[PICS] 2011 Petit Le Mans Corvette Racing Photo Gallery

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How does a Le Mans driver prepare for the big race? Hear Corvette Racing drivers’ stories of what it is like to be on and off the track at the biggest and longest race of the year.

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Corvette Wins GTE Class, Scores Seventh Win for Chevrolet.  Was there any doubt....

LE MANS, France - "The car's a lap down, but we can make that up," said Corvette Racing team manager Gary Pratt with six hours remaining in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pratt's words proved prophetic as the No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia relentlessly pursued the class-leading No. 51 Ferrari 458 Italia, cutting the margin by seconds every lap. American driver Tommy Milner overtook Ferrari driver Toni Vilander with two hours and 10 minutes to go, and steadily increased his lead as he completed his double stint. Garcia then took over the yellow and black car for the final hour and the run to the finish.

The No. 73 Corvette C6.R completed 314 laps and finished two minutes and 29 seconds ahead of the runner-up Ferrari. Today's victory was the seventh class win at Le Mans for Corvette Racing, and its first in the GTE Pro category. It came as Chevrolet celebrates its 100th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the team's first Le Mans victory in 2001. It was the sixth Le Mans title for Beretta, the third for Garcia, and the first for Milner.

"This is my first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but I've watched Corvettes race here my whole life," said Mark Reuss, President GM North America. "To come here for the first time on the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet and to have another Corvette victory is beyond words."

The contest was a dramatic one, as the No. 74 Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, and Richard Westbrook suffered a stunning reversal of fortune. After leading for nearly 16 hours, the car was extensively damaged in a crash in the 17th hour. Although Magnussen was uninjured in the high-speed shunt, the car was retired on the spot.

The No. 73 Corvette C6.R had been running steadily in the top five, and the No. 74's misfortune moved it to second in the GTE standings. More than a lap behind the No. 51 Ferrari 458 Italia at the time of the accident, the No. 73 Corvette drivers chased down the class leader. As rain began to fall in the 20th hour, Garcia was gaining 1.5 seconds per lap. Milner took over at the 21st hour and continued to reel in the Ferrari, gaining as much as six seconds per lap during his stint.

Milner made the pass for the lead on the Mulsanne Straight on lap 283. "That was the hardest drive of my life," said the 25-year-old racer. "It would have been a lot easier if it hadn't been sprinkling, raining, not raining, and then wet - all that plus the pressure of the situation. I'd been super comfortable in the car all day long, but I was certainly not comfortable then. I was just trying to drive the car to what the track would allow. Every lap it changed, every corner it changed.

"When you start racing, you hope that one day you can compete for a win," Milner noted. "To get one here at Le Mans in my first year with Corvette Racing is very cool."

"I was very happy with how the race turned out, even though it did not always go our way," said Garcia. "We had ups and downs - we didn't get a break with the first safety car, we had punctured tires, and so on. Every time I was in the car, I tried to go as fast as possible and stay out of trouble. You have to never give up here, and just keep pushing. Today it paid off.

"In the final minutes, everything comes into your mind," the Spaniard added. "It went perfectly, a real easy last stint compared to all the ones before it. This was the first time I drove a car at the finish at Le Mans, and it was very special. There is no better time to win this race than in the centennial year for Chevrolet. Now I'm already thinking about next year."

Beretta became ill after driving behind the safety car during an extended caution period, and drove a limited time in the second half of the race.

"Today was not my sixth win, but a win for the team, Tommy, Antonio, and all of the engineers and crew who did a wonderful job," Beretta said. "I was sick in the middle of the night from following the pace car, but I recovered. I'm very happy for the entire team."

Corvette Racing scored six wins in the GTS/GT1 class at Le Mans (2001-02, 2004-06, and 2009). The team moved to the GT2 class in 2010, which was renamed GTE Pro in 2011.

"If I were to write a script to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet and the 10th anniversary of Corvette Racing's first win at Le Mans, this would undoubtedly be it," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Louis Chevrolet was himself a racer, and his motto, 'Never give up!' is a philosophy we embraced from our first visit here. I think the result today embodied the spirit of Chevrolet's co-founder and of that iconic phrase."

24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Top Five Finishers after 24 Hours:
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. 73 Beretta/Milner/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 314
2. 51 Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari F458 Italia, 314
3. 56 Priaulx/Muller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 313
4. 77 Lieb/Lietz/Henzler, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 312
5. 76 Narac/Pilet/Armindo, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 311

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Corvette Racing has added another installment to its 2011 video series, this time detailing the perfect way to lap Circuit de la Sarthe. The video comes on the heels of the Chevrolet boys' GTE Pro class victory in the 2011 race, complete with a little bragging from driver Oliver Gavin, who takes the wheel here.

