Corvette Retains Full-Season Drivers for 2017

Photo: Richard Prince

Corvette Racing will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with an unchanged full-season lineup in 2017, having announced Wednesday that it has retained all four of its drivers.

The pair of Corvette C7.Rs will continue to be driven by Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner for the sixth year as the team hopes to defend its titles in 2017.

In addition to the full WeatherTech Championship season, the same drivers will also form part of the team’s 24 Hours of Le Mans lineup, pending an invitation.

This season, Corvette Racing won the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ class titles in both the WeatherTech Championship and the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup.

“Consistency is a key component in a successful endurance racing program,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet Director of Motorsports Competition. “Retaining our core driver lineup for a sixth straight season gives us the best opportunity to repeat the phenomenal results from 2016.”

Reigning GTLM champion Gavin added: “It’s great to be coming back and joining Tommy again in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. It was a great season for us with four victories, a number of podiums and of course sweeping the GTLM championships.

“The mindset and motivation is there for everyone on board. We want to start 2017 the way we ended 2016 – running at the front, leading races and challenging for victories. That has to be our goal. That’s what everyone’s aim is on our team.

“You have a little more spring in your step coming into a new season on the back of one like we had in 2016. You feel confident. I hope that’s the way it carries over into 2017.”

The two Corvettes will be back on track for the WeatherTech Championship pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway on Dec. 13-14.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.