Corvettes to challenge Porsches and Ferraris in ