Bowmanville, Ont. - After an eventful two hours and 15 minutes of racing at Mosport International Raceway, a red flag brought the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport to a premature end. When the guardrail lining the high-speed Andretti Straightaway was severely damaged in an accident, officials stopped the race with 30 minutes remaining on the clock. After efforts to repair the guardrail proved futile, the race was subsequently restarted for a ceremonial final lap under caution. The No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen was fourth across the finish line in the GT class, followed by the No. 3 Corvette driven by Johnny O'Connell and Olivier Beretta.

The anticlimactic finish denied Corvette Racing a hard-earned run to the checkered flag. Both Corvettes encountered accidents and misfortune in the early going, but battled back from a one-lap deficit to rejoin the frontrunners. Just as the twin Corvettes had made their final pit stops and taken on four fresh Michelin tires for the sprint to the finish, the race was stopped for 45 minutes while the safety crew worked to repair the damaged barrier. The officials' decision to conclude the race was then announced.

Magnussen and Beretta had a close look at the race-ending incident as the No. 48 Porsche GTC impacted the barrier and rebounded across the track directly in front of the two Corvettes. Both Corvettes narrowly missed the careening car; fortunately driver Luke Hines was uninjured.

"It was very close, and the driver can consider himself extremely lucky because had he gone another three or four feet, he would have been collected by several cars, including two Corvettes," said Magnussen.

"I didn't see the wreck, I only saw smoke and pieces of the car," Beretta reported. "I was right behind Jan, and he disappeared into the smoke. Suddenly I saw red lights, I jumped on the brakes, and nearly hit him. For a few seconds we were in a dark tunnel, and then the sun came back."

That near miss capped an incident-filled afternoon for Corvette Racing. The commotion began at the start when O'Connell had contact with the Ferrari of Scott Sharp. The impact dislodged the Corvette's hood, and O'Connell had to pit to have it taped down. The unscheduled stop dropped the No. 3 Corvette to 13th, but O'Connell methodically regained positions and was sixth at the driver change at the one-hour mark.

"The start was extremely slow, and we all got jammed up going through Turn 9," said O'Connell. "I got into the back of the Ferrari in front of me. At the end of the day it's my fault, and I was angry with myself because we had such a good Corvette, one of the fastest cars out there. But the guys fixed it, and we were back in the hunt."

Gavin started the No. 4 Corvette C6.R third on the GT grid, and quickly moved to second when he passed the No. 92 BMW. He hounded the class-leading No. 45 Porsche of Patrick Long throughout the first hour of the race. Gavin took the lead when Long pitted, and then pitted himself the following lap to hand off the car to Magnussen.

"The start was very slow, and there was oil-dry all over the track from a previous race," said Gavin. "I managed to get around the BMW and then get right on Pat Long's tail. After that it was the same story as Elkhart Lake - I could get close and pull alongside him, but I never had quite enough to overtake him."

The No. 4 Corvette's race changed dramatically minutes after the driver change when the Dyson Racing prototype hit the right front tire during an overtaking move. As Magnussen slowed on the destroyed tire, a crash on the front straight brought out a full-course yellow. Magnussen was already committed to the pits, which had been closed. The crew replaced the damaged wheel,but Magnussen then had to make another stop when the pits were opened.

"We had just done the driver change and I was starting to get up to speed," Magnussen said. "Two prototypes passed me in the middle of Turn 1. The first car got by cleanly, but the second hit my tire. I came in, the pits were closed, the crew changed the tire, then I had to come back in for three more."

"After all of that, I was a lap down, but right behind the leader," he said. "I passed him and got my lap back, which was really fantastic. I had a great race car and I could have been fighting for a win."

The two Corvettes were on the lead lap during the final caution period and were in position to challenge the leaders when the race was halted. The E85 ethanol-powered No. 4 Corvette won the Michelin Green X Challenge in the GT category by going the farthest, the fastest, with the smallest environmental impact.

"The axiom that we have lived by for many years applies today," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Success in racing requires 25 percent great car, 25 percent great team, and 50 percent good luck. We've got the first two handled, but we haven't been able to get any good fortune. We had two cars that were good enough to win today, and after all that happened, they still had a shot to win it at the end. The premature end to the race was heartbreaking."

Corvette Racing's next event is the season-ending ALMS Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. The 10-hour/1,000-mile race will start at 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 2. The race will be televised live on SPEED from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport GT Results:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 92 2. Vilander/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 92
3. Auberlen/Milner, BMW M3 GT, 92
4. Gavin/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 92
5. Beretta/O'Connell, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 92
6. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 91
7. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 91
8. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 90
9. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 90
10. Goossens/Gentilozzi, Jaguar XKRS, 87
11. Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 48
12. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT-R, 48

Release Date: August 29, 2010

Corvette Racing Qualifies Fourth and Sixth for Mosport ALMS

Gavin and O'Connell Qualify in First Race with Revised Driver Lineup

Bowmanville, Ont. - Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin and Johnny O'Connell qualified their Compuware Corvettes fourth and sixth respectively for Sunday's Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Canada at Mosport International Raceway. Both Corvettes posted their quickest times on their second qualifying laps on the 2.459-mile Canadian road course. Gavin turned a time of 1:17.668 (113.977 mph) in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, and O'Connell clocked in at 1:17.794 (113.793 mph) in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Just .634 seconds separated the top six GT qualifiers.

The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT driven by Gianmaria Bruni took the GT pole with the fastest qualifying time at 1:17.160. However, the red racer must start at the back of the field after a late driver change, promoting the two Corvettes one spot each on the starting grid.

"I knew that I needed to get a quick time in the first three laps when the tires were at their best," Gavin said. "I was trying to find a gap, and it seemed that every lap I had a car in front of me, or a car spinning ahead of me. Realistically we weren't going to get the pole today, the Ferrari was just so strong, but I think we might have been on the front row."

"It's been a while since I've qualified, but I don't feel that I left anything on the table," O'Connell said. "We spent the final practice session working on tires, and at the end we got things going in the right direction. The race is going to be really tough. The competition is so close that whoever doesn't make a mistake will probably be the one who wins."

Corvette Racing revised its driver lineup for this event, with Olivier Beretta moving to the No. 3 Corvette alongside O'Connell and Jan Magnussen shifting to the No. 4 Corvette as Gavin's co-driver.

"The car is still yellow, and the only things that have changed are the number on the door and the color of my teammate's helmet," Beretta said with a laugh. "Johnny has been very cool, and we work well together. We've raced hard against each in the past, and now we are together in the same car. We like the same feel in the car, and the change has given me a new perspective."

Magnussen has rejoined Gavin, his former endurance-racing co-driver. "We're getting along great, and I'm getting comfortable in the car," Magnussen said. "There is the usual stuff we have to sort out with the seat and practicing driver changes. So far so good."

"I expect we'll see a lot of guys struggling with tire wear in the second half of their stints," Magnussen predicted. "Usually we are good on our Michelins at the end of a run, and that's when we really need to push. We may not have the fastest car on one lap, but over the distance I believe we have a good race car."

The two-hour, 45-minute Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Canada will start at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29. The race will be televised tape-delayed on SPEED from 4 - 7 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Canada GT Qualifying:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Time
1. Vilander/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:17.160
2. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:17.461
3. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 1:17.491
4. Gavin/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:17.668
5. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:17.726
6. Beretta/O'Connell, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:17.794
7. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:17.841
8. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:18.469
9. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 1:18.502
10. Goossens/Gentilozzi, Jaguar XKRS, 1:19.099
11.Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:21.771
12. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:21.798

Release Date: August 28, 2010

Corvette Racing Realigns Driver Lineup for Mosport ALMS

Beretta and O'Connell in No. 3 Corvette, Gavin and Magnussen in No. 4 Corvette for Grand Prix of Canada

Bowmanville, Ont. - Corvette Racing will have familiar faces in different places at the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Canada at Mosport International Raceway. Olivier Beretta will move to the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, joining Johnny O'Connell for the eighth round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series. Jan Magnussen will be reunited with former teammate Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R.

"Although racing is a technology-driven sport, there is also an important human element," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "To compete at this level, the drivers must have absolute confidence in their car and be totally comfortable with its setup. By realigning our driver pairings to better match setup preferences, Corvette Racing is seeking to minimize compromises in the car setups and maximize our on-track performance. Tailoring each car to the driving styles of the respective driver pairs will provide the most competitive two-car effort."

"This change was made in consultation with all four drivers, and they are in complete agreement that this is the way forward," said Fehan. "Corvette Racing is one team that campaigns two cars. The mechanics, engineers, drivers, and managers all work together for a single goal - to have a Corvette in the winner's circle. Everyone understands that when one Corvette wins, the entire team wins. With our revised driver lineup at Mosport, we are confident that we will have the two strongest possible entries in the extremely competitive GT class."

The Corvette Racing driver roster has an impressive record, with a combined total of 12 ALMS championships and 135 career ALMS victories. The four full-season drivers have stood on the top step of the podium 17 times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gavin and Magnussen previously shared the No. 4 Corvette in long-distance races in 2004-06, while Beretta and O'Connell will be co-drivers for the first time at Mosport.

Corvette Racing's next event is the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The two-hour, 45-minute race will start at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29. The race will be televised tape-delayed on SPEED from 4 – 7 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Release Date: August 26, 2010

Mosport at 50: Corvette Memories

Corvette Racing Returns to Scene of First GT Victory for ALMS Grand Prix of Canada

Bowmanville, Ont. - In a season that has seen the celebration of Corvette's 50th anniversary at Le Mans, another mainstay of North American motorsports, Mosport International Raceway, is also celebrating its golden anniversary. Chevrolet and Corvette have been linked with Mosport, the site of Sunday's Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Canada, for five decades.

Corvette Racing drivers Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell scored Corvette Racing's first victory in the American Le Mans Series GT2 division (now GT) one year ago at Mosport. With second- and third-place finishes in the last two rounds of the 2010 ALMS, the team is on track to return to the winner's circle.

When construction of the 2.459-mile Mosport circuit in began in 1960, the builders carved a fast, flowing circuit through the Canadian countryside. The result was a daunting combination of high-speed corners and soaring straights that commands the respect of drivers.

"Mosport is a real old-school race track, and it's a good challenge to be fast there," said Magnussen, who teamed with O'Connell to score the pair's third straight victory at Mosport after back-to-back GT1 wins in 2007 and 2008. "Last year Johnny and I got the first GT2 win for Corvette, and it would be fantastic to repeat and score the first win of this season. We're closing in on the competition, and a win is in the cards."

The final 30 minutes of last year's race featured a spellbinding wheel-to-wheel duel between Magnussen in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R and Pierre Kaffer in the Risi Competizione Ferrari that presaged this season's ultra-competitive GT battle. Magnussen withstood the pressure and took the win with a .331-second margin of victory. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta finished third in the sister No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R after being forced off the track by a prototype while leading the GT2 class.

"Mosport is a throwback to the old days when race tracks could be dangerous, and every lap at Mosport is daunting," said O'Connell. "When a driver goes flat-out through Turn 8, he's defying all of Newton's laws. The Canadian fans are awesome, and every race there is just spectacular."

O'Connell and Magnussen first teamed up for a Mosport win in 1999, when they captured the overall victory in a Panoz LMP1.

"I first raced there in 1989 in a 24-hour Showroom Stock race," O'Connell recalled. "I fell in love with the track. It was cold, dark and rainy - typical Mosport. I had more fun doing that race. That first win with Jan in the Panoz was really significant for us, and it was the first victory for Don Panoz."

Corvette's racing heritage at Mosport reaches back to the track's early days, when Chevy engines thundered in the Can-Am and Formula 5000 series. The track hosted the SCCA Trans-Am series beginning in 1976, and Canadian Eppie Wietzes won the Trans Am title in 1981 in a Corvette. In recent years, the Corvette Racing team has competed 10 times at Mosport, tallying eight victories. O'Connell and long-time teammate Ron Fellows won three straight in GTS in 2001-03, while Gavin and Beretta were victorious in 2005-06 in the renamed GT1 category. But it's the one that got away that stands out in Fellows' memory.

"Corvette Racing's first ALMS race at Mosport was in 2000, but the team initially didn't plan to run there," Fellows recalled. "I begged Joe Negri, who was in charge of road racing at GM Racing, to let us go. I told Joe that I'd guarantee a win - nothing like going out on a limb!"

"Andy Pilgrim and I had it covered until the last two corners of the race," Fellows said. "It was a wet race, and our car was very fast on rain tires. But the track was drying, our rain tires were going away, and the Viper of Olivier Beretta and Karl Wendlinger was gaining on us. I think Wendlinger passed Andy on the last lap in Turn 8. That was that. Driving home, I got the call from Joe. All he said was, 'Hey, I thought you guaranteed us a win!'"

Fellows, known as the Mayor of Mosport for his mastery of the track, notched his most recent victory there in May, winning an SCCA World Challenge race in the Cragar Wheels Corvette after a frantic transcontinental dash from California.

"Having grown up at Mosport, it was important to me to race there in the track's 50th anniversary, and to get a win was special," Fellows said. "My memories of Mosport go back to 1969 when I got my first exposure to car racing at the Canadian Grand Prix as a kid. My first Trans-Am win was there, and I clinched my first championship there. In 2007, Corvette Racing entered a third Corvette in white Ron Fellows special edition livery for me and Andy, and that was very cool."

"Mosport is a track that has really suited Corvette over the years with its high-speed corners," the Canadian ace explained. "It's a driver's track, it's a place you need to give a lot of respect to, and there is no forgiveness. If you make a mistake there, it's going to be a big hit. There's nothing wrong with that kind of race track in my mind."

Fellows' archrival in 2000, Olivier Beretta, has been a member of the Corvette Racing squad since 2004. "Not only do I have many good memories from Mosport, I like the track because it is quite old-fashioned and fast," Beretta said. "The track is awesome, but you must have a fantastic car, otherwise you have no confidence. It is the only ALMS race in Canada, so I can speak in French with many of the fans."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The two-hour, 45-minute race will start at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29. The race will be televised tape-delayed on SPEED from 4 – 7 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Release Date: August 25, 2010

Corvette Racing Finishes Third and Fourth in Road America

Gavin and Beretta Post Second Straight Podium Finish

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Corvette Racing finished third and fourth today in the seventh round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series at the fast Road America circuit. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta followed up their runner-up finish at Mid-Ohio with a third today in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R after a charge from ninth in the final hour. They completed 66 laps on the 4.048-mile circuit and finished 4.945 seconds behind the winning No. 90 BMW of Dirk Mueller and Joey Hand. Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell piloted the No. 3 Compuware Corvette to fourth, 8.405 seconds behind their teammates as the top nine GT cars finished on the lead lap.

"It was another good result for the No. 4 Corvette and a good result for the team," said Gavin, who drove the final two stints. "At the end we didn't have quite enough to take on (runner-up) Patrick Long or catch the BMW - it seemed like we used everything up trying to get to the front from the back of the pack. We had a huge amount of ground to gain, and we certainly made up a lot of it."

The Corvettes started first and second in the intensely competitive GT field, with Beretta in the pole-winning No. 4 Corvette and O'Connell in the No. 3 Corvette. The first of four full-course cautions slowed the pace after only three laps. Both Beretta and O'Connell lost positions on the restart, and when the second caution period began after nine laps, the No. 3 Corvette pitted for fuel only while the No. 4 stayed out.

