Chevrolet was the most successful name in professional motorsports in the United States this year, capturing 14 manufacturer, driver and team championships in NASCAR, IndyCar, ALMS, GRAND-AM and the Pirelli World Challenge series.
Chevrolet will kick off the 2014 season with the debut of the all-new Corvette C7.R at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The new Corvette race car, wearing an updated “Jake” mascot, will make its competition debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Jan. 25-26, 2014.
“We had an amazing year in 2013, winning more championships in professional motorsport than any other manufacturer,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors’ U.S. vice president, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Our success was the direct result of considerable preparation, strategy, teamwork and great drive from our teams, drivers, and partners in open wheel, stock car, and sports car racing. We are looking forward to continuing that momentum for 2014.”
Three Championships in NASCAR
For an unprecedented 11th consecutive year, Chevrolet won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Manufacturers’ Championship – for a record 37th time overall. Jimmie Johnson’s ninth-place finish in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway earned him the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Championship. It was the sixth time in a record-setting eight-year span that Johnson, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, claimed the crown and the 29th Drivers’ Championship for Chevrolet. In addition, Austin Dillon secured the Drivers’ Championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
One Championship in IndyCar
After returning to the series in 2012, Chevrolet won the IndyCar Manufacturers Championship for the second year in a row. Chevrolet led the series with 10 victories out of 19 races, including the prestigious Indianapolis 500.
Two Championships in GRAND-AM
For the second consecutive year, Chevrolet secured the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype, or DP, Engine Manufacturers’ Championship. Drivers Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor shared the Drivers’ Championship.
Three Championships in World Challenge
Competing with the Camaro, Chevrolet secured the GTS Manufacturers’ Championship in World Challenge racing. Lawson Aschenbach won the GTS Drivers’ Championship, while Blackdog Racing secured the GTS Team Championship.
Five Championships in ALMS
In the American Le Mans Series, Chevrolet claimed its 10th Manufacturers’ Championship, while Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen secured the Drivers’ Championship. Chevrolet also clinched the ALMS GT Team championship for Corvette Racing – its 10th in the ALMS and most in the series’ history. Chevrolet won the ALMS’ Green Challenge GT Championship, which goes to the manufacturer that records the fastest races while being the most efficient in petroleum use and emissions. The No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R won the Michelin Green X Challenge – an award that goes to the leading GT and prototype teams using the same criteria.
Chevrolet Racing will kick off the 2014 season in January with the all-new Corvette C7.R.
The C7.R will make its public debut alongside the new 2015 Corvette Z06 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The two cars were co-developed, representing the closest connection between the racing and road-going Corvettes in modern times.
The C7.R will make its competition debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Jan. 25, 2014. When the C7.R takes to the track, it will sport an all-new Jake logo, which has become the unofficial mascot of Corvette Racing.
The history of Jake
Jake first appeared in the early 2000s, when the Corvette Racing team was gaining momentum and winning multiple ALMS championships and the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. The team began uniting behind a rally cry of “Take No Prisoners,” and a flaming skull logo that represented its unrelenting drive for victories.
It wasn’t until after the C5.R completed the final 24 Hours of Le Mans that the unofficial logo was born. Originally, just a sketch on a napkin, the logo was drawn as a skull with crossed flags for the eyes and was named after Jake, the infamous character from The Blues Brothers.
The new Jake, with the seventh-generation Crossed Flag logo for eyes, is more modern and more aggressive – just like the C7.R. “The best thing about Jake is that the logo transcends age and gender, uniting the Corvette Racing team and enthusiasts alike,” said Tom Peters, director of design, Performance Vehicles. “The new Jake logo reinforces the brand’s success on the track and signals the transition from the C6.R to the C7.R.”
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
