With the win at Sebring Chevy's...
With the win at Sebring Chevy's Corvette team has now realized victory at all of the world's major endurance races.
The weather all week had been exceptionally hot and humid, and race day followed the pattern. By mid-afternoon ambient air temperature topped 90-degrees, with cockpit temperatures in the Corvettes, Ferraris, and Vipers reaching 160 degrees and beyond. The Saleens were somewhat cooler because of their mid-engine design, but they weren't exactly comfortable either.
As in the past, Corvette Racing had a full-time medical staff from Track Med on hand at Sebring and the doctor and other healthcare professionals kept the debilitating effects of excessive heat at bay. Each driver was immediately cooled down upon exiting the car, and at the peak of afternoon heat most received IV fluid replenishment between stints at the wheel.
The first 8 hours of the race were essentially an all-Corvette affair in GTS, with the two Millennium Yellow C5-Rs battling only one another for lead position. Then, a little after 6:00 p.m., the throttle linkage in No. 4 stuck as driver Andy Pilgrim was entering a turn. The car went off course, slamming rather hard into a tire barrier. Pilgrim was unhurt and the car was able to limp back to its pit for repairs. The Pratt & Miller crew, led by crew chief Frank Resciniti, replaced the radiator, hoses, fluids, light assemblies, wiring, plus front body work and underlying structure in less than 25 minutes.
The repaired no. 4 Corvette was as good as new, but the extended pit stop put it into fourth position and 12 laps down behind the no. 3 C5-R, Konrad Motorsports' no. 26 Saleen, and the no. 86 Labre Competition Chereau Viper. With nothing to lose Pilgrim, Collins, and Freon drove their hearts out in the remaining 4 hours, but the deficit was too great. They gained nearly four laps on the Saleen and Viper, but still finished three laps behind them, in fourth place.
After no. 4's shunt, there was nothing between no. 3 and the checkered flag except four hours of clear sailing. Despite the oppressive heat, phenomenally rough road surface, and crowded field, the Fellows-led car ran perfectly throughout the race. It finished 8 laps ahead of the second place Saleen to give Corvette Racing its first victory at Sebring.
"Finally we got this monkey off our backs," said Fellows, referring to the team's series of problems at Sebring in the prior 3 years. "This is really, really great!" he added with an ear-to-ear smile
The Sebring win gives Corvette Racing an early lead in the ALMS team, manufacturer, and driver championship chases-but the season promises to be brutally competitive. Saleen may soon build enough street cars to eliminate their penalty, making them especially formidable at the shorter races where speed counts for more than durability. The Prodrive Ferrari has proven that it too has the speed to win. If they improve their reliability, and find a little luck, they will also give the Corvettes a hard time.
The next race for Team Corvette is at Sears Point on May 19th. After that, it's off to France for the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. VETTE will, of course, provide coverage of all the exciting action throughout the season.