Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Info

[cor123]

Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway
August 17-19, 2018
Danville, VA
Track: Virginia International Raceway
Race Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
Circuit Length: 3.27 miles

Entry by Class:

GTLM: 8

GTD: 11





Race Broadcast:
US: 1:00 -2:00 PM ET 8/19 /2018 Fox Sports 1

2:00-4:00 PM ET 8/19/2018 Fox Sports 2



International: 12:55 -3:45 ET 08/19/18 http://imsatv.imsa.com/




Live Qualifying:Saay August 18, 2018

12:25 to 12:40 pm EDT GTD

12:50 to 01:05 pm EDT GTLM



Online Qualifying Coverage
http://imsatv.imsa.com/

Radio: IMSA Radio
1) Streaming on IMSA TV & Radio Le Mans: http://imsatv.imsa.com/
http://radiolemans.0157.org/nplayer.php

<>2)https://twitter.com/search?q=IMSA


http://twitter.com/ @CorvetteRacing, @IMSA, @IMSAlive, @VIRNow





TICKET INFO: Saturday
https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/251428...241.1528493793


Event Schedule:
https://competitors.imsa.com/sites/d...vir_080818.pdf

Entry List:
https://sportscarchampionship.imsa.c..._entrylist.pdf

Maps:
http://virnow.com/track/configurations/


Spotters Guide:


http://www.spotterguides.com/

WEATHER:
http://www.myweather2.com/Motor-Raci...l-Raceway.aspx

Hotels:
http://virnow.com/lodging/


Corvette Corral:


no info yet

[cor123]

Press Release:

CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Going for an Overall Three-peat
Three victories in Virginia for Corvette Racing since 2012

Quartet of drivers very much in GT Le Mans title chase
Garcia, Magnussen winners last two seasons at VIR
Gavin, Milner looking for second Virginia victory together

DETROIT (Aug. 15, 2018) – Corvette Racing’s title chase in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship takes it to a circuit where – not surprisingly – it has shown significant strength: Virginia International Raceway.

This weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge is a GT-only weekend with the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class taking top billing. It’s a situation that has worked out well for Corvette Racing in the past with the program looking for a third straight victory – and fourth in class since 2012 – at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit that straddles the borders of North Carolina and Virginia.

Corvette Racing is the IMSA co-leader for victories at VIR with three – all in GT categories. Meanwhile, Chevrolet has seven IMSA victories at the track since 2002.

All four Corvette C7.R drivers remain well in the hunt for the GTLM Driver’s title with three races to go. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, partners in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, stand second in the championship and only four points behind. The duo have won the last two years at VIR and have finished on the GTLM podium in each of the last five IMSA races dating back to May at Mid-Ohio.

Magnussen was the pole-winner in 2016 in the No. 3 Corvette, and he also was a winner at VIR in a 2007 race for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Garcia set the fastest race lap in 2012 as part of the American Le Mans Series GT class.

Oliver Gavin and Virginia’s Tommy Milner, in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R, are fourth in GTLM points and 14 points out of the lead. They clinched the ALMS GT title in 2012 with a victory in Corvette Racing’s VIR debut and are coming off a runner-up finish two weeks ago at Road America – just ahead of the No. 3 Corvette.

Milner also won at VIR in 2005’s Rolex Series race and was a GT pole-winner the year prior. He and Gavin were GTLM winners earlier this year at Long Beach.

The Michelin GT Challenge is set for 1:05 p.m. ET with FOX Sports 1 airing the race live from 1-2 p.m., followed by coverage on FOX Sports 2 from 2-4 p.m. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We obviously would like to win three in a row at VIR. Our Corvette has been very good there. Being able to win that race last year put us in a very good position to win the championship. I hope it’s the same this year. We aren’t leading in points but we are very close. Oftentimes there is less than a half-second between GTLM cars there, so track position and qualifying will be key things. We are hopeful to carry on that momentum this week.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “VIR is a fantastic place and we’ve won there the last two years. We hope to find ourselves in contention again. It’s a great, old-school track that is very fast but also has a high level of risk. It’s those tracks I like best. Antonio and I really would like a win here to solidify ourselves in the championship. We’re in contention with a lot of podium finishes. We need that one win to really get our momentum going into the last couple of events.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: ““Over the years, VIR has been very positive for us. We’ve all had very strong years there. The No. 3 car of course has won there the last two years. Tommy and I haven’t been far behind, and we had our victory there in 2012 to win the ALMS GT Championship. This year’s competition has been fierce, no matter which manufacturer we are racing. We need to focus and execute, which we did at Road America for two excellent podiums. But it’s getting toward the business end of the year and we need to get back to winning races. A strong and clean weekend is our goal and our focus.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “From a driver’s perspective, all four of us really enjoy VIR, as do most of the other drivers in the series. It’s a lot of fun but difficult to get a perfect lap. There are a lot of places that you are unsighted in areas and really having to trust the car underneath you. These kinds of tracks and these kinds of corners reward a car that handles to your liking. Each year we have been there, we’ve been happy with our car right from the first practice. It’s a combination of all those things that when you put them all together, it’s very good for us.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “2012 marked the debut of the Corvette Racing program at VIR. Since our first trip there, it has quickly become one of our favorite stops of the year. It’s a unique track layout that has very distinct and defined sectors – one that is slower speed, another with high speeds with quick changes in direction and finally a roller-coaster ride to start-finish. As a result, it takes a very well-developed car to have success throughout the entire lap. In the last six years, our Corvettes have been just that. It’s a testament to the work done by our engineers, crew and drivers. To remain in championship contention, we will need all of that again this year.”

