Mid-Ohio: Corvette Racing preview

[MOTV8]

Mid-Ohio: Corvette Racing preview

Racing series ALMS

Date 2008-07-16

Midterm Report: Mid-Ohio Marks Second Half of Season for Corvette Racing

Chevy's Factory Team Looks Back on Six Races and Looks Ahead to Six More

LEXINGTON, Ohio, July 16, 2008 -- With six races in the rearview mirror and six races on the road ahead, Saturday's Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course marks the start of the second half of the season for Chevrolet's factory road racing team. Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen have won four of the five American Le Mans Series contested to date, driving the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R to victories in Sebring (with third driver Ron Fellows), Long Beach, Salt Lake City, and Lime Rock. On June 15, they finished second in the GT1 class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, again joined by Fellows. Defending GT1 champions Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin scored a win in St. Petersburg in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, and they finished third in the GT1 division in Le Mans with Max Papis as third driver.

"The team and drivers have done a fantastic job since the start of the 2008 season," said GM Racing Road Racing Group manager Steve Wesoloski. "The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the key event of the year for Corvette Racing, and that was our focus in the first half. It was vital that both Corvettes survive every race because they were the cars going to Le Mans. The drivers knew what was expected, and they delivered. Competing against your teammates can be frustrating, but they raced hard and fair. The drivers understand that having both cars finish is a win for Corvette Racing.

"If I were doing a midterm report, I'd start with the engine, which is the heart of the race car. Our LS7.R small-block V-8s have performed flawlessly on both the E10 that we ran at Sebring and the cellulosic E85R ethanol that we have used at every ALMS event since St. Petersburg. Our partnership with GM Powertrain and Katech Engine Development has again produced perfect results. Chassis development is ongoing, and the engineers continue to improve the performance of a platform that's been raced since the program's inception.

"In the second half of the season we'll focus on the Green Challenge competition at Petit Le Mans that the series has created in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and SAE International," Wesoloski revealed. "The Green Challenge will measure performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact -- and we will prepare just as hard for this competition as we do for any race. Fuel efficiency is extremely important in the current circumstances, and when coupled with a renewable alternative fuel like cellulosic E85R ethanol, the Green Challenge becomes a significant opportunity for Corvette Racing and GM to demonstrate our technology.

"Our technical partners are also looking at ways to put Corvette Racing in front in the Green Challenge, whether it's Michelin tires with reduced rolling resistance or Mobil 1 lubricants that minimize frictional losses and improve fuel economy. It's a big project, and one that we relish as a race team. We want to win the Green Challenge trophy for Chevrolet and GM."

Going into the Mid-Ohio round, O'Connell and Magnussen have a slim 12-point lead (106-94) over Gavin and Beretta in the race for the GT1 drivers championship. A victory in Ohio will bring 20 points -- but a DNF before completing 70 percent of the race brings zero.

"In the last few years we had a lot of bad luck, but this year the luck has gone our way more often than not," said O'Connell. "In order to win in this series, you have to have a great team, great race cars like the Corvette C6.R, and a little bit of luck. Jan is very quick, we get along well, and we complement each other's strengths. Hopefully we will be able to keep the momentum going, but we know there is still a long way to go this season.

"Our race last year at Mid-Ohio was an example of luck going wrong," O'Connell recalled. "I won the GT1 pole and then the car was disqualified for failing the stall test. That set the tone for our race. I look forward to going back there to rectify that. Mid-Ohio is a great track that lends itself to our type of racing. I went to college in Ohio at Dennison University, so my history goes back a long way at Mid-Ohio."

Gavin and Beretta are hoping that the second half of the season will bring a change of fortune to the No. 4 Corvette C6.R.

"It's been an interesting season so far," said Gavin. "We've seen the introduction of cellulosic E85R, which is a great part of the Corvette Racing program. Alternative fuels are something that the ALMS and Corvette Racing really want to promote, and we're making a big effort to become greener. We've found an improvement in performance with cellulosic E85R, and our small-block V-8 engines are running strong. That's been a massive plus to the program.

