ALMS teams invited to 2010 Le Mans

[MOTV8]

It's early...but it's news, and I know Dawg is jonesing.

Racing series LEMANS ALMS

HEAVY SERIES FLAVOR IN FIRST LIST OF 2010 LE MANS INVITES

Risi Competizione and Flying Lizard Motorsports are each on the list of the first 27 invites to the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Five teams and six entries from the American Le Mans Series are among the first 29 teams offered official invitations to next year's running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As has been the case for the last 11 seasons, all championship-winning entrants in each American Le Mans Series class receive invites to compete the following year in the world's greatest auto race along with class winners at the annual Petit Le Mans.Risi Competizione's two entries and the first invite for reigning LMP1 champion Patron Highcroft Racing lead the Series' contingent. Not only did the trio of Jaime Melo, Pierre Kaffer and Mika Salo give Risi its second straight GT2 crown at Le Mans this year, but the trio also drove the Risi Ferrari F430 GT to a second consecutive class win at Petit Le Mans in September. Flying Lizard Motorsports appears on its way to a sixth straight appearance at Le Mans with its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The team won its second consecutive Series GT2 championship this year with six victories for Porsche works drivers Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister.

Both Patron Highcroft and Lowe's Fernandez Racing -- LMP2 -- also received entries for their championship performances. Patron Highcroft owner Duncan Dayton has made no secret of his ambitions to take his team to Le Mans in the past. Corvette Racing also received an invite for winning the GT1 class in 2009. With the team's move to GT2, however, it is likely that it will decline the automatic entry. Since 1999, American Le Mans Series teams have been driving forces at Le Mans with eight overall championship and 25 class championships.

SAFETY FIRST: Corvette Racing's Johnny O'Connell says the crew at Pratt & Miller have been hard at work restoring and rebuilding the Corvette C6.R that was heavily damaged in the epic last-lap duel between teammate Jan Magnussen and Flying Lizard Motorsports' Jorg Bergmeister in the Monterey Sports Car Championships presented by Patron. The Corvette and Porsche banged side-to-side coming out of the final turn in a frantic GT2 battle. As they beat on each other toward the finish, Magnussen went around hard into the outside wall just before the start-finish line." Perhaps one the greatest strengths of Corvette Racing is the close association we have with the production side, and the relationship between the two," O'Connell wrote on his personal blog. "Included in that is the importance both place on safety. Jan's wreck was huge. He's still not back to 100 percent but is getting close. That said, many aspects of the crash have been analyzed and changes made to the car to better protect us in the future. Just like was done when Dale Jr. had his crash and fire (at Infineon in 2004), things have been changed and improved. So as we move to the future all of us drivers will be confident in the safety or our car and know that everything has been looked at many times by the best in the industry."

The American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America's greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. et on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED.The annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for February 22-23, also at Sebring International Raceway.

-credit: alms

[Desertdawg]

Thanks Dean

[MOTV8]

ALMS: Doug Fehan Q&A

Written by: Media Release

12/22/2009

Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan has seen it all in motorsports, and he had to rely on every element of that hard-earned experience to navigate through a tumultuous 2009 season. In the midst of a global economic storm, Fehan steered Corvette Racing to the team's sixth win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the successful mid-year introduction of the GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R in the American Le Mans Series.

Corvette Racing's 10th anniversary season was a year of transition. The championship-winning GT1 Compuware Corvettes secured a seventh win in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 21, and made their farewell appearance in the ALMS in Long Beach, Calif., on April 18. The curtain fell on the GT1 era on June 13-14 with a GT1 victory in Le Mans, France, as Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia stood on the top step of the podium. Seven weeks later, two new-generation Corvette C6.Rs made their competition debut in the GT2 class at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

As the team conducted a five-race test program in preparation for a unified GT class in 2010, Corvette Racing posted five podium finishes and notched its first GT2 win at Mosport International Raceway on August 30. In the series' final five rounds, Corvette Racing scored more team and manufacturer points than any other GT2 entry, and O'Connell and Magnussen tallied the most points in the GT2 drivers championship. The season ended with fireworks at Laguna Seca as Magnussen walked away from his battered race car after a high-speed crash on the final lap of the season.

