DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Oliver Gavin stepped aside from his full-time role with Corvette Racing following last month’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale, leaving as one of the legends of sports car racing. IMSA.com’s Jeff Olson looked back at Gavin’s long career and the effect he had on motorsports in this first part of a two-part feature. Unbeknownst to him at the time, young Gavin had discovered his calling. The outpouring brought to life Gavin’s 19 years with Corvette Racing in the U.S., a run that included 51 victories and five championships. When he was asked to say a few words at a team dinner the night before the race – after everyone else had praised him, of course – Gavin struggled to maintain his emotions. If Gavin’s many skills could be melded into one, it was his ability to team with others to accomplish a goal. I always felt like we were working as a team together to make the car faster to win races.”.

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