Corvette Racing Debuts Twin C6.Rs at American Le Mans Series in Ohio
- 11 Aug 2009
No.4 Compuware Corvette in hard fought GT2 category in the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series, photo by GM Corp.
No.3 Compuware Corvette C6.R took second place in its first GT2 Race, photo by GM Corp.
Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta finished fourth in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, photo by GM Corp.
Corvette C6.R Drivers Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen on the podium at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, photo by GM Corp.
A quick pit stop before pack of GT2 cars resumed fighting for the lead in the American Le Mans Series, photo by GM Corp
Corvette Racing's next event in the American Le Mans Series will be at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 14-16, photo by GM Corp
The twin corvettes battled it out in Lexington, Ohio where drivers Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen finished second in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. They were 21 seconds behind the class-winning Porsche 911 RSR of Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister.
“It was a really good run and we didn’t have any issues,” said Magnussen. It’s very difficult in traffic, even more difficult than with the GT1 cars. This was not the race to risk the cars, so I lost a little time being too cautious. The GT2 corvette C6.R is a fantastic race car and very easy to drive fast. We still have a few minor things to sort out, but I think we’re already there.”
During the race the No. 19 LMP2 prototype went off the track and a full-course caution began. The race leader was between the two Corvettes, which were only four seconds apart on the track. As a result of the caution, the leading No.45 Porsche and the second place No. 3 Corvette gained nearly a full lap on the rest of the GT2 entries.
“There was a small gap between the Corvettes, and I could hear the excitement in Crew Chief Dan Bink’s voice on the radio,” said O’Connell. “He was saying don’t let him by. We did not want to lose over a safety car wave-by.”
When racing resumed, a pack of GT2 cars were fighting for third place, separated by only 3.5 seconds. Beretta’s No. 4 Corvette C6.R and the No. 92 BMW driven by Dirk Mueller eventually broke free and Mueller took the third place on the podium. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta finished fourth in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R.
“Those first few laps were frantic,” said Gavin. “The first start was waved off, we were forming up again and it all got rather confusing. A BMW got by me and then the Ford GT so I had to hustle my way past them. We had a bit of contact. I got a few shoves, and I gave them back. GT2 is a great class to race.”
“To come out here with only a few days of testing on two brand new race cars and run with the leaders demonstrates our pit stop prowess and race strategy,” said Corvette Racing Program Manager Doug Fehan. “To finish second is a testament to how hard this team works.”
The Corvette C6.Rs also swept the top two spots in the Michelin Green X challenge with the best overall scores based on energy used, greenhouse gases emitted and petroleum fuels displaced.
The new Corvette C6.Rs use K&N air filters. “The filters K&N makes for Corvette are critical to the design of our intake system,” said Mike Atkins, Pratt and Miller Program Manager. “K&N makes the best air filter for horsepower and filtration.”
Corvette Racing’s next event is the Tim Warner Cable Road Race Showcase featuring the American Le Mans Series at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 14-15. SPEED-TV will televise the race live at 3p.m. EST.
Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