[Ateupjoe]

Alright, another reminder, thank you thank you thank you sir!

[Ateupjoe]

Thank you ma'am very much love these posts.

[MikeC8]

Qualifying 4th in the rain today

[cor123]

Press Release

CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Second, Fourth Rows in Shot at Three-peat
Team going for fourth class victory in seven years at Virginia

DANVILLE, Virginia (August 18, 2018) – Corvette Racing will start from the second and fourth rows of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Virginia International Raceway following a somewhat damp qualifying session for Sunday's Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

Antonio Garcia qualified fourth and Tommy Milner seventh in GT Le Mans (GTLM), which has headliner honors this weekend. Corvette Racing will go for its fourth victory at VIR in seven tries and third in a row.

A steady rain enveloped two-thirds of the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit just ahead of GTLM qualifying. As a result, the difference in conditions on opposite sides of the track made the driving and strategy tricky. Had it remained dry, Corvette Racing likely would have been in strong condition for pole position; Garcia was quickest in Friday’s second practice and Milner was fastest in Saturday morning’s final session.

Garcia set a best lap in qualifying of 1:56.760 (100.821 mph) in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R that he shares with Jan Magnussen. The duo has made VIR its playground the last two years with consecutive victories and a pole position for Magnussen in 2016.

Garcia and Magnussen are second in the GTLM Driver’s Championship with three races remaining – four points behind the leaders – and have finished on the class podium in the last five IMSA races.

Milner’s best time was a 1:57.492 (100.193 mph) in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, which he will drive with Oliver Gavin. They were class winners at VIR in the 2012 American Le Mans Series race, and Milner set the fastest race lap a year ago.

Gavin and Milner stand fourth in GTLM points with a victory earlier this year at Long Beach.

The Michelin GT Challenge is set for 1:05 p.m. ET with FOX Sports 1 airing the race live from 1-2 p.m., followed by coverage on FOX Sports 2 from 2-4 p.m. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED THIRD: “It was difficult to judge the amount of grip we would have. The differences between one side of track and the other was extreme. I felt I had to save my tires on the dry side and probably didn’t push a bit. We waited a bit to go out and only had three laps, so it was tough. We’re still on the second row, which isn’t bad considering how good or bad we would have been in the dry. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED SEVENTH: “Coulda, shoulda, woulda… Unfortunately the skies opened up right before we out and made the track really tricky. It’s easy to say that ‘if this’ and ‘if that’ it had stayed dry. But the guys ahead of me did a better job, but we have a great Corvette. Our car in the dry has been super fast all weekend. Olly and I feel good about it, and that’s the part that matters. We’ll look forward to a dry race and a good result.”

[ABorC]

Let's just have 1 thread per race instead of a separate thread for each update please

Looking forward to the race.

[ABorC]

[ABorC]

Good morning from @VIRNow - it’s #MichelinVIR GT Challenge race day!! Today’s schedule:
8:30 Warm-Up
10:30 Autographs
1:00 LIVE on FS1
2:00 Switches to FS2

[John]

Thank you Ron. I was unaware of the channel switch during the race. I just set FS2 to also record.

Those of you at VIR, how exciting for you. Go C7.R’s. We would love a 1, 2 finish today!!!

[ABorC]

holy cow!!!! They just showed a "mock up" of the C8.R on the race telecast and claimed that it was being tested at VIR.

[John]

meyerweb had reported that news — based on an employee or track worker telling him that during his visit a couple of weeks ago. After that, I had heard duplicate rumors that it had been testing at VIR, so they might well are correct in their claim.

Here is that rendering that they posted earlier during the race. We posted it earlier, but always worth seeing it twice.

[John]

Without being a spoiler for those who tape delayed the race and are planing to watch it later, let’s just say it was a pretty decent day.

[Ateupjoe]

For those of us on vacation with grandkids..... meaning I’m not glued to the race... we’d love a spoiler alert!

[ABorC]

For those of us on vacation with grandkids..... meaning I’m not glued to the race... we’d love a spoiler alert!

We're discussing how to handle race results and discussions to accommodate those who want to watch and discuss live, while not spoiling it for those who will be watching on delay. We don't want to silence the live discussion but at the same time don't want to spoil it for the delayed people. Stay tuned.