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Oliver Gavin's Spa 24 Hours preview
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
"It's going to be strange doing another 24 Hour race in Europe, one that isn't le Mans, but I'm really, really looking forward to it," says GM Corvette Racing's Oliver Gavin.
The Northamptonshire-based Briton will this weekend be taking part in his first 24 Hours of Spa, the sixth round of the FIA GT Championship. It will also be the first time he has raced outside the USA (Le Mans apart) since 2004.
He will be teamed with his regular American Le Mans Series driving partner, Olivier Beretta, plus two of Belgium's best Spa specialists, Vincent Vosse and Greg Franchi, in a Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6R. Gavin will also be competing in the final two rounds of the Le Mans Series with the French team.
The four-times Le Mans GT1 Champion is fully aware that the challenges of the Spa race will be equally demanding to those of the French classic, if somewhat different.
"It's going to be very hard; any 24 hour race is," he says. "And it will be very different to Le Mans in a number of ways. The track is far more physical to drive and the weather of course will be a big factor as it can be so changeable. One of the plus factors is that we will be the fastest cars in the race, whereas we usually have prototypes to deal with. That will be great!
"I've got three very good team mates who know the track well. Olivier also, like me, knows the car inside out, and the team is very strong. We (and the other Corvette teams) are lucky enough to have the technical support in Spa of a number of Pratt and Miller people, including our race engineer, Steve Cole, and they have a good understanding of what will make the Corvettes go well at this track and what it takes to win the event."
The white #3 Corvette undoubtedly starts as one of the hot favourites for the race, which starts at 1600 hours this Saturday, 28 July. Oliver Gavin, like all his Luc Alphand Aventures team mates, is hoping they not only start ahead, but finish ahead too.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
"It's going to be strange doing another 24 Hour race in Europe, one that isn't le Mans, but I'm really, really looking forward to it," says GM Corvette Racing's Oliver Gavin.
The Northamptonshire-based Briton will this weekend be taking part in his first 24 Hours of Spa, the sixth round of the FIA GT Championship. It will also be the first time he has raced outside the USA (Le Mans apart) since 2004.
He will be teamed with his regular American Le Mans Series driving partner, Olivier Beretta, plus two of Belgium's best Spa specialists, Vincent Vosse and Greg Franchi, in a Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6R. Gavin will also be competing in the final two rounds of the Le Mans Series with the French team.
The four-times Le Mans GT1 Champion is fully aware that the challenges of the Spa race will be equally demanding to those of the French classic, if somewhat different.
"It's going to be very hard; any 24 hour race is," he says. "And it will be very different to Le Mans in a number of ways. The track is far more physical to drive and the weather of course will be a big factor as it can be so changeable. One of the plus factors is that we will be the fastest cars in the race, whereas we usually have prototypes to deal with. That will be great!
"I've got three very good team mates who know the track well. Olivier also, like me, knows the car inside out, and the team is very strong. We (and the other Corvette teams) are lucky enough to have the technical support in Spa of a number of Pratt and Miller people, including our race engineer, Steve Cole, and they have a good understanding of what will make the Corvettes go well at this track and what it takes to win the event."
The white #3 Corvette undoubtedly starts as one of the hot favourites for the race, which starts at 1600 hours this Saturday, 28 July. Oliver Gavin, like all his Luc Alphand Aventures team mates, is hoping they not only start ahead, but finish ahead too.