Under Fehan's leadership, Corvette Racing has become one of the world's premier production sports car teams. An ardent advocate for the Corvette cause and an icon for legions of faithful Corvette fans; Fehan received the ALMS "From the Fans" award in 2004, 2008, and 2009. In the following Q&A, he looks back at the 2009 season and looks ahead to 2010.

Q: Looking in the rearview mirror, what stands out in 2009?

Fehan: "There were really two parts to the season – our final races in GT1 leading up to Le Mans, followed by the debut of the GT2 program. Our focus was and will always be the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When GM was going through its restructuring, our greatest concern was that some might not understand the importance and significance of that event. It was a heartening moment when we were able to get past that point.

"In spite of many uncertainties, the team focused its energy on running the first round at Sebring, which we knew would be a great test of the engineering improvements we'd made in the race cars. And then going to Long Beach, we fulfilled the second half of our mission, which is marketing the Corvette and Chevrolet brands and representing our team sponsors.

"Everyone felt the importance of writing the final chapter of GT1 at Le Mans. They dedicated themselves to succeed, and it was absolutely amazing to see them embrace that idea. It fueled their fire because they knew the team was undergoing its most significant challenge, and concurrently they were designing, planning and building the GT2 cars. The preparation was almost as much fun as the race."

Q: And the highlight of the GT2 portion?

Fehan: "The win at Mosport. Watching the new cars' first laps at Mid-Ohio and knowing that we'd be competitive was certainly exciting, but the victory at Mosport was overwhelming. It happened much sooner than we expected, and it showed ALMS fans what they have to look forward to in 2010 with competition between Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, and Ford.

"I think by any measure, the GT2 Corvette introduction was successful. Our objective was to focus on Corvette Racing's core strengths: preparation, durability and reliability. We've learned that is what scores points – it's not always the fastest car that wins races and championships. In five events, we had zero mechanical issues, and the cars were on pace. That was very encouraging."

Q: Surely one of the highlights of 2009 was your stunning victory over Jan "The Flying Viking" Magnussen in the Tour de Road America Bike Ride to Fight Cancer?

Fehan: "That certainly ranks right at the top, but in a different category (laughs). We had some fun, and the race benefited a good cause, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I challenge the pit crews to improve continuously, and the bike race demonstrated to our drivers that there is going to be continuous improvement in their level of physical preparation as well. I mean, they ought to be able to keep up with the program manager!"

Q: On a serious note, what were the lessons learned in Jan's last-lap crash at Laguna Seca?

Fehan: "Unfortunately the hardest lessons you learn in this sport are always safety related. You never want to put your safety systems to the test, but when that moment arrives, it's very reassuring to know that they are validated. That's what we learned at Laguna Seca.

"Initially we had concerns about running an aluminum chassis, and we had concerns about how the roll cage was integrated into the chassis. The force of the impact exceeded 50 g's, and yet Jan walked away. When we analyzed the chassis after the crash, the safety systems worked just as they were designed, and the aluminum chassis did a marvelous job of absorbing the energy and protecting Jan from serious injury.

"The extent of Jan's injuries was a broken tailbone, which we attribute to the seat design. We have redesigned that part to prevent a reoccurrence in the future, so that is the upside of the incident. Despite the severity of the crash, the crew had the No. 3 Corvette repaired and fully operational within a couple of weeks."

Q: What is the status of the GT-spec Corvette customer car program for 2010?

Fehan: "We currently have two customer cars under construction, but we don't yet have confirmed buyers for them. There has been tremendous interest in the GT-spec Corvette C6.Rs, and we think with continued improvement in the global economy, the interested parties will be able to make a commitment. We'd be delighted to see more Corvettes racing in the ALMS or overseas."

Q: While there will be a single GT class in the ALMS in 2010, GT1 will continue in the FIA series and at Le Mans. What's your perspective on the two classes?

