Although Corvette Racing's official involvement in GT1-class competition ended with this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, a number of ex-factory C6.Rs will continue to race in Europe through the end of the 2009 season. At the Silverstone event in England, four GT1 Corvette teams showed up to race on the twisty 5.14-km (3.19-mile) circuit, located between London and Birmingham. The former Phoenix GMAC team is now racing Audi R8s in the FIA GT3 Championship and has placed C6.R chassis 001 up for sale. The second GMAC C6.R, chassis 005, is owned by Toine Hezemans and is currently being campaigned by PK Carsport in Belgium. It's driven by Mike Hezemans and Anthony Kumpen and raced under No. 4.

No. 63 continued to motor around the Le Mans course, maintaining a dominant lead to finish First in GT1 and 14th overall in the standings. Just before the checkered flag, the team brought the conquering car into the garage to remove the grime that had accumulated on its outer skin over the previous 24 hours. A similar beautification regimen was lavished upon the C5-R prior to the team's first win in 2000, so it was fitting for Corvette Racing to close out a decade of GT1 Le Mans competition in like fashion.

We ended Part 1 of this story last month with a quote from Chevy General Manager Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, who told Corvette chief engineer Zora Duntov to "stick it to the Cobras." Duntov happily followed Knudsen's order by agreeing to lend three Grand Sports to John Mecom, a young Texas oil tycoon who also loved racing. Mecom agreed to add the three Corvettes to his racing team and let Duntov care for them. Duntov had chassis Nos. 003 and 004 returned to Chevrolet from racer Dick Doane in Chicago and Gulf Oil in Pittsburgh. He and his team refurbished the two cars by adding larger wheels, tires, and fender flares. A 377ci aluminum small-block was also installed with four 58mm DOCE sidedraft Weber carburetors. Chassis No. 005 was completed with the same improved specs, and all three cars were painted in a Cadillac light metallic blue. The finished Corvettes were then shipped to Mecom in Texas, just in time to be sent on to the Nassau Speed Weeks event in the Bahamas.

Despite the abysmal state of the world economy, the FIA GT3 European Championship continues to provide what teams, drivers, and sponsors all want from international motor racing. This season's lineup features 11 of the world's most famous GT marques, including the addition of two new entrants: the Audi R8 LMS and the BMW Alpina B6. Two-time series champions Callaway Competition, from Leingarten, Germany, has returned this year with two Callaway-Corvette Z06.Rs to defend its title. Marc Sourd Racing is also competing this year with two Vettes.

Over the past 10 years, Corvette Racing has become a dominant force in international sports-car racing, to the extent that for the past two seasons, the C6.Rs have run essentially uncontested in ALMS GT1. The GT2 class, meanwhile, has developed a healthy field of factory-supported competitors representing BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Panoz, and Jaguar. (Audi is currently mulling its own GT2 racer, in the form of a mid-engine R8.) Additional privateer teams deploying Aston Martins, Fords, Porsches, Ferraris, Vipers, and even a Corvette entry have swollen the category's ranks to more than 20 cars at each race. That level of competition ultimately proved irresistible to the men and women of Corvette Racing, whose hunger for a new challenge prompted a jump to GT2 earlier this year.inline_mediumwraptextright26854288/events/vemp_1001_new_gt2_race_carsvemp_1001_01_o+new_gt2_race_cars+c6_r_corvette.jpgTrue

Longtime Corvette racer Lou Gigliotti made a bold move when he stopped racing his Corvette in the SPEED GT series at the end of 2007. The following year, Gigliotti's Wylie, Texas-based LG Motorsports purchased a Riley Technologies-built C6 with the intention of running it in the ALMS GT2 category. This was the first Corvette to compete in GT2, and it suffered teething problems in its first season. The Sebring 12-hour was the team's first race for the 2009 season, and early indications were that all of the bugs had finally been worked out. Piloted by Gigliotti, Luca Molo, and Eric Curran, the LG Vette qualified seventh in class and was making good progress until it was sidelined by a mechanical problem.