The front bumper cam shows just how fast these GT cars really are, and how terrifying the Mulsanne Straight must be at night. Apart from the sheer speed, there's nothing quite like hearing the Vette's V8 at full song. Louis would be proud. Check out the video

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LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 6, 2011 – What happens in Le Mans stays in Le Mans. That’s because Saturday’s American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park is something completely different from the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Corvette Racing returns to the American Le Mans Series after capturing its seventh class victory in France on June 12. The differences between Le Mans and Lime Rock are stark. The former is an 8.5-mile circuit in the French countryside; the latter is a 1.5-mile bullring around a former gravel quarry. Lap times in Le Mans are nearly four minutes long; the laps click off at Lime Rock in under 60 seconds. Instead of 24 hours and two dozen pit stops, the third round of the ALMS will be a quick two-hour, 45-minute sprint with a pair of scheduled stops.


“The transition from the longest track on the schedule to the shortest is always a test for race teams,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “The two tracks are dramatically different, yet many people underestimate just how fast Lime Rock really is. With lap times under a minute and average speeds approaching 100 mph for the GT cars, pit stops are paramount because you’re almost certain to lose a lap during a green-flag stop. The engineering staff plays a crucial role in developing a plan, and the crew has to perform perfectly. So in spite of the immense differences between Lime Rock and Le Mans, both races ultimately come down to strategy and execution.”

Corvette driver Jan Magnussen relishes the return to the roller coaster track in the Connecticut countryside. The Dane drove Stevenson Motorsports’ Camaro to a GT class victory in the Grand-Am Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock five weeks ago, and hopes to continue that momentum when the ALMS arrives.

“You always like a track where you won your last race,” Magnussen said. “Lime Rock is very challenging, a bit bumpy and definitely the kind of Old School circuit that I like. It’s fast and fun to drive, but it’s very, very hard to race cleanly there because there are no obvious passing points.

“When I won at Lime Rock in May, I learned the importance of qualifying well there,” Magnussen noted. “We started on the GT class pole, and I saw the value of being able to do my own race while everyone behind me was fighting each other. I put a lot of emphasis on qualifying, but Lime Rock is always going to be a hard race for everybody.”

Magnussen and co-driver Oliver Gavin will be racing the same Compuware Corvette C6.R that led the GTE Pro class at Le Mans for nearly 16 hours before being sidelined in a high-speed shunt. The chassis has been repaired and will return to action at Lime Rock.

“After Le Mans, the team took the car back to the shop, put it on the chassis plate, and assessed the damage,” Fehan reported. “When we saw how the production aluminum frame had compressed perfectly to absorb the impact, it gave everyone an even greater appreciation of the effort that the production Corvette engineers put into vehicle safety for the consumer. No pun intended, but things like that don’t happen by accident – they’re designed in. That’s why Corvette competes in the GT class: The race car is relevant to the product because it is the product.”

After nearly a three-month hiatus since the series’ second round in Long Beach, Calif., the race for the ALMS championship begins in earnest at Lime Rock. With seven races in the next 13 weeks, the pace will be fast and furious for Corvette Racing. Magnussen and Gavin are second in the drivers championship with 36 points, and the Le Mans-winning duo of Tommy Milner and Olivier Beretta are third with 31 points. Chevrolet is second in the manufacturer standings behind BMW and ahead of Porsche, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar and Lamborghini.

The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 9. Live video coverage is available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ESPN2 will televise the race starting at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 10.

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Changing Conditions Add to Challenge at Historic Connecticut Circuit

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 8, 2011 – Intermittent rain and rapidly changing track conditions added to the complexity of qualifying at Lime Rock Park for Saturday’s American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, the third round of the American Le Mans Series. Oliver Gavin qualified the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R fourth in the GT class with a time of 51.897 seconds (102.298 mph) on the roller coaster 1.47-mile circuit. Tommy Milner was a heartbeat behind in fifth at 51.954 seconds (102.249 mph) in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Joey Hand put the No. 56 BMW M3 GT on the pole with a fast lap at 50.925 (104.200 mph).


Rain before the start of the second one-hour practice session saw the field on grooved tires. As a dry line developed, the Corvettes switched to slick tires and finished the session on top in the GT class. When the GT qualifying session began 25 minutes later, the Corvette crew continued to make adjustments.

“We made quite a lot of changes before the start of qualifying to extend our test session and to learn as much as we could during the limited track time,” said Gavin, who turned his quickest time on his fifth lap. “We made good progress, and I think we understand the GT car much better this year at Lime Rock.

“It was a shame that we couldn’t find a couple of more tenths to get in front of the Porsche that’s third on the grid,” Gavin continued. “I did make a small mistake in the final corner, touched the curb on the inside, and that might have made the difference.”