Fehan: "A year ago, there was general agreement regarding a unified GT class, which we will see in the ALMS in 2010. The intention at that time was to base the FIA GT1 class on GT cars, with limited modifications to the engine and aerodynamics. Since then, however, Europe has encountered the same economic issues that we have faced in the U.S., and many members of the racing community understandably wish to retain their current cars for financial reasons. Consequently some of the older GT1 cars will now be converted to the new regulations, including several privately owned Corvette C6.Rs, and the ACO has invited these cars to participate at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the economic climate improves, I hope that the decision makers will recognize the benefits of running one GT class at Le Mans and other venues."

Q: Corvette Racing will introduce a production-based 5.5-liter small-block V-8 engine in 2010 in place of the 7.0-liter and 6.0-liter engines used previously. What's the outlook for the engine program?

Fehan: "GM Powertrain has completed the initial dynamometer tests of the 5.5-liter small-block V8, and the race team has conducted the first track test with the new engine. We are quite satisfied with its performance level at this point. We plan to continue development and introduce the 5.5-liter engine package in competition at Sebring."

Q: What are Corvette Racing's goals for 2010?

Fehan: "The ALMS GT championship and victory at Le Mans."

[az-gold]

ALMS: Doug Fehan Q&A

Written by: Media Release

12/22/2009

Q: Corvette Racing will introduce a production-based 5.5-liter small-block V-8 engine in 2010 in place of the 7.0-liter and 6.0-liter engines used previously. What's the outlook for the engine program?

Fehan: "GM Powertrain has completed the initial dynamometer tests of the 5.5-liter small-block V8, and the race team has conducted the first track test with the new engine. We are quite satisfied with its performance level at this point. We plan to continue development and introduce the 5.5-liter engine package in competition at Sebring."

Uh oh...

[Desertdawg]

Why uh oh ?????

Q: On a serious note, what were the lessons learned in Jan's last-lap crash at Laguna Seca?

Fehan: " The force of the impact exceeded 50 g's, and yet Jan walked away.

50 G's...

[az-gold]

Why uh oh ?????

Q: On a serious note, what were the lessons learned in Jan's last-lap crash at Laguna Seca?

Fehan: " The force of the impact exceeded 50 g's, and yet Jan walked away.

50 G's...

"Uh oh" because typically racing efforts are the view of things to come...going away from the 6 and 7 liter and down to a 5.5?

If they are as successful as they have been, think of the marketing tool the race team, like all other factory sponsored ones, becomes.

Long term, do you think that with the generational evolution/shift in motoring tastes, ie younger generation's interest in smaller, "tuner" type cars as opposed to the larger motored cars that the preceding generation appears to have a larger interest in, that GM and the rest of the mfg's aren not going to get ahead of the curve.

In reading about the trends in collectible car pricing it appears that the hey-day of the muscle car is begining to wane, again IMHO, I think it's a generational issue. Recently, the guy I bought my Z06 from also had a pristine, '87 Grand National with 7k miles. It too still had the new car smell like the Z. I told him, beautiful car, but a tough sell with no one outside of our generation really knowing what it is. I see now he's going to try and sell it at the upcoming Russo-Steele auction along with a fairly high proliferation of other muscle cars. Before I left New England I had the chance to tour a shop that specialized in rusty metal replacement on cars, no matter what make, model or year. It was a really unique biz with nothing but metal replacing metal, no filler, no painting other than a seal coat of primer. The owner was saying that he was already seeing a slump in the muscle car interest and this was 3 years ago, again saying that in his opinion that it was a generational change in car interest.

That's all.

[MOTV8]

As I was saying...

C6.R's to invade France in TWO CLASSES, beeotches! Get out the stinky fromage, garcon.

LE MANS: Entry List Unveiled

Written by: John Dagys

2/04/2010

Chicago, IL

As part of its annual press conference at Le Mans on Thursday, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest unveiled the 55 entries and 10 reserves for this year’s twice-around-the-clock June classic. Led by a continued strong factory contingent of manufacturers with Peugeot, Audi and Aston Martin in the premier LMP1 ranks, three automakers - BMW, Jaguar and Ford - make their return to Circuit de La Sarthe in the production-based categories.