Corvette Racing, American Le Mans Series, Road America, August 22, 2010, C6.R #3 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen, C6.R #4 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). "I had a very good start and the car was working well," Beretta said. "When the second yellow came and we stayed under caution for many laps, I knew it would be difficult on the restart. I had so much pickup on the tires that it was hard to stay on the track. I just tried to do as much as I could without making a mistake."

O'Connell's pit stop dropped him to seventh in the queue, while Beretta was back in the lead. But as the laps went by, both Corvettes struggled to maintain grip.

"At the start of the race I was thinking we were going to be pretty good, but then we lost the handle," O'Connell said. "The early part was a lot of fun, but after we filled it with fuel and didn't take new tires, it was tough from that point on."

Shortly after the first hour, Beretta handed off the No. 4 Corvette on a green-flag stop to Gavin, who rejoined in 11th place. Seventeen minutes later, the No. 3 Corvette pitted under caution and Magnussen replaced O'Connell. Both Corvettes pitted under the fourth caution at 1:41, taking on enough E85 ethanol to run to the finish. Gavin moved from seventh to fifth in the span of four laps, and after Magnussen ceded fourth to him on the 53rd lap, Gavin set off in hot pursuit of the leaders. Both Corvettes passed the No. 62 Ferrari of Gianmaria Bruni on lap 54 and began to reel in the No. 45 Porsche of Patrick Long in a fight for second.

"I thought, 'All right, game on!'" Gavin reported. "I got up behind Patrick and it was like flipping a switch, and we really started to struggle. We were working the left-side tires pretty hard, and that's something that the team will continue to work on as we develop the GT-spec Corvette. Olivier drove very, very well at the start, and had a really tough time with the caution periods and the pickup on the tires. All in all, we're very pleased to come home with another podium finish for Corvette Racing."

Magnussen held fourth to the finish, and had a front-row seat for the battle between the Corvette and Porsche.

"Had things gone differently with the safety cars and the pit stops, maybe the result could have been different," Magnussen said. "It was hard to have a good car for the whole stint, and everybody was struggling a little bit. We've still got some work to do, but for sure we are going in the right direction with podium finishes. But we want to be winning races so we'll keep working."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The two-hour, 45-minute race will start at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29. The race will be televised tape-delayed on SPEED from 4 - 7 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

American Le Mans Series powered by eStar GT Results:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 66
2. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 66
3. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 66
4. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 66
5. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 66
6. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 66
7. Salo/Kaffer, Ferrari 430 GT, 66
8. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 66
9. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 66
10. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 65
11. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT-R, 59
12. Goossens/Dalziel, Jaguar XKRS, 26
13. Auberlen/Milner, BMW M3 GT, 8

Release Date: August 22, 2010

Corvette Racing Qualifies One-Two in Road America

Gavin Wins First GT Pole of Season for Corvette, Magnussen Takes Second Spot

Corvette Racing, American Le Mans Series, Road America, August 22, 2010, C6.R #3 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen, C6.R #4 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Corvette Racing qualified first and second in the GT class for Sunday's American Le Mans Series powered by eStar at Road America. Oliver Gavin set the time to beat with his fastest lap at 2:06.509 (115.192mph) in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Jan Magnussen responded with a 2:06.674 to put the No. 3 Compuware Corvette in the second qualifying spot, just .165 seconds off Gavin's pole-winning time.

"It's fantastic for the Corvettes to be one-two," said Gavin after he captured his 19th career ALMS pole. "This is not a victory, but it's a really good step in the right direction. It's so close in the GT class that you have to push to the max all the time. I did that, and got a good result."

Gavin set his quick time on his second flying lap, with Magnussen a heartbeat behind. The 20-minute qualifying was then red-flagged to retrieve a car from the circuit, leaving just enough time on the clock for final qualifying runs. Both Corvettes completed one flyer before the checkered flag flew, with Magnussen cutting Gavin's margin to a razor-thin .165 seconds. The team then had to wait out the final laps by their rivals to see if their times would hold.

"My car was right in the sweet spot for that one lap, and I was trying to recreate that the next time out," Gavin said. "But the tires had cooled, and going out again the car lost that little edge. Jan did a really phenomenal job to pull that lap out after the stop." Corvette Racing, American Le Mans Series, Road America, August 22, 2010, C6.R #3 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen, C6.R #4 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

"It was one of those qualifying sessions where you're hoping it's all going to go your way with traffic and with your decisions on the setup," said the Briton. "The Corvette engineering team made a really great call just before the start of the session. The car feels much like it did in Le Mans, so I feel very confident."

Magnussen was sitting in a gravel trap in the final minutes of practice after going off in Turn 8. The car was undamaged, and after being towed out, the Dane was primed and ready for a fast qualifying run.

"We made a huge improvement to the car in the last practice - I don't think we've ever made an improvement like that," Magnussen said. "I made a small mistake and went off, but fortunately we didn't damage anything. We've moved the car from being rather difficult to drive to a proper race car, and I'm very, very happy."

"A Corvette one-two in qualifying is fantastic, but I'm a competitive person and I'd like to be No. 1," he conceded. "With this setup, we can charge a little more, and it should be an excellent race car."

Today's pole was the first in ALMS competition for Corvette Racing since Magnussen won the pole in the series' 2009 season finale in Monterey, Calif. Gavin was the fastest GT2 qualifier at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

"It's certainly great for Corvette Racing to be back on top," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "You can never underestimate the value of testing in the development of a new product and the continuous improvement of that product. Testing is what got Corvette Racing to where we qualified today."

The two-hour, 45-minute American Le Mans Series powered by eStar at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., will start at 2:05 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 22, and will be televised live on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242. Follow CorvetteRacing on Twitter for real-time pit notes.

American Le Mans Series powered by eStar GT Qualifying:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Time
1. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 2:06.509
2. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 2:06.674
3. Salo/Kaffer, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:06.997
4. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 2:07.222
5. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:07.392
6. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:07.455
7. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:07.561
8. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 2:07.716
9. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:07.939
10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 2:08.703
11. Goossens/Dalziel, Jaguar XKRS, 2:10.084
12. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:15.710
13. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:20.428

Release Date: August 21, 2010

Corvette Racing at Road America:
Le Mans in the Midwest

Corvette Racing Returns to High-Speed Wisconsin Road Course

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Two events occurred in 1955 that would forever change the face of American road racing: Chevrolet introduced its new small-block V-8 engine, and the good citizens of Elkhart Lake, Wis., opened a new road racing circuit near their quiet rural town. The Chevy small-block went on to become America's most successful production-based racing engine, and Road America became one of the world's most revered race tracks.

On Sunday, August 22, Road America will host the seventh round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series, and the roar of Corvette Racing's 5.5-liter V8s will echo through the rolling hills of the Wisconsin countryside.

In the early days, sports cars raced through the streets and county roads surrounding the village of Elkhart Lake on temporary circuits until enthusiasts found an enduring home with the opening of the permanent Road America track in 1955. Like the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in France, Road America's extended straights are a test of horsepower and its high-speed curves are a test of bravery.

"We do a lot of our testing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans at Road America, particularly the aero package, tires and dampers," said Ken Flory, chief engineer for the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen. "Road America's long straights and sweeping turns share many characteristics with Le Mans. The corners don't replicate specific turns, but in general, Road America is very similar to Le Mans.

"The most important aspect of the car setup is the aerodynamic balance," Flory explained. "Getting the aero balance right is crucial at Le Mans. If we get it set up right for Elkhart Lake, it's generally pretty good for Le Mans as well."

The 4.048-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit has earned the respect of the Corvette Racing drivers.

"The data that we get from Road America carries over to Le Mans, and it seems to work because Corvette Racing is always strong at Le Mans," Magnussen said. "You run as little downforce as you can get away with at Road America because it is such a high-speed track. The more downforce you take away to find top speed, the more exciting the Carousel and the Kink become because the car moves around a lot."

Magnussen and O'Connell finished third last year at Road America after the GT2 field was split by a safety car that gave the class leaders a one-lap advantage in the opening minutes of the race. New safety car procedures were subsequently initiated to prevent a reoccurrence.

"We tested at Road America this year in preparation for Le Mans, and I'm looking forward to going back to a track where we raced the GT2-spec Corvettes last year," Magnussen noted. "We are probably starting at a higher level because of the amount of testing we have done there, but it will still be a very tough, difficult race. We know what we can do, and we also know what our competition can do. We'll try to be smart and take advantage of the knowledge that we have gathered there."

Road America figures prominently in Corvette’s rich racing history. It’s been the backdrop for events that strengthened Corvette’s standing as America's favorite sports car. Bill Mitchell, GM’s vice president of design, was an avid racer who fielded the original Sting Ray racer driven by John Fitch and Dick Thompson at Road America. When Mitchell chose Elkhart Lake as the venue to preview his stunning Mako Shark concept car in 1961, the Shark’s sharp-edged body and hidden headlights foreshadowed key features of the production 1963 Sting Ray. The lightweight Grand Sport Corvette created by legendary Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov rumbled through Road America’s rolling hills in 1964 with racing luminaries Roger Penske, Jim Hall and Hap Sharp sharing the driving chores. Wisconsin-based racer Augie Pabst contributed to the Corvette’s racing reputation with his Corvette-powered Meister Brauser Scarabs and Lola GTs, while Jim Jeffords frequently campaigned his championship-winning "Purple People Eater" Corvette at Road America.

More recently, Corvette Racing notched six class wins at Road America in the GT1 class, but the team now faces its most formidable challenge yet in the GT (formerly GT2) class. Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Series powered by eStar at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The two-hour, 45-minute race will start at 2:05 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 22, and will be televised live on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Team Chevy Ride and Drive at Road America: Race fans at Road America can get behind the wheel of Chevy's hottest new vehicles and receive a complimentary Corvette Grand Sport T-shirt at the free Team Chevy Test Drive located at the Briggs and Stratton Motorplex. Fans who test drive an Equinox, Traverse, Silverado or Malibu can try out a 2010 Corvette Grand Sport or a 2010 Camaro. The Chevrolet ride and drive event is open to the public on Saturday, August 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 22 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid driver's license.

Release Date: August 17, 2010

Corvette Racing Runner-Up in Mid-Ohio Sports Car Duel

Gavin and Beretta Score Hard-Fought Second in Battle of the Brands

LEXINGTON, Ohio, - Corvette Racing was up to the challenge in the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the American Le Mans Series. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta drove the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a runner-up finish in the fiercely contested GT class at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, finishing .582 seconds behind the winning No. 62 Ferrari 430 GT of Jaime Melo and Gianmaria Bruni.

History repeated itself one year after Corvette Racing made its debut in the GT2 class at Mid-Ohio with a runner-up finish. This time, however, it was Gavin and Beretta who put Corvette on the second step of the podium after the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen retired with overheating problems. The two-hour, 45-minute race featured a battle of the brands as Corvette, Ferrari, BMW, and Porsche raced in tight formation at the head of the GT class.

"I know I've been in a real race today, and it's all due to everybody at Corvette Racing pulling together," Gavin said. "We've a great team around us, and we can really build on this momentum and move forward."

Beretta started third on the GT grid, holding a determined pair of BMW drivers at bay until the first full-course caution came at 48 minutes into the race.

"The car was good, and I was quite happy about my stint," Beretta reported. "I was trying to follow the Ferrari and then I realized that I had to conserve my tires, so I just wanted to be quick, to stay on the track, and to let the race go."

Gavin took over the No. 4 Corvette on a yellow-flag stop, emerging in third again after the pit stop sequence. A brilliant five-car battle for the GT lead then broke out, with Magnussen fourth in the No. 3 Corvette. The running order shifted suddenly when the No. 62 Ferrari lost positions due to a reported fuel pump problem, and the No. 3 Corvette went to the pits for coolant. Gavin moved to second, and then took the lead with an outside pass in the Turn 2 Keyhole. He raced wheel-to-wheel with Bill Auberlin's BMW through the next three corners. Gavin finally made the pass stick, and quickly opened up a 1.4-second gap.

"Bill is a hard racer, but he gave me room and that was great of him to do that," Gavin said. "After all that's happened in the last few races, I think people are getting the message that we can have a little bit of bumping, but nobody can be pushed off the road. You've just got to work and work to overtake, and I managed to do that today with everyone except Jaime."

In a replay of their duel in Le Mans, Gavin and Melo raced nose-to-tail until the second full-course caution at 1:49. Gavin pitted for fuel and four tires, but his rivals opted for only two tires to gain track position. He found himself fifth in the queue, but methodically picked off his opponents, passing the No. 45 Porsche, the No. 90 BMW, and the No. 92 BMW. When the race resumed after the third caution period with 10 minutes remaining, Gavin was on the Ferrari's back bumper. It was a fight to the finish, but the Corvette came up half a second short at the checkered flag.

"It was fantastic race, but I'm just a little frustrated that we didn't have quite enough at the end," Gavin said. "It looked like we were going to be able to get Jaime because he had older right-side tires, but the Ferrari was just a bit quicker than us. That's what we'll go back and continue to work on. This is still a great result for the team."

The overheating problem on the No. 3 Corvette proved to be terminal, and the car was retired after completing 49 laps.

"The car was handling well, but this track has an enormous amount of rubber on the racing line and marbles off the line," Magnussen said. "I got a lot of pickup on the tires running behind the safety car, and it took some laps to get that off, but then I thought I had the best car out there. But the engine was losing water and it was going under the rear tires, so it was a good call to bring in the car."

Today's runner-up finish was Corvette's best result since a second in the Long Beach round in April.

"Today's performance was the result of total focus, dedication to a mission, and a commitment of resources to do some additional testing," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "That always reaps benefits for an experienced team like Corvette Racing. I think it has put to rest any questions about whether this team had lost its resolve or that Corvette was not capable of competing with the best brands in the world. Today is what everyone has waited for - great, great racing."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Series powered by eStar at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The two-hour, 45-minute race will start at 2:05 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 22, and will be televised live on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Mid-Ohio Sports Challenge GT Results:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 112
2. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 112
3. Auberlen/Milner, BMW M3 GT, 112
4. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 112
5. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 112
6. Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 112
7. Pilet/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 111
8. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 110
9. Gentilozzi/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 107
10. Fisichella/Vilander, Ferrari 430 GT, 100
11. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 96
12. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT-R, 96
13. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 49

Release Date: August 7, 2010

Corvette Racing Qualifies Third and Fourth for Mid-Ohio ALMS

Testing and Development Yield Gains for Gavin and Magnussen

LEXINGTON, Ohio, - Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen qualified their Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars third and fourth respectively for Saturday's Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the sixth round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series. Gavin will start the No. 3 Corvette third on the GT grid after lapping the 2.25-mile circuit in 1:20.019 seconds. Magnussen was fourth quickest in the No. 4 Corvette with a 1:20.189 time. Toni Vilander won the GT pole in the No 61 Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT with the fastest lap in the 20-minute session at 1:19.682, and the sister No. 62 Ferrari was second quickest.

Both Corvette drivers credited two days of testing at the Mid-Ohio track as a factor in their qualifying performances. This race also marks the first anniversary of Corvette Racing's debut in the GT2 (now GT) class, making Mid-Ohio the first circuit where the team has previous experience with the second-generation Corvette C6.R race cars.