Milner turned his fastest lap on his 12th circuit. “With very little dry practice time, qualifying ended up being a practice session at the start,” Milner noted. “It was good for me to get a feel for the car on slick tires at the end of practice, but it was really hard to push in those damp and drying conditions.

“My Corvette was good in qualifying, but I was buried in traffic and lost the laps when the tires were at their very best,” he explained. “It wasn’t a perfect qualifying session because I didn’t get the most out of the car. Two tenths of a second doesn’t sound like much, but on a short track like this, it’s big. We’re still in good shape. Corvette Racing does a great job on pit stops, which are very important here. Now our focus is on a clean race.”

The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 9. Live video coverage is available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ESPN2 will televise the race starting at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 10.

American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix GT Qualifying (Top 10):

Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time

1. 56 Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 50.925
2. 55 Auberlen/Werner, BMW M3 GT, 51.179
3. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 51.872
4. 4 Gavin/Magnussen, Corvette C6.R, 51.897
5. 3 Beretta/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 51.954
6. 44 Neiman/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 52.005
7. 04 Murry/Lazzaro, Doran Ford GT, 52.109
8. 02 Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari F458 Italia, 52.350
9. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 52.388
10. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari F458 Italia, 52.956

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Corvette Racing was back on the track on the 9th July at Lime Rock in the American Le Mans Series first race following the Le Mans break. Limerock is the ultimate bullfight with 4 separate classes running the 1.5 mile historic track in connecticut and yesterday’s race lived up to the hype. The ALMS Northeast Grand Prix will be rebroadcast today at 1pm ET on ESPN 2. However, if you want to find out how the Corvette team did, click through the jump for yesterday’s results.


Corvette Racing Encounters Traffic and Trouble in Lime Rock
Corvettes Damaged in Chain Reaction Accident, Team Battles Back to Finish Ninth and 10th

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 9, 2011 – Corvette Racing heeded the advice of company co-founder Louis Chevrolet today at the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park. “Never give up!” was Chevrolet’s motto, and the team was true to that credo after a chain reaction accident damaged both Compuware Corvette C6.Rs at just 20 minutes into the two-hour, 45-minute race. After the Corvette crew repaired their battered race cars, Olivier Beretta and Tommy Milner battled back to bring the No. 3 Corvette C6.R home in ninth place while Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin finished 10th in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R. Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller won in the No. 55 BMW M3 GT by a 20-second margin over the Long/Bergmeister Porsche.

Magnussen and Beretta were running fourth and fifth respectively in the GT class when the melee occurred near the exit of the West Bend turn leading to the fast downhill Diving Turn. An LMPC prototype had contact with a Ferrari, and the pursuing pack of GT cars had nowhere to go. The No. 4 Corvette collided with the third-place BMW, and was in turn collected by the No. 3 Corvette. Both Corvettes sustained damage to their left front corners and went to the pits for repairs. The No. 18 LMPC was subsequently penalized for avoidable contact, but the Corvettes had already paid a high price.

Led by crew chief Dan Binks, the No. 3 crew replaced a damaged upright and installed a new nose in the pit lane. Brian Hoye and the No. 4 Corvette crew took their car behind the wall and installed a new nose assembly. Beretta rejoined the fray 17 laps behind the leader, and Magnussen was back in the race with a 22-lap deficit.

“That’s part of racing at Lime Rock when you have cars running that close,” said team manager Gary Pratt. “Somebody spins, somebody checks up, and four or five cars get into each other. We had a lot of pieces and parts to change.”

“I’m not sure who hit who, but somebody got together,” Magnussen said. “The BMW ran into them, I ran into the BMW, and Olivier ran into me. When I won here in May, Lime Rock was pretty good; today it was back to just being Lime Rock.”

“It was like a bicycle race in a living room,” Beretta said. “I could not see through all the smoke; suddenly I saw Jan’s brake lights and it was too late to stop. The crew did a fantastic job to get me back in the race. I’m not worried about the car after a crash because I know these guys will make the car as good as new. I don’t even think about it, I just get on with it because I trust them 100 percent.”

The Corvettes racked up the laps, pitting for fuel, tires, and driver changes with 63 minutes to go. Milner replaced Beretta in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R and Gavin replaced Magnussen in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R. The two steadily gained positions throughout the final hour as others in the GT class also encountered misfortune and mechanical problems. At the end of the race, the Corvettes had clawed their way up to points-paying positions.

“It was an uneventful stint for me, just trying to stay out of traffic and stay out of trouble,” Gavin said. “Our race was really turned on its head when Jan was caught up in that accident. We tested a few things later in the race, but the car was pretty badly beaten up so it wasn’t a straightforward test session. We did finish 10th and got a point, so that’s better than nothing. We’ll move on to Mosport and see what we can get there.”

ESPN2 will televise the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 10. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport in Bowmanville, Ont., on Sunday, July 24, starting at 3 p.m. ET. Live video coverage will available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ESPN2 will televise the Grand Prix of Mosport at 10 p.m. ET on July 24.

