In 1999, Corvette Racing hit the road-racing scene with the all-new C5-R race car. The car's main competition in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was the dreaded Dodge Viper. The Vipers won everywhere they competed, and they proved more than a match for the C5-Rs early on. It took the GM-backed, Pratt & Miller-prepared Vettes one-and-a-half years before they finally beat the Vipers at Texas Motor Speedway in the summer of 2000.
When the Vipers withdrew from competition at the end of the 2000 season, the Corvettes became the dominant force in GT1 and never looked back. During the 2006 season, ALMS organizers became so concerned over the C6.Rs' invincibility that they created a "performance adjustment" method of slowing the Corvettes by adding weight and reducing the size of their air inlets. It worked, and the Prodrive Aston Martin DBR9s won five of the season's eleven races.
The pre-race grid was packed....
The pre-race grid was packed. Attendance at this year's race was up by 12 percent over 2006.
In protest, Corvette Racing threatened to withdraw from the ALMS and send the C6.Rs to Europe. Instead, the opposite happened: Prodrive withdrew, leaving the Corvette as the only factory entry in the GT1 category for 2007. This is unfortunate, since European GT competition is very popular with racing fans. When Team VETTE attended the 24 Hours of Spa last July, the GT1 class boasted 11 of the race's 43 total entries, including cars from Maserati, Aston Martin, and Saleen. It would have been interesting to see how the Corvette Racing C6.Rs fared in this environment.
If the 55th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring is any prediction, this season should be a cakewalk for the Corvettes. Only three cars were entered in the GT1 category-two Vettes and one ex-factory Aston Martin DBR9. In fact, the biggest news of the weekend may have been the unveiling of a racing version of the white Ron Fellows Commemorative Z06 road car. (See accompanying piece.)
The two Corvettes chase an...
The two Corvettes chase an LM2 prototype at the green flag.
Driven by Fellows, Johnny O'Connell, and Jan Magnussen, the freshly liveried No. 3 captured the GT1 pole position with a time of 1:57.061. The Beretta/Gavin/Papis No. 4 was a tick behind at 1:57.480. The Corvettes' only competition, the ex-Prodrive DBR9 of Antonio Garcia, Liz Halliday, and David Turner, nailed down third with a 1:58.241.
From the time the green flag fell at 10 a.m., the Corvettes' superiority was never in doubt. The white No. 3 quickly seized the class lead, a position it would maintain for the first three hours of the race. From hour four on, the No. 4 car dominated the GT1 category.
On Friday, the Pratt & Miller...
On Friday, the Pratt & Miller crew secretly installed fresh bodywork on the No.3 car. The new look was unveiled Saturday morning before the race.
If nothing else, the race provided an excellent opportunity for the crew to try out new equipment prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. One item of particular note is a revised driving-compartment air-conditioning system. GM engineers designed a new high-performance A/C compressor that runs off the engine and drains very little horsepower. It pumps cold air into the cabin and dramatically reduces inside cockpit temperatures.
Driver Oliver Gavin was very happy with the new system, saying, "The A/C performs so well that I sometimes want to turn it off, which is very unusual for a closed race car." Nearly every driver who exited the car after a pit stop looked refreshed and ready to head out again.
At the three-hour mark, the...
At the three-hour mark, the No.4 Corvette passed its sister car to take the lead.
The lone Aston Martin started the race from pit lane because of an oil leak and was never in contention during the 12-hour grind. But with only three cars in the class, the Aston was all but guaranteed a podium finish. In the end, the No. 4 Corvette took the class win (Seventh overall), the No. 3 car was Second/Eighth, and the Aston was Third/Eleventh.
Despite the significant margin of victory, the Corvette Racing crews worked through their pit stops as if the competition was breathing down their neck. Their stops were fast and perfect. These skills will be required when they head across the pond to take on the competition at this year's Le Mans.
In the meantime, unless someone decides to take on the Corvettes, the ALMS GT1 championship race looks like it will be essentially competition-free. Too bad for the fans.
 GM Racing used Sebring as...  GM Racing used Sebring as a test for their new "driver's compartment air conditioning system." GM engineers designed a new high-output A/C compressor that produced ample cool air for the drivers. |  The Antonio Garcia/Liz Halliday/Darren...  The Antonio Garcia/Liz Halliday/Darren Turner Aston Martin was the only other GT1 entry. This ex-Prodrive car won the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring. |  Traffic can become quite congested...  Traffic can become quite congested in multi-class racing. Here, the two Corvettes work their way through traffic in the hairpin turn. |
 As the sun sets over Sebring,...  As the sun sets over Sebring, the No.3 Corvette completes another lap. The two green lights on the door next to the flag indicate its class position. |  The No. 4 Corvette follows...  The No. 4 Corvette follows the race-winning Audi R10 onto the pit straight. |  The Corvette Racing team celebrates...  The Corvette Racing team celebrates its One-Two win in GT1. Photo by Charley Robertson |