Gavin turned his best time on his third flying lap, and held the pole until the Ferraris posted their times in the closing minutes.

"It really feels great to be back in the game, and to be in position to battle with the competition," said Gavin. "I think the testing we've done here earlier this week has paid off, and we've made some good progress. All of the engineers and mechanics have been working hard, and we've got a car that we can race with."

"Corvette Racing has stepped up a notch here, but so has Risi," Gavin noted. "I thought that my time might be good enough for the pole, but the Ferraris kind of suckered us and then landed a big right hook!"

"I think this circuit does suit our Corvettes, but I would say that everyone has improved compared to last year," he said. "This is the most competitive GT class ever, and everyone is rising to the challenge. The development is continuous, whether it's coming from Corvette or our rivals, and every team is trying their hardest to get that little edge."

Magnussen's qualifying run was nearly undone by contact with an inattentive GTC Porsche driver, but the Dane was able to recover and run his best time on his seventh flying lap.

"We might have been closer to the front than where we ended up, but the traffic was really messing it up for everybody," Magnussen said. "I had contact in Turn 8 and the Michelin tire was pushed away from its rim, but it held pressure. That's how I did my fastest time, so it wasn't 100 percent optimum."

"We still have some hard work ahead of us, but we're going in the right direction," Magnussen added. "We had a better shot at qualifying on the front row here than we've had in a long time. I've very pleased with how everything is going and the direction the team has taken, but there is still a bit of road ahead of us."

The two-hour, 45-minute Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will start at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 7. The race will be televised by CBS Sports tape-delayed on Sunday, August 15, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Live streaming video can be viewed on americanlemans.com at 3 p.m. ET, and live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge GT Qualifying:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Time
1. Fisichella/Vilander, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:19.682
2. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:19.759
3. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:20.019
4. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:20.189
5. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:20.267
6. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:20.498
7. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 1;20.548
8. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:20.612
9. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:20.884
10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 1:21.771
11. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:21.805
12. Gentilozzi/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 1:22.125
13. Pilet/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 124.848

Release Date: August 6, 2010

Corvette Racing in GT: One Year On

Mid-Ohio ALMS to Mark First Anniversary of Corvette Racing's GT2 Debut

LEXINGTON, Ohio, - The upcoming Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series, will mark the first anniversary of Corvette Racing's debut in the production-based GT category. Corvette Racing unveiled a pair of second-generation Corvette C6.R race cars last year at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, finishing second and fourth in the GT2 division. Now one year later, the team is in the midst of a fiercely competitive unified GT category that features entries representing BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and Ford.

Based on the Corvette ZR1, the GT-spec Corvette race cars were an all-new design that shared virtually no chassis and body components with their GT1 predecessors. Corvette Racing closed out the 2009 season with five podium finishes and one victory in the GT2 class. In the five ALMS races contested in 2010, Corvette Racing drivers Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen finished second in Long Beach and third in Salt Lake City in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta posted a third-place finish in Monterey, Calif., in their No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R.

"Corvette Racing's objectives are more than a checkered flag and a trophy," said GM Racing manager Mark Kent. "Technology transfer, product relevance, and customer enthusiasm are key elements of the Corvette Racing program."

"We knew that the level of competition in the GT class was going to be intense, and that was the primary reason that Corvette Racing moved to the category," Kent said. "Competition drives us to develop the Corvette race cars, which in turn ultimately results in technically advanced production cars for Chevrolet customers like the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition. Media coverage of Corvette has increased dramatically, new marketing initiatives have improved Chevrolet's return on its investment in road racing, and Corvette owners and fans have rallied around the team."

The transition to the GT division has exceeded the expectations of the team and drivers.

"We've had some fantastic races, and all of us have enjoyed our time in the GT-spec Corvette," said Gavin, a two-time GT1 winner at Mid-Ohio with Beretta. "In the first race we did with the GT2 car at Mid-Ohio a year ago, our car was very, very good. Now we realize that we are in a dogfight every single weekend. You cannot give any quarter, and you cannot make any mistakes."

"I think we are really in a golden period of GT racing," Gavin noted. "In five or 10 years, people will look back and say, 'That was really fantastic!' Winning is what we're here to do - and to win in this class is quite an accomplishment. When that first victory does come for the No. 4 Corvette, it will be really great."

Johnny O'Connell knows the thrill of victory at Mid-Ohio after GT1 wins in 2001-02 and 2004-05 (with Ron Fellows) and in 2008 (with Magnussen).

"The transition to GT has been a learning process for the entire team," O'Connell said. "The mantra of Corvette Racing is always to move forward and make things better, and that will pay dividends for us in the future. This team is as focused and as determined as it's ever been. Racing goes through cycles, and the mark of a champion is to keep doing the things that have made you successful, knowing it's going to come back around. I'm confident that with this team we're going to start hitting our stride."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mid-Ohio Sports Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The 2-hour, 45-minute race will start at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 7, and will be televised by CBS Sports on Sunday, August 15, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Live streaming video can be viewed on americanlemans.com, and live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Release Date: August 2, 2010

Rocky Road for Corvette Racing in Lime Rock ALMS

Gavin and Beretta Finish Fifth, O'Connell and Magnussen Retire After Contact

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 24, 2010 – Lime Rock Park proved to be no walk in the park for Corvette Racing in today's American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. Suspension damage resulting from contact sidelined the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, while a stop-and-go penalty effectively took the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R out of contention for a victory.

The No. 4 Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta finished fifth in the GT class, two laps behind the winning No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche. The No. 3 Corvette C6.R of Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen finished 12th after retiring shortly after the first hour with 35 laps completed.

After rain throughout Friday's practice and qualifying sessions, race day dawned hot and humid, with the thermometer at 88 degrees at the start of the two-hour, 45-minute race. The Corvettes started fourth and sixth in the 13-car GT field, and held those positions through the opening laps as the GT cars formed a six-car freight train on the roller coaster 1.5-mile circuit.

Corvette Racing in Lime Rock ALMS At 22 minutes into the race, there was contact between O'Connell's Corvette and the No. 62 Ferrari of Jaime Melo going in the first turn. The Ferrari ended up in the barrier and subsequently retired; Melo was not injured. When racing resumed, the Corvettes emerged third and fourth in the GT category.

"Melo had a legitimate run on me going down the hill, I got caught up by guys running 10 seconds off the pace, and he came up the inside," O'Connell said. "In my view, he moved to the left, made contact, and that's what caused him to go off. I know that he's very disappointed, but it is what it is."

Beretta was vigorously defending fourth place against a pair of BMWs when he was notified to come into the pits to serve a stop-and-go penalty for blocking. At the 40-minute mark he complied with the officials' decision. Five minutes later, Gavin took over the No. 4 Corvette and drove it to the finish

"I was very upset with the penalty because everything was good in our first race in GT at Lime Rock," Beretta said. "I was bumped three times – I was the victim, and yet I got the penalty. I just moved one time to defend my line, I was not zigzagging. It was just racing, but the penalty destroyed our race."

Seconds later, the No. 3 Corvette's race came to an abrupt end in Turn 1 after contact with a GTC entry damaged the left rear suspension. The immobilized race car was loaded onto a flatbed and taken to the Corvette Racing transporters. After inspecting the damage, the team retired the car.

"By the time the car got back to the transporter and the crew took a look at it, we knew that we didn't have enough time to make the repairs and still complete 70 percent of the laps that are required to score points," explained team manager Gary Pratt.

Gavin's two-hour stint in the No. 4 Corvette was relatively uneventful. Caught out by a safety car that split the GT field, Gavin lost a lap to the leaders. He got back on the lead lap with one hour to go when the leaders pitted, but didn't get the caution that he needed to rejoin the frontrunners. Gavin's stint did have its own share of drama, however, with a quick spin in the uphill chicane and a close encounter with a Ferrari in Turn 1. Then light rain began to fall in the final 10 minutes.

"When I got in the car I knew I was going to be behind because of the extraordinary penalty we received," Gavin said. "From that point onwards we were just trying to get that lap back. We had a bit of an incident with a Porsche trying to go around the outside in Turn 5 and lost the rear of the car, and that cost me maybe 10 seconds. When it started to sprinkle and the track got slippery, I thought it could be a time for us to capitalize so I tried to go around the outside of the Patron Ferrari in Turn 1. I don't think he saw me, and he pushed me wide into the marbles.

"It seemed that everything we tried today just didn't work out," Gavin noted. "At least we came away with a fifth place, but it's frustrating that we can't seem to get a break at the moment."

"At the end of the day, we had cars that were competitive at Lime Rock," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "We hadn't turned a lap in the dry until warm-up this morning. If you are looking for a silver lining at Lime Rock, it was quite an accomplishment for the Corvettes to be able to run with teams and cars that have years of experience here."

American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix GT Results:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 161

2. Auberlen/Milner, BMW M3 GT, 161

3. Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 161

4. Salo/Kaffer, Ferrari 430 GT, 160

5. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 159

6. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 157

7. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 157

8. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 156

9. Dalziel/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 152

10. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 150

11. Robertson/Murry, Ford GT-R, 110

12. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 35

13. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 22

Corvettes Qualify Fourth and Sixth in Rainy Lime Rock

Magnussen and Gavin Contend with Changing Track Conditions on Historic Circuit

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 23, 2010 – On a rainy day at Lime Rock Park, Corvette Racing drivers Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin qualified their Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars fourth and sixth respectively for Saturday's American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. Wet conditions prevailed through two hours of practice and the 20-minute qualifying session.

Qualifying began with light rain falling on the 1.5-mile circuit, and the rain intensified throughout the session. Magnussen turned his quickest time at 1:04.563 on his fourth lap in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, while Gavin's third timed lap in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R was his best at 1:05.011. Patrick Long claimed the GT pole in the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche with a 1:03.904 lap.

"Conditions were very tricky with the rain and not knowing how bad it was at the start of a qualifying run," Magnussen said. "Here you need quite a big gap between cars because you can't see anything in the spray.

Corvette Racing in Lime Rock ALMS "All in all, I'm happy with our qualifying result," the Dane explained. "I would have liked to have been a little closer to the pole time, but it's very easy to go for that last tenth of a second, and then the crew ends up working all night if you go off."

A problem with a wheel nut in the second practice session cost the No. 4 Corvette precious track time. The qualifying session was interrupted by a red flag, and the rainfall increased during the final five minutes after qualifying resumed.

"With the problem we had in practice, we didn't get a chance to go out on fresh tires to see what it was going to be like," Gavin said. "We made some changes, and unfortunately they didn't go in the right direction, so we've ended up a little way back. I did three or four laps and realized that I needed to come in and have the crew make some adjustments. As soon as I went back out, the red flag flew, and when the track went green, it was raining harder. We weren't going to improve the time so I came in rather than risk bending the car."

The forecasts for race day range from continued rain to hot and humid conditions.

"If we have a race in rain like this, it's anybody's guess," Magnussen noted. "Luck will play such a big part of it. I love driving in the rain, but racing should be in the dry where it's not down to what everybody else does, but rather what you do yourself. If we're racing in the wet, then so be it. We'll try to race smarter than everyone else."

The 2-hour, 45-minute American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park will start at 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 24, and will be televised live on SPEED. Live audio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242

American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix GT Qualifying:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Time

1. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:03.904

2. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:04.378

3. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:04.391

4. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:04.563

5. Salo/Kaffer, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:04.929

6. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:05.011

7. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:05.064

8. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:05.346

9. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 1:06.907

10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 1:07.005

11. Dalziel/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 1:07.661

12. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:07.892

13. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:08.876

Corvette Racing at Lime Rock: Into the Arena

Shortest Circuit on American Le Mans Series Schedule Promises Constant Action

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 20, 2010 – It's been called a bull ring and a short track with hills, but perhaps Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin's description of Lime Rock Park is the most accurate: "It's like stepping into a gladiatorial arena."

Gavin and his Corvette Racing teammates will take on the shortest circuit on the ALMS schedule when they contest the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix on Saturday, July 24. After missing last year's Lime Rock round while preparing for the debut of the GT2-spec Corvette C6.R, Corvette Racing will be in the midst of the raging GT war this weekend on the tight 1.51-mile, 10-turn course. With entries in four classes sharing the same ribbon of asphalt and lap times under one minute, the action promises to be fast and furious.

"Lime Rock is a track where every lap in every session will be a battle," Gavin said. "Contact with other cars is almost inevitable, and it will be extremely difficult to have a clean race. The track is tight, bumpy, and low grip in places, so it's a real, real challenge. The corners come thick and fast, and the traffic is right there all the time. It's aggressive racing, and you feel almost like a gladiator fighting for your life."

Gavin and his co-driver Olivier Beretta won the GT1 class three times at Lime Rock in their Compuware Corvette C6.R, while teammates Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen were victorious in Corvette Racing's last appearance in GT1 at the Connecticut track in 2008. The only blemish on Corvette Racing's otherwise perfect record at Lime Rock came in 2006 when Pedro Lamy's Aston Martin beat O'Connell to the stripe by .033 seconds, still the closest finish in ALMS history.

"All my experience at Lime Rock is with the GT1 Corvette," said Magnussen. "We had tremendous downforce and the car was fast and super quick going down the hill. With the GT2 specification, I expect we'll be sliding the car a lot more. I'm actually looking forward to it!"

Lime Rock Park has been a mainstay of sports car racing in New England for more than 50 years. The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix will continue this rich tradition of Corvettes competing in the Berkshire Hills.

"Lime Rock Park is not only one of the most storied venues in the history of the American Le Mans Series, but also in American road racing," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "When you consider the greats who raced there, drivers like Mark Donohue, Al Holbert, Paul Newman, and so many others, it's clear that Lime Rock is woven into the fabric of road racing in America."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. The 2-hour, 45-minute race will start at 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 24, and will be televised live on SPEED. Live audio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Corvette Racing Takes Third in Eventful Utah Grand Prix

Magnussen and O'Connell Battle Back to Podium Finish After Pit Lane Penalty

SALT LAKE CITY, July 11, 2010 – Sometimes the box score doesn't tell the whole story of a race. Corvette Racing's third-place finish in the American Le Mans Series Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix was the result of a determined effort in the heat of the Utah high desert. Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen overcame intense competition on the track and a penalty in the pit lane to take their No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a hard-earned podium finish at Miller Motorsports Park.

The No. 3 Corvette C6.R finished one lap behind the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT and the runner-up No. 92 Rahal Letterman BMW M3 GT. The No. 4 Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta encountered an electrical problem on the second lap, finishing 10th after losing three laps to the leaders during repairs.

"We're not winning, and that's what we're here for, but we will," said Magnussen. "When we can have good results on our bad days, then I'm sure it will be fantastic on our good days."

O'Connell started seventh in the GT class, lost a spot in the opening laps, and then methodically began to overtake his rivals. He was fifth at 30 minutes into the 2-hour, 45-minute race, and third at the 50-minute mark. Magnussen then took over just as the first hour was completed, and set off in pursuit of the leaders.

"The idea is to push hard and stay out of trouble," said O'Connell. "At the start a GT car went inside of me, but we got that position back and then started picking guys off. The car was good under braking, and as the fuel load went down we were getting quicker. When (crew chief) Dan Binks is telling me that guys are coming back to me, that's like blood in the water for a shark."

