors that are mandated by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) – the sanctioning body of the TUDOR Championship.
The Corvette DP also features a new engine management system from Bosch Motorsport for 2015 and a continuation of a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shift. The brakes feature six-piston calipers with carbon rotors. Without the driver, the Corvette DP weighs 2,285 pounds.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen is the fifth race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing. The event is set for 10:10 a.m. PT on Sunday, June 28, from Watkins Glen International. Live TV coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 with FOX Sports 2 picking up the race at 2 p.m. Flag-to-flag radio coverage also will be available via IMSA Radio.
CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE QUOTES
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 5 MUSTANG SAMPLING CORVETTE DP: "When you look at the improvements the guys made after the West Coast swing leading up to Detroit, it was amazing. We struggled out west and as a result, the guys worked extremely hard to put us back on top. We were able to set the track record in Detroit and run the fastest lap of the race with our Mustang Sampling Corvette and ultimately finished third, while our teammates celebrated their first win of the season. I think we have a great opportunity this weekend with our Mustang Sampling Cider Tree Corvette, but the competition is going to be tough and I think it starts with our teammates in the Whelen Corvette."
JORDAN TAYLOR, WAYNE TAYLOR RACING NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA CORVETTE DP: “I’m really looking forward to heading back to Watkins Glen. We’ve always had a strong car at that track but haven’t had the results to show it lately. The first half of the season was up and down. We’ve had both good and bad results, but I think the most important thing is that we’ve been competitive at every race and have been in contention to win. Heading into the second half of the year, we know we have the package to win races. The car has always been fast at Watkins Glen. It is a six-hour race, so a lot can happen. But, with this series now, you are flat out for the entire race. We just need to keep everything clean for the first four or five hours to fight for the win in the final hour. We need to start making some ground back in the points race.”
ERIC CURRAN, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINGEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP: "We knew coming into this year we were going to compete for wins and the championship. Action Express Racing proved last year that they were the team to beat by sweeping the championships at season's end, and we fully anticipated competing with our teammates in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette for the championship. Watkins Glen is a track I've raced at many times, only once in a prototype, but with this team's history here and the chemistry on the No. 31 Whelen/Team Fox Corvette, I think Max, Dane and I are in an excellent position to win the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen."
Corvette Daytona Prototype Results – GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series & TUDOR Championship
| Year | Events | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fast Laps | Notes |
| 2012 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 9 | 9 | DP Engine Manufacturer Title |
| 2013 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 7 | 5 | DP Drivers, Engine Manufacturer Titles |
| 2014 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 4 | 2 | TUDOR Prototype Driver, Team, Engine Manufacturer Titles |
| 2015 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 1 | Wins at Sebring, Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Detroit |
| Totals | 41 | 26 | 67 | 23 | 17 | |
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| Driver Standings | Team Standings | Manufacturer Standings |
| T1. Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi – 156 T1. Michael Valiante/Richard Westbrook – 156 2. Dane Cameron/Eric Curran – 148 3. Jordan Taylor/Ricky Taylor – 144 4. Joey Hand/Scott Pruett – 142 | 1. No. 5 Action Express Racing – 156 2. No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing – 156 3. No. 31 Action Express Racing – 148 4. No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing – 144 5. No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing – 142 | 1. Chevrolet – 172 2. Ford – 157 3. Honda – 152 4. Mazda – 138 5. BMW – 58 |
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Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen – Prototype (all times ET)
· TUDOR Practice 1: 11 a.m., Friday, June 26
· TUDOR Practice 2: 4:05 p.m., Friday, June 26
· TUDOR Practice 3: 10:15 a.m., Saturday, June 27
· TUDOR Prototype Qualifying: 4:55 p.m., Saturday, June 27
· TUDOR Warmup: 8 a.m., Sunday, June 28
· Race: 10:10 a.m., Sunday, June 28 (FOX Sports 1/ FOX Sports 2)
· Replay: 1 p.m., Sunday, July 5 (FOX Sports 1)
