What could have been a strenuous, ceaseless 24 hours instead became a fleeting, magical moment, passing quickly and ending triumphantly.
“It was one of those moments where time was standing still a little bit,” Gavin said. “Everything that happened in the week leading up to it, with the accident with the sister car and them not being in the race and us being the only car, the focus all sort of shifted onto our car and somewhat the expectation and pressure shifting onto Tommy, Jordan and I.”
Hour by hour, lap by lap, an entire team – drivers, engineers, strategists and mechanics – fused together, moving steadily through the field and gaining confidence with each pass. When the checkered flag flew, Gavin was behind the wheel, five laps ahead of the nearest competitor.
“Even though that extra pressure was there, we seemed to function and work in this clockwork-like way,” Gavin recalled. “We were just slowly working our way up the order and getting ourselves to the front. The team just did this amazing job sharing the engineers. Some of the crew were sharing duties together. There was slightly less fatigue, I would say. There was time to rest and see things clearly and in a sharp way. To be in the car and cross the line was one of the highlights of my career.”
One of the highlights of Milner’s career also involved Gavin. In 2012 at Long Beach, Gavin helped Milner score his first victory with Corvette Racing. After Gavin crossed the finish line, Milner ran to victory lane to greet him.
“He got in the car in second or third when I handed it over to him,” Milner said. “He had to work his way to the front. The celebration is a moment that I remember very well. I was there when he got out of the car, and I remember in vivid detail standing in pit lane and watching the timing screen and the TV and watching it all unfold. It’s one of the moments in my career that stands out as a moment that Olly was a huge part of.”
As things were quieting down at Sebring last month, Gavin spotted a familiar if somewhat unlikely fellow traveler. On his way to the British F3 championship in 1995 as a 23-year-old, Gavin battled repeatedly with Helio Castroneves, then 20. The champion went on to a legendary career in sports cars, the runner-up found fame in open-wheel racing.
Here they were, 25 years later, in a similar space and circumstance, both easing out of the full-time aspect of their careers. They greeted each other with immense regard and a touch of disbelief.
“I said, ‘Can you imagine us two being here now back in 1995?’” Gavin said. “How much has happened and what we’ve both done and him being with Penske for 20 years and me being with Corvette Racing for 19 years. The way our paths have crossed over those periods – it’s almost surreal.”
Gavin paused, the memories of a career and its twists and turns still reaching him.
“It’s such a strange sort of way how all of that, from 1995 to today, has all come full circle,” he said.
And what a journey it has been.