Z/28 Racing: Here comes 2015! - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

brt3 · 01-07-2015, 04:04 PM

Stevenson Motorsports Ready for 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship
Tuesday, 06 January 2015

Just a few quick months after closing out the 2014 IMSA season doing battle for the championship, Stevenson Motorsports is ready for the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with an updated driver line up for the team's potent Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R machines.

It's been a busy off season of preparation for the North Carolina-based team as Stevenson Motorsports looks to lock in its first IMSA championship this year. The red, white, and blue squad will return with a two-car Camaro Z/28.R effort for the 10-round 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship. The two Stevenson Motorsports-prepared Camaro Z/28.R machines will be back in action with a driver line-up that features some familiar faces, as well as a new addition.

The 2015 Stevenson Motorsports driver line-up is a formidable one as the team seeks its first IMSA Championship title. Stevenson Motorsports, owned by longtime entrants John and Susan Stevenson, came just shy of taking the championship title last year with the brand new Camaro Z/28.R machinery when the No. 6 Camaro Z/28.R entry completed its debut season of competition just shy of the championship.

The Stevenson Motorsports No. 6 Chevy Camaro Z/28.R will once again be campaigned by longtime Stevenson drivers Robin Liddell (Scotland) and Andrew Davis (USA). The duo broke through at Sebring International Raceway in 2014 to bring the first-ever victory for the Camaro Z/28.R last season and went on to fight for the 2014 IMSA Championship all the way until the final laps of the season-finale race at Road Atlanta.

The Stevenson Motorsports team welcomes back American pilot Matt Bell to the No. 9 Camaro Z/28.R for the sixth straight year. He will be joined by fellow American and multi-championship winner Lawson Aschenbach as his co-driver.
Aschenbach won the 2010 IMSA ST class championship as well as three Pirelli World Challenge championship titles driving a Chevrolet Camaro in 2011, 2013 & 2014. He will bring recent experience in Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition with the Camaro Z/28.R after running the 2014 IMSA season in the machine for another team.

Having taken three consecutive runner-up finishes in the GS class championship, the experienced Stevenson Motorsports group is looking to go one better in 2015.

"The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship is one of the toughest there is and we know that firsthand," said Team Owner John Stevenson. "Each year, the competition just gets better and better. We had a strong season last year and made a lot of progress with a brand new car. This season we have a lot of data to build off of which gives us a better idea of what to expect at each racetrack we go to. This year's driver line up is one of the best we've had. Robin (Liddell), Andrew (Davis), and Matt (Bell) have a long history with Stevenson Motorsports and adding Lawson (Aschenbach) only strengthens this team even more. The depth of talent between these four drivers is just incredible."

Stevenson Motorsports has won nine IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge races, four of which came last year (Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway). With over 75 starts in IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition and over 5,000 race laps run, Stevenson Motorsports is well-prepared for the 2015 IMSA Championship.

The team will kick off the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season with the Daytona 200 on January 23.

brt3 · 01-09-2015, 05:09 PM

Another team running the Z/28.R: ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Mantella Autosport Signs Marcelli to Pilot Team's Camaro Z28.R
Posted by James Neilson

The 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge features ten events at some of the premier race tracks in North America.

Toronto, ON –Mantella Autosport will switch from Aston Martin to Chevrolet for the 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and American Le Mans Series-winner Kyle Marcelli will pilot one of the team’s Camaro Z28.Rs alongside Martin Barkey.

This news comes not long after the team’s recent two-day test at Sebring International Raceway, where Marcelli tested the car for the first time.

“I’m pleased to be joining Mantella Autosport for 2015 and to be co-driving alongside fellow countryman Martin Barkey,” said Kyle Marcelli. “The team has proven that they want to win races and there’s no question that they have the personnel and equipment to accomplish that goal. I worked with Martin in 2014; he takes his racing responsibilities seriously and puts forth a lot of effort both on and off track. Following our recent test, I enjoyed coming to grips with the Camaro, it’s a very different car than the Porsche. I look forward to the upcoming season and I expect the competition to be strong, so we will need to bring forward our best effort.”

“Mantella Autosport Inc. is thrilled to welcome Kyle Marcelli to the driver lineup alongside Martin Barkey. His extensive experience and outright pace is an asset to the team and will no doubt help secure great results in the No. 80 Mantella Autosport, MBRP Camaro Z28R,” said team manager Andrew Wojteczko.

The 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge kicks off with the official pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway on January 9-11, 2015, followed by round 1 of the championship at Daytona International Speedway on January 21-23, 2015 in support of the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona.

You can watch live race coverage on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. For more information on the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, visit www.IMSA.com.

Spoolin · 01-11-2015, 09:07 AM

Sweet!! Can you remind me what happened in the last few laps of the last race last year where Stevenson lost the Championship?

thanks for the links!

*mlee* · 01-11-2015, 09:35 AM

This is great stuff... and Matt Bell is a member on C5 too..

KaBoom1701 · 01-11-2015, 11:43 AM

Sweet!

ZED SLED · 01-12-2015, 07:29 AM

Just in case anyone is looking for the 2 blue Z28.Rs of CKS Autosport this season, they were sold to and being fielded by Mantella Autosport.

MBellRacing · 01-15-2015, 02:33 PM

Should be a fun season to be in a Z/28.R! Best of luck to the Mantella boys running the big cars, this year.

Fair warning: Daytona is never our track. We consider the REAL start to the season to be Sebring. Remember last year the #6 car won it, so we're excited for our return with cars developed even further. Anyone coming out to ANY race this year, just swing by and mention to me that you're a fan from Camaro5 and I'll do my best to make it worth your while-- show you the car, answer your questions, whatever! Always happy to entertain a real Camaro enthusiast.

See you all this season.

ripcard · 01-15-2015, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBellRacing

...Anyone coming out to ANY race this year, just swing by and mention to me that you're a fan from Camaro5 and I'll do my best to make it worth your while-- show you the car, answer your questions, whatever! Always happy to entertain a real Camaro enthusiast...

Lombardi · 01-17-2015, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBellRacing

Should be a fun season to be in a Z/28.R! Best of luck to the Mantella boys running the big cars, this year.

Fair warning: Daytona is never our track. We consider the REAL start to the season to be Sebring. Remember last year the #6 car won it, so we're excited for our return with cars developed even further. Anyone coming out to ANY race this year, just swing by and mention to me that you're a fan from Camaro5 and I'll do my best to make it worth your while-- show you the car, answer your questions, whatever! Always happy to entertain a real Camaro enthusiast.

See you all this season.

I'll be sure to look for you at lime rock this year.

ZED SLED · 01-22-2015, 09:40 AM

Stevenson #9 with Lawson fastest in session 2 practice yesterday. Qualifying later today.

RLHMARINES · 01-22-2015, 11:21 AM

Great to hear, my plans are to see the race in person if it does not rain down in Daytona tomorrow. Go team Camaro and Chevy!

j5ady · 01-22-2015, 07:02 PM

Im very excited for this season!

Snidely Whiplash · 01-22-2015, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBellRacing

Should be a fun season to be in a Z/28.R! Best of luck to the Mantella boys running the big cars, this year.

Fair warning: Daytona is never our track. We consider the REAL start to the season to be Sebring. Remember last year the #6 car won it, so we're excited for our return with cars developed even further. Anyone coming out to ANY race this year, just swing by and mention to me that you're a fan from Camaro5 and I'll do my best to make it worth your while-- show you the car, answer your questions, whatever! Always happy to entertain a real Camaro enthusiast.

See you all this season.

I have not wandered a field of road cars in 40 years. I'd LOVE to check out modern engineering. I plan to move to LaBelle in the next couple of years. That would make Sebring my home track.

RLHMARINES · 01-24-2015, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBellRacing

Should be a fun season to be in a Z/28.R! Best of luck to the Mantella boys running the big cars, this year.

Fair warning: Daytona is never our track. We consider the REAL start to the season to be Sebring. Remember last year the #6 car won it, so we're excited for our return with cars developed even further. Anyone coming out to ANY race this year, just swing by and mention to me that you're a fan from Camaro5 and I'll do my best to make it worth your while-- show you the car, answer your questions, whatever! Always happy to entertain a real Camaro enthusiast.

See you all this season.

Matt, great run yesterday and it was great meeting you and the team. This was a great start for the season for the team with a 2nd and 3rd place finish in the points at a track that has not been too friendly to the Camaro's historically.