American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix GT Results (Top 10):
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. 56 Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT,176
2. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 176
3. 04 Murry/Lazzaro, Doran Ford GT, 174
4. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari F458 Italia, 174
5. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 174
6. 48 Miller/Maasen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 172
7. 44 Neiman/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165
8. 55 Auberlen/Werner, BMW M3 GT, 163
9. 3 Beretta/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 161
10. 4 Gavin/Magnussen, Corvette C6.R, 156

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In Episode 6 of Corvette Racing’s Track to Street, we turn the spotlight on the mechanics. Viewers follow the crew into the garage and under the cars as we take a closer look at how the mechanics factor into the equation on race day.

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High-Speed Canadian Circuit Favors the Brave and Suits Corvette Racing’s Strengths

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada, July 19, 2011 – America is the home of the brave, but that description also applies to a twisting ribbon of asphalt in the Canadian countryside. Mosport International Raceway, a legendary circuit that will host Sunday’s Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, separates the brave from the meek with its sweeping turns and soaring speeds.


Mosport demands commitment, courage, and unflinching self-confidence. Not surprisingly, this daunting 2.5-mile road course ranks among the favorites of the Corvette Racing squad.

“I like fast, fast race tracks, and Mosport is definitely fast,” said Tommy Milner, who will share the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R with teammate Olivier Beretta in the fourth round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series. “Even Turn 5, the slowest corner on the circuit, has an approach that’s quick. It’s a flowing race track, and once you get your rhythm, it’s a blast.”

Mosport has been the stage for many of Corvette Racing’s winning performances. The team has tallied eight victories there, including its first win in the GT2 category (since renamed GT) in 2009. That race featured a spectacular wheel-to-wheel duel between Jan Magnussen and Ferrari rival Pierre Kaffer in the final 30 minutes. Magnussen prevailed by .331 seconds at the finish.

“The whole circuit is a huge challenge, one that I relish,” said Magnussen’s teammate, Oliver Gavin. “We always go into that race with a strong car and the track seems to suit the Corvette’s strengths.

“Our car’s balance and braking is very good, and we seem to be quick in the tight Turn 5 area and coming into Turn 8 at the end of the back straight,” Gavin explained. “One of the most daunting parts is Turn 2, and it’s also the most fun when you get it right. The corner entry is blind, you turn in and the track starts to fall away almost immediately. You need absolute trust in the marshals to tell you if there’s a problem ahead.”

Corvette Racing has unfinished business at Mosport. Last year’s event was red-flagged with 30 minutes remaining when the guardrail lining the high-speed Andretti Straightaway was severely damaged in an accident. The twin Corvettes had completed their final pit stops and were in position to race for the win when officials cancelled the remainder of the race.

“If the race had restarted we would have been in a good position,” said Magnussen. “We had a strong car, things were shaping up, and we would have had a shot at it. I’m looking forward to going back there and setting the record straight.”

Corvette Racing ambassador Ron Fellows, who scored three GT1 wins at Mosport in 2001-03 with teammate Johnny O’Connell, has a new role at Mosport as co-owner of the historic circuit. Fellows and partners Carlo Fidani and Alan Boughton purchased the track on June 1.

“Mosport has a storied history that goes back to 1961,” said Fellows. “From Formula 1 and Can-Am to Trans-Am, Group C and motorcycles, Mosport has had it all over the decades. To have the opportunity to be part of the ownership group at a circuit that’s been part of my life for over 40 years is very exciting. The ALMS Grand Prix of Mosport is our marquee event, and we intend to build on its success in the future.”

Fellows’ new responsibilities are appreciated by his former teammates. “Ron promised that if we have too much understeer, he’ll straighten that bit out,” Magnussen said with a laugh.

The Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport is scheduled to start at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 24. Live video coverage is available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users, supplemented by live coverage on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. ESPN2 will televise the race on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

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Corvette Racing Contends with Heat and Traffic in Qualifying at Fast Canadian Circuit

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada, July 23, 2011 – In 90-degree heat on a blistering 114-degree track, Corvette Racing qualified sixth and eighth for Sunday’s Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. The fourth round of the American Le Mans Series will see the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin start sixth in the hotly contested GT class. The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Olivier Beretta and Tommy Milner will grid eighth.


The heat was on at Mosport, with summertime temperatures that far exceeded the cool weather that traditionally prevailed on the event’s previous Labor Day date. With Magnussen at the wheel, the No. 4 Corvette C6.R turned its quickest time on its fifth lap at 1:17.580 (114.107 mph), while Beretta clocked his best lap (1:17.997/113.497 mph) on his fourth circuit. Dirk Mueller put the No. 56 BMW M3 GT on the Mosport pole with the session’s fastest lap at 1:17.083 (114.842 mph).