Defending Le Mans winners Team Peugeot Total lead the way with three Peugeot 908 HDi-FAPs, while Audi Sport Team Joest return with a trio of Audi R15 ‘Plus’ TDIs. Aston Martin Racing is again represented but with two Lola-Aston Martins instead of the three entered last year. Team ORECA Matmut gains two entries - one being the customer Peugeot 908 and the other for its AIM-powered ORECA 01.

Following their solid run at Le Mans last year, Kolles returns with two entries for its customer Audi R10 TDIs, while Rebellion Racing steps up with two cars in the premier prototype category. Signature Plus fields a customer Lola-Aston Martin, while Nigel Mansell will make his Le Mans debut as a driver of the Beechdeen-Mansell Motorsport Ginetta-Zytek 09S.

The Dome S102 Judd returns to Le Mans after a one-year absence, while the two automatic invitations from Pescarolo Sport and Sora Racing have been taken up under a joint effort from Charouz Racing System.

American Le Mans Series fans will have two teams to cheer for in P1, with Drayson Racing and Autocon Motorsports both securing invites for its Lola prototypes.

And it doesn’t stop there. Highcroft Racing will make its debut at Circuit de La Sarthe in the LMP2 category with its HPD ARX-01C. Joining the Duncan Dayton-led group in P2 will be HPD customer entries from Strakka Racing and RML. Other contenders for the class win include defending LMS P2 champions Quifel-ASM Team, Racing Box and a two-car OAK Racing program.

Eight cars from five manufacturers make up the GT1 category, with the notable return of Ford to the 24-hour classic for the first time since 1983. Two FIA World GT1-specification Ford GTs have been entered for Matech Competition and Marc VDS Racing, respectively.

Existing GT1 machinery, which have been grandfathered into the new-look category for 2010, include two Corvettes for Luc Alphand Aventures , a single Pratt & Miller-built C6.R for PekaRacing , and an Aston Martin DBR9 for Young Driver AMR. JLOC’s Lamborghini Murcielago, which gained an automatic invite for winning the Asian Le Mans Series, joins a Saleen S7R from Larbre Competition, which rounds out the class.

Two manufacturers not included this year are Maserati and Nissan , which were both expected to gain entries in GT1. It’s unclear whether the teams were rejected or they simply didn’t request invites, as the ACO doesn't disclose turned down entries. [/je regrette]

With 17 entries representing seven manufacturers, GT2 at Le Mans has never been stronger. Defending race winners Risi Competizione return with two Ferrari F430 GTs and lead the strong contingent of American teams in this year’s race. A trio of ALMS regulars - Corvette Racing, BMW and RSR - make their Le Mans class debuts.

Two GT2-spec Corvette C6.Rs and BMW Motorsport-entered E92 M3s have been invited, as has the brand-new Jaguar XKRS from the Paul Gentilozzi-led RSR stables. ALMS fans must also not forget Flying Lizard Motorsports, which return with their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. (I hope Mags puts em into the Dunlop bridge, ...oops did I say that out loud?)

Other Porsche entrants include IMSA Performance Matmut, Prospeed and Team Felbermayr-Proton, while AF Corse, BMS Scuderia Italia, Hankook-Team Farnbacher and Modena Race Group will all race Ferraris.

The Aston Martin Vantage returns, but this time under the JMW Motorsport banner (who?), while a single Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R rounds out the impressive GT2 field.

Ten reserve entries, now divided into LMP and GT groups, feature notable teams in the GT2 ranks. Team Felbermayr-Proton’s second car of 2009 LMS GT2 champions Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz was not accepted, nor was the second AF Corse entry for Formula One star Ginacarolo Fisichella and Dempsey Racing driver Joe Foster. It’s believed once a driver is nominated to a particular entry he/she cannot move to another car. This could make things interesting, especially with the star power assembled in reserve entries that may not get a chance to race.

“There’s confidence because endurance racing is a form of motorsport that pleases everybody and is becoming increasingly successful by it’s continuity and technical progress,” said ACO President Jean-Claude Plassart during the announcement. “I think the major manufacturers, and even the small constructors, have had a great investment in Le Mans because a lot of new technology has been tested here. It’s going to be a really great field.”