My wife is now a huge fan of Stevenson Motorsports crew and drivers including Lawson Aschenbach and Andrew Davis but especially Matt Bell and Robin Liddell. Thanks Matt for being so super accommodating and friendly and making the whole race experience outstanding on our first race at Daytona.

I encourage everyone to go and support our teams if the opportunity presents itself and I guaranty you will not be disappointed at all. We need to try and get a Camaro Corral going for each race to show support to the race teams and provide an added bonus to us the fans during the race festivities.

01-07-2015, 04:04 PM	#1
brt3 Runs with scissors... Drives: '14 Z/28s SIM/SW Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,439	Z/28 Racing: Here comes 2015! *ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE* Stevenson Motorsports Ready for 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship Tuesday, 06 January 2015 Just a few quick months after closing out the 2014 IMSA season doing battle for the championship, Stevenson Motorsports is ready for the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with an updated driver line up for the team's potent Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R machines. It's been a busy off season of preparation for the North Carolina-based team as Stevenson Motorsports looks to lock in its first IMSA championship this year. The red, white, and blue squad will return with a two-car Camaro Z/28.R effort for the 10-round 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship. The two Stevenson Motorsports-prepared Camaro Z/28.R machines will be back in action with a driver line-up that features some familiar faces, as well as a new addition. The 2015 Stevenson Motorsports driver line-up is a formidable one as the team seeks its first IMSA Championship title. Stevenson Motorsports, owned by longtime entrants John and Susan Stevenson, came just shy of taking the championship title last year with the brand new Camaro Z/28.R machinery when the No. 6 Camaro Z/28.R entry completed its debut season of competition just shy of the championship. The Stevenson Motorsports No. 6 Chevy Camaro Z/28.R will once again be campaigned by longtime Stevenson drivers Robin Liddell (Scotland) and Andrew Davis (USA). The duo broke through at Sebring International Raceway in 2014 to bring the first-ever victory for the Camaro Z/28.R last season and went on to fight for the 2014 IMSA Championship all the way until the final laps of the season-finale race at Road Atlanta. The Stevenson Motorsports team welcomes back American pilot Matt Bell to the No. 9 Camaro Z/28.R for the sixth straight year. He will be joined by fellow American and multi-championship winner Lawson Aschenbach as his co-driver. Aschenbach won the 2010 IMSA ST class championship as well as three Pirelli World Challenge championship titles driving a Chevrolet Camaro in 2011, 2013 & 2014. He will bring recent experience in Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition with the Camaro Z/28.R after running the 2014 IMSA season in the machine for another team. Having taken three consecutive runner-up finishes in the GS class championship, the experienced Stevenson Motorsports group is looking to go one better in 2015. "The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship is one of the toughest there is and we know that firsthand," said Team Owner John Stevenson. "Each year, the competition just gets better and better. We had a strong season last year and made a lot of progress with a brand new car. This season we have a lot of data to build off of which gives us a better idea of what to expect at each racetrack we go to. This year's driver line up is one of the best we've had. Robin (Liddell), Andrew (Davis), and Matt (Bell) have a long history with Stevenson Motorsports and adding Lawson (Aschenbach) only strengthens this team even more. The depth of talent between these four drivers is just incredible." Stevenson Motorsports has won nine IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge races, four of which came last year (Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway). With over 75 starts in IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition and over 5,000 race laps run, Stevenson Motorsports is well-prepared for the 2015 IMSA Championship. The team will kick off the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season with the Daytona 200 on January 23. __________________