"We've had great crowds at every event, so I think the ALMS is very strong as a series. We would certainly like to see more entries in the GT1 class, and I hope that the Aston Martin returns to contest the second half of the season.

"In terms of results, it's been a bit of a scrap for the No. 4 Corvette," Gavin conceded. "We've had some problems, and that happens sometimes in racing. We're making the best of it to put those behind us. We have a new crew chief in Mike West, and he's learning quickly. It's a big job, and he's done extremely well. Olivier and I have been fast at every event, but we have to translate that into victories in the second half of the year."

With upcoming races at Mid-Ohio, Road America, Mosport, Detroit's Belle Isle street course, Road Atlanta, and Laguna Seca, Corvette Racing still has a long and winding road to travel until the GT1 championships are decided.

Corvette Racing's next event is the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, scheduled to start at 2:10 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 19. NBC will televise the race tape-delayed on Sunday, July 20, at 12 p.m. EDT.

-credit: gm racng/cr

Set those TiVos!!!

Mid-Ohio: Corvette Racing qualifying report

Racing series ALMS

Date 2008-07-18

O'Connell Quick in Mid-Ohio GT1 Qualifying

Georgian Takes Third Career Pole in No. 3 Corvette C6.R

LEXINGTON, Ohio, July 18, 2008 – Johnny O'Connell notched his third career pole in qualifying for Saturday's American Le Mans Series Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The racer from Flowery Branch, Ga., set the pace in the GT1 class with a lap time of 1:17.900 (104.349 mph) in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Olivier Beretta was .429 seconds back in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette with a 1:18.329 (103.778 mph) qualifying time.

"I'm usually a pretty bad qualifier, and I was going up against Olivier Beretta, the guy who has won more poles than any other driver in the ALMS," O'Connell said. "Anytime you can beat a guy like that, it's a good day!"

Both Corvette drivers made five timed laps. O'Connell set his quick time on his third time around the 2.25-mile Mid-Ohio circuit, while Beretta was fastest on his fourth circuit.

"It was definitely a challenge because we went into qualifying on a tire compound that we hadn't run before in anticipation of the track temperature tomorrow," O'Connell explained. "It was disappointing we didn't go faster, but the car didn't like that setup. Jan (Magnussen) and I have had a good car and we've been fast in every session, so we're looking forward to a great race tomorrow."

Heat and humidity will be a factor in the two-hour, 45-minute race.

"It's going to be a workout," O'Connell predicted. "When we run after the Indy cars, we've got good grip even though they run a different tire. Then the track gets a little more slippery, so it will be interesting to see how the track changes on race day."

Beretta had difficulty matching O'Connell's pace. "I was pushing, trying to get the best that I can, but it was not good enough," Beretta reported. "Traffic was a little bit of a problem, but we are struggling with the car.

"The engineers and crew worked very well, they tried everything they could, but we just ran out of time," he continued. "We have a problem, we are looking for the solution, and we will find it. This is part of the racing game, but the race is far from finished."

-credit: gm racing

[dewey]

Dean, while I appreciate the updates, "O'Connell sits on pole" sounds like something in Chad's section.

:D

[P51tj]

Dean, while I appreciate the updates, "O'Connell sits on pole" sounds like something in Chad's section.

:D

Good one Dewey!!!

[MOTV8]

Dean, while I appreciate the updates, "O'Connell sits on pole" sounds like something in Chad's section.

:D

You caught that, eh? I stole that from a line I read about F1 great Michael Schumacher sitting on more poles than anyone!