Plassart confirmed there were 84 entry requests, a remarkable number considering the challenging economic times. Healso revealed changes in the traditional Le Mans week schedule. Scrutineering in the town center has been moved forward one day to Sunday, June 6 and Monday, June 7. Track action on the 9th will now kick off with a four-hour practice session from 4-8 p.m. and one round of qualifying from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Two final qualifying sessions the following evening will set the field.

2010 Le Mans 24 Hours Entry List (with nominated driver)

LMP1

Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Alexander Wurz

Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Nicolas Minassian


Peugeot Sport Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Sebastien Bourdais



Audi Sport North America - Audi R15 TDI - Mike Rockenfeller


Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R15 TDI - Andre Lotterer


Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R15 TDI - Tom Kristensen

Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - Harold Primat

Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - Darren Turner

Signature Plus - Lola Aston Martin - Pierre Ragues

Team Oreca Matmut - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Olivier Panis


AIM Team Oreca - Oreca 01 AIM - Soheil Ayari

Kolles - Audi R10 TDI - Christian Bakkerud


Kolles - Audi R10 TDI - Christijan Albers

Rebellion Racing - Lola B10/60 Rebellion - Andrea Belicchi


Rebellion Racing - Lola B10/60 Rebellion - Nicolas Prost


SORA Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Christophe Tinseau


Pescarolo Sport - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Ho-Pin Tung

Beechdean Mansell Motorsport - Ginetta-Zytek Z09R - Nigel Mansell

Dome Racing Team - Dome S102 Judd - Sebastien Philippe

Drayson Racing - Lola B09/60 Judd - Paul Drayson


Autocon Motorsports - Lola B06/10 AER - Michael Lewis









LMP2


Highcroft Racing - HPD Acura ARX-01C - David Brabham


Strakka Racing - HPD Acura ARX-01C - Nick Leventis


RML - Lola B08/80 HPD - Mike Newton

OAK Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Richard Hein


OAK Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Jacques Nicolet


Quifel-ASM Team - Ginetta Zytek 09S Zytek - Miguel Amaral


Racing Box - Lola B08/80 Judd - Luca Pirri


Team Bruichladdich - Ginetta Zytek 07S Zytek - Karim Ojjeh


Gerard Welter - WR Zytek - Philippe Salini


GT1

Luc Alphand Aventures - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Stephan Gregoire


Luc Alphand Aventures - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Luc Alphand


PekaRacing NV - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Anthony Kumpen


Young Driver AMR - Aston Martin DBR9 - Christoffer Nygaard

Matech Competition - Ford GT - Natacha Gachnang


Marc VDS Racing - Ford GT - Eric de Doncker


JLOC - Lamborghini Murcielago GT1 - Yogo Atsushi



Larbre Competition - Saleen S7R - Roland Berville

LM GT2


Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Jaime Melo


Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Tracy Krohn

Corvette Racing - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Oliver Gavin


Corvette Racing - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Jan Magnussen

BMW Motorsport - BMW M3 GT2 - Andy Priaulx


BMW Motorsport - BMW M3 GT2 - Jörg Müller


RSR - Jaguar XKR GT2 - Paul Gentilozzi


Flying Lizard Motorsports - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Seth Neiman

AF Corse - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Luis Perez Companc


Hankook Team Farnbacher - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Dominik Farnbacher


IMSA Performance Matmut - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Raymond Narac


Team Felbermayr-Proton - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Horst Felbermayr


BMS Scuderia Italia - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Matteo Malucelli


JMW Motorsport - Aston Martin Vantage GT2 - Rob Bell

Spyker Squadron - Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R - Tim Coronel


Modena Group Racing - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Roman Rusinov


ProSpeed Competition - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Paul van Splunteren

Reserves

Pegasus Racing - Norma Judd - Julien Schnell (LMP2)

Tokai University TGH Power - Courage-ORECA YGH - Shigekazu Wakisaka (LMP1)

KSM - Lola Judd - Jean de Pourtales (LMP2)

Jose Ibanez - Lola Judd - Jose Ibanex (LMP2)

Kaneko Racing - Courage Judd - Yutaka Yamagishi (LMP1)

Team Felbermayr-Proton - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Marc Lieb (GT2)

Team Hong Kong Racing - Aston Martin Vantage - Phillip Ma (GT2)

AF Corse - Ferrari F430 GT - Gincarolo Fisichella (GT2)

Matech Competition - Ford GT - Thomas Mutsch (GT1)

Spyker Squadron - Spyker C8 Laviolette - Tom Coronel (GT2)

Take No Prisoners!

