Corvette salutes Gavin as full-time role comes to an end

Gavin, one of sports car racing’s biggest stars, has been part of Corvette Racing since 2002 and will complete his 18th full-time season with the team at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring in two weeks.

The first race for Gavin with Corvette Racing took place at Sebring in 2002, and he was promoted to full-time status the following year.

His tally of success with Corvette includes 51 wins from 201 starts, five championships, and five wins at three of the sportscar classics – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans. In 2016, he captured the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

Corvette Racing also described Gavin as having been a “fundamental part in the development of every generation of racing Corvette during his tenure with the program” – namely the C5-R, C6.R, C7.R and latest mid-engine C8.R.

"Oliver Gavin is a name that is synonymous with Corvette Racing,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. VP of performance and motorsports. “He has been one of the sport’s greatest drivers and a fantastic representative of Chevrolet for nearly two decades – on the track, working with our Corvette production engineers, and engaging Corvette owners and fans around the world.

"All of us at Chevrolet thank Oliver for his nearly 20 years of contributions to Corvette Racing,” Campbell added. “No driver at Corvette Racing has started more events, captured more championships or won more races.

“Oliver's success has brought great improvements over the years not just to Corvette Racing, but also to every Corvette that sits in an owner's driveway. We are hopeful of creating more of those opportunities with Oliver into the future."

Gavin, 48, added: “To have been with the same team for 19 seasons has been an immense privilege, and I thank from the bottom of my heart each and every person who has shared that journey with me. It’s been an amazing run, and I’ve been very lucky to have been able to drive at such a high level for so long.

“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together, especially the championship wins and milestone victories at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring, among others. I’m also very proud of the part I played in developing four generations of Corvette racecars for both IMSA and Le Mans, and I look forward to exploring opportunities to represent Chevrolet and Corvette Racing in the future.”

Gavin and co-driver Tommy Milner currently lie second in the IMSA GT Le Mans championship, behind their Corvette Racing teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor.

Corvette's 2021 driver line-up has not yet been revealed.