|
|
FLOWERY BRANCH,
Ga., – The final American Le Mans Series race,
Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on October 6, will decide driver, team and
manufacturer championships in the popular GTS class for production-based
racers. Corvette Racing, however is focusing on winning, not points. |
|
Points can be a distraction |
"At this time of year," said
Corvette Program Manager Doug Fehan, "a lot of people spend a lot of energy
discussing various point and championship possibilities. If you win races,
the points and championships take care of themselves. We are concentrating
on winning the last race of the season; everything else is a distraction." |
|
Daytona and Le Mans
wins not in Corvette totals |
In the seven ALMS races held to
date, the No. 3 Corvette GM Goodwrench Service Plus C5-R driven by Ron
Fellows and Johnny O’Connell, has posted five victories, four of them
consecutive. Joined by Chris Kneifel and Frank Freon at Daytona and Scott
Pruett at Le Mans, Fellows and O’Connell scored GTS class wins in the these
two classic 24-hour contests. The Daytona win was also a first overall among
a total of 79 starters. Daytona and Le Mans are not point races for ALMS.
|
|
"Every member contributes"
|
"This really is a team sport,"
said Fehan, " and every member – catch can man, tire hustler and timers –
all contribute. Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins, in the No. 4 Corvette,
played a huge role in several of its sister car’s wins. Their relentless
pressure on the competition contributed to Fellows and O’Connell coming from
the back of the pack for several wins." |
|
|
The Pilgrim-Collins C5-R has
posted what many teams would call a ver successful ALMS record: three ALMS 2nd
place finishes, a pair of 3rd places and a 4th. In
addition, they also finished 2nd at Daytona, teamed with Dale
Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and 2nd at Le Mans teamed with
Franck Freon. |
|
|
"Once the ALMS season closes out
Oct. 6 at Road Atlanta with the 10-hour Petit Le Mans," said Fehan, "then
we’ll look at points." |
| |
The familiar Corvette Millennium
Yellow paint scheme has enhanced graphics in a tribute to honor the victims,
survivors, and the entire nation - a quiet statement from America’s
Performance Icon. |
|
Corvette leads in three categories |
Going into the last race, Ron
Fellows, Corvette Racing and Chevrolet lead all three GTS championship
classifications: Driver, Team, and Manufacturer standings. Finishing
positions in the Petit Le Mans race will determine all three titles. |
|
Driver points |
In the driver category, Fellows
leads teammate O’Connell by a single (171 to 170) and rival driver Terry
Borcheller by 11. Pilgrim and Collins are tied for fifth behind Franz Konrad,
Borcheller’s teammate, by a 33-point margin of (158 to 123). |
|
Team points |
In the GTS team standings,
Corvette Racing’s 172 lead Konrad Team Saleen and American Viper Racing by
14 and 40 respectively. |
|
Manufacturer points |
In the GTS manufacturer
championship, Chevrolet leads Saleen and Daimler Chrysler 172 to 158 to 132. |
|
Corvette is production based |
Chevrolet has long been a
proponent of racing production-based vehicles to enhance the performance
image of the brand and to bring the knowledge earned on the world's
racetracks to all vehicles on the street that wear the "red bowtie." |
...and get in on the action!
