Corvette Racing will run a limited schedule in the GT1 class in the first half of the 2009 ALMS season as it prepares for its 10th participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The team will race in the GT1 class in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the popular Grand Prix of Long Beach. Following its return from the classic 24-hour endurance race in France, Corvette Racing will compete in the GT2 category in selected ALMS events in 2009 in preparation for a full-season program under new international GT class regulations in 2010.
Corvette Racing will be well positioned for the future of production-based sports car racing worldwide with the plans we are announcing today, said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. The international regulations are converging around a single, global GT class, and we intend to continue Corvettes motorsports heritage by racing against manufacturers and marques that Corvette competes with in the marketplace.
The GT1 class has been a platform for GM Racing and our partners to develop the most technically sophisticated race cars in our history, Wesoloski said. We intend to apply the tremendous success we have had in the GT1 category to make the next-generation Corvette C6.R a strong contender in the new GT class.
Manufacturers currently represented in the ALMS GT2 class or confirmed for future participation include Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Dodge, and Panoz. Other manufacturers produce high-performance cars that could compete in the new GT category.
In accordance with the regulations, the new version of the Corvette C6.R race car will be available to independent teams, Wesoloski said. Corvette and Chevrolet are global brands, and we look forward to seeing production-based Corvette race cars competing in series around the world under the leadership of the Automobile Club de lOuest (ACO) and the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA).
The new GT Corvette C6.R race car will be based on the production Corvettes chassis and body design. A 6.0-liter version of the LS7.R small-block V-8 will power the Corvette GT2 entry in the transitional 2009 season. A new naturally aspirated 5.5-liter version of the production GM small-block V-8 will be developed to meet the new GT regulations that will take effect in 2010. The chassis and powertrain specifications of the new Corvette GT entry will be submitted to the ACO and FIA for homologation approval.
Competing in GT2 will be a true test of our teams determination, talent and technology, said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager. The level of competition in the category is already fierce, and that promises to become more intense with more manufacturers and top-tier teams. Weve explored alternative paths, and we believe that competing in GT is the right road for Corvette Racing to take in the future.
We will continue our commitment to cellulosic E85R ethanol racing fuel in the current GT1 Corvette C6.R and the next-generation Corvette C6.R that will compete in the new GT class Fehan said. Corvette Racings green racing initiative is proof of our commitment to using alternative fuels at the highest levels of motorsports.
Corvette Racing is Americas premier production sports car team, with 72 wins in 100 races. The most successful team in ALMS history, Corvette Racing has won seven consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight drivers championships. Corvette Racing has five GT1 victories since 2001 in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 2009 season will mark Corvette Racings 10th anniversary in international endurance racing, and it will also mark the beginning of a new chapter in Corvettes racing history, said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. Corvette Racing has consistently delivered tangible engineering and marketing benefits to GM and Chevrolet. Our announcement today of Corvette Racings future plans affirms the continuing value of production-based racing as a development tool for advanced technology in powertrain, aerodynamics, lightweight materials, safety, and computer modeling.
Its not just high-performance machines like the Corvette Z06 and ZR1 that bear witness to the positive impact of racing, Kent said. The lessons learned at Corvette Racing can benefit mainstream production vehicles as GM continues to develop lightweight, aerodynamic, and fuel-efficient cars and trucks.
Corvette Racings next event is Petit Le Mans, the 10th round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series, at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m. EDT on Saturday, October 4. SPEED will televise the race live starting at 11 a.m. EDT.
Nothing on my Speed says anything about an ALMS Preview show.
