24 Hours of Le Mans
Corvette Racing confirms its plans for 2009
© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat
Corvette Racing will aim for a sixth victory in the GT1 class in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans before entering the GT2 category in the second half of the American Le Mans Series 2009 season. Corvette Racing will launch a full-season assault in the restructured GT division in 2010.
Corvette Racing representatives announced the plans today in a media teleconference.
Corvette Racing will run a limited schedule in the GT1 class in the first half of the 2009 ALMS season as it prepares for its 10th participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The team will race in the GT1 class in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the popular Grand Prix of Long Beach. Following its return from the classic 24-hour endurance race in France, Corvette Racing will compete in the GT2 category in selected ALMS events in 2009 in preparation for a full-season program under new international GT class regulations in 2010.
“Corvette Racing will be well positioned for the future of production-based sports car racing worldwide with the plans we are announcing today,” said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. “The international regulations are converging around a single, global GT class, and we intend to continue Corvette’s motorsports heritage by racing against manufacturers and marques that Corvette competes with in the marketplace.
“The GT1 class has been a platform for GM Racing and our partners to develop the most technically sophisticated race cars in our history,” Wesoloski said. “We intend to apply the tremendous success we have had in the GT1 category to make the next-generation Corvette C6.R a strong contender in the new GT class.”
Manufacturers currently represented in the ALMS GT2 class or confirmed for future participation include Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Dodge, and Panoz. Other manufacturers produce high-performance cars that could compete in the new GT category.
“In accordance with the regulations, the new version of the Corvette C6.R race car will be available to independent teams,” Wesoloski said. “Corvette and Chevrolet are global brands, and we look forward to seeing production-based Corvette race cars competing in series around the world under the leadership of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).”
The new GT Corvette C6.R race car will be based on the production Corvette’s chassis and body design. A 6.0-liter version of the LS7.R small-block V-8 will power the Corvette GT2 entry in the transitional 2009 season. A new naturally aspirated 5.5-liter version of the production GM small-block V-8 will be developed to meet the new GT regulations that will take effect in 2010. The chassis and powertrain specifications of the new Corvette GT entry will be submitted to the ACO and FIA for homologation approval.
“Competing in GT2 will be a true test of our team’s determination, talent and technology,” said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager. “The level of competition in the category is already fierce, and that promises to become more intense with more manufacturers and top-tier teams. We’ve explored alternative paths, and we believe that competing in GT is the right road for Corvette Racing to take in the future.
“We will continue our commitment to cellulosic E85R ethanol racing fuel in the current GT1 Corvette C6.R and the next-generation Corvette C6.R that will compete in the new GT class ” Fehan said. “Corvette Racing’s green racing initiative is proof of our commitment to using alternative fuels at the highest levels of motorsports.”
Corvette Racing is America’s premier production sports car team, with 72 wins in 100 races. The most successful team in ALMS history, Corvette Racing has won seven consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight drivers championships. Corvette Racing has five GT1 victories since 2001 in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“The 2009 season will mark Corvette Racing’s 10th anniversary in international endurance racing, and it will also mark the beginning of a new chapter in Corvette’s racing history,” said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. “Corvette Racing has consistently delivered tangible engineering and marketing benefits to GM and Chevrolet. Our announcement today of Corvette Racing’s future plans affirms the continuing value of production-based racing as a development tool for advanced technology in powertrain, aerodynamics, lightweight materials, safety, and computer modeling.
“It’s not just high-performance machines like the Corvette Z06 and ZR1 that bear witness to the positive impact of racing,” Kent said. “The lessons learned at Corvette Racing can benefit mainstream production vehicles as GM continues to develop lightweight, aerodynamic, and fuel-efficient cars and trucks.”
Corvette Racing’s next event is Petit Le Mans, the 10th round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series, at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m. EDT on Saturday, October 4. SPEED will televise the race live starting at 11 a.m. EDT.
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this doesn’t lineup with news from the FIA last October
http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=1436
That is the FIA GT championship rules, not the ACO run ALMS and LMS series rules. The ACO is independent from the FIA. Which is why the Maserati can not run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans because it comply with the ACO’s GT1 rules. It was given a chance to run the ALMS, but was not given any points and was basically given a grid slot to fill up the field.