[Desertdawg]

I'm sure there will be plenty of watching Nigel Mansell, being it's his first time and all... And yeah stick them lizards into the wall Do you think the Luc team can sweep GT1?

[MOTV8]

I'm sure there will be plenty of watching Nigel Mansell, being it's his first time and all... And yeah stick them lizards into the wall

Do you think the Luc team can sweep GT1?

Yes. Why not? The Saleen?

Meh.

GT2 will be tasty. The "AF Corse" Ferrari supposedly even hired ex-F1 pilot Giancarlo Fiscicella (sp?)...

[MOTV8]

Le Oficial Press Release from the home team, and no more Fassler, ex-factory porch jock named Collard (greens) signed on as the third wheel for enduros:

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, (dude on the right) 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.

[FNBADAZ06]

Yeah, baby !!!! I definetly enjoy this type of racing over neckcar...plus, we have Corvette's running

[MOTV8]

This still qualifies as 'off-season' news....

Spied at Pratt & Miller: the new C6.R GT2 paint jobs for 2010:

You likey?

[Desertdawg]

I think they look awesome, I just need a good action shot during the race, I need a new desktop picture. At least they picked the right color for the number on the door.....

[MOTV8]

Awesome? Really? I thought fer sure you and maybe BP would rip the new 'look' - it certainly has a little Fast & Furious feel to it.

[Desertdawg]

It might look a little "new age-y" but whats underneath is definitely awesome!

[MOTV8]

Pilfered from BBV:

2 days of private testing for the 2010 edition of Corvette Racing just concluded @ Sebring.

Reports from godug say, except for the challenge of 35mph headwinds which made the throttle-heavy very-fast Turn 1 an exercise in blended skill / prayer, everything went according to plan.

So smooth / flawless were the 2 new GT2’s that - “We came close to running out of fuel before we ran out of time.” - was the way godug explained that a trouble-free test allowed the team to pound down the miles.

Emmanuel Collard got his 1st Corvette Racing experience after years pushing around Porsches. “Simply awesome!” was his initial feedback on his new ride.

The team ran the race-calibrated 5.5L motor, sourced from within GM Powertrain for 2010, for the 1st time and all was ‘good to go’. Great news for Team GM.

And talk about awesome! Crank up the volume and watch Ollie on an outlap at Sebring in the new GT2. It sounds angry!!

AND autoblog posted up some sweet photos of the "new" car, ya know, fer yer screensaver or whatevah...

[Desertdawg]

And talk about awesome! Crank up the volume and watch Ollie on an outlap at Sebring in the new GT2. It sounds angry!!

Far out!!!

Looks like they moved the radiator to the rear bumper. ???

[TheCMSH]

And talk about awesome! Crank up the volume and watch Ollie on an outlap at Sebring in the new GT2. It sounds angry!!

Far out!!!

Looks like they moved the radiator to the rear bumper. ???

Interesting, good eye. Isn't that where the license plate that reads "ITALEON" is suppose to go?

[P51tj]

Interesting, good eye. Isn't that where the license plate that reads "ITALEON" is suppose to go?

Oh No Jim!!!

I like the new look, not as well, but YELLER is still the primary color so it's all good!

[MOTV8]

Looks like they moved the radiator to the rear bumper. ???

Good eye, indeed Dawg. New stuff, can't find any technical info yet. I even went and checked the original computational fluid dynamics they published for last year's GT2:

Airflow through the front brakes and radiator is shown in this CFD graphic. Brake cooling air exits the front wheels and travels along the side of the car while radiator cooling air moves over the roof and under the wing (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

This CFD graphic shows areas of high and low pressure on the GT2 Corvette C6.R body. Red on the front fascia, sideview mirrors and wing indicates high pressure; blue on the roof and fenders indicates areas of low pressure (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

This CFD study visualizes surface vortices and the resulting turbulence as the GT2 Corvette C6.R moves through the air. Airflow around the wheel openings and the wing is highly turbulent as indicated by the blue wakes, while the airflow over the roof is relatively undisturbed (Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo).

So, if the the radiator is still up front, would something like a rear diff cooler be stuck back there? The fans are needed because as shown in the photos above, there's not much airflow there. So what is it?

[Desertdawg]

I agree, it's probably the diff or tranny cooler stuck in the rear, after I had posted the radiator and logged off I thought about it and figured what I said was wrong! Love the fluid dynamic shots!

[MOTV8]

The PR machine is cranking up.....

Atherton: 2010 Season Will Deliver!

American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton wishes he had more fingers.

As he begins to count all the positive and progressive things that have happened during the offseason, he runs out of digits quickly. The toes may be next. As the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón rolls into its 12th season March 20 with the 58th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida in a few weeks, Atherton’s enthusiasm is evident.

"I know that according to the pundits, this season is not supposed to give much indication that things are turning around yet," Atherton said during Media Day at the Series’ annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway, "but sometimes the pundits are wrong – at least when it comes to the American Le Mans Series."

Atherton began his address to the media at the annual Sebring Winter Test with an emphasis on the record number cars, 28, attending the test. Later in the evening, he helped introduce Tequila Patrón as the presenting sponsor of the world’s leading sports car racing championship. "This bodes well for the 12 Hours," said Atherton, who predicted a field of 35-plus cars for the season opener. Last year’s field was 26.

The addition of the Le Mans Prototype Challenge class is one of many new features in the 2010 championship.

NEW CLASS STRUCTURE

One factor in the Series’ rising popularity and car counts was its ability to incorporate the desires of fans and competitors in combining the prototype and GT classes while at the same time creating two "Challenge" classes in each group to develop the talented pool of new, up-and-coming drivers and teams. The GT Challenge class was actually instituted mid-season last year at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Cars competing in that class, which is currently comprised of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars but will eventually involve other marquees and manufacturers, will run the full race schedule in 2010. The LMP Challenge class will be comprised of at least a half dozen ORECA-Courage FLM09 prototypes. These cars debuted last year as support events for the Le Mans Series in Europe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

CONTENT IS KING

Among the new full-season entries for 2010 is the two-car Ferrari F430 GT team of Scott Sharp’s Extreme Speed Motorsports. Sharp has persuaded long-time Flying Lizard Motorsports driver Johannes van Overbeek to be his seatmate, while Ed Brown and Guy Cosmo fill car number two.

Veteran Paul Gentilozzi launches Jaugar’s first full-time sports car effort in more than 15 years with a Jaguar XKRS for his JaguarRSR team. He and Marc Goossens will drive the full season with appearances by the likes of Scott Pruett, Tomy Drissi and Ryan Dalziel throughout the year.

Team Falken Tire with its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is one of several new full-seasons additions to the 2010 grid.

Black Swan Racing returns under the direction of environmental developer Tim Pappas, who will campaign a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with former Porsche Supercup champion and past Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 winner Jeroen Bleekemolen of Monaco. The Black Swan entry is one of four Porsches expected to grace the Sebring GT2 grid. Also among them is Team Falken Tire’s entry, which will compete for the full season with Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers driving.

In LMP, Lord Drayson returns for a full-season effort with teammate Jonny Cocker in a new Lola-Judd coupe. The Drayson-Cocker partnership competed in the full 2008 season and entered its new closed-cockpit prototype in the final two rounds of 2009. Five-time Le Mans champion and former Audi factory pilot Emanuele Pirro will join them for the endurance races at Sebring, Monterey and Petit Le Mans as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans to which the team has been invited. Drayson is Great Britain’s Minister of Science and Innovation and a worldwide voice on environmental and sustainable energy issues.

Atherton also pointed out that several international heavyweights will appear periodically on the American Le Mans Series grid this year, beginning with Sebring.

