The Spirit of Daytona Corvette...
The Spirit of Daytona Corvette prototype is uncovered on the stage of the Daytona NASCAR expo center.
GM unveiled a Corvette Daytona Prototype earlier this week at the Daytona International Speedway. The car has been under development for the past 18 months and is designed to fit over all existing Daytona Prototype chassis. Five cars are being constructed, for the following teams: Spirit of Daytona Racing, Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing, and Action Express Racing.
Spirit of Daytona owner Troy Flis took delivery of the first car the day before the unveiling. Its de-stroked engine (305 ci) features an LS9 cylinder block, direct fuel injection, and the revised cylinder heads that will power the next production Corvette. Output is 530 hp @ 7,000 rpm. The cars' first race will be at the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 26-29, 2012.
A large group of Grand Am officials, GM management, team owners, drivers, and media were on hand for the uncovering of this beautiful new race machine. Factory C6.R drivers Antonio Garcia and Olivier Gavin even drove the car around Daytona's 3.560-mile track for its first test. The look and sound of this unique Corvette garnered plenty of attention from the other competitors who were present for this two-day prerace event.
Jim Campbell, GM VP of Performance...
Jim Campbell, GM VP of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, discusses the company's commitment to Grand Am Prototype Racing.
Campbell joins Spirit of Daytona...
Campbell joins Spirit of Daytona team owner Troy Flis, along with drivers Antonio Garcia and Oliver Gavin, in front of the first Corvette Daytona Prototype.
The car uses a de-stroked,...
The car uses a de-stroked, LS9-based small-block topped with aluminum, CNC-ported cylinder heads. The 5.0L engine produces 530hp @ 7,000 rpm and 450 lb-ft torque @ 5,500 rpm.
Unlike previous Daytona Prototype...
Unlike previous Daytona Prototype Corvettes, this one mirrors many of the production car's styling cues. The design is strikingly beautiful, especially at speed.
We especially liked how the...
We especially liked how the Grand Sport fender vents were incorporated into the design. The car also features four modified C6 taillights.
This view of the car on the...
This view of the car on the Daytona Speedway banking provides a good view of the overall design theme. The look is strikingly beautiful, especially at speed.