01-09-2015, 05:09 PM	#2
brt3 Runs with scissors... Drives: '14 Z/28s SIM/SW Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,439	Another team running the Z/28.R: ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Mantella Autosport Signs Marcelli to Pilot Team's Camaro Z28.R Posted by James Neilson The 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge features ten events at some of the premier race tracks in North America. Toronto, ON –Mantella Autosport will switch from Aston Martin to Chevrolet for the 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and American Le Mans Series-winner Kyle Marcelli will pilot one of the team’s Camaro Z28.Rs alongside Martin Barkey. This news comes not long after the team’s recent two-day test at Sebring International Raceway, where Marcelli tested the car for the first time. “I’m pleased to be joining Mantella Autosport for 2015 and to be co-driving alongside fellow countryman Martin Barkey,” said Kyle Marcelli. “The team has proven that they want to win races and there’s no question that they have the personnel and equipment to accomplish that goal. I worked with Martin in 2014; he takes his racing responsibilities seriously and puts forth a lot of effort both on and off track. Following our recent test, I enjoyed coming to grips with the Camaro, it’s a very different car than the Porsche. I look forward to the upcoming season and I expect the competition to be strong, so we will need to bring forward our best effort.” “Mantella Autosport Inc. is thrilled to welcome Kyle Marcelli to the driver lineup alongside Martin Barkey. His extensive experience and outright pace is an asset to the team and will no doubt help secure great results in the No. 80 Mantella Autosport, MBRP Camaro Z28R,” said team manager Andrew Wojteczko. The 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge kicks off with the official pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway on January 9-11, 2015, followed by round 1 of the championship at Daytona International Speedway on January 21-23, 2015 in support of the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona. You can watch live race coverage on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. For more information on the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, visit www.IMSA.com. __________________

01-11-2015, 09:35 AM	#4
mlee CamaroFans.com Drives: ZLE & ZR2 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 37,507 View My Garage	This is great stuff... and Matt Bell is a member on C5 too.. __________________

01-11-2015, 11:43 AM	#5
KaBoom1701 KaBoom1701 Drives: 13' ZL1 Red M6 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: I.E. SoCal (Yucaipa) Posts: 8,630	Sweet! __________________ Mods: Roto-Fab Intake, WW Res. kit & Big Gulp Air Scoop, Elite Catch Can, ATI Super Damper & 18% OD Pulley, LF Idler pulley bracket, Metco CC breather, ID850 Injectors, Stainless Power Headers w/ ceramic coating, TR71X Spark Plugs, JMS Fuel Pump Booster, Bo White TB, Tuned by Ted @ Jannetty Racing, Ron Davis HX, D3 Reservoir, Pfadt 1" Springs, Moreno Camber Plates, ZL1 Addons Splitter guard washers, Tow Hook kit & rock guards, Hurst Shifter Billet Plus 6 Speed Short Shifter, ZL1 DRL lighting harness, ZL1 Recaro Seats.

01-15-2015, 02:33 PM	#7
MBellRacing Wheel Jockey For Hire Drives: Stevenson Motorsport Sunoco Camaro Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 48	Should be a fun season to be in a Z/28.R! Best of luck to the Mantella boys running the big cars, this year. Fair warning: Daytona is never our track. We consider the REAL start to the season to be Sebring. Remember last year the #6 car won it, so we're excited for our return with cars developed even further. Anyone coming out to ANY race this year, just swing by and mention to me that you're a fan from Camaro5 and I'll do my best to make it worth your while-- show you the car, answer your questions, whatever! Always happy to entertain a real Camaro enthusiast. See you all this season. __________________ -Matt Bell Driver, #9 Stevenson Motorsports Sunoco Camaro

01-11-2015, 09:07 AM	#3
Spoolin Drives: 2014 SW 1LE Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: California Posts: 338	Sweet!! Can you remind me what happened in the last few laps of the last race last year where Stevenson lost the Championship? thanks for the links!

01-12-2015, 07:29 AM	#6
ZED SLED Drives: 2017 Mosaic Bk ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South of Raleigh, NC Posts: 9,477 View My Garage	Just in case anyone is looking for the 2 blue Z28.Rs of CKS Autosport this season, they were sold to and being fielded by Mantella Autosport. __________________

01-22-2015, 09:40 AM	#10
ZED SLED Drives: 2017 Mosaic Bk ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South of Raleigh, NC Posts: 9,477 View My Garage	Stevenson #9 with Lawson fastest in session 2 practice yesterday. Qualifying later today. __________________

01-22-2015, 11:21 AM	#11
RLHMARINES 1st Civ. Div. Drives: Camaroless for now...RIP "Big SexZ" Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Savannah, Ga Posts: 2,726	Great to hear, my plans are to see the race in person if it does not rain down in Daytona tomorrow. Go team Camaro and Chevy! __________________ Swift....Silent....Deadly

01-22-2015, 07:02 PM	#12
j5ady Drives: 1LE Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Killeen TX Posts: 13	Im very excited for this season!