Danish Corvette Racing ace Jan Magnussen is looking to capitalize on a swing of positive momentum in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM class when the series heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The No. 3 Corvette Racing squad are coming off back-to-back podium finishes, third at Sebring and second at Long Beach, catapulting them to third in the championship, just four points off the lead.
Magnussen and teammate Antonio Garcia finished third at Mid-Ohio last year in Corvette Racing’s first visit to the 2.238-mile, 13-turn road course since 2012. The podium finished kicked off a string of seven consecutive podiums for the Danish/Spanish duo, a streak which helped them earn their second consecutive championship and the third consecutive championship for Corvette Racing.
In addition to last year’s podium, Magnussen won at Mid-Ohio in 2008 and finished on the podium in 2007, 2009 and 2011. Corvette Racing has eight victories at the track and has had a car finish on the podium each of the 12 years the team has raced there.
Magnussen, Garcia and the No. 3 team hopes to make the most of their 2019 pace, as well as Corvette Racing’s history at the track, to win their first race since VIR 2017, bolster their defense for a third consecutive title for the No. 3 team and give the team the best possible momentum going into Le Mans.
Jan Magnussen Q&A
Q: Last year was your first year back at Mid-Ohio since 2012, how nice was it to be back at the facility and how much are you looking forward to racing there again?
A: “Mid-Ohio is a proper old-school road course, there are so many of them in the U.S. and they’re all tricky, but fun to drive. You really have to be millimeter perfect around this place because there’s very little margin for error around here.
“I was excited to see it back on the calendar last year, and I’m really happy that we’re going back again this year. It’s been a good track for me and a great track for Corvette. We started our run of podiums here last year and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to at least get on the podium again this year.”
Q: Looking back at Long Beach, how important was that result for you and the Corvette Racing team?
A: “Getting the second place finish at Long Beach was so important for us. There are only so many weekends you can finish off the podium in this series, especially in the GTLM class, and still win the championship. Long Beach may only be the third race of the year, but we have to always think about the championship.
“Right now, we’re in third place, just four points back from the leaders. Getting ourselves in a good position early in the season is really important if we want to make a run for that title by the end of the year.”
Q: After Mid-Ohio is Le Mans, how important is it to go into Le Mans with a good result?
A: “Le Mans is, without a doubt, one of the hardest races in the world. If we can go in with any kind of advantage, even if it’s just momentum and confidence, it helps a ton.
“It means a lot to win any race, but to win Le Mans is something special. I really want to give our No. 3 Corvette Racing team the best chance we have to do that.”
Source. Paul Ryan Media
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