GT1 is dead in the ACO’s eyes and they do not want to go back to the old expensive GT1 cars of the 80s.
I’m sure Corvette Europe will still develop the C6R through 2010, but SRO will have a challenge to try and keep a full field with aging cars.
Pratt and Miller develops the C6R. Not Corvette Europe. I’m sure they still want to be well represented so they will definitely keep making spare parts for the GT1 C6R.
It will be a scramble to buy these last two GT1 corvette chassis. Hope GM keeps one for historical reasons.
Only if more americans watched or understood about Le Mans racing then GM would have gone into prototype racing.
The irony is that when GM leaves a few privateers will revive GT1. Especially given the prospects of a wide open championship, and podium finishes…
Which privateer teams will revive GT1?
Bamba this is true that Corvette Europe does not develop the C6R, but for the big FIA GT races such as the 24 Hours of Spa Pratt and Miller offer support.
Where as this support has been factory mechanics, drivers or parts they still bring the goods for those races. What’s better publicity for GM than to have their American sports car beat the Europeans on their turf?
With the rules set for two more years there has to be some sort of development, not a full R&D, but something at least until the C7 comes.
The current privater teams are Luc Alphand Adventures in the LMS with Selleslagh Racing and Phoenix Carsport in the FIA GT. I could see Luc Alphand going to the GT2 class in the 2010.
So… the ALMS will NOT have a GT1 class in 2010?
There will be no GT1 class as per ACO rules in 2010. There going to a single GT class.
1) Yes no GT1 (as you currently know it in 2010)
2) Of course GM will keep at least one C6R in their private collection and maybe sell another car at auction. If you guys are impressed by Merc’s and BMW’s collection of cars they tend to keep, you should see the GM private collection, not just the ones the public sees and GM trouts around every summer during show season
3) Pratt & Miller were more than likely forced into the choice since GM will not take away money from its more pressing issues which is Plug-In Hybrids and Fuel Cell powered cars
4) It is now up to Ratel and the FIA if they want to be on the same page come 2010. Somehow I think I don’t think so and the FIA Championship might fail on the world scale.
I don’t know who will revive GT1 in the ALMS, but the only reason it’s a dead category is because of Corvette. There are privateers out there just like Bell Motorsports.
If shops such as Doran, and Riley can fabricate their own GT racers they can definitely afford to be in GT1. But the fear of being labeled second best has kept them out.
If the ACO still recognizes a GT1 category at LeMans in 2010 you can bet someone will be running in a corvette-less ALMS GT1 that year.
The biggest market by far, 3 chances to qualify for LeMans and a fair chance of winning, what’s not to like.
The MC12 first debuted in the ALMS with Risi. So you know they really want to be here. Prodrive have always unveiled their new cars here as well.
The FIA GT has a fairly healthy GT1 field. If the ALMS and the LMS had that field we wouldn’t be talking about the demise of GT1.
But in FIA GT GT1 can give you an overall win, so those teams enjoy their position. You can’t impress a sponsor further than that.
Not so in the LMS and ALMS, thats what many GT1 teams crave so they make the leap to P1.
Don’t forget that SRO, FIA and ACO are working together concerning the future of GT-racing ( including the “future-GT1″ ). Don’t forget that Ratel is CEO in LMS, “run” by his friend Peter. To know more, you have to read more frequently articles at endurance-info.com. Sorry, but it’s in French. Ratel knows he is taking a risk organising a WC GT1, but I warn you not to bury it before it’s born. GT1 as it is now is death already, but we should be happy that someone is still working on and willing to take the challenge concerning the future of GT-racing ( GT1, GT2, GT3, GT4 and Sports Light ).
Ca ne fait rien je parle francais. Merci pour le site. Je vais le verifier.
Not to do any harm to our French colleagues…but:
http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/08/01/news-from-the-annual-sro-spa-press-conference/
Lots of info about the proposed World GT Championship as well as the other SRO organised series as mentioned by Mr. Ratel during the press conference at Spa.