Gavin just 0.1 off best time in GTE Pro in quickest Corvette
Oliver Gavin put Corvette Racing in a strong position heading into the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Briton set a lap of 3:58.971 on the 8.5-mile circuit to put the No. 74 Corvette C6.R second in the GTE Pro class during Sunday’s official test – a dress rehearsal for the world’s most famous auto race on June 16-17. Corvette Racing won the class in 2011.
“We made some changes to the suspension and gearbox, and the track was coming in,” said Gavin, driving with Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook. “The balance of the car was good. We didn’t get a run on new tires because of rain and yellow flags, but the tires were reasonably fresh and I wanted to see what we could do. I think the chassis is very close and the engine department is making big steps forward. I’m with the best team in the pit lane and the crew has done a stellar job of preparing the cars.”
Gavin’s lap was best in class for the day’s second four-hour session. He was just 0.102 seconds behind Luxury Racing’s Frederic Makowiecki.
Teams and drivers from the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón acquainted themselves well on the circuit. Level 5 Motorsports was second quickest in LMP2 with Christophe Bouchut’s lap of 3:41.598 in the HPD ARX-03b he will drive with Scott Tucker and Luis Diaz.
The Level 5 car was 0.307 seconds back of Oak Racing’s Morgan-Nissan prototype. Among the drivers for the Oak entry is David Heinemeier-Hansson, part of Conquest Endurance’s Morgan-Nissan lineup in the ALMS’ P2 class.
Flying Lizard Motorsports also was third in GTE-Am with a lap of 4:01.284 in its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Seth Neiman, Patrick Long and Marco Holzer drove the entry. Neiman, Darren Law and Spencer Pumpelly will team for the race.
The Lizards’ GTE Pro car was eighth in class with a lap of 4:00.287. Holzer and Long are sharing a Porsche with Jörg Bergmeister. Corvette Racing’s second Corvette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor was fifth in GTE Pro at 4:00.062.
Highcroft Racing successfully debuted the revolutionary Nissan DeltaWing with a lap of 3:47.980. The car will run unclassified in the race as a special entry showcasing new technology. It features half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodynamic drag of a typical prototype and is expected to enjoy significantly lower tire and fuel consumption.
At the front of the grid, Audi’s Allan McNish set the fastest time of the day – a 3:25.927 in the new Audi R18 e-tron Quattro hybrid entry.
Practice and qualifying for the Le Mans 24 Hours is June 13-14.
The American Le Mans presented by Tequila Patrón returns to action at Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix on Saturday, July 7. The two-hour, 45-minute race is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET from the 1.5-mile, 10-turn Lime Rock Park circuit. ESPN2 airs the race the same day at 4 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the Lime Rock round and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com.