As the air temperature climbed to 90 degrees and the track sizzled at 112 degrees, Magnussen put the heat on the second-place BMW of Bill Auberlen. The Dane pitted for fuel and tires with 36 minutes to go, but a brush with the air jack hose incurred a stop-and-go penalty. Magnussen emerged in fifth, and moved up to fourth when the No. 45 Porsche pitted. With nine minutes left on the clock, he passed the No. 92 BMW of Dirk Mueller for third coming out of Turn 6.

"It was a good, fair fight with both BMWs," Magnussen said. "I managed to get by for third after he made a small mistake. I faked a move going in and he reacted to it. It was unfortunate that we had that penalty in the pits. It was one of those small things – sometimes the luck goes your way and sometimes the luck goes against you. I think our year has been the latter so far."

Crew chief Binks explained: "When I unplugged the air jack wand, it bounced against the wall and went under the tire. At the time you get upset, but the officials made the right call. We got a penalty, and Jan raced his heart out to third."

The No. 4 Corvette's race unraveled on the second lap when it slowed in Turn 5 with no fuel pressure. Beretta's attempts to restart the car were futile, and it was towed into the pit lane. The Corvette crew quickly repaired an electrical connection and Beretta rejoined the fray.

"I made a good start, and suddenly the engine cut out," Beretta said. "I knew I could not restart the car by myself on the track. These are the kind of things you want to forget and think about the next race. We have had so much bad luck, I hope it will end soon."

The No. 4 Corvette pitted at 1:06 for fuel, tires, and a driver change as Oliver Gavin replaced Beretta. Gavin then ran to the finish on one set of Michelin tires, turning laps as fast as the leaders, but the deficit was too great to make up.

"The team showed great character today," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "You can't work any harder for a third-place finish than we did today. Hats off to Johnny, Jan and the crew for never giving up – their effort paid off with a podium finish, and that's important in the points race."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. The 2-hour, 45-minute race will start at 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 24, and will be televised live on SPEED. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix GT Results:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 85

2. Auberlen/Milner, BMW M3 GT, 85

3. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 84

4. Mueller/Hand, BMW M3 GT, 84

5. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 84

6. Fisichella/Vilander, Ferrari 430 GT, 84

7. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 83

8. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 83

9. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 83

10. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 82

11. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 81

12. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT-R, 78

13. Dalziel/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 57

Corvettes Qualify Seventh and Eighth for ALMS Utah Grand Prix

Corvette C6.Rs Adjusting to Altitude and Heat in High Desert

SALT LAKE CITY, July 10, 2010 – Corvette Racing drivers Olivier Beretta and Johnny O’Connell qualified their twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars seventh and eighth respectively for Sunday’s American Le Mans Series Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park. The fiercely competitive GT class saw Beretta qualify his No. 4 Corvette C6.R at 1:48.022, just .355-seconds off the pole-winning time set by the Ferrari 430 GT of Gianmaria Bruni at 1:47.729. O’Connell qualified at 1:48.279, .612 seconds behind Bruni.

This event marks the first appearance by the GT-spec Corvettes in the dry heat and thin air of the high desert near Salt Lake City. The 20-minute qualifying session was conducted in hot conditions, with a 91-degree air temperature and 112-degree track temperature on the 3.048-mile, 15-turn circuit. O’Connell recorded his quickest time in the second of his seven timed laps, while Beretta’s sixth lap was his best.

“We have a very good car and a very good package, and we are running in a very competitive series,” Beretta said. “This is the first time we have run in Salt Lake City with this high temperature. We are only three tenths from the pole, and I know we can improve. I’m quite happy – we just need to make some more changes on the car and we will be OK in the race.”

“That was not a qualifying run that I thought would end up eighth on the grid," O’Connell commented. "We don’t know what tires the other guys were using, but we are on a Michelin tire that we know will be good for an hour in very hot conditions. We did four or five laps within a tenth of a second at the end of our qualifying run. Perhaps the competition will start coming back to us at the end of a stint. We’ve got great handling cars, but for some reason the speed’s not quite there.”

The 2-hour, 45-minute ALMS Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park will begin at 2:35 p.m. MT on Sunday, July 11, and will be televised live on SPEED at 4:30 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix GT Qualifying:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Time

1. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:47.667

2. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:47.729

3. Fisichella/Vilander, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:47.909

4. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:47.921

5. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 1:47.966

6. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:47.970

7. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:48.022

8. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:48.279

9. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:48.550

10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 1:50.214

11. Dalziel/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 1:52.178

12. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:53.732

13. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, no time

Corvette Racing's Quest for ALMS Championship Begins in Salt Lake City

Crew and Drivers Prepare for Heat and High Altitude at Miller Motorsports Park

SALT LAKE CITY, July 7, 2010 – The run for the American Le Mans Series championships begins now. The series' upcoming stint of five races in eight weeks will likely determine the champions in the production-based GT category. After a seven-week break in the ALMS schedule to accommodate the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the battle for the GT titles will be rejoined in the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City on Sunday, July 11.

With three of nine rounds completed, Corvette Racing drivers Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell are fifth in the drivers championship, 25 points behind the leaders (65-40), while Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta are sixth. Chevrolet is fourth in the manufacturer standings with an 18-point deficit to the frontrunner (65-47).

"With the 24 Hours of Le Mans now behind us, Corvette Racing is focused on the second half of our mission, which is our quest for an ALMS championship," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "The entire team was heartened by the speed, handling and braking that the Compuware Corvettes demonstrated in Le Mans, and we are optimistic that will translate into improved performance throughout the rest of the ALMS season. To capture a championship, we have to focus on winning.

"Running five races in eight weeks is exactly the type of challenge that Corvette Racing relishes," Fehan said. "It heightens the team's intensity, drive, and passion. I'm confident that our race cars, parts, and people are fully prepared for the upcoming series of events. We know that we've done it before and we can do it again."

Sunday's race will be the debut of the GT2 Corvette C6.Rs at Miller Motorsports Park. The team competed in the GT1 category at MMP in 2006-08, and did not participate in last year's Utah Grand Prix due to an abbreviated schedule. The track's 4,400-foot elevation and the predicted 90-degree temperature on race day will make demands on the drivers, crew, and equipment.

"The high altitude affects engine horsepower, aerodynamic performance, and cooling," said Corvette Racing team manager Gary Pratt. "The thin air reduces the overall downforce that the aerodynamic package can produce, although the aero balance is similar to sea level. The altitude will affect all of the naturally aspirated engines equally, and we're prepared to increase airflow through the radiator to compensate for the reduced cooling."

"With the heat and the altitude, this could be the most physical sprint race of the year," said driver Jan Magnussen. "Hot weather will put a lot of emphasis on tires. It's been two years since I raced at Miller Motorsports Park with the GT1 Corvette. It's a great track, and it should suit the Corvettes in GT2 specification. I have great expectations."

Like a modern day Viking, Magnussen has traveled far and wide in search of victories. In the last month, the Danish driver has raced a Chevrolet Lacetti in a Scandinavian Touring Car Championship race in Gothenburg, Sweden, a Corvette C6.R in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Phoenix Racing's Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Sonoma, Calif., and Stevenson Motorsports' Camaro GT.R in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series event in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Magnussen finished 12th in his NASCAR debut at Infineon Raceway on June 20. "The first couple of hours of the race were hard but super fair, and everybody would allow you to race side by side and even three wide," he reported. "But the last half-hour was just wild, every man for himself. I tried to keep my nose clean and stay out of trouble. I think 12th was a good result."

Next Sunday, Magnussen and the entire Corvette Racing team will be aiming for first place.

Chevy Test Drive: Race fans will have an opportunity to test drive Corvettes, Camaros, and other Chevrolet vehicles at Miller Motorsports Park at the Chevrolet Ride and Drive event. The closed-course circuit will be located in the Midway, and will be open on Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fans will receive a Corvette Grand Sport T-shirt after completing the Ride and Drive.

Corvette Racing's next event is the American Le Mans Series Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City. The 2-hour, 45-minute race will begin at 2:35 p.m. MT on Sunday, July 11, and will be televised live on SPEED at 4:30 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio, Sirius Channel 127, and XM Channel 242.

About Chevrolet: Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly to gas-free" solutions including the Cruze Eco and Volt, both arriving in late 2010. Cruze Eco will offer up to 40 mpg highway while the Chevrolet Volt will offer up to 40 miles of electric, gas-free driving and an additional 300 miles of extended range (based on GM testing; official EPA estimates not yet available). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Corvette Racing's Le Mans Ends with No. 64 Corvette Retirement

Mechanical Problem Sidelines Gavin at 18 Hours

LE MANS, France, June 13, 2010 – Corvette Racing's bid for its first GT2 title in the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended this morning at 9:42 a.m. when the No. 64 Corvette C6.R retired with an apparent engine problem. Driver Oliver Gavin nursed the car to a marshal's station at Mulsanne corner, where it was pushed behind the barriers and officially retired.

"The guys fixed the car brilliantly after the crash, and I was able to run my fastest lap of the race with a rebuilt car," Gavin said. "The Corvette Racing team is fantastic, and I literally trust them with my life. I'm impressed with their spirit, guts, and determination to take on everybody. We had the fastest car for 18 hours, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

Corvette Racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France, June 12-13, 2010, C6.R #63 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia, C6.R #64 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Emmanuel Collard (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). "It's frustrating that we get so far into it, we prove that we have the speed and the pace to win the race, and then a crazy move by one of the Peugeot drivers forced Manu off the road at a very dangerous spot," said Gavin. "Everybody has to share the track; we are racing four different classes, and every driver has to have respect for the others. That accident was huge, but it shows the strength of the car that Manu was able to drive back to the pits and climb out without an injury."

After six wins in the GTS/GT1 class at Le Mans, Corvette Racing was bidding for its first GT2 title in the world's most famous sports car race. The Corvettes qualified 1-2 and dominated the race until a series of mishaps took them out of the running.

"The Corvettes qualifying first and second in an extremely competitive class validated all of the time spent designing and developing the GT2 Corvette C6.R," he noted. "Second, we demonstrated the value of safety engineering being transferred from production to racing. The No. 63 Corvette had a huge impact, but Emmanuel walked away and is feeling fine. That's a testament to the product relevance of the Corvette Racing program.

"So now we go back, we work harder, we improve ourselves, and we look forward to coming back next to achieve our goal of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans," Fehan said. "We never give up at Corvette Racing."

Dawn in Le Mans: No. 63 Corvette Retires, No. 64 Corvette Repaired After Crash

Corvette Racing Back in the Race after Dramatic Morning

LE MANS, France, June 13, 2010 – The No. 63 Corvette C6.R retired from the 24 Hours of Le Mans shortly after 7 a.m. this morning after completing 225 laps. Antonio Garcia was on his out-lap after replacing Johnny O'Connell in a routine pit stop when he reported a noise entering Mulsanne corner. Telemetry confirmed a problem, and the engine expired before he reached Indianapolis corner.

"Unfortunately it appears to be an engine failure, our first in 11 years of racing at Le Mans," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "We'll get the car back, take it apart, determine what the problem was, resolve it, and move forward. The engine was running perfectly one minute, and then not perfectly the next. There wasn't any indication leading up to it – no loss of oil pressure, no degradation in performance. The cause could be any number of things, so we'll look into it further before reaching a conclusion."

Mechanic David James retrieved Garcia and the data acquisition memory from the stranded car and returned them to the Corvette Racing paddock.

"There was no sign of a problem," Garcia said. "Suddenly there was a big noise and an engine alarm. I tried to cruise back to the pits, but that was it. Last year we won Le Mans, and this year it is a shame not to finish. It's tough when you can't fight for a win, but we need to keep our focus. This was the first time Corvette Racing has raced at Le Mans in GT2, and we'll gain knowledge and improve for the future. The Corvettes ran 1-2 for nearly three-quarters of the race, and I'm looking forward to the next race now."

At 8:24 a.m., the No. 64 Corvette C6.R had hard contact with the barriers in the Porsche Curves after an aggressive pass by the No. 1 Peugeot LMP1. Driver Emmanuel Collard was not injured in the accident.

"I turned to the second left in the Porsche corner and the Peugeot was on the inside," Collard said. "I didn't know he was there, I was focused on my driving. There was no contact, but he was there on the inside and I missed the right line. The car lost grip, and I crashed."

Collard got the damaged car back to the pits at 8:27 a.m. The entire Corvette Racing crew began repairs, replacing bodywork and chassis components. At 8:42 a.m., Oliver Gavin got in the car, and at 8:51 a.m. the engine was started. Repairs were completed in 31 minutes, and the No. 64 Corvette rejoined the race in fifth place, six laps behind the class-leading No. 77 Porsche.

"It backed into the barrier really hard and took the inner frame bumper off, the rear tail, wing, and quarter panels," said team manager Gary Pratt. "The clutch was damaged so we had to install a clutch and bellhousing. We changed the front nose box, and the exhaust was pushed under the rocker panel. Fortunately it didn't tear off the suspension and all four wheels were pointing straight."

Within a few laps, Gavin turned a lap at 3:59.356 in the No. 64 Corvette, a faster lap than his pole-winning qualifying run.

Corvette Racing Le Mans Six-Hour Report: Battle at the Front

Steady Running for Corvettes, Duel in Sixth Hour Ended by Safety Car

LE MANS, France, June 10, 2010 – Corvette Racing's Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars ran consistently at the front of the GT2 class throughout the first quarter of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The sixth hour featured an intense battle for P1 between Emmanuel Collard in the No. 64 Corvette C6.R and Pierre Kaffer in the No. 82 Ferrari 430 GTC. After running within a car length for lap after lap, the duel was ended by a pit stop during a safety car period that temporarily split the two racers. The No. 63 Corvette C6.R was holding third after six hours of racing.

"We were fighting like it was a two-hour race," Collard said. "I tried to push him to make a mistake, and he did at one point. They are a bit quicker than us in a straight line, so I was close but couldn't overtake. I like the car, I think it will be better the longer we run."

Oliver Gavin ran the first two stints in the No. 64 Corvette C6.R, handing off to Olivier Beretta shortly after the two-hour mark while leading the GT2 class. Gavin nearly matched his qualifying pace, running a 3:59 lap late in his run.

"It seems that the track was coming to us, the car was getting better, and things were improving for us," Gavin said. "The car was a little unbalanced to start with, but then it came to us as the laps went on. It's fraught out there with passing and being passed. There's gravel on the track where people have gone off and you have to pick your way through that. I'm pleased with the way it's gone so far, and glad that I could hand off the car to Olivier in a good position."

The No. 64 Corvette exchanged the lead with the No. 82 Ferrari in the fourth hour. Olivier Beretta had a close call when Ferrari driver Gianmaria Bruni had a big moment in the second chicane on the Mulsanne Straight.

"He went straight on the grass, crossed the gravel, and nearly spun in front of me," Beretta said. "I decided to go on the gravel to avoid the curb and save the car for the rest of the race. I'm happy about the car – if we really need to push later, I can go for it."

No. 63 Corvette C6.R Quotes:

Jan Magnussen, after first double stint at 5 p.m., P2 in class: “It was a little bit difficult. The first stint [before refueling] was good, with good grip throughout. After refueling it was a little bit more difficult, as the car lost a bit of balance and speed. But we’ll just keep adjusting it throughout the race and take if from there.”

