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Corvette Racing Makes 55th Stab At Sebring Victory

 
1,702 views Mar 15, 2011


No. 3 Corvette in action at 2010 Petit Le Mans
Photo: Anne Proffit

A very crowded field of 56 cars - one more than are allowed for the 24 Heures du Mans - is gathering for the 59th annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring this Saturday on the famed and historic airport circuit.

Among them are two cars from Corvette Racing, competing in the GT class, using a brace of Compuware Corvette C6.R cars based on the GT2 Corvettes the team introduced in 2009.  Benefiting from more than a year of development and the momentum of having won the 2010 American Le Mans Series finale Petit Le Mans race, Corvette Racing is looking forward to its new challenge at Sebring - and beyond.

"2010 was an extremely productive year, from the standpoint of gathering information," notes Doug Fehan, program manager.  "The team learned a tremendous amount about the production-based LS5.5R engine package, the aero package and chassis setups, all of which were brand new to us.  The winter was spent distilling that information, running it through various matrixes and coming up with - what we think - are going to be very competitive race cars in 2011."

New ALMS regulations now allow the use of paddle shift transmissions in GT and Corvette Racing adopted the technology using paddle shifters that are available in production Corvettes.  The fingertip shifters allow all drivers to shift without lifting hands from the steering wheel.  This new system has been integrated into the cars' electronic controls.

"The paddle shift system is new to use," said Gary Pratt, team manager.  "Our engineers have worked very hard on the communication system that links the new engine management and shift systems.  We've also adopted a new power control system that automatically performs many of the functions that used to be done manually, such as turning on the reserve fuel pump and switching batteries during pit stops," he said.  

The team also installed new driver displays and steering wheels with all controls on the wheel.  Pratt believes the new system will be more user-friendly  "Drivers of various sizes can reach the switches more easily."

Of the six drivers assigned to Corvette Racing for the duration of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and American Le Mans Series competition, two are new to the group  The No. 03 Corvette has returning driver Olivier Beretta (Monaco) teamed with American Tommy Milner.  For the endurance contests, Spaniard Antonio Garcia is the third driver.  The No. 04 has Dane Jan Magnussen and Briton Oliver Gavin full-time, with UK-based Richard Westbrook supplementing on the three longer races (Sebring, Le Mans, Petit Le Mans).  

After pre-season testing Gavin noted, "The paddle shift is a big plus, particularly in the braking zones.  You can get hard on the brakes then downshift really quickly.  Going up through the gears, the shifts are smooth and solid.  In terms of consistency and reliability, the system is a really good step forward."

This weekend's Sebring race marks Corvette's 55th year in international road racing, dating to 1956, when John Fitch and Walt Hansgen drove a Corvette to ninth overall and a Class B victory in the legendary 12-hour race.

© 2011 Anne Proffit



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