Ron Fellows' Sebring Surprise
As noted in our main story, the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring witnessed the debut of a special Ron Fellows-edition C6.R, painted to match its road-car cousin. While the redressed Vette's on-track performance was the weekend's headline story, the tale behind its transformation is also worth examining.
Its qualifying positions set, the team skipped Friday's practice session and set about changing the No. 3 car over to its new look. The awnings hung on the race transporters were zipped closed, and anyone not intimately involved with the car's transformation was ushered outside.
First, the team stripped the car of all its yellow panels. While the front and rear fascias, hood, rear deck, front and rear fenders, and doors are typically removed in preparation for track duty, this would mark the first time the car was stripped all the way down to its bare frame. The white replacement panels actually came from one of last year's C6.Rs and were prepared at P&M headquarters before the team left for Sebring.
Crew members began the transformation...
Crew members began the transformation by stripping the car down to its bare frame.
Because the car had undergone such extensive changes, it was required to go through IMSA's tech-inspection process again. This meant pushing the Corvette the length of the racing paddock-a daunting task, since preserving secrecy meant keeping the car shrouded in a tight-fitting black cover. With Crew Chief Dan Binks wedged inside the broiling-hot cockpit to steer, team member Mike West relayed directions via a two-way radio.
Once the Vette arrived at the tech-in area, race officials gave it a private inspection inside a closed-off IMSA tent. With that out of the way, the crew was able to get the car back to the Corvette Racing trailers and put away for safe keeping. Except for the few fans who happened by the transporters early race-day morning, no one outside the team was aware of the car's new look until race time. While No. 3 did make a brief appearance in Saturday's 7:30 a.m. practice session, for most fans its debut did not come until Fellows made a special solo reconnaissance lap just before the cars were placed for pre-grid.
Few men in this profession have garnered the kind of admiration Ron Fellows has, and even fewer have enjoyed such remarkable successes and longevity. Sports-car racing has never had a better ambassador, and Corvette Racing's "Sebring Surprise" was a fitting-and well-deserved-tribute.
 Next, the Corvette was reassembled,...  Next, the Corvette was reassembled, piece by piece. |  Ron tries the "new look" No....  Ron tries the "new look" No. 3 car on for size. |  The crew prepares to take...  The crew prepares to take the redressed C6.R through IMSA technical inspection. A car cover ensured secrecy until just prior to the race. |