Johnny O’Connell, after first double stint at 7 p.m., P3 in class: “The car ran reasonably well, but we just don’t seem to get the fuel mileage. On my in-lap I had to feather the throttle and lift here and there to save fuel. Both Corvettes are evenly matched; there’s not much between the two cars. The [Risi] Ferrari might have a little on us, but the race is still long. It’s a good battle, though, that’s for sure. It will all be about whoever doesn’t make mistakes.”

Antonio Garcia, after his first double stint at 8:54 p.m., P3 in class: “It wasn’t too bad considering I lost some time getting out of the pits when I took over from Johnny. I had forgotten to switch on the ignition, and then I stalled. My mistake, I’m afraid. In my first stint I kept a steady pace, but in my second stint I got held up for some time by a GT1 car of which the driver was spending more time looking in his rearview mirrors than at the road ahead of him. But the car is OK and the race is still long.”

Corvette Racing Qualifies One-Two in
GT2 at 24 Hours of Le Mans

Gavin and Magnussen Improve Times in Second Night of Qualifying

LE MANS, France, June 10, 2010 – Corvette Racing took the top two spots on the qualifying list in its debut in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Oliver Gavin improved his time in the Thursday night session to 3:59.435 in the No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R. The Risi Competizione Ferrari, which had been on the provisional GT2 pole, was subsequently disqualified for a technical infraction, promoting Gavin to the No. 1 spot in GT2. Jan Magnussen also posted a quicker lap at 3:59.793 to put the No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R second in the GT2 category. The two Corvettes and the No. 95 AF Corse Ferrari were the only GT2 cars to qualify under four minutes on the 8.47-mile circuit.

"As always here in qualifying, it was a bit of a banzai run," said Gavin. "The guys sent me out with great tires and good position on the track. I felt that if only we could get a clean lap and I could get it all together, the time would be there.

"I made a small mistake coming out of Dunlop chicane – I got on the Astroturf and it spun the rear ti Corvette Racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France, June 12-13, 2010, C6.R #63 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia, C6.R #64 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Emmanuel Collard (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). res up. I was concentrating on the chicanes and I got through those cleanly, and then I stumbled upon a GT1 car in the second chicane. I pushed like crazy for the rest of the lap, and in the Porsche Curves I was really holding on. The Ford chicane was still a little damp, so I had to hold my breath and wing it. I'm very pleased with my lap.

"It looks like Le Mans is going to be a fantastic race between us and Ferrari and Porsche," said the Briton. "This event has really been our focus, and the Corvette has come on strong."

Magnussen's bid for the GT2 pole was stymied by traffic. "The car was really good but the traffic was horrendous," he said. "It seems that when it gets dark, some people forget where the track goes. I'm encouraged by how well the car handled and everything worked. I would have liked to have a shot at the pole, which I really believe the car was capable of. It's a really good starting point."

The second night of qualifying for this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans began and ended under threatening skies, but only occasional sprinkles arrived at the circuit. The first two-hour session began on a damp track, and yielded several changes in the qualifying order in the final minutes. The No. 95 Ferrari ran the second quickest time at 3:59.837 to move the No. 63 and No. 64 Compuware Corvettes to third and fourth respectively in the GT2 rankings.

The Corvette drivers waited patiently in their pit stalls for 40 minutes before venturing onto the track, which was still damp following afternoon rains. When they began to run in earnest after nearly an hour had elapsed, Gavin and Magnussen turned laps within a few seconds off their qualifying pace on Wednesday as a dry line developed. The time was well spent, however, as the Corvette Racing crew evaluated tires and suspension settings under changing conditions. Both cars ran the full two-hour second session with all six drivers turning laps in preparation for the world's most celebrated sports car race.

Corvette Racing Quotes:

Jan Magnussen, No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "The track was actually quite dry and we were able to get some competitive times at the end. It's tricky, though, because if you get a little off the line into the damp stuff, even though there is run-off area, it's not big enough at the speeds we're going. I think the car worked well. We tested a tire combination we hadn't tried before – it was good for several laps, and then I think the track conditions changed. That's all valuable information."

Oliver Gavin, No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "Any time you can spend on the track at Le Mans is fantastic because it's such a unique place. The conditions were tricky and the track was evolving. We tried a Michelin tire that we hadn't run on before, and we got some valuable data on that. The difficulty was that you could get going pretty well on the first two-thirds of the lap, and then when you arrived at the Porsche Curves, the track was still somewhat damp. You had to be very careful through those spots. Overall I felt very comfortable with the car."

The 24 Hours of Le Mans will start at 3:00 p.m. CET (9:00 a.m. ET) on Saturday, June 12. SPEED will televise the start of the race live from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET on June 12, and continue coverage from 6:00 p.m. to the race finish at 9:30 a.m. ET on June 13. Streaming video can be viewed on www.speed.com from 12:30 – 6:00 p.m. ET on June 12, and flag-to-flag audio coverage will be available on www.radiolemans.com.

24 Hours of Le Mans LM GT2 Top 10 Qualifying Times:

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

1. (64) Gavin/Beretta/Collard, Corvette C6.R, 3:59.435

2. (63) O’Connell/Magnussen/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 3:59.793

3. (95) Alesi/Fisichella/Vilander, Ferrari 430 GTC, 3:59.837

4. (77) Lieb/Lietz/Henzler, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 4:01.640

5. (76) Pilet/Narac/Long, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 4:01.755

6. (78) Muller/Farfus/Alzen, BMW M3 E-92, 4:01.893

7. (97) Westbrook/Scheider/Holzer, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 4:01.014

8. (89) Farnbacher/Simonsen/Keen, Ferrari 430 GTC,4:02.427

9. (80) Neiman/Law/Bergmeister, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 4:02.685

10. (79) Priaulx/Muller/Werner, BMW M3 E-92, 4:03.215

Fast Start for Corvette Racing in
First Le Mans Qualifying Session

Corvettes Second and Third in Provisional GT2 Qualifying for 24 Hours of Le Mans

LE MANS, France, June 9, 2010 – Corvette Racing made a fast start in its GT2 debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Corvette C6.Rs were first and third in the opening four-hour free practice session. After a two-hour break, the first of three qualifying sessions for Saturday's 24 Hours of Le Mans ran from 10 p.m. to midnight on the immense 8.47-mile circuit. Jan Magnussen qualified the No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R second on the provisional GT2 grid at 4:00.097, and Oliver Gavin was third at 4:01.012 in the No. 64 Corvette C6.R. Gianmaria Bruni put the Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT on the provisional GT2 pole with the fastest lap at 3:59.233.

"I'm very happy with where we are," Magnussen said. "There's more qualifying tomorrow, and maybe we'll have another go at it. It's fun chasing a lap time, it's good for team morale, but it's not what we're really here to do. It should be said that we don't have a qualifying setup – this is the car that we're going to race with. So far, so good, no major issues."

Corvette Racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France, June 12-13, 2010, C6.R #63 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia, C6.R #64 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Emmanuel Collard (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). Gavin settled for third after his qualifying run was stymied by traffic and a red flag. "Every time we got even close to going quickly, it seemed there was a car in the way," he said. "On my best lap with the first set of tires it was looking like a good lap until a GT1 car that was just cruising through the Ford chicanes got in my way. We put on another set of tires, I had traffic every lap, and then the red flag flew. You can't just keep going around trying to set a good time – you've got to focus on the program. It's frustrating, but we still have tomorrow and hopefully the weather will be OK. I think we'll get another shot tomorrow."

Qualifying for the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will continue on Thursday with sessions from 7-9 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight.

Corvette Racing Quotes:

Jan Magnussen, No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "Right off the bat, it's looking good for us. We have to improve where we can, but at least the car came off the truck really well. There is new tarmac from the Porsche Curves almost to the start/finish line. It's very smooth and that helps everyone. There are some new speed bumps in the corners that you want to avoid because they really rattle the car. We have to relearn the course because we have less downforce than the GT1 Corvette and steel brakes. You really feel the difference here at Le Mans because the speeds are so high."

Johnny O'Connell, No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "Usually we're fighting for grip in the first few hours of practice here, but when I got in the car for the second stint on a set of tires, the car was pretty good. The guys at Corvette Racing did their job – we've got good cars, now we just need to work on the little details. Compared to the GT1 car, there's less power, but the braking is surprisingly strong."

Antonio Garcia, No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "The last time I drove this car was at Sebring, and I've been driving other types of cars since then. It took me two or three laps to get used to this car again, establish my reference and braking points, and remember what it was like to drive a GT2 car. I had to remind myself that I wasn't in a GT1 Corvette so I built up the speed gradually to avoid forcing a mistake."

Olivier Beretta, No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "Before we came to Le Mans, we were confident with our testing with the GT2 Corvette. I really have to say that the team has given me the best package in seven years with Corvette Racing. It's the result of experience, a lot of work, and a very good crew. The car was fantastic – I didn't have to push, I just drove it. I just hope that we keep going in a positive direction. Honestly, after this first day, if the race were to start tomorrow, I'd be happy.

Oliver Gavin, No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "I'm very encouraged by the way the car is. The circuit was initially very dirty, but after we bedded some brakes and got going, I felt very comfortable with the car. It's doing all the things I want it to do. We compared several different tires and have got a good read on the setup. The braking is a bit different with the GT2 car – it's not as rapid as it was with the carbon brakes in the GT1 spec. We're also carrying a little more weight, which has an effect. On the other hand, the GT2 car is not pitchy or as nervous as the GT1, and that could play into our hands in the race. The P1 cars do come up quickly, so you have to keep an eye on the rearview mirrors."

Emmanuel Collard, No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R: "It was good to be back on the track in a Corvette. My teammates like the car very much. I need a few more laps, but by the end of my stint the car was quite good and the lap times weren't bad, so it's a good start. It's always easier when you start the session and the car is good straight away. It gives you confidence."

24 Hours of Le Mans LM GT2 Provisional Top 10 Qualifying Times:

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

1. (82) Melo/Bruni/Kaffer, No. 82 Ferrari 430 GTC, 3:59.233

2. (63) O’Connell/Magnussen/Garcia, Corvette C6.R, 4:00.097

3. (64) Gavin/Beretta/Collard, Corvette C6.R, 4:01.012

4. (76) Pilet/Narac/Long, Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 4:01.755

5. (77) Lieb/Lietz/Henzler, Porsche 997 GTE RSR, 4:02.001

6. (95) Alesi/Fisichella/Vilander, Ferrari 430 GTC, 4:02.492

7. (96) Companc/Russo/Salo, Ferrari 430 GTC, 4:02.615

8. (89) Farnbacher/Simonsen/Keen, Ferrari 430 GTC,4:03.886

9. (83) Krohn/Jonsson/Van de Poele, Ferrari 430 GTC, 4:03.959

10. (78) Muller/Farfus/Alzen, BMW M3 E-92, 4:04.986

24 Hours of Le Mans to Showcase Corvette's Past and Future

Corvette's Milestone 50th Anniversary at Le Mans Opens New Chapter for Corvette Racing in GT2 Category

LE MANS, France, June 8, 2010 –This year's 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first participation in the world's most celebrated sports car race. It also signals the start of a new chapter in Corvette Racing history with the Le Mans debut of the second-generation Corvette C6.R in the fiercely contested GT2 category. After six victories in the GTS/GT1 division over the last nine years, Corvette Racing has moved to the GT2 division, taking on teams representing Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Jaguar and Aston Martin in the 24-hour classic on June 12-13.

Corvette Racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France, June 12-13, 2010, C6.R #63 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia, C6.R #64 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Emmanuel Collard (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). Fifty years after the thunder of a Chevy V-8 engine first roared at Le Mans, this year's event brings together Corvettes of the past and the future. Corvette's racing history is represented by Briggs Cunningham's No. 3 Corvette that finished first in the large displacement GT category and eighth overall at Le Mans in 1960. The new-generation Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars represent Corvette's future in the GT2 class.

John Fitch, who co-drove Cunningham's No. 3 Corvette with Bob Grossman at Le Mans in 1960, will attend the race with Lance Miller, the current owner of the historic Corvette race car. Wearing traditional American white and blue racing colors, the immaculately restored Corvette will participate in a parade through downtown Le Mans on Friday and lead a ceremonial lap of Corvettes before the start of the race on Saturday.

Corvette Racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France, June 12-13, 2010, C6.R #63 driven in GT2 class by Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia, C6.R #64 driven in GT2 class by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Emmanuel Collard (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo). "When you look at the Corvettes that raced at Le Mans 50 years ago, it's impossible not to be impressed by the passion, the immense courage, and the physical stamina that was required to race for 24 hours in those vehicles," said Corvette Racing program Doug Fehan. "It was an astounding feat, and the men who drove them have my respect. Regardless of what Corvette Racing may have accomplished in the past or what we may accomplish in the future, we will always work in the shadow of these racers."

Driver Johnny O'Connell enjoyed the rare opportunity to drive the No. 3 1960 Corvette during a photo shoot at Le Mans. "The race cars and technology have changed greatly over the years, but Chevrolet's approach to racing has been consistent," O'Connell said. "The Corvettes that raced at Le Mans in 1960 were very nearly stock vehicles, and to this day, Corvette Racing is still a tool to improve the breed. The relationship that the race team has with the production engineers definitely benefits Chevrolet customers."

While Corvette Racing honors its heritage at Le Mans, the team's focus is on success in the upcoming twice-around-the-clock race. Corvette Racing's six drivers have a total of 20 class victories at Le Mans in 66 starts. O'Connell became the first American driver to score four class wins at Le Mans when he and teammates Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia won the GT1 title last year.

"Le Mans will be the hardest competition we have ever faced with the GT2 Corvette," said Magnussen, who will again share the No. 63 Corvette C6.R with O'Connell and Garcia. "We are well prepared and everything we've done with the new car has been targeted at Le Mans. We'll do what we've done every year: push hard all the time with only one goal – to win!"

Oliver Gavin agreed: "Le Mans is going to be an extremely competitive race this year, and we know we will have our work cut out for us," said the Briton, who will be teamed with Olivier Beretta and Emmanuel Collard in the No. 64 Corvette C6.R. "I know that we will have the tools, the car and the team behind us to fight for a win."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans in Le Mans, France. The race will start at 3:00 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 12. SPEED will televise the start of the race live from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET on June 12, and continue coverage from 6:00 p.m. to the race finish at 9:30 a.m. ET on June 13. Streaming video can be viewed on www.speed.com from 12:30 – 6:00 p.m. ET on June 12, and flag-to-flag audio coverage will be available on www.radiolemans.com.

Corvette's Le Mans Heritage Honored at ALMS Monterey

Chevrolet Celebrates Le Mans Drivers and Race Cars of the Past and Present

Corvette Racing, American Le Mans Series, Laguna Seca, April 21, 2010, Corvette celebrates 50 years at Le Mans, 1960 #2 Cunningham Team Le Mans competitor with driver Dick Thompson, 1967 #9 Dana Chevrolet Le Mans competitor with driver Dick Guldstrand, and 2010 #3 C6.R GT2 with driver Ron Fellows (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

©2010 Richard Prince, richard@rprincephoto.com, 631-427-0460, www.rprincephoto.com. All rights reserved. All usage prohibited without express written permission from, and payment of a licensing fee to, Richard Prince.

