Only two races stand between Jan Magnussen, Corvette Racing and championship success in the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Magnussen and teammate Antonio Garcia doubled their points lead with victory at the last round of the championship at VIRginia International Raceway.
The Danish/Spanish duo have led the championship since the fourth round of the championship at Circuit of The Americas when they scored their second series win of the year.
The pair also won at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Their season could have been even better if not for a last-corner, last-lap delay by a blocked track at Long Beach which took away another win.
With a 16-point lead entering this weekend’s race, Corvette Racing stars are aiming for another strong weekend this week at Monterey.
If the pair are able to maintain that gap after the penultimate round, they will need only to take the green flag at Petit Le Mans to claim the crown.
However, the No.3 Corvette Racing crew will also team with their No.4 teammates Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin to fight for Chevrolet’s GTLM class manufacturer championship crown.
With two races remaining, Chevrolet holds a two-point lead in the manufacturer championship.
For season 2017, the velocity yellow Corvettes are working on defending the driver’s, team’s and manufactuter’s championships.
Final practice and qualifying is scheduled for Saturday with Sunday’s two-hour, 40 minute race greeting the green flag at 2:05pm (US Pacific).
Jan Magnussen Q&A
Q: How important was your victory at VIRginia International Raceway?
A: “The level of competition is so tough in GTLM. Every corner of every lap is absolutely vital. At Corvette Racing we know how important it is to never give up. Towards the end of the race it looked like we were going to end up in third place, lose a bit of our lead but still be at the top of the points.
“Then the BMW had to stop for fuel and the Ferrari had an off and we found ourselves in the lead.
“A 16-point lead at this stage of the season is very handy but this is far from a done deal.”
Q: What will your approach be entering this weekend at Laguna Seca?
A: “We’re not going to change how we’ve done things. We have to approach this weekend like every other round of the championship.
“The secret for Corvette Racing is not just about outright speed, it is about execution. Strategy, pit-stops – the stuff that happens outside the car plays as big a role in the championship chase as does the work Antonio and I do behind the wheel.
“We’ve had a number of races this year where we’ve ‘punched above our weight’ thanks to the our crew.
“Laguna Seca has been kind to us before and hopefully we can roll off the truck strong and be competitive this weekend.”
Q: How important is the other championships the team is fighting for?
A: “The manufacturer and team championships are our primary goal. As a team if we can pull those off then we’ll be in good shape for the driver’s title as well.
“We’re all here because of Chevrolet and Corvette Racing. Those manufacturer and team are what we’re chasing – everybody – not just Antonio and I but everyone that is involved in putting these two yellow Corvettes on track each week.
“We only have a small lead in the manufacturer championship so we’ll be fighting hard with both cars until the last lap at Petit Le Mans for that.”
Q: How big a challenge is the Laguna Seca circuit?
A: “Everybody loves Laguna Seca. The Corkscrew is obviously what it is best known for but it really isn’t that difficult a corner.
“This is another one of the old school tracks that I really love – a place where you make a mistake there are consequences.
“The secret to speed here is making sure you can get a good rhythm going. From the Andretti Hairpin through to the Corkscrew is critical.
“Every corner flows from one to the next. If you make a mistake it is hard to maintain that momentum.
“It is always a fun place to race. I can’t wait to get going this weekend.”
Q: How big is the fight your facing to win another championship back home in Denmark?
A: “We race at Laguna this weekend, then back home in Denmark in the week’s gap before Petit Le Mans.
“I managed to get a win at the last race in the Danish Thundersports Championship in the series’ annual visit to Norway.
“I had to miss one round because of a date clash and now I’m in third place with one weekend to go.
“It is a fun time of year to be fighting for two championships on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Hopefully I can grab one in the Corvette here in the US and another back home in Denmark in the Camaro.”
Source. Paul Ryan
Comments
