Utah Grand Prix, then off to France

[MOTV8]

At the heart of everything Corvette Racing does is Le Mans. In a little more than a month, the factory team will go for its sixth GT1 victory in the world's most prestigious race since 2001. In preparation for the twice- around-the-clock race, Corvette tested at Road Atlanta last week for two days.

The two-car squad also has entered its two Corvette C6.Rs for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by the Grand and Little America Hotels. For the first time, the American Le Mans Series will compete on the 3.048-mile, 15-turn perimeter circuit at Miller Motorsports Park.

"It wasn't the elevation changes at Road Atlanta as much as the speed of the corners," said Johnny O'Connell, who has won two times in three races with Jan Magnussen so far in 2008. "I don't know if (Miller Motorsports Park) is more relevant with the new layout. It's the last time to really run the car hard before we go to Le Mans. In some ways it's a bit of an inconvenience. We race the cars, load them up and their home for one or two days before they're shipped to Le Mans. You'd like a little more time for the guys to work on the cars and do what they need to do. But I do love the track. It's one of the best anywhere and I enjoy competing there."

O'Connell and Jan Magnussen enter the American Le Mans Series' fourth round with two victories in three starts (including the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Ron Fellows) and hold the lead in the GT1 championship standings. The trio finished second in a rain-soaked Le Mans last year.

"We've had some success early in the year and that does make you feel a little more confident going to a place like Le Mans," O'Connell added. "But Le Mans is its own event and we saw last year with the No. 4 car that anything can happen."

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by the Grand and Little America Hotels on Sunday, May 18 from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The green flag is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT with live television coverage on SPEED. Live radio coverage will be available on XM Satellite Radio Channel 144 and American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com.

Set those TiVos! And lookout frenchies...the Corvette squad will be lookin' to par-taay after the utter desolation that is lovely Tooele, Utah.

[Desertdawg]

I hope they don't wrack up one of the cars at Utah, with only 2 days for repairs they could be playing with fire! DVR set!!!!

[MOTV8]

The track at Miller is fast, smooth and wide open (being in the middle of the Utah desert will do that) but they are running the 'perimeter' circuit this year, so I don't know what to expect. I agree though, I hope they tip-toe through it and not get caught up in any P1 and P2 custerflucks...

[MOTV8]

Check it out. Standard race preview story, blah, blah, blah....Utah GP preview

BUT....the interesting part: since Porsche and Ferrari are killing it in GT2, the also-rans now get a weight break from IMSA....kinda like they do it in Speed GT/World Challenge except there the winners get penalty weight added, this seems to reward losing by subtracting weight.

“The following “LM”GT2 cars may remove 25 kg from the minimum weight declared and listed on the Event Entry Form as received and approved by IMSA.

• Aston Martin Vantage

• Doran Ford GT

• Panoz Esperante LMGT

• Riley Chevrolet Corvette C6

The Porsche 911 RSR GT3 may continue at its currently homologated weight.”

So....will sweet Lou and his 'vette finally get off the schnide and score a podium?

On Kumhos? Not a chance.

[Desertdawg]

Sunday, May 18 from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The green flag is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT with live television coverage on SPEED. Live radio coverage will be available on XM Satellite Radio Channel 144 and American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com.

Set those TiVos! And lookout frenchies...the Corvette squad will be lookin' to par-taay after the utter desolation that is lovely Tooele, Utah.

Today!!!!!!

[MOTV8]

Today!!!!!!

I know! I'm all a-twitter!

There's no friggin' Aston in GT1 again, so they should just cruise around, take some pictures and kiss the trophy girls!

[dewey]

BUT....the interesting part: since Porsche and Ferrari are killing it in GT2, the also-rans now get a weight break from IMSA....kinda like they do it in Speed GT/World Challenge except there the winners get penalty weight added, this seems to reward losing by subtracting weight.

“The following “LM”GT2 cars may remove 25 kg from the minimum weight declared and listed on the Event Entry Form as received and approved by IMSA.

• Aston Martin Vantage

• Doran Ford GT

• Panoz Esperante LMGT

• Riley Chevrolet Corvette C6

The Porsche 911 RSR GT3 may continue at its currently homologated weight.”

So....will sweet Lou and his 'vette finally get off the schnide and score a podium?

On Kumhos? Not a chance.

IMSA Live Scoring is showing the 28 on Dunlops, and up to 4th. Also, they just showed the 28 and saying that they are finally running the boost (?) where it should be. Here's hoping that Lou and the boys get a podium, but they are definitely showing some improvement.

The weight thing is nothing new, I don't think. IIRC, it's why Aston Martin isn't in GT1, because they wanted those concessions from the get-go, rather than 'earning' them.

[MOTV8]

Dunlops? Really? News to me....

*Spoiler ALERT* results below....

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Corvette Racing's Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen won their third GT1 race in four starts this season in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R. Magnussen finished more than a minute up on Oliver Gavin in the sister car. Olivier Beretta began from the pole in the No. 4 Corvette but O'Connell and Magnussen won the race in pit lane when the No. 4 car experienced trouble with its refueling system.

In each of the previous three rounds, the pole-sitting car ended up as the race winner.

"The No. 4 car had some bad luck," said O'Connell, who drove part of his stint without air conditioning in the Corvette. "But there were at least a half-dozen races last year that I thought we had the better car and caught a lot of bad luck. Racing is funny. It's very cyclical. We catch some good luck even on days we might not be the strongest but end up in front."

Like Audi, Corvette raced knowing this was the last time to get in any pre-Le Mans work. Corvette Racing has won in GT1 at Le Mans five times in the last seven years.

"This was a great race for us. We had to really work at keeping the other car at bay," Magnussen said. "We turned this into a test for both cars to get ready for Le Mans, and I really think we're going to be in good shape going to France. We had our problems but every time that happens it's something to practice."

Lou's GT2 Corvette wound up 18th overall and 7th in class after a "slight altercation" with a P1 car. Oh well, 7th is better than 10th.

Other than the air-conditioner and the refueling snafu, I'd say they made it through unscathed and should be ready to kick some ass on French soil.

[Desertdawg]

I got to watch some of the first of the race, saw them pushing an Aston back to the pits with oil problems...

Then got called to work, so I skimmed thru the rest on the DVR tonight... Looked like a fun race!!!

Order some french fries, I think Corvette will kick some azz over there

[MOTV8]

Holy crap, I just sat down and watched the whole thing, and yea Lou and the P1 car touched a little, but that was nothing compared to the earlier scrap with Melo in that GT2 Ferrari! That was AWESOME. I don't know what he was thinkin' but Melo tried to run up the inside of Lou and occupy the same space as the 'vette. Next thing you know that bitch was airborne, and while it certainly looked graceful flying, that Ferrari didn't take the "landing" too well! Lou just locked 'em up for second and kept on truckin'. Mr. Ferrari pilot had to be content with looking over all the damage he'd just caused to his Le Mans-bound machine from the trackside dirt pile he landed in. Bet he sh!t his pants too!

Both GT1 C6.R's are reported as "not having a scratch on them" so we're good to go. Pomme frites for everyone! Gotta have a "Royale with cheese" too....