MONTEREY, Calif., May 24, 2010 – Chevrolet saluted the men and machines that laid the foundation for Corvette Racing's success in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a special Corvette Legends of Le Mans program at the American Le Mans Series Monterey on May 21-22. The event brought together Corvette drivers and race cars of the past and present.

Fans paid tribute to the pioneers of Corvette performance and gave a spirited send-off to the Corvette Racing team in its final U.S. race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 12-13. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first participation in the world's most prestigious sports car race.

Chevrolet paid tribute to Dr. Dick Thompson, who co-drove Briggs Cunningham's No. 2 Corvette at Le Mans in 1960. Thompson was reunited with the restored white and blue Corvette that is now owned by Bruce Meyer. Dick Guldstrand appeared with the Dana Chevrolet Corvette that he co-drove with Bob Bondurant at Le Mans in 1967. The iconic red, white, and blue No. 9 Corvette was provided by current owner Harry Yeaggy. One of the star-spangled Greenwood Corvettes that went to Le Mans in 1973 was displayed courtesy of owner John Thompson. The first 2011 Corvette Z06 built (VIN 001) with special white and blue Le Mans graphics by GM Design completed the Corvette quartet.

Thompson and Guldstrand participated in a media reception on Friday, relating their experiences at Le Mans in the days when the Mulsanne Straight stretched for miles without chicanes and only two drivers shared a car. Two-time Le Mans winner Ron Fellows and current Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Johnny O'Connell, and Jan Magnussen contrasted their adventures at Le Mans with the modern Corvette C6.R race cars. On Saturday, fans lined up for autographs from Thompson and Guldstrand at the Corvette Legends of Le Mans display in the ALMS paddock.

Corvette Racing ambassador Ron Fellows drove the 1960 Cunningham Corvette on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit during a photo shoot. "I don't think I've ever had sustained goose bumps for so long," said Fellows, who scored Corvette Racing's first Le Mans class victory in 2001 with teammates Johnny O'Connell and Scott Pruett. "The first thing that struck me when I fired it up was a familiar sound – after 50 years, the cars look different, but there is still that awesome Chevy V-8 sound. I was surprised by how nice it was to drive – it starts and stops fine, and has good power. But high-speed cornering must have been interesting back then. The Kink at the end of the Mulsanne Straight must have been a real thrill for these guys back in 1960!"

Johnny O'Connell drove the 1967 Guldstrand/Bondurant Stingray, and he was impressed. "You can't drive a car like that without realizing that what those guys did was amazing," said O'Connell, the only American driver to score four class wins at Le Mans. "That car is all beast, and the strength needed to turn that thing was incredible. It really made me appreciate those guys as race car drivers and athletes. That was state-of-the-art technology in 1967, and driving a Corvette C6.R gives me an appreciation for how far Corvette has come over the years. Drivers back then were a different breed. I can't even imagine how difficult and challenging it was."

Video interviews with the Corvette Legends of Le Mans can be viewed on the ALMS YouTube channel:

Dr. Dick Thompson

http://www.youtube.com/user/ALMSOfficialVideos#p/a/u/0/RHxhJ62JoSQ

Dick Guldstrand

http://www.youtube.com/user/ALMSOfficialVideos#p/a/u/0/FJ_8Wlu7rsY

Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans in Le Mans, France. The 24-hour race will start at 3:00 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 12. Portions of the classic endurance contest will be televised live on SPEED.

Corvettes Finish Third and Sixth in
Six-Hour Laguna Seca ALMS Race

Gavin and Beretta on Podium in Final Rehearsal for Le Mans, O'Connell and Magnussen Win Michelin Green X Challenge

Corvette Racing, American Le Mans Series, Laguna Seca, April 22, 2010, C6.R #3 driven by Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen, C6.R #4 driven by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

Corvette Racing, American Le Mans Series, Laguna Seca, April 22, 2010, Corvette Racing team manager Gary Pratt and C6.R #3 drivers Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen accept the Michelin Green X Challenge award for GT competitors (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

MONTEREY, Calif., May 22, 2010 – Billed as the warm-up for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans, the six-hour American Le Mans Series Monterey was contested on an unseasonably cold day in central California. With track temperatures in the low 50s, getting a grip on the roller coaster 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit was the chief challenge.

After a fast and furious battle in the GT class, Corvette Racing's No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta finished third. The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell finished sixth and won the Michelin Green X Challenge in the GT category. The No. 45 Porsche driven by Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister won the class with a 0.365-second margin of victory over the Mueller/Hand BMW.

Both Corvettes ran at the front in the hard-fought GT division. Starting third on the GT grid, the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R lost track position to its rivals on its fourth pit stop, but Gavin charged from seventh to first during his second stint. After the final round of fuel stops, Gavin was in third and within striking distance of the leader – but two late-race cautions stymied his attempts to move up in the finishing order.

"I wish that last caution hadn't come because I think we had them," Gavin said. "We had the speed but that last caution just killed any chance. It was great fun racing against the Porsche and the BMW – there was a bit of bumping, but it was all fair. In the back of my mind was always the thought that this car needs to go Le Mans in a few days, and any damage today could have a direct effect on how we perform there. I wanted to make sure that it would be ready to leave for France next Thursday.

"It was great to be fighting for the victory," Gavin continued. "We still need to find that last little bit, but it will come. We got some good points today and I'm pleased about that. This championship is going to be about grabbing podiums and points whenever you can because it's full-out racing."

The No. 3 Corvette took the lead after the first round of pit stops, but was penalized for a pit-lane infraction after its second stop. The stop-and-go penalty dropped the car to seventh, but Magnussen was on a mission. He took the GT class lead at 4:18 and was fifth overall after a heated battle of the brands between Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, and BMW. A punctured right-front tire in the final 20 minutes and subsequent penalty consigned the No. 3 to sixth at the checkered flag.

"It was really good racing, but it's a shame when it goes that way towards the end and you feel all your hard work is for nothing," Magnussen said. "It was just one of those days where it looked like we had a great shot at winning it in the beginning, and then things got in the way."

The No. 3 Corvette won the Michelin Green X Challenge in the GT class by going the farthest, the fastest, with the least environmental impact. "Our focus at Corvette Racing is multi-faceted – to design and build top-quality race cars that are fast and that demonstrate leading-edge green technology," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Capturing another Michelin Green X Challenge title for Chevrolet and GM is a huge accomplishment."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de La Sarthe in Le Mans, France. The 24-hour race will start at 3:00 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 12. Portions of the classic endurance contest will be televised live on SPEED.

American Le Mans Series Monterey GT Results:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 227 laps

2. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 227

3. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 227

4. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 225

5. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 225

6. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 224

7. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 224

8. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 222

9. Krohn/Jonsson, Ferrari 430 GT, 220

10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 215

11. Law/Neiman/Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 213

12. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 194

13. Dalziel/Goosens, Jaguar XKRS, 191

Corvette Races to Second in Long Beach Street Fight

Magnussen Recovers from Sixth to Take Runner-Up Finish

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Things were looking a little grim for Corvette Racing at the halfway point of the 100-minute American Le Mans at Long Beach, but Jan Magnussen battled back from sixth to a runner-up finish in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Magnussen and teammate Johnny O'Connell threaded their way through the unforgiving concrete barriers that line the Long Beach street circuit to finish four seconds behind the No. 45 Porsche of Pat Long and Joerg Bergmeister. The No. 4 Compuware Corvette of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta was not so fortunate, finishing bruised and battered in ninth at the checkered flag.

"It was a fantastic team effort to finish where we did," said Magnussen. "With so little time on the race track, to have a race car this good shows just how strong Corvette Racing is."

The No. 3 Corvette C6.R made its single pit stop for fuel and four Michelin tires under caution at 57 minutes into the race. Needing less than half a tank of E85 ethanol to make it to the finish, the yellow Corvette came into the pits in third place but returned to the track in sixth.

"We had a small problem in the pit stop," Magnussen explained. "Because it was such a short pit stop, I wasn't able to get myself ready in the cockpit, so we lost positions in the pit lane. I knew exactly what had happened - I wasn’t upset, I was just motivated to get back to the front. I had a great car and I was able to take back the positions one by one."

Magnussen gained a spot when the class-leading Ford GT pitted. The two BMWs had gambled on running the race without a tire change, and Magnussen was able to pass the No. 90 BMW going into the Turn 11 hairpin to take third with 11 minutes left in the race. With the four frontrunners running nose-to-tail, Magnussen stalked the No. 92 BMW on the back straight and made the pass stick in Turn 9 with two minutes remaining. He set off in pursuit of the No. 45 Porsche, but ran out of time before the checkered flag.

O'Connell had started the opening stint from third on the GT grid, lost a spot at the start, and then passed the No. 45 Porsche to retake third. He held that position behind the No. 17 Porsche of Wolf Henzler and the pole-winning No. 62 Ferrari of Jaime Melo to the fateful first pit stop.

"It's hard when you have a street race with different categories sharing the same track," O'Connell said. "I think we were competitive and as fast as anyone, but traffic would separate the GT cars and then it was difficult to make that back up. You hope for a caution to open an opportunity, and as things worked out, I think we can be proud of a fine result."

The No. 4 Corvette started fifth, and Olivier Beretta had moved up to fourth by the 30-minute mark, but an encounter with a tire barrier damaged the front bodywork and driver's door, dropping Beretta to eighth. Gavin took over the No. 4 Corvette at 46 minutes, but had to make two subsequent pit stops for additional repairs.

"There was confusion at the front, and one of the Porsches braked early," Beretta reported. "I jumped on the brakes, tried to slow down, missed a gear, and lost the car. I was in the wrong place at the wrong moment."

"A ninth-place finish certainly wasn't what anybody wanted," said Gavin. "It seems like the No. 4 Corvette can't a break at the moment. The car was good, even with the damage we had, but realistically we weren't going to move up in the finishing order and I just brought it home without risking the car. There were cars spinning off right and left in front of me, and a car even spun into the wall in front of me behind the pace car!"

"It's great that our sister car got a fantastic finish here and Jan and Johnny have got themselves back in the hunt. So now it's on to Laguna Seca with the hope that our fortunes will soon turn around."

Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan reflected on the race: "It was an absolutely awesome effort today by the crew and drivers," he said. "In order to compete with the best, you have to believe you're the best. Today we raced against the best, and we had a very, very good outcome."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Monterey at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, May 22. The six-hour race will start at 2:30 p.m. PT and will be televised by CBS Sports on May 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

American Le Mans Series at Long Beach GT Results:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 65
2. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 65
3. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 65
4. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 65
5. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 65
6. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 65
7. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 65
8. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 64
9. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 63
10. Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 62
11. Gentilozzi/Dalziel, Jaguar XKRS, 45
12. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 28

Release Date: April 17, 2010

Corvettes Qualify
Third and Fifth in Long Beach ALMS

Team Pleased with Performance in First Street Race for GT Corvette C6.R

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Corvette Racing's twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars qualified third and fifth for Saturday's American Le Mans at Long Beach in the first street race for the GT-spec Corvettes. Johnny O'Connell wheeled the No. 3 Corvette C6.R to a 1:20.308 lap (88.220 mph) around the 1.986-mile, 11-turn temporary bayside circuit. Olivier Beretta was fifth quickest in the GT class at 1:20.438 (88.078 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R.

Jaime Melo captured the GT pole with the quickest lap in the 20-minute session at 1:19.581 in Risi Competizione's Ferrari 430 GT. Four different manufacturers - Ferrari, Porsche, Chevrolet, and BMW - are represented in the top six qualifying spots.

"It's so hard to find that perfect lap around Long Beach," O'Connell said. "The car rolled off the trailer so good, and that's a testament to the strength of Corvette Racing's engineering staff. I think we might have tried a different tire compound for qualifying, but hindsight is always 20-20. The track had more rubber on it than when we practiced this morning, but the track temperature was up as well."

O'Connell turned his quickest time on his fourth lap, while Beretta recorded his best time on his third circuit.

"I had a clear track for the first three laps, then caught some traffic," Beretta said. "That doesn't help the tires to perform at their best because you'd like to keep the temperature up. Except for the Ferrari, qualifying was very close, and I think it will be a very close race as well."

"It was a good performance for Corvette Racing because this is the first time we've run the GT Corvettes on a street course," Beretta noted. "We didn't have a lot of time on the track at this event, so we will have to see what happens in the race tomorrow."

The pole-winning Ferrari enjoyed a .598-second advantage over the second quickest car. The next seven cars qualified within .408 seconds.

"We know the Ferrari is fast, and they showed that," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "They had a significant advantage, but you can throw a blanket over the rest of the field."

"We've had some varying temperatures here, and we selected the tires that we thought would be good before the start of qualifying," Fehan reported. "We use qualifying as a test session as well, and that's valuable information for the race. This is the first time we've been on a street course with the new engine package and the new GT chassis, and I think the combination has performed well. Corvette Racing will be in the battle."

The American Le Mans Series at Long Beach will start at 4:40 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 17. The one-hour, 40-minute race will be televised same-day on SPEED at 8 – 10 p.m. ET.

American Le Mans Series at Long Beach GT Qualifying: Pos./Drivers/Car/Time
1. Melo/Bruni, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:19.581
2. Sellers/Henzler, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:20.179
3. O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:20.308
4. Bergmeister/Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:20.424
5. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 1:20.438
6. Auberlen/Milner, BMW E92 M3, 1:20.486
7. Mueller/Hand, BMW E92 M3, 1:20.564
8. Brown/Cosmo, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:20.587
9. Sharp/van Overbeek, Ferrari 430 GT, 1:21.346
10. Law/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:21.457
11. Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 1:21.960
12. Gentilozzi/Dalziel, Jaguar XKRS, 1:22.985

Release Date: April 16, 2010

American Le Mans Series Salutes Corvette Racing in Final U.S. GT1 Race

Compressed Schedule and Tight Quarters Emphasize Engineering and Precision on Bayside Circuit

LONG BEACH, Calif. - After beginning the 2010 American Le Mans Series with the longest event on the schedule, Corvette Racing will take on the shortest event on the ALMS calendar this weekend in the series' second round on the streets of Long Beach. After an uncharacteristic pit lane miscue and a series of mechanical glitches in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Corvette Racing is determined to rebound in the 100-minute sprint race on Saturday, April 17.

Track time will be at a premium on the 1.986-mile, 11-turn temporary circuit. Friday begins with two hours of practice on a green track and ends with a short 30-minute practice session and qualifying. The ALMS drivers won't see the circuit again until they begin their reconnaissance laps before the 4:40 p.m. race start on Saturday.

"I believe the compressed schedule actually gives Corvette Racing an advantage over many other teams," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "The combination of the team's simulation technology and years of experience racing in various series at Long Beach will offset the limited track time. We're confident that when the Corvette C6.Rs roll out of the transporters, we could race with that setup."

There will be only one scheduled pit stop for a mandatory driver change in the 100-minute race. Corvette Racing has taken steps to prevent a repeat of the Sebring misstep.

"We have dissected and analyzed the entire pit stop process, and where there were shortcomings we've addressed them," Fehan said. "The team has put in place procedures that should prevent that from ever happening again."

Driver Johnny O'Connell, teamed with Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, is a veteran on the Long Beach street circuit. He first raced there in 1986 as an up-and-coming driver in the open-wheel ranks. He also spent time behind the wheel of a Trans-Am car on the temporary course before ALMS came to Long Beach in 2007.