Motorsports Update
SPEED GT is the only U.S. racing series that mirrors Europe's successful FIA GT3 championship format, and the parallels are striking. Multiple brands (Corvette, Porsche, Ford, Viper, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, and others) compete in both series, leading to heated on-track competition. Both sanctioning bodies also apply a "balance of performance" method to keep each brand competitive. Not surprisingly, Corvettes are usually found at the front of both series in spite of this balancing method.

The No. 4 car, with Gavin aboard, led into the first corner, with Jan Magnussen piloting the No. 3 car tucked in close behind. With no other competition in class, the war was again between the two Corvette stablemates. They ran nose to tail until the first driver change, when Johnny O'Connell was installed in the No. 3 car one lap ahead of his teammate. Olivier Beretta soon re-entered the fray just ahead of O'Connell but was unable to defend his lead position on cold tires. Going into Turn 7, Beretta got "into the marbles" and briefly ran off track. The momentary bobble was all Johnny O. needed to scoot by into the GT1 lead. With the cars optimized and the driver corps well balanced, only on-track incidents and pit stops would provide a potential advantage.

When the sun sets in Dubai, the sand turns a fiery gold color. Many locals call this daily event their "desert gold." The Martini-Callaway Corvette team experienced its own desert-gold moment when it captured the 2008 FIA GT3 Drivers Championship at the end of the Dubai event's first race. Under the guidance of team manager Ernst Woehr, the team amassed championship points throughout the season by consistently finishing near the top of the field. Callaway's first win of was at the season's eighth event in Nogaro, France. This put the team eight points ahead of the Matech Ford GT and Hexis Racing Aston Martin crews going into the last race in Dubai.

Midamerica To Celebrate 35th B-Day At Funfest
Mid America Motorworks is already hard at work preparing for the '09 Funfest, scheduled for September 25-27 in Effingham, Illinois. Mike Yager, the company's founder and "chief cheerleader," promises that this year's event will be the best Funfest ever. In addition to the 35th anniversary of the company, Yager will be celebrating his 60th birthday. For more information or to register, go to www.corvettefunfest.com.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.Thirty-three Corvettes crossed the block at Barrett-Jackson's annual Scottsdale event, and all of them sold. What follows is a list of some of the more interesting Vettes included on the docket. (Note: Sale prices include buyer's premium.)

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

In January, General Motors sent a shockwave through the Corvette community by offering for sale some of the marque's most famous experimental, developmental, and pilot-line cars. These special Corvettes were part of the GM Heritage Collection, an assortment of significant vehicles from throughout the corporation's 100-year history. Although GM did not offer an official explanation for the sell-off, it was believed to be part of a desperate bid to raise operating capital in the face of plummeting new-vehicle sales.

Car lovers in the mood to buy (or sell!) a late-model Corvette must add the 37th Bloomington Gold Corvette Show to their calendars for this summer. The event takes place June 25-28, 2009 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill.

July 12, 2009, Guilford, CT.

Corvette Racing arrived at California's famous Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca raring to go but with no competition in sight. In a scenario that has become all too common over the last two seasons, the C6.Rs would once again be the only entries in the GT1 category. Despite the lack of competition, the team was primed to put on a good show and leave nothing in the garage. Laguna's 2.238-mile track boasts dramatic elevation changes, making the site a fan favorite. And with plenty of challenging turns like the famous corkscrew, Laguna is also a real driver's delight.

Bill Warner is a consummate auto enthusiast-an accomplished racing photographer, writer, and all-around good guy. Back in the '90s, Warner had a vision of producing an East Coast concours d'elegance event that would match the legendary Pebble Beach show held in California. Thirteen years ago, his dream became a reality in the form of the Amelia Island Concours. Since then, the show has been held every year at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Amelia Island, Florida. Today, the show is considered one of the top concours events in the country.