“It was a really good qualifying lap, no traffic and as mistake-free as you can make one,” said Magnussen. “That was absolutely as fast as I could go today. We don’t have the same balance in the car as we did last year at Mosport, and the difference is it was cooler. Maybe the cooler weather that’s predicted for tomorrow will help us, but usually it helps everybody.

“It’s very, very close, less than a tenth of a second between each car, but it’s not where we want to be and we have our work cut out,” Magnussen said. “We’ll have to race hard and smart tomorrow. It shows there are some adjustments that need to be made to the performance of the various cars, if only small adjustments.”

Beretta was pleased with the improvement in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R following the final practice session. “The performance in qualifying was better, no question, and the team did a good job,” Beretta said. “The problem on my lap was traffic. I did my qualifying time, and then I had traffic on the next three laps. Sure, I could have been quicker, but it looks like some of the other cars are definitely quicker than us – but it’s a long race!”

Balance of performance adjustments announced after the Lime Rock race two weeks ago will be implemented in the upcoming round at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“It was a difficult day at a very fast race track,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “You look at the top six cars and they’re within a half a second – almost nothing. I think that promises an extremely close competition tomorrow. As we move on to Mid-Ohio, the performance balancing rules will take effect and we’ll see even closer competition.”

The Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport is scheduled to start at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 24. Live video coverage is available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users, plus live coverage on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. ESPN2 will televise the race on July 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport GT Qualifying (Top 10):
Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Time

1. 56 Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 1:17.083
2. 55 Auberlen/Werner, BMW M3 GT, 1:17.142
3. 45 Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:17.312
4. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari F458 Italia, 1:17.511
5. 62 Melo/Vilander, Ferrari F458 Italia, 1:17.543
6. 4 Gavin/Magnussen, Corvette C6.R, 1:17.580
7. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:17.964
8. 3 Beretta/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 1:17.997
9. 04 Murry/Lazzaro, Doran Ford GT, 1:18.847
10. 98 Jones/Moran, Jaguar RSR, 1:19.302

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Mosport is known for its high speeds and Sunday’s American Le Mans Series race lived up to the hype. The team that wins at Mosport is usually the one that is able to stay out of trouble and catch a little luck. How did the Corvettes do? Hit the jump for the official report from Corvette Racing.


Corvette Racing Wins Grand Prix of Mosport
Corvette Notches Ninth Win at Canadian Circuit, Scores First ALMS GT Victory of Season

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada, July 24, 2011 – Corvette Racing returned to the winner’s circle today at the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport as Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen scored the team’s first American Le Mans Series victory of the season. Gavin and Magnussen won the GT class by 4.4 seconds in their No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R over the Ferrari 458 Italia of Jaime Melo and Toni Vilander. Tommy Milner and Olivier Beretta finished sixth in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R after contact with a backmarker cost them valuable time on the high-speed Canadian circuit.

After qualifying sixth and eighth on Saturday, Corvette Racing rebounded with a strong race day setup that ultimately broke BMW’s three-race winning streak. The two-hour, 45-minute race was anything but predictable as spins, crashes, close calls and penalties added to the drama.

“We had a team meeting after qualifying and agreed that we all just needed to do our jobs because anything can happen,” said team manager Gary Pratt. “The crew made great pit stops, the drivers made smart decisions, the engineers made good calls, and here we are with a victory. You have to be able to take advantage of opportunities, you have to be able to close the deal, and today we did.”

Gavin and Milner were the starting drivers, and slotted into sixth and eighth respectively as the race began. The running order changed dramatically after the first round of pit stops under a full-course caution, as Gavin emerged in third after two cars were penalized. When the second-place Porsche went off track shortly after the one-hour mark, Gavin moved into second and began an extended battle with Vilander in the Risi Competizione Ferrari.

“We started coming on these big clumps of traffic, and things started getting crazy,” Gavin said. “I had this mad battle with Toni, where he passed me going into Turn 2 and then he went around the outside of a GTC car. I managed to undercut them both and come back around the outside into Turn 3 – it was fantastic racing!”

Contact with the Ferrari in Moss Corner punctured a tire, and the crew scrambled as Gavin dove into the pits with one hour and four minutes to go. Magnussen took over the No. 4 Corvette and emerged in third. The Dane passed the Ferrari with 30 minutes to go, and then took the lead with 20 minutes remaining when the leading No. 55 BMW driven by Dirk Werner was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact.

“I knew that for us to get a good result out of this race, we had to be 100 percent focused every second,” Magnussen said. “We could never relax, just push all the time. To pull a win from where we were after qualifying is just fantastic. These guys have done it before and they’ll do it again – you can never count Corvette Racing out. The way this team pushes, I’m so proud to be part of it.”

