Corvette Racing veteran Jan Magnussen has officially announced his departure from the team, confirming rumors that first surfaced earlier this year.
Magnussen spent 16 years with Corvette Racing, having first joined the Pratt & Miller-run team in 2004. He ran over 150 races behind the wheel of a yellow Corvette, winning four American sports car championship titles in the process, along with four wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, two at the 12 Hours of Sebring and a victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
In a farewell letter written for Motorsport.com, Magnussen thanked the Pratt & Miller team and indicated he plans to keep racing—though he did not say if he would stick around the IMSA paddock.
“I’m so grateful not only for all we accomplished together, but for all of the off-track memories as well,” he wrote. “When you spend 16 seasons with a team, you become like family. Corvette Racing has been my American home for a very long time, and I’m so thankful that I got to spend such a long and prosperous time with a fantastic group of guys and gals on the team.”
“Even though this is the end of the road at Corvette Racing, I’m not done behind the wheel just yet. Racing is in my blood, it’s a part of who I am, and I intend to continue to keep racing in 2020 and beyond.”
Magnussen also thanked Corvette Racing’s fan base, which spans the globe thanks to the team’s Le Mans appearances, for their support and dedication.
“Thank you to the fans! I’m certainly going to miss the amazing Corvette Racing fans—both here in the U.S. and also at Le Mans—there is no doubt about that.”
The split with Chevrolet is amicable, with the automaker wishing him the best of luck in his future endeavors in a prepared statement.
“Jan has been a key part of the growth and success of Corvette Racing,” the statement said. “His experience and insight have been invaluable. We hold Jan in the highest regard and wish him well in the next chapter of his career.”
Chevrolet has yet to confirm who will replace Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette for 2020. The same report that indicated Magnussen would be leaving the team said American driver Jordan Taylor would fill the seat, and we have no reason to believe it is inaccurate, but General Motors has yet to make an official announcement. Taylor, who currently races a Cadillac DPi-V.R for Wayne Taylor Racing, served as a third driver for Corvette Racing at Le Mans from 2012 through to 2017.
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