Corvette Racing is America's premier production sports car racing team. At the conclusion of the team's participation in the GT1 category in June 2009, Corvette Racing had won 77 races, eight consecutive American Le Mans Series GT1 manufacturers and team championships, and seven straight drivers championships. Corvette Racing has enjoyed international success in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's biggest sports car race, with six class victories since 2001.
The team began its transition to a single GT class in 2010 with a move to the GT2 category at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 8. Corvette Racing will test and develop the latest Corvette C6.R in the final five rounds of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.
Team: Corvette Racing
Owner: General Motors, Detroit, Mich.
Race Cars: Corvette C6.R (Corvette 6th generation, Racing)
Drivers:
No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R: Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen (plus Antonio Garcia for Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta (plus Marcel Fassler for Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
Team Personnel:
Manager, GM Racing: Mark Kent
Corvette Racing Program Manager: Doug Fehan
Team Manager: Gary Pratt
Engine Manager: Roger Allen
Crew Chief, No. 3: Dan Binks
Crew Chief, No. 4: Mike West
Primary Sponsor: Compuware
Associate Sponsors: XM Satellite Radio, UAW-GM, Genuine Corvette Accessories, Bose, Motorola, PRS Guitars, BBS, Michelin
Corvette Racing Record (through June 2009) |
||||
Year |
Races |
Wins |
ALMS Driver Champions |
ALMS Manufacturer/Team Champions |
1999 |
6 |
0 |
||
2000 |
8 |
2 |
||
2001 |
10 |
8 |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
|
2002 |
11 |
10 |
Fellows |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2003 |
10 |
5 |
Fellows/O'Connell |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2004 |
10 |
10 |
Fellows/O'Connell |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2005 |
11 |
10 |
Gavin/Beretta |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2006 |
11 |
6 |
Gavin/Beretta |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2007 |
13 |
12 |
Gavin/Beretta |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2008 |
12 |
11 |
O'Connell/Magnussen |
Chevrolet/Corvette Racing |
2009 |
3 |
3 |
||
Total |
105 |
77 |
7 Consecutive |
8 Consecutive |
Corvette Racing 24 Hours of Le Mans Record |
||||
Year |
Finish |
Class |
Car |
Drivers |
2000 |
3rd |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon |
4th |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Fellows/Kneifel/Bell |
|
2001 |
1st |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Pruett |
2nd |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon |
|
2002 |
1st |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Gavin |
2nd |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon |
|
2003 |
2nd |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Gavin/Collins/Pilgrim |
3rd |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Freon |
|
2004 |
1st |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen |
2nd |
GTS |
Corvette C5-R |
Fellows/O'Connell/ Papis |
|
2005 |
1st |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen |
2nd |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Papis |
|
2006 |
1st |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Beretta/Gavin/Magnussen |
7th |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Papis |
|
2007 |
2nd |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Magnussen |
14th |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Beretta/Gavin/Papis |
|
2008 |
2nd |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Fellows/O'Connell/Magnussen |
3rd |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Beretta/Gavin/Papis |
|
2009 |
1st |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
O'Connell/Magnussen/Garcia |
4th |
GT1 |
Corvette C6.R |
Gavin/Beretta/Fassler |
|
Team Highlights
Race wins: 77 (through June 2009)
1-2 finishes: 54 (through June 2009)
ALMS GT1 manufacturers championships: Eight (2001-08)
ALMS GT1 team championships: Eight (2001-08)
ALMS GT1 drivers championships: Seven (2002-08)
24 Hours of Le Mans class wins: Six (2001-02, 2004-06, 2009)
Sebring 12-hour class wins: Seven (2002-04, 2006-09)
Petit Le Mans class wins: Seven (2000-02, 2004-05, 2007-08)
American Le Mans Series records: Most race wins by entrant (70); most 1-2 finishes by entrant (51); longest winning streak in GT1 (25, 2007 Sebring/2009 Long Beach); most poles in GT1
ALMS From the Fans awards: Gary Claudio, Corvette marketing manager, 2002; Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager, 2004 and 2008
ALMS Most Popular Driver awards: Ron Fellows, 2004-07
Special awards: Overall winner in inaugural ALMS Green Challenge at 2008 Petit Le Mans; Corvette C6.R named "North American Car of the Year" by dailysportscar.com (February 2006); Corvette LS7.R engine named "Global Motorsport Engine of the Year" at the Professional Motorsport World Expo (November 2006); Corvette Racing awarded Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge trophy for most efficient use of fuel in GT1 class at 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 2007).
Corvette Racing Firsts
First race: Daytona 24-hour, Feb. 5, 1999
First GTS win: Texas Motor Speedway, Sept. 2, 2000, drivers Ron Fellows and Andy Pilgrim
First overall win: Daytona 24-hour, Feb. 3, 2001;
Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Franck Freon/Johnny O'Connell
First 1-2 finish: Daytona 24-hour, Feb. 3, 2001
(1st: Fellows/Kneifel/Freon/O'Connell; 2nd: Andy Pilgrim/Dale Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr./Kelly Collins)
First Le Mans class win: 2001 (Fellows/O'Connell/Scott Pruett)
First ALMS drivers championship: Ron Fellows, 2002
First ALMS manufacturers championship: 2001
First undefeated season: 2004 (nine ALMS races and 24 Hours of Le Mans)
Corvette Racing Notes
The C6.R is the most technically advanced sports car ever developed by GM, combining sophisticated chassis, powertrain and aerodynamic technology developed by GM Racing with the advanced engineering of the sixth-generation Corvette and Corvette Z06 and ZR1 production models.
Corvette Racing is powered by E85R ethanol racing fuel, a high-octane, renewable alternative fuel, in the 2009 American Le Mans Series. As part of the series' "green racing" initiative, the most successful team in ALMS history is using a blend of ethanol and racing gasoline to demonstrate the benefits of a fuel that helps to reduce dependence on petroleum, helps to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and helps to create greater diversity in energy supplies.
2009 marks Corvette's 53rd year in international road racing. John Fitch and Walt Hansgen drove a Corvette to a ninth-place finish overall and a Class B victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1956, the first step onto the world stage that established Chevy's sports car as a contender in top-level competition.
The rulebook requires close adherence to production specifications, and the Corvette C6.R's roots reach to the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky. The same hydroformed frame rails used in production Corvettes provide the foundation for the racing version.
Corvette Racing's C6.R race cars are powered by race-prepared GM small-block V-8 engines. Technology developed in racing inspired the production 7.0-liter/505-hp LS7 small-block V-8 that powers the production Corvette Z06.
The GM small-block V-8 is America's most popular and most successful production-based racing engine. Total production of GM small-block-based engines is approaching 90 million units. This engine has powered more winning race cars and won more championships than any other engine in American motorsports.
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Contact:
Rick Voegelin
Chevy Racing
Communications