24 Hours of Le Mans

Corvette Racing Announces 2009 Driver Lineup

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

Corvette Racing will have a new driver lineup for the 2009 American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Antonio Garcia will join defending ALMS GT1 champions Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R for the Sebring 12-hour, Le Mans 24-hour, and 1000-mile Petit Le Mans endurance races. Marcel Fassler will be teamed with 2005-07 GT1 champions Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R in the three long-distance races. Canadian Ron Fellows, a member of Corvette Racing since its inception, will continue with the team in an advisory and ambassadorial role.

The new additions to Corvette Racing’s driver roster have extensive experience in world-class GT competition. Garcia, 28, of Barcelona, Spain, has raced with distinction in the European Touring Car Championship, the World Touring Car Championship, and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. He was part of the winning GT1 team in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, and recently shared in an overall victory in the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Fassler, 32, of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, has competed in the DTM, the European Le Mans Series, A1 Grand Prix, and the FIA GT championship. Driving a Corvette for the Phoenix Carsport team in the FIA GT series, Fassler won the prestigious Spa 24-hour race in 2007, and continued that success in 2008 with five pole positions and a win in Adria, Italy, finishing fourth in the championship.

“Antonio and Marcel have the ability, the experience, and the mindset that we look for in a Corvette Racing driver,” said GM Road Racing Group manager Steve Wesoloski. “We’ve seen their speed on the track, and we know they have the discipline and team-oriented attitude that’s essential for success in endurance racing. Our international driver lineup reflects the global marketing objectives of the Corvette Racing program.”

Corvette Racing will run in the GT1 class in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Grand Prix of Long Beach in preparation for its 10th participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Following its return from France, Corvette Racing will begin its transition to the GT2 category at the Mid-Ohio round of the ALMS as the team prepares for a full-season GT2 program in 2010.