Gavin agreed: “The team won this race,” said the Englishman. “We got our first win on the board and we’ve broken BMW’s stranglehold on ALMS victories this year. I’m absolutely delighted!”

The No. 4 Corvette’s second pit stop proved pivotal. “We had 10 seconds for everyone to get ready,” said crew chief Brian Hoye. “The guys know what to do and they were ready to go. We knocked out a quick stop, kept the car in contention, and we ended up with a victory. We used every session to make the car the best it could be for the race, and it turned out be a spectacular result.”

The No. 3 Corvette was less fortunate today as contact with the No. 11 Porsche GTC and a resulting spin took them out of contention. Milner had executed a series of passes to pull the No. 3 up to fourth place before the accident.

“The No. 3 Corvette was really, really good, the best I’ve driven all year long,” said Milner. “My spot today was Turn 5, where a lot of people were getting held up in traffic and I was able to get underneath them entering 5B. It’s a pretty safe spot to pass, and you can rub fenders there without it being an issue. I got a number of passes done there, but then we had that contact in Turn 10. Unfortunately we have a few drivers who need more seat time, especially running with other class cars. I gave him a lot of room going into 9, but he wanted to race me. The result was I got spun out.”

The contact damaged the Corvette’s left-rear suspension and an extended pit stop dropped the No. 3 off the lead lap. Beretta drove the last 62 minutes to secure sixth for the Le Mans-winning Corvette.

“It’s a good win for the No. 4 Corvette and good for the whole team,” Beretta said. “Tommy did a very good job, we were just unlucky to be touched by a gentleman driver and that was the end of our race. I was hoping for a yellow to close up the field, but it didn’t come, so I just brought the car home.”

Corvette Racing celebrated its ninth win at Mosport and captured the Michelin Green X Challenge as the fastest, cleanest, and most efficient entry in the GT class.

“As the inaugural winner of the Michelin Green X Challenge, it’s always an honor when Corvette Racing collects one of these trophies,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “It’s a testament to how hard our engine group, our chassis group, and our aero group have worked to maximize the efficiency of the Corvette. It’s also a testament to Chevrolet’s willingness to race with cellulosic E85, and as the world’s largest producer of flex-fuel vehicles, it’s only appropriate that the Chevrolet team won the Green X Challenge today.”

ESPN2 will televise the Grand Prix of Mosport tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge in Lexington, Ohio, on Saturday, August 6, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live video coverage will available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ESPN2 will televise the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge on Sunday, August 7, at 10 p.m. ET.

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport GT Results (Top 10):

Pos./Car No./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. 4 Gavin/Magnussen, Corvette C6.R, 121
2. 62 Melo/Vilander, Ferrari F458 Italia, 121
3. 55 Auberlen/Werner, BMW M3 GT, 121
4. 56 Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 121
5. 17 Henzler/Sellers, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 120
6. 3 Beretta/Milner, Corvette C6.R, 119
7. 04 Murry/Lazzaro, Doran Ford GT, 119
8. 44 Neiman/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 118
9. 01 Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari F458 Italia, 117
10. 48 Miller/Maasen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 117

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Corvette Racing Celebrates Homecoming as Le Mans and Mosport Winner

LEXINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 2, 2011 – Situated between the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky., and Corvette Racing’s headquarters in suburban Detroit, the historic 2.25-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is the spiritual home of the Compuware Corvettes. The Corvette Racing team is hoping for a homecoming celebration in the fifth round of the American Le Mans Series, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, on Saturday, August 6.


Corvette Racing returns to Mid-Ohio with momentum after a victory by Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R at the preceding round at Mosport International Raceway on July 24. In June, teammates Tommy Milner, Olivier Beretta, and Antonio Garcia triumphed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gavin and Magnussen’s win in Mosport narrowed the ALMS GT championship race; the Corvette duo is second in the drivers’ standings, 23 points behind BMW’s Dirk Mueller and Joey Hand, and Chevrolet is second in the manufacturer standings by 22 markers. With a maximum of 120 points on the table in the next five races and series-mandated balance of performance adjustments taking effect at Mid-Ohio, the GT championship is wide open at the midpoint of the ALMS season.

After scoring seven wins in the GT1 category at Mid-Ohio, Corvette Racing debuted its GT class Corvettes at the Ohio circuit in August 2009 with a runner-up finish by Magnussen and Johnny O’Connell. Last year at Mid-Ohio, Gavin and Beretta finished second in the fiercely contested class. Now the team is focused on moving up one spot on the podium with a victory.

“Mid-Ohio is quite a good track for us, and we’ve been very strong there from the first race with the GT car,” Magnussen said. “This year we’ve been a little behind because of the regulations, but this may change at Mid-Ohio. It could be our time to shine.”