Peugeot, winner last year at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans, announced Monday a two-car factory effort for the season opener. Meanwhile Aston Martin Racing, with last year’s LMP2 champion Adrian Fernandez, will race early in the season at both Sebring and Long Beach as it prepares to tackle the formidable Peugeots and Audis at Le Mans in June. Both, as well as other international teams, could return for Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans, one of the three events in the ACO’s inaugural Intercontinental Cup comprised of one marquee endurance race in Europe, North America and Asia.

The enthusiasm for 2010 does not rest only in new teams, classes and drivers, however.

Defending LMP1 champion Patrón Highcroft Racing will be among the favorites in the newly combined LMP class. David Brabham returns for Highcroft with new teammates Simon Pagenaud, who drove with Gil de Ferran last year, and Marino Franchitti. Dyson Racing, equipped with its Mazda-powered Lola coupe along with the Porsche RS Spyder of Team Cytosport – making its first full-season run – will also battle among the prototypes. Stellar independents Intersport Racing with Jon and Clint Field and Autocon Motorsports – bound for Le Mans in June – will also give chase.

Meanwhile, the GT class is expected to see a season-long battle for the ages with three Porsche teams headed by defending champion Flying Lizard Motorsports, a two-car effort from BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team, the formidable Risi Ferrari team, Robertson Racing and Corvette Racing –the most successful team in American Le Mans Series history – vying for podiums all season long in addition to the aforementioned Extreme Speed Ferraris and JaguarRSR.

"This is the strongest GT class we have ever had," said Atherton.

GROWTH IN CORPORATE PARTNERS

Among the most rewarding developments for Atherton and the Series has been the influx of new corporate partners. The Series announced Tequila Patrón of the Patrón Spirits Company as its presenting sponsor at a lavish reception Monday night, while earlier in the day declaring Yancey’s Fancy Cheese as its official cheese. Both partners plan aggressive in-market activation around all events in 2010. Atherton said several others would likely be announced within the next several weeks.

"There is nothing that sustains and builds a motorsports series better than great content and great corporate partners," said Atherton. "We have taken a significant step forward in both those areas and I am confident that 2010 is going to be a very good year for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patro?n."

GLOBAL LEADER GREEN RACING

Another area that has made the American Le Mans Series distinct is its position as the Global Leader in Green Racing. The Series introduced its first alternative fuel in 2006 – coincidentally at Sebring – with the diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI and has added a new alternative energy or powertrains every year since. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with SAE International declared the American Le Mans Series the only motorsports series to meet its green racing protocols. The government agencies then created an end-of-season Green Challenge™ award to go to manufacturers whose efforts exhibited the most fuel efficiency, least environment impact and best overall performance for the year among prototypes and GT cars.

Last year, Michelin created an ancillary award, the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge given to teams each race with a season-ending award to the top prototype and GT team. Acura and Porsche won the DOE-EPA Green Challenge™ manufacturer award while Lowe’s Fernandez Racing and Flying Lizard Motorsports took home the respective MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge awards.

"Auto manufacturers and our government leaders confirm that racing series which provide opportunities to showcase and develop new consumer technologies – with an emphasis on the environment – are the future," said Atherton. "We have never been more confident in our position and look forward to expanding our green racing initiatives to better serve the teams and manufacturers competing with us. We are ideally positioned to take advantage of and benefit from the current and future focus of manufacturers’ innovations in sustainable energies."

GROWING TELEVSION PRODUCT AND FAN BASE

The 2010 season is not only about increased car counts, new partners and solidifying its role as the Global Leader in Green Racing. The Series averaged nearly 80,000 fans per race event last year while taking its television product to more than 600 million homes worldwide. This season, it plans to include live streaming of all SPEED qualifying and introduced an innovative programming concept for its two CBS telecasts of races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio.

Intersport, a seven-time Emmy award-winning production company best known recently for the film "Truth in 24" that it co-produced with NFL Films, will produce two 90-minute shows for each of the CBS races, focusing on the stories behind and within the race as well as the battles that eventually produce the race champions.

"You will see the American Le Mans Series as you have not seen it before," predicted Atherton. "And it will be good … very good."

[MOTV8]

Maybe this will help figure out what that rear-mount radiator is for!

Corvette Racing is said to be launching a 12 part video series on the new 2010 GT2 C6.R, part one and the story: HERE!