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Race report

Corvette C7.R scores breakthrough first GTLM victory at Long Beach

Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia lead all but two laps in No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R

#3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia

#3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia

David Yowe

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 12, 2014) – Corvette Racing entered Saturday’s Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase with the goal of proving its new Corvette C7.R was ready to win races in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s competitive GT Le Mans (GTLM) class.

Mission accomplished. From the pole position to the checkered flag, co-drivers Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen dominated the GTLM field under sunny skies on the famed Long Beach street circuit, leading all but two of the race’s 75 laps in the yellow No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R.

BMW Team RLL’s No. 56 BMW Z4 GTE finished second, while it was a double-podium for Corvette Racing with the team’s No. 4 entry finishing third.

“It was an important victory for the team,” said Magnussen, who scored his 38th career win in North American endurance sports car racing. “The whole time we had a fast car. We just didn’t make the most of it with reliability issues at both Daytona and Sebring. I couldn’t be happier for Antonio, myself and this entire team.”

One day after Magnussen gave the Corvette C7.R its first pole, Garcia started the car and drove away from the field in the early stages of the 100-minute race. By the time Magnussen got behind the wheel for the final stint he was well ahead of the competition and navigated Long Beach’s city streets – and GTLM lap traffic – for the victory.

BMW Team RLL earned its third consecutive podium finish to start the season with Dirk Mueller and John Edwards co-driving to a second-place finish in the team’s No. 56 BMW. Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin crossed the line third in Corvette Racing’s No. 4 Corvette C7.R. Just missing the podium after winning the season-opening endurance events at Daytona and Sebring was Porsche North America’s pair of Porsche 911 RSRs.

The TUDOR Championship season resumes on May 4 at historic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. There will be a pair of two-hour races, one for the Prototype and GT Le Mans classes, the other for the Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona classes.

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