"I think everybody on the team is going to be very motivated after what turned out to be a very disappointing Sebring race for us," O'Connell said. "The limited track time means that every aspect of preparation has to be done quickly and professionally. With Corvette Racing's engineering capabilities, I'm confident we can get our car in its operating window quickly."

"On a street course like Long Beach, a driver has to be smart but also a little aggressive to get a good result," O'Connell continued. "The short stints are going to put the emphasis on sharp pit stop strategy and quick driver changes. You can't afford to lose time behind a slower car, but you also have to remember that any mistake on a street circuit is usually highly detrimental to success."

Thunder on Pine
Corvette Racing will stage a pit stop demonstration in the Thunder on Pine Avenue pre-race event in downtown Long Beach on Thursday evening, April 15. The crew of the No.4 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta will take on Alex Job Racing for bragging rights in pit stop prowess. Demonstrations are scheduled at 6:45 and 7:45 p.m.

Marathon Man
Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin is among the 14 members of the British Racing Drivers Club who will run in the London Marathon on April 25. Gavin has two goals: to complete the 26-mile, 385-yard run with a new personal best time under three hours, and to raise 50,000 UK pounds ($77,000) for CLIC Sargent, a charity that supports children who have cancer and their families. Fans can pledge donations at http://www.justgiving.com/BRDC-marathon-legends.

Ron Fellows Professional Driving Course
Corvette Racing ambassador Ron Fellows will award a three-day course in the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch to a lucky Corvette enthusiast in Long Beach. Fellows will draw the winning name in a raffle at the Corvette Corral at 2 p.m. on April 17.

"The idea is to provide something special for the loyal Corvette owners who come to the Corvette Corrals at ALMS events," said Fellows, a three-time ALMS champion. "We offer a variety of Performance Driving School programs from beginner to advanced, and we use Corvettes equipped with Michelin tires exclusively in our courses. The curriculum is designed to develop the skills to drive a high-performance vehicle with footwork, mental training, skidpad exercises, and lapping the 10-turn, 2.2-mile Spring Mountain course. It's great fun!"

The first drawing was held at Sebring. Ron Fellows Professional Driving Courses also will be awarded at Corvette Corrals held in conjunction with ALMS races in Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock, Road America, and Road Atlanta.

Next Event
Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on Saturday, April 17. The one-hour, 40-minute race is schedule to start at 4:40 p.m. PT and same-day coverage will be televised on SPEED at 8 – 10 p.m. ET.

Release Date: April 13, 2010

Corvette Racing Encounters
Perfect Storm in Sebring

Pit Lane Contact Seals Corvettes' Fate in Classic Endurance Race

SEBRING, Fla. - For many years, Sebring International Raceway was Corvette Racing's Bermuda Triangle, a place where strange things happened routinely. After seven victories at the classic circuit, Sebring was once again the team's nemesis in the 58th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. An improbable collision in the pit lane ultimately consigned the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6. R to an eighth-place finish and the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to ninth place at the checkered flag.

The race started well for the twin Corvettes, with Jan Magnussen running fourth and Oliver Gavin fifth. At the 39-minute mark, the Corvettes were second and third before the first full-course caution period began. But Murphy's Law - "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" - was about to be invoked as the No. 3 Corvette went behind the wall to repair a power steering hose at 1:55 into the race, rejoining the fray with an eight-lap deficit to the leader.

The decisive moment occurred at 3:09 when the No. 3 Corvette pitted, with Magnussen replacing Johnny O'Connell. Magnussen was released from his pit box just as Emmanuel Collard was entering the adjacent stall in the No. 4 Corvette. The resulting contact damaged both cars. The No. 4 went immediately to the transporters where the Corvette crew replaced its front stabilizer bar and bodywork. The No. 3 suffered a punctured front tire and returned to the pits for repairs after completing a lap at reduced speed.

"I can’t tell you all the things that had to line up for that to happen right there, but it was super unfortunate and everyone is feeling bad about it," Magnussen said. "I feel so sorry for the No. 4 Corvette - we were out of contention because we had a long pit stop, but the No. 4 car was in with a good shot, it was fast. I can guarantee that things will be done so that never happens again."

"It was a misunderstanding because normally I should pit one lap later, but I had a low fuel alarm on the back straight," Collard explained. "I put the reserve on and they asked me come to the pits."

"An incident like this has never happened before at Corvette Racing," said program manager Doug Fehan. "A perfect storm of events that certainly we can't attribute to any one thing caused the two cars to come together in pit lane. We’ll go back and look at what took place, establish procedures to ensure that it never happens again, and come back stronger for the next event. Even when our guys were laps down to the leaders, they ran just as hard after that incident as they did before. That tells you what Corvette Racing is about."

The misfortune continued in the eighth hour as the No. 4 Corvette C6.R with Oliver Gavin at the wheel was hit by an errant tire on the course. It was a glancing blow; a few microseconds later, it might have been much worse. As darkness settled on Sebring, Gavin found that the headlights were not working. He returned to the pits, where the Corvette crew replaced the nose, headlight, and harness assembly.

"I don't know which of the racing gods I've offended, but I'd certainly like to apologize," Gavin quipped. "It’s been an extraordinary day, the most eventful ever for this team. We had a car capable of challenging anyone, but somehow it all went wrong. So now it’s on to Long Beach."

In the closing hours, the race settled into a steady routine as the miles went by. The drivers completed their stints without incident, punctuated by pit stops for four Michelin tires and a tank of E85 ethanol fuel. O'Connell took the No. 3 Corvette C6.R across the finish line, and Olivier Beretta piloted the No. 4 to the finish.

"Racing is hard stuff, and no matter how hard you try and how hard you prepare, sometimes things go wrong," O'Connell said. "You can either beat yourself up or be encouraged by how well the crew performed to get both cars back in the race. The guys were awesome. We got a lot of positives out of this event: We made good progress on our engine development and we got a gauge to measure where we stand versus the competition. The mark of a champion is overcoming adversity and finding ways to win, and I know this team can do that."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on Saturday, April 17. The one-hour, 40-minute race will start at 4:15 p.m. PT and will be televised at 8 p.m. ET on SPEED.

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring GT2 Results:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. Melo/Bruni/Kaffer, Ferrari 430 GT, 331
2. Auberlen/Milner/Werner, BMW E92 M3, 330
3. Mueller/Hand/Priaulx, BMW E92 M3, 330
4. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 329
5. Law/Neiman/Lietz, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 325
6. Brown/Cosmo/Barbosa/ Ferrari 430 GT, 323
7. Krohn/Jonsson/van de Poele, Ferrari 430 GT, 321
8. O'Connell/Magnussen/Garcia, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 320
9. Gavin/Beretta/Collard, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 320
10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 300
11. Sharp/van Overbeek/Farnbacher, Ferrari 430 GT, 271
12. Sellers/Henzler/Pilet, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 255
13. Gentilozzi/Goossens/Dalziel, Jaguar XKRS, 11

Release Date: March 20, 2010

Back to top

Corvette Racing Qualifies
Fifth and Sixth for Sebring 12-Hour Race

Close Qualifying Sets Stage for Intense GT2 Battle in Classic Endurance Contest

SEBRING, Fla. - Corvette Racing will be in the midst of the GT2 battle in Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring after qualifying the twin Compuware Corvettes fifth and sixth today. Jan Magnussen turned a fast lap at 2:01.358 (109.758 mph) to put the No. 3 Corvette C6.R fifth on the GT2 grid in the season-opening race of the American Le Mans Series. Oliver Gavin was a heartbeat behind at 2:01.628 (109.514 mph) to earn the sixth starting spot in the GT2 class for the No. 4 Corvette C6.R.

The Corvette drivers waited patiently in their pit stalls for the first 10 minutes of the 25-minute qualifying session before making four timed laps. Magnussen turned his best time on his final circuit around the historic 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course. Gavin posted his best time on his second lap, and then had to contend with traffic on his last two laps.

"We waited for the traffic to clear, and it worked well for us," said Magnussen. "I had no traffic at all and a good spot on the track. The qualifying lap was the fastest lap we've done this week, but we still have some work to do to have a good race car."

"It's a bit warmer than it was in the morning practice session - this morning was the best I've felt in the car," Magnussen reported. "The track definitely changes with the temperature and we have to be careful not to chase the conditions. We haven't made big changes during the week because we had an idea this is what it would be like today. I hope we're right about tomorrow as well!"

Gavin had to contend with traffic on his last two flying laps: "I was following two cars that kicked up a lot of sand on the track," said the Briton. "Every time I came through Turn 7 I lost a ton of time, and that was frustrating. We're in the race at P6, and we have a lot of time in 12 hours to make up those places."

"It's still a little cool for the tire compound we're running," Gavin explained. "The track conditions are a little more stable now, but they are still tough to read. We're hoping that the track is going to come to us on Saturday - we'll see."

The No. 90 BMW of Dirk Mueller set the quickest time in GT2 at 2:00.782 (110.281 mph). The top six cars were within one second of the pole-winning time.

"I think today's GT2 qualifying was a preview of what we will be seeing all season long," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "The extremely tight competition is a testament to the excellent level of performance balancing that the ACO and IMSA have achieved. Close racing is really what the fans want to see, and qualifying is indicative of what they are going to see in the race. Any one of the top 10 cars is capable of winning, and that's what is going to make the 12 Hours of Sebring an exciting event - and that's why Corvette Racing is proud to be part of it."

"We've still got a lot of work to do and we are climbing a steep learning curve," Fehan noted. "With the limited time we've had, the everyone at Corvette Racing is confident that we've done everything possible to prepare for this event. You can look for us to improve continuously as the season goes on."

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway will start at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 20. The 12-hour endurance race will be televised live on SPEED starting at 10 a.m. ET.

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring GT2 Qualifying:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Time/Speed
1. Mueller/Hand/Priaulx, BMW E92 M3, 2:00.782
2. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:01.150
3. Sellers/Henzler/Pilet, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:01.201
4. Melo/Bruni/Kaffer, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:01.236
5. O'Connell/Magnussen/Garcia, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 2:01.358
6. Gavin/Beretta/Collard, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 2:01.628
7. Sharp/van Overbeek/Farnbacher, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:01.914
8. Auberlen/Milner/Werner, BMW E92 M3, 2:01.922
9. Brown/Cosmo/Barbosa/ Ferrari 430 GT, 2:02.242
10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT, 2:02.622
11. Gentilozzi/Goossens/Dalziel, Jaguar XKRS, 2:04.804
12. Krohn/Jonsson/van de Poele, Ferrari 430 GT, 2:06.680
13. Law/Neiman/Lietz, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 2:07.874

Release Date: March 19, 2010

Race Fans Can Register to
Win a Corvette Through June 30

Corvette Racing Grand Prize: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette, Trip to Le Mans

DETROIT – To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first appearance at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans, race fans can enter for a chance to win a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport by entering the "Race To Win Corvette" promotion at www.racetowincorvette.com now through June 30, 2010.

One Grand Prize Winner will receive a 2011 Corvette Grand Sport, and a trip to Le Mans, France, for the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. Corvette made its Le Mans debut in 1960, finishing first in the large displacement GT class and eighth overall.

"This is an exciting opportunity for race fans to win one of the most iconic sports cars ever produced, and watch Corvette compete in the oldest and most famous endurance race in the world," said Terry Dolan, Manager Chevy Racing. "Team Chevy is proud to team up with our Corvette Racing partners - American Le Mans Series, AutoWeek, Compuware, Michelin, Mobil 1 and PRS Guitars - to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first appearance at Le Mans."

No purchase necessary. See official rules for details at www.racetowincorvette.com.

Release Date: April 17, 2010

For Release: March 03, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.

New Corvette Racing C6.R and Production Corvette ZR1
Represent the Culmination of More Than 10 Years of Technology Transfer

Updated C6.R to Race in 2010 Le Mans ,
50Years After Corvette’s First Appearance in Legendary Endurance Race

DETROIT: Corvette Racing’s second-generation C6.R will be powered by a new 5.5L production-based V-8, to compete in the new unified GT class in the 2010 American Le Mans Series as well as the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The updated C6.R and the Corvette ZR1 on which it’s based represent the strongest link yet between a production Corvette and the modern Corvette Racing team. Both cars are well-equipped to compete on and off the track with showroom competitors including Aston Martins, BMWs, Porsches and Ferraris.

Corvette has a long history of production-based endurance racing, making its first appearance at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1956, and its first appearance at Le Mans in 1960. Then Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov leveraged the racing program to improve the production Corvette, as evidenced by the development of heavy-duty and high-performance components and the introduction of the race-bred Z06 option on the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray.

The transfer of technology between racing and production cars resumed with the start of the modern Corvette Racing program in 1999. More than a decade later, it’s impossible to imagine one team without the other, according to Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer:

“Simply put, without Corvette Racing, there would not be a Corvette Z06, much less the ZR1. And, without the foundation of the Corvette C6, Z06 and ZR1, the Corvette Racing team would not be the dominant presence in production-based racing.”

1999 – 2004: The C5-R acts as a catalyst for Corvette performance

Corvette Racing campaigned the C5-R from 1999 through the end of the 2004 season. The first-generation car scored 35 victories in 55 races, won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring three consecutive years, posted three 1-2 finishes in the GTS class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans , and earned four consecutive ALMS manufacturers championships for Chevrolet.

It also served as a catalyst for Corvette performance.

In 1999, the fifth-generation Corvette C5 produced 345 horsepower from its 5.7L V-8. Leveraging the powertrain technologies developed for the C5R, Corvette brought back the hallowed Z06 moniker in 2001, packing a 385 horsepower 5.7L V-8.

In addition, the C5-R helped shape the sixth-generation Corvette, introduced for the 2005 model year. Corvette Racing’s influence could be seen in the C6 Corvette design, which featured flush headlights for better aerodynamics; a single, large grille opening for the engine air intake, radiator, and brake cooling; a lower coefficient of drag; and low 3,179 pound curb weight. Lessons from racing were also integrated in the 6.0L LS2 V-8, the most powerful standard Corvette engine to date, with 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. As a result, the C6 Corvette delivered unprecedented performance, including a 186-mph top speed, acceleration from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, and quarter-mile runs in 12.6 seconds at 114 mph.

2005 – 2009: The co-development of the C6.R and Z06

The C6 Corvette served as a foundation for the joint development of two new, high-performance Corvettes: the 2006 Corvette Z06 and the Corvette Racing C6.R, introduced in 2005.

Both cars were powered by 7.0L small-block V-8 engines, with dry-sump lubrication systems, CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads, titanium valves, forged steel crankshafts, and plate-honed cylinder bores.

For the Z06, the collaboration translated into 505hp, 470 lb.-ft. of torque, and searing performance: 198-mph top speed, acceleration from 0 – 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and quarter-mile runs in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Racing’s influence was also evident in the Corvette Z06 use of lightweight carbon fiber front fenders and wheelhouses, and aerodynamics package – including a front splitter, air extractors behind the front wheels, radiused trailing edges on the wheel openings, brake cooling scoops, widened rear fenders, rear diffuser, and spoiler.

For the C6.R, homologation on the Z06 translated into 42 wins, four consecutive ALMS drivers and manufacturers championships, and three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans .

2010: Introducing the second-generation C6.R, based on the ZR1

In the 2010 American Le Mans Series, Corvette Racing will compete in the series' production-based GT category (formerly GT2) and in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a second-generation C6.R that is homologated on the Corvette ZR1.

The GT rules require the use of many production-based components, making the ZR1 and C6.R the closest street and racing Corvettes since the 1960s.

Introduced for the 2009 model year, the ZR1 is the fastest, most powerful car ever produced by Chevrolet. To deliver 638 hp, the LS9 V-8 engines are hand-built using many of the processes developed by the race team. To deliver a 205-mph top speed, the ZR1 aerodynamics package also utilizes race technology – including wide carbon fiber front fenders with dual vents, a full-width rear spoiler, and a front splitter.

The updated C6.R utilizes the ZR1 body design, aerodynamic package, aluminum frame and chassis structure, steering system, windshield, and other components.

Aluminum frame: The new Corvette C6.R is built on the same aluminum frame rails that underpin production Corvette Z06 and ZR1 models. Other production chassis structures in the race car include the windshield frame, the hoop around the rear of the passenger compartment, the door hinge pillars, the drivetrain tunnel, the firewall, and the floor pan.

Steering system: The new Corvette C6.R utilizes the production steering column out of the ZR1, with a fully adjustable steering wheel, and production rack-and-pinion steering rack.

Body profile: The Corvette C6.R race car is now virtually identical to the Corvette ZR1 street car in appearance, as GT rules require production-type fenders with simple flares to accommodate wider tires.

Aerodynamics: The new C6.R utilizes the full-width, production rear spoiler from the ZR1, and a production-based ZR1 front splitter that extends 25mm, in contrast to the 80mm splitter allowed under the GT1 rules. Although the aerodynamics package does not produce the same levels of downforce as the GT1 car, the C6.R is more predictable over a wide range of speeds.

Where the C6.R and ZR1 differ significantly are in situations where GT rules actually prohibited the use of the more sophisticated ZR1 components. For example, the ZR1 is equipped with carbon-composite brake rotors, while GT regulations require ferrous (steel) brake discs. And, where the ZR1 utilizes a 6.2L, supercharged V-8, the C6.R will use a naturally aspirated small-block, production-based 5.5L V-8.

The Corvette C6.R race cars' 5.5-liter Chevrolet small-block V8s are developed, built and maintained by GM. The Corvette C6.Rs' LS5.5R is a naturally aspirated race engine, based on the Corvette Z06's 7.0-liter LS7 engine (which in turn was developed with the 7.0L race engine used in the C6.R GT1 cars), built on production cast-aluminum cylinder blocks.

Pending GT2 class regulations specify a maximum displacement of 5.5 liters, the reduction in displacement to meet this requirement was achieved by shortening the crankshaft stroke and reducing the cylinder bore diameter. In accordance with the regulations, the race engines have two 28.8mm diameter intake air restrictors. The LS5.5R engines are equipped with dry-sump oiling systems, CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake and exhaust valves, and sequential electronic port fuel injection. The race engines use E85R ethanol racing fuel in the ALMS and E10 fuel in Le Mans .

Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday

Clearly, Corvette Racing’s success in production-based endurance racing has played a significant role in improving the performance of the production Corvette. In addition, as the racing and production cars have become more closely linked, Corvette Racing has also shown a positive impact in Corvette sales.

“Corvette sales tracked directly to customer leads at ALMS races have doubled from 2005 to 2009,” says John Fitzpatrick, Chevrolet Performance Cars marketing manager. “This proves what we have heard anecdotally from other Corvette owners: Watching production-based Corvettes win against legendary marques like BMW, Porsche and Ferrari, on legendary tracks like Sebring and Le Mans , makes Corvette all the more desirable.”

2010 Corvette ZR-1 and Corvette Racing C6.R Specifications

	2010 Corvette ZR1		2010 GT2 Corvette C6.R
Displacement (L / ci):	6.2 / 376		5.5 / 336
Horsepower:	638 @ 6500 rpm		485 @5800
Torque (lb-ft):	604 @ 3800 rpm		na
Bore diameter (mm / in):	103.25 / 4.06		103.89 / 4.090
Crankshaft stroke (mm / in):	92 / 3.62		80.90 / 3.185
"V" angle (deg):	90		90
Cylinder bore spacing (mm / ci):	111.7 / 4.40		111.7 / 4.40
Valvetrain:	pushrod with overhead valves, titanium inlet		pushrod with overhead valves, titanium inlet and exhaust
Valves per cylinder:	2		2
Camshaft drive:	chain		chain
Cylinder case material:	aluminum		aluminum
Cylinder liners:	dry iron		aluminum
Cylinder head material:	aluminum		aluminum, CNC ported
Lubrication system:	dry sump		dry sump
Fuel system:	sequential EFI		sequential EFI
Throttle system:	supercharged w/intercooler, throttle body		individual runner
Fuel:	premium unleaded gasoline required		E85R ethanol (ALMS) E10 (Le Mans)
Body style:		two-door hatchback coupe		two-door hatchback coupe
Drivetrain:		longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive		longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
Chassis:		hydroformed aluminum chassis, composite body		hydroformed aluminum chassis, composite body
Wheelbase (in):		105.7		105.7
Length (in):		176.2		176.2
Width (in):		75.9		78.6
Height (in):		49		45.9
Weight (lb):		3324		2745
Front suspension:		independent, short/long arm double wishbone, cast aluminum controls, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorbers, anti-roll bar		independent, short/long double wishbone, fabricated steel upper & lower, machined aluminum knuckle, coil-over multi-adjustable shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension:		independent, short/long arm double wishbone, cast aluminum control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorbers; anti-roll bar		independent, short/long arm double wishbone, steel fabricated upper & lower control arms, machined aluminum knuckle, coil-over multi-adjustable shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes:		front and rear power-assisted carbon-ceramic disc with 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers, cross-drilled rotors, ABS		4-wheel disc with monoblock calipers, steel rotors and ceramic composite pads
Wheels (in):		19 x 10 (front); 20 x 12 (rear)		18 x 12.5 (front); 18 x 13 (rear)
Tires:		Michelin Pilot Sport 2 P285/30ZR19 (front), P335/25ZR20 (rear)		Michelin racing tires, 300/32-18 (front), 310/41-18 (rear)
Fuel capacity (gal):		18		26.4 (29 @ ALMS E85R spec)

Corvette Racing to Return to
Le Mans in 2010

Corvette Racing Confirms Full-Season ALMS Schedule, Revises Endurance Racing Driver Lineup

DETROIT – Corvette Racing will take on its most formidable challenge to date when it competes in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 12-13. The twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars are among the 17 entries in the GT2 class invited by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), organizers of the classic endurance race.

Corvette Racing has scored six wins in the GTS/GT1 class at Le Mans since 2001, including a victory in last year's race. The GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R, which is based on the production Corvette ZR1, made its competition debut in August 2009, competing in five American Le Mans Series events and scoring the team's first GT2 win at Mosport International Raceway. The list of invitees in the GT2 class for Le Mans includes two Corvettes C6.Rs, five Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs, two BMW M3s, a Jaguar XKRS, five Ferrari 430 GTs, an Aston Martin Vantage, and a Spyker C8.

"We are pleased and honored that the new GT2 Corvette C6.R has been invited by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest to compete in the world's most prestigious sports car race," said GM Racing manager Mark Kent. "Our objective is to carry forward Corvette's legacy of success as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first participation at Le Mans. This year's race will certainly be a challenge because of the depth and quality of the competition in the GT2 division. The entries represent the world's most storied sports car brands and underscore the relevance and value of racing production-based cars."

Corvette Racing will also compete with two cars in the full nine-race ALMS schedule in 2010, starting with the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20.

"While Corvette is truly a global brand, our most important market is North America," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Our participation in the American Le Mans Series is both a proving ground for our technology and a showcase to demonstrate Corvette's capabilities for our customers and fans."

Corvette Racing's driver lineup has been revised with the addition of Emmanuel Collard alongside Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta for three long-distance races (Sebring, Le Mans, and Petit Le Mans). Antonio Garcia will return as the third driver with Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen in endurance events. Canadian Ron Fellows, a charter member of Corvette Racing, will continue with the team in an ambassadorial role.

Collard, 38, of Champs sur Marne, France, has scored multiple victories in the Sebring 12-hour, Daytona 24-hour, Le Mans 24-hour, and Spa 24-hour races. He is a two-time Le Mans Series champion, and drove for the Cadillac LMP team in 2000-02.

"We are pleased to welcome Emmanuel back to the GM Racing family," said Fehan. "He has proven his ability at all levels of racing, and he understands the demands and discipline of endurance racing. He will be a valuable addition to our international lineup of championship-winning drivers."

"I'm very happy to join Corvette Racing for the 2010 endurance classics," said Collard. "Corvette has been the most successful car make and team in GT racing for over ten years now, so I'm obviously thrilled to be a part of this team. The Corvette C5-R and C6.R have been the absolute benchmarks in GT1 racing, and the new GT2 Corvette C6.R is already heading in that same successful direction. I hope my experience with GT2s from the past seasons can help Corvette secure class wins in the three endurance races."

Corvette Racing also is continuing its longstanding relationships with its sponsors and technical partners in the new season. Compuware is the team's primary sponsor for the eighth consecutive season, and Michelin, Mobil 1, XM Satellite Radio, UAW-GM, Genuine Corvette Accessories, Bose, Motorola, PRS Guitars, and BBS are continuing their support for America's premier production sports car team.

"Compuware software and experts ensure that our customers' most demanding business applications perform at their best," said Compuware Chairman and CEO Peter Karmanos, Jr. "Partnering with General Motors, Chevy and the Corvette Racing team gives Compuware another dynamic opportunity to deliver peak performance and winning results. Like the Corvette Racing team, Compuware stands for uninterrupted, optimal performance - whatever the environment - and we look forward to producing another great year on the track."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., on March 20, 2010. The 12-hour endurance race will be televised live on SPEED.

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Vette Vues Magazine, P.O. Box 740598, Orange City, FL 32774
386-775-2512 Fax: 386-267-3150

Corvette Racing 2010

GM Press Releases

Corvette Racing Qualifies Fifth and Sixth for Sebring 12-Hour Race

Race Fans Can Register to Win a Corvette Through June 30

New Corvette Racing C6.R and Production Corvette ZR1
Represent the Culmination of More Than 10 Years of Technology Transfer

Corvette Racing to Return to Le Mans in 2010

Corvette Racing Qualifies
Fifth and Sixth for Sebring 12-Hour Race

Close Qualifying Sets Stage for Intense GT2 Battle in Classic Endurance Contest

The No. 90 BMW of Dirk Mueller set the quickest time in GT2 at 2:00.782 (110.281 mph). The top six cars were within one second of the pole-winning time.

Release Date: March 19, 2010

Race Fans Can Register to
Win a Corvette Through June 30

Corvette Racing Grand Prize: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette, Trip to Le Mans

No purchase necessary. See official rules for details at www.racetowincorvette.com.

Release Date: April 17, 2010

For Release: March 03, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.

New Corvette Racing C6.R and Production Corvette ZR1
Represent the Culmination of More Than 10 Years of Technology Transfer

Updated C6.R to Race in 2010 Le Mans ,
50Years After Corvette’s First Appearance in Legendary Endurance Race

1999 – 2004: The C5-R acts as a catalyst for Corvette performance

It also served as a catalyst for Corvette performance.

2005 – 2009: The co-development of the C6.R and Z06

The C6 Corvette served as a foundation for the joint development of two new, high-performance Corvettes: the 2006 Corvette Z06 and the Corvette Racing C6.R, introduced in 2005.

For the C6.R, homologation on the Z06 translated into 42 wins, four consecutive ALMS drivers and manufacturers championships, and three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans .

2010: Introducing the second-generation C6.R, based on the ZR1

The GT rules require the use of many production-based components, making the ZR1 and C6.R the closest street and racing Corvettes since the 1960s.

The updated C6.R utilizes the ZR1 body design, aerodynamic package, aluminum frame and chassis structure, steering system, windshield, and other components.

Steering system: The new Corvette C6.R utilizes the production steering column out of the ZR1, with a fully adjustable steering wheel, and production rack-and-pinion steering rack.

Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday

2010 Corvette ZR-1 and Corvette Racing C6.R Specifications

	2010 Corvette ZR1		2010 GT2 Corvette C6.R
Displacement (L / ci):	6.2 / 376		5.5 / 336
Horsepower:	638 @ 6500 rpm		485 @5800
Torque (lb-ft):	604 @ 3800 rpm		na
Bore diameter (mm / in):	103.25 / 4.06		103.89 / 4.090
Crankshaft stroke (mm / in):	92 / 3.62		80.90 / 3.185
"V" angle (deg):	90		90
Cylinder bore spacing (mm / ci):	111.7 / 4.40		111.7 / 4.40
Valvetrain:	pushrod with overhead valves, titanium inlet		pushrod with overhead valves, titanium inlet and exhaust
Valves per cylinder:	2		2
Camshaft drive:	chain		chain
Cylinder case material:	aluminum		aluminum
Cylinder liners:	dry iron		aluminum
Cylinder head material:	aluminum		aluminum, CNC ported
Lubrication system:	dry sump		dry sump
Fuel system:	sequential EFI		sequential EFI
Throttle system:	supercharged w/intercooler, throttle body		individual runner
Fuel:	premium unleaded gasoline required		E85R ethanol (ALMS) E10 (Le Mans)
Body style:		two-door hatchback coupe		two-door hatchback coupe
Drivetrain:		longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive		longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
Chassis:		hydroformed aluminum chassis, composite body		hydroformed aluminum chassis, composite body
Wheelbase (in):		105.7		105.7
Length (in):		176.2		176.2
Width (in):		75.9		78.6
Height (in):		49		45.9
Weight (lb):		3324		2745
Front suspension:		independent, short/long arm double wishbone, cast aluminum controls, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorbers, anti-roll bar		independent, short/long double wishbone, fabricated steel upper & lower, machined aluminum knuckle, coil-over multi-adjustable shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension:		independent, short/long arm double wishbone, cast aluminum control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorbers; anti-roll bar		independent, short/long arm double wishbone, steel fabricated upper & lower control arms, machined aluminum knuckle, coil-over multi-adjustable shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes:		front and rear power-assisted carbon-ceramic disc with 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers, cross-drilled rotors, ABS		4-wheel disc with monoblock calipers, steel rotors and ceramic composite pads
Wheels (in):		19 x 10 (front); 20 x 12 (rear)		18 x 12.5 (front); 18 x 13 (rear)
Tires:		Michelin Pilot Sport 2 P285/30ZR19 (front), P335/25ZR20 (rear)		Michelin racing tires, 300/32-18 (front), 310/41-18 (rear)
Fuel capacity (gal):		18		26.4 (29 @ ALMS E85R spec)

Corvette Racing to Return to
Le Mans in 2010

Corvette Racing Confirms Full-Season ALMS Schedule, Revises Endurance Racing Driver Lineup

Corvette Racing will also compete with two cars in the full nine-race ALMS schedule in 2010, starting with the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20.

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Vette Vues Magazine, PO Box 511874, Punta Gorda, FL 33951-1874
386-775-2512 Fax: 386-267-3150