Callaway Competition is holding the Corvette banner high in this year's German ADAC GT Masters series. The series is one of the most competitive GT racing championships in the world and is highly coveted by premium sports-car manufacturers. These include Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes Benz, and Porsche.
The Leingarten, Germany-based Callaway team completely revised its Corvette Z06.R GT3s during the winter. Engine builder APP Racing Engines replaced the previous LS7 with the smaller, but more efficient, LS3. The FIA now allows the team to run with less weight and a smaller engine restrictor. They have also made changes to improve the cars' aerodynamics and weight balance.
Diego Alessi passes the Oleg...
Diego Alessi passes the Oleg Petrishin/Korbinian Gaier Lamborghini to retake the lead at the Sachsenring circuit.
Daniel Keilwitz has an epic...
Daniel Keilwitz has an epic battle with two BMWs. Keilwitz drove a brilliant race by keeping his pace just quick enough to beat the competition while preserving the car.
Former GP driver Heinz-Harald...
Former GP driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Andreas Wirth drove the second Callaway Competition Corvette. The pair qualified 16th and finished Sixth after a spectacular drive to the front.
The revised Corvette is proving to be highly competitive in the ADAC championship chase. Case in point is the driving duo of Diego Alessi and Daniel Keilwitz, who captured their first victory of the season at Zandvoort in early May. This propelled them into the series championship lead. They continued their winning ways when the team traveled to the 2.2-mile Sachsenring circuit. Alessi and Keliwitz won the pole position and secured their second victory by 1.9 seconds at the 2.28-mile circuit. The track is located near the town of Hohenstein-Ernstthal on the eastern side of Germany near Prague, Czech Republic. Here is what the drivers had to say about their performance:
Diego Alessi - "I got off to a good start, and after that, the distance to Dino Lunardi [BMW] was so great that he didn't really pose a threat. The car was perfect, so I had it relatively easy during my stint. I concentrated on conserving the tires, because I knew that this would be crucial in the second half of the race. Daniel was just so incredibly strong and kept the Alpina at bay. Another perfect day for us."
Toni Seiler and Frank Kechele...
Toni Seiler and Frank Kechele qualified 12th in this Callaway Competition Corvette; the duo finished a respectable Fifth overall. Seiler is shown here avoiding an off-course Porsche.
Everybody is scrambling to...
Everybody is scrambling to find a way past the winning No. 28 Callaway Competition Corvette.
(From left) Daniel Keilwitz,...
(From left) Daniel Keilwitz, Callaway’s Ernst Woehr, and Diego Alessi share a happy moment after their second ADAC GT Masters season victory.
Daniel Keilwitz: "In the second half of the race, I had the Alpina close behind, but not so close as to be dangerous. When he disappeared from my rear mirror, the Ford popped up. But I managed to maintain a sizeable gap, and I only had to drive as fast as was necessary. We certainly hadn't expected to win here."
The team will head to the Nürburgring in July for their next event. The ADAC will use the 2.26-mile Grand Prix course for this event. Stay tuned.