“Last year we were really, really close to a win at Mid-Ohio,” Gavin recalled. “Our car came alive in the race and we had a great battle in GT. I managed to get past the BMW and Porsche, and then I had an excellent fight with Jamie Melo’s Ferrari in the final minutes. I think we had a car that was fast enough to win, but didn’t quite get the breaks to get a victory. I just hope we can continue on an upward trend.

“The Mid-Ohio circuit is rather narrow and it can be quite tricky to pass, but we proved last year that we could do it,” Gavin explained. “Getting the car through the Keyhole is challenging because you’re braking uphill and then the track falls away as the car goes over the crest. Coming into the corner at the end of the back straight is another challenge because the braking zone can be quite slippery. It’s a track where you need to be precise with your lines, precise with your braking, and have a car that rotates well.”

Tommy Milner will drive a Corvette for the first time at Mid-Ohio after finishing third there in 2009 and 2010. “I’ve had success at Mid-Ohio in the past, and combined with Corvette’s previous success, I hope to get a good result this year,” Milner said. “Mid-Ohio is a showcase for the GT class; there are areas where it’s tough to pass, but there are enough opportunities for the prototypes to get by. The elevation changes and the variety of corners make it a great place to race.”

The Mid-Ohio round is well attended by Corvette Racing’s friends and extended family, and the team is supported by hundreds of Corvette owners and enthusiasts in the Corvette Corral.

“It’s not far from the team headquarters, and a lot of the people who design and build the cars come from the race shop,” said Beretta, who is slated to make his milestone 100th ALMS start this weekend. “I hope we will have a good result with both cars. The track is quite interesting because the grip is not constant. The best strategy is to get out front and stay there!”

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 6. Live video coverage will available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ESPN2 will televise the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge on Sunday, August 7, at 10 p.m. ET.

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In the seventh installment of Corvette Racing’s Track to Street, we see that practice makes perfect. Watch as the pit crew works together and how they handle the pressure when their number is called in pit row.

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Magnussen Qualifies No. 4 Corvette C6.R Under GT Track Record, Misses Pole by .005 Second

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Aug. 19, 2011 – Jan Magnussen was more than a second quicker than Oliver Gavin’s pole-winning lap at Road America in 2010, and six tenths of a second under the GT qualifying record set in 2008. Despite the Dane’s strong performance today, he missed putting the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R on the GT pole for the second consecutive year by .005-second. That was the razor-thin margin that favored Dirk Mueller’s No. 56 BMW M3 GT in qualifying for Saturday’s Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase, the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series.


Magnussen held back as the 15-minute qualifying session began, seeking a gap in traffic. With a clear track ahead, he rocketed around the 4-mile circuit in 2:05.452 (116.162 mph) on his fourth lap, eclipsing his teammate’s pole-winning 2:06.509 time from last year. Olivier Beretta was close behind with a lap at 2:06.585 (115.123 mph) that put the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R sixth on the GT grid. Mueller took the pole with a 2:05.447 (116.167 mph) lap.

“Five thousandths!” Magnussen exclaimed after qualifying. “When the session started, I made a quick decision to fall back to give myself a big gap. I was clear of traffic, set my fast time, and then did a cool-down lap to get ready for my final qualifying run. That lap was looking really good until we caught traffic. Even with a similar lap, five thousandths could have gone either way.

“Corvette Racing has done such a fantastic job with the cars,” Magnussen said. “We’re developing all the time, Michelin is making gains with the tires, and the guys back in the shop are prepping the cars perfectly. There are so many tiny improvements, so much attention to the details, and when they are all added up, you get a big improvement like this in one year.”

Beretta also posted his best time on his fourth lap, jumping from 11th to sixth in the order.

“Everything was OK, the tires were working well, but I had some power understeer,” Beretta said. “I felt that I was losing time in the Carousel, the Kink, and Turn 7. Four hours is a long race, so I think we can make it to the front with some more work on the front of the car.”

The four-hour Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, August 20. Live video coverage will be available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ABC will televise the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase on Sunday, August 21, at 4:30 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT).

[Camo]

Sorry lads.  Been slack........ well actually playing with the Dodge. Shhhh, don't tell anyone.



See how the team prepares for the street-course race in Baltimore, the city's first ALMS event.

Corvette Racing at Baltimore Grand Prix: The Science of Street Racing

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Software, Simulations, and Experience Prepare Corvette Racing for Inaugural Baltimore Race

BALTIMORE - Before the first practice session at the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix begins, Corvette Racing's twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars will already have made dozens of laps on the downtown street circuit – thanks to sophisticated computer simulations.

The first race on the 2.1-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit is a journey into the unknown for American Le Mans Series teams. With limited practice time before Saturday's two-hour race, every second on the track is precious. In order to maximize the Corvettes' performance, the engineering team has analyzed the layout and developed chassis setups on a virtual track.

