Corvette marked its 50th year in international road racing competition, 2005 also marked the 50th anniversary of the GM small block V-8 engine, as the world’s most successful production based racing engine. 2005 was a year of milestones for the team, winning the American Le Mans GT 1 Championship, capturing the drivers and manufacturers championship as well. With the introduction of the C 6-R, Corvette Racing marched to a 1 – 2 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GT 1. Led by Pratt & Miller and a star studded group of international drivers, including Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Ollie Gavin, & Olivier Beretta, Corvette Racing continues to lead the way in the GT 1 Class.
Corvette Racing capped Corvette’s 50th anniversary in international road racing by sweeping the American Le Mans Series manufacturers, drivers and team championships in tonight’s season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. A runner-up finish by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R at the Monterey Sports Car Championships wrapped up Chevrolet’s sixth consecutive manufacturers’ title and gave the pair their second straight drivers championship.The four-hour race was hard fought from the green flag as all four GT1 contenders finished within one lap of each other. The Aston Martin DBR9 of Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy won by 4.945 seconds over Gavin and Beretta, while the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Johnny O’Connell and Ron Fellows took third place by .474 seconds over the Aston Martin of Tomas Enge and Darren Turner.
The Battle of Atlanta was fought over hill and over dale today at Road Atlanta as Corvette Racing finished third and fourth in the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans endurance race. The penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series saw intense wheel-to-wheel combat between the Corvette C6.Rs and the Aston Martin DBR9s. Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen finished third in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R behind the No. 007 and No. 009 Aston Martins. Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell and Max Papis were fourth in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R.
Savvy driving, smart race strategy and spot-on execution propelled Corvette Racing to a 1-2 finish today in the GT1 class in the American Le Mans Series Generac 500 at Road America. Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell scored a popular victory in their No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R with a one-lap margin over the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta.
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For the first time since October 2003, Corvette Racing didn’t finish first or second in the GT1 class in American Le Mans Series competition. Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell had to settle for third place in today’s inaugural Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park as the effects of series-mandated handicaps throttled the Corvettes’ performance at this high-altitude track. The win went to Aston Martin for the second consecutive race as Tomas Enge and Darren Turner claimed victory over Stephane Sarrazin and Andrea Piccini. Corvette drivers Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta were fourth.
Scorching heat, high altitude and performance handicaps took their toll on Corvette Racing in qualifying for Saturday’s inaugural American Le Mans Series Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park. Johnny O’Connell qualified the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R third in the GT1 class at 2:37.414 (102.593 mph) and Oliver Gavin was fourth in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R at 2:37.626 (102.455 mph). The quickest qualifier was Tomas Enge in the No. 007 Aston Martin DBR9 at 2:34.953 (104.223 mph).
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Holiday traffic was heavy today at Lime Rock Park in the fourth round of the American Le Mans Series, with hard contact and close calls the order of the day in the New England Grand Prix. Corvette Racing’s bid for a record 13th consecutive victory in the GT1 class came up just short in a photo finish between the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R and the No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9. Aston Martin driver Pedro Lamy edged Corvette star Johnny O’Connell by .033-second at the stripe. It was the first race since March 2005 that Corvette Racing had to settle for the second spot on the podium.
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Crew chief Dan Binks’ final instructions to driver Ron Fellows before the start of qualifying were succinct: “Have fun out there.”
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Corvette and Aston Martin went toe-to-toe in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, trading blows through a grueling day and night of racing. When the battle finally ended at 5 p.m. today, Corvette Racing had won the GT1 class in the world’s greatest sports car race for the fifth time in six years. Continue Reading…
New Hudson, Mich. – When it comes to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing and the Rolling Stones have much in common. No matter how well they perform, their fans aren’t satisfied with the encores.
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LEXINGTON, Ohio - Morning rain gave way to brilliant sunshine today as Corvette Racing continued its reign in the American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta extended Corvette Racing’s winning streak at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to five straight ALMS victories in the GT1 class. A runner-up finish by Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell made it five consecutive 1-2 finishes at Mid-Ohio by Chevy’s factory team.
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