[MOTV8]

"No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he *rubbed* you. And rubbin, son, ...is racin'." - Harry Hogge

*** Spoiler Alert - Results posted below ***

Mid-Ohio: Corvette Racing race report

Racing series ALMS

Date 2008-07-19

O'Connell and Magnussen Continue Hot Streak in Sultry Mid-Ohio

No. 3 Corvette C6.R Scores Fifth Victory of the Season

LEXINGTON, Ohio, July 19, 2008 ? Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen extended their streak in the American Le Man Series, winning the GT1 class in today's Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was the fourth win in a row and the fifth win of the season for the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. O'Connell and Magnussen completed 98 laps and finished 18.487 seconds ahead of the No. 4 Corvette C6.R driven by Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin.

With temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity, the weather was as hot as the racing. The sibling rivalry between the sister Corvettes produced a "shoving match" as the cars emerged from the pits after their final stops. The Corvettes had entered their respective pit stalls nose-to-tail just before the two-hour mark, and left simultaneously with O'Connell in the No. 3 and Beretta in the No. 4. As the drivers jockeyed for position, they collided while accelerating out of pit lane and failed to heed a red flag at the pit exit and both were subsequently summoned to the penalty box.

"We are a very competitive group," said O'Connell after tallying his 33rd career ALMS victory. "Both cars left at the same time and it was like the Hatfields and McCoys for a moment with two guys arguing for the same area of road. It was just two great race cars today running in very difficult conditions."

O'Connell started in the pole-winning No. 3 Corvette, while Beretta started in the No. 4 Corvette. O'Connell handed off to Magnussen at the 50-minute mark during the first of three full-course caution periods, while Gavin replaced Beretta on the next lap. Two more cautions ensued, including an extended cleanup after a pit fire. With 46 minutes remaining in the two-hour, 45-minute race, both cars made their final stops for fuel, fresh tires, and driver changes.

"I was concerned when we did that last driver change because it was a short fill and that makes driver changes difficult," O'Connell reported. "I think both cars dropped off the jacks at the same time and then it was a drag race to the pit exit."

After serving their penalties, racing resumed at 2:26 for the two Corvettes, and O'Connell passed Beretta for the lead and the victory.

"A prototype drew down inside of him and he went wide," O'Connell recalled. "I was on the proper line and my momentum carried me by. He was just gathering it up, but there was a gaggle of prototypes doing battle and it was chaotic."

Magnussen had a comparatively quiet race. "As soon as I got in the car, it was just yellow flag after yellow flag," said the Dane. "I sat behind the safety car for most of my stint. Up until that point, it was a rather boring race, but that changed about 30 seconds after I got out. We are here to win and that fact that our only competitor is our teammates doesn't make it any easier. Today's race showed everyone we're not just parading around."

After struggling in practice and qualifying, the No. 4 Corvette was on the pace in today's race.

"We had a very good car, which is a testament to our engineer Steve Cole and crew chief Mike West, who both worked tirelessly," said Gavin. "We had a problem on Thursday and Friday, and we could only start tuning the car this morning in warm-up. The direction that Steve went with the car was very good.

"My stint was very fragmented ? it never really got going and we spent a lot of time circulating behind the pace car," Gavin reported. "It was unbelievably hard on the restarts because the smoothness of the track doesn't clean the pickup off the tires properly. For the first four or five laps after a yellow, you have to tiptoe around."

With their Mid-Ohio victory, O'Connell and Magnussen increased their lead in the GT1 drivers championship to 16 points (126-110) with five races remaining.

"Who says you need more than two cars in a class to have exciting racing?" asked Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "I think what we saw today are two cars that are separated by thousandths of a second on the race track and separated by thousandths of a second in pit lane. Each of them is trying to win. I think it was exciting for the fans, and it was certainly exciting for us in the pits. It's hard to deny the intramural rivalry that exists, and we saw two guys racing hard and getting caught up in the heat of the moment. We'll all learn a lesson from today's race."

-credit: gm

On a side note, did you see the fire when that P2 car pulled away with gas line still attached?

[P51tj]

The Vette boys did a prettty good impersonation of NASCAR today. A total 7:40 spent in the penalty box for both of them, but with no challangers, not a big deal. Vettes "playing" around, fire (hope the crew member will be alright), and a P2 battle at the end made for good viewing!!!