"Beginning with drawings provided by the organizers, we developed a projected racing line based on the geometry of the track," said Corvette Racing engineering director Doug Louth. "Then the engineering team ran simulated laps to optimize gear ratios and chassis setups. We've prepared maps for the drivers that show projected shift points, maximum and minimum speeds, and potential passing zones."

This proprietary simulation program is used in a variety of GM motorsports programs, from ALMS and Grand-Am road racing to NASCAR. It's also used by engineers in the production Corvette group and other technology partners.

"The big variable on street circuits is the pavement," Louth noted. "While we have data about elevation changes and the crown in the road, we won't know how smooth or rough the asphalt is until we're on site. There could be bumps that require adjustments in the racing line, or th organizers might make last-minute changes in the barriers and cones that define the track perimeter. We have to be prepared for these possibilities.

"Corvette Racing's years of experience on street circuits is definitely an asset," he added. "We've raced on smooth tracks and on rough ones, so we have the background to handle whatever we find in Baltimore. We have a list of high-priority items to work through in the limited track time that's available. All of the ALMS teams are in a similar situation, so hopefully we can do a better job than our competitors. It's exciting to go to a new venue in a major metropolitan area, and this event is another step forward for the American Le Mans Series."

Corvette Racing's drivers know how to win on street courses. Olivier Beretta (No. 3 Corvette C6.R) and Oliver Gavin (No.4 Corvette C6.R) are the most successful ALMS drivers on temporary circuits with seven wins each. In the Series' last visit to the mid-Atlantic area at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., in 2002, Jan Magnussen (No. 4 Corvette C6.R) scored an overall win in a Panoz LMP1 prototype.

But all eyes in Baltimore will be on the youngest driver on the Corvette Racing squad, Tommy Milner. Milner was born in the District of Columbia and grew up in nearby Virginia. Last Sunday, he opened the Baltimore GP festivities by throwing the first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles/New York Yankees baseball game at Camden Yards, which is located inside the street circuit.

"The last time the Series raced in the mid-Atlantic area, the event got great reviews," Milner said. "I'm optimistic that the Baltimore Grand Prix will be a success. Many of my friends have never seen me race except on television, and they're excited about going to this race. I'll have lots of support in the grandstands.

"This race is going to be a real test," he noted. "With most circuits, a driver can learn the layout on a simulator or a video game, but we don't have that option for the Baltimore race. Street tracks are always tough because there is not a lot of grip initially, and the surface changes quite a bit from the first practice to the race.

"A good baseline setup makes it easier to get acclimated to a new track, and I'm confident that the Corvette Racing crew will give us one," Milner explained. "I'm comfortable with the Corvette C6.R on a street circuit after coming from the back of the pack in Long Beach. I consider Baltimore to be my home race, and I want to do as good a job as possible. Every driver is on equal footing, and it's all brand new. I feel confident that we'll be on pace right away."

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Welcome to the Corvette World Tribute, where Chevrolet's supercar is celebrated by owners and drivers of all models, both on and off the track.

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CorvetteBlogger was on the ground last week at Road Atlanta for the 14th annual Petit Le Mans. We had the opportunity to talk with Corvette Racing’s Program Manager Doug Fehan about the 2nd full season of GT racing, the win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and changes for the 2012 program which including building two new Corvette C6.Rs that are 2 inches wider.

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Obviously, the big news from this interview is that Pratt & Miller will be building a new car for 2012. Doug says the new rule change allows them be on par with Ferrari which has been allowed to run a wider car since 2010. The additional width will come from enhancing the flares on the cars as the rules still require the team to use the Corvette ZR1′s production fenders and chassis. Doug adds that the new car will be the focus of testing over the winter break which will start for the team later this month.

The other good news is that despite a report from SPEED saying funding for the 2012 season wasn’t yet approved, Fehan says the program for 2012 is all wrapped up, but the team has to look at the details to make sure the dollars are maximized to ensure the team can do all it needs to (like building new cars).

Lastly, Fehan may have inadvertently given us a tidbit on the C7 program. We were discussing the tire wear that plagued the Corvettes at Laguna Seca in September and I asked Doug if he talked with his Michelin tire engineer Lee Willard about that and what his comments were. (Lee Willard is also the man who engineer the Michelin tires specifically for the Corvette ZR1). Doug responded that Lee wasn’t at Laguna Seca and was back in Detroit working on the new tire for the upcoming C7 Corvette.

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From the pages of http://www.corvetteblogger.com

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For anyone who has never attended an American Le Mans race, you seriously don’t know what a great time you’re missing. We got up to Petit Le Mans on Thursday and we were able to witness and participate in seminars, driver meet and greets, wander the vendor village and experience Corvette Racing up close and personal. Check out our huge Petit Le Mans photo gallery and you’ll see what we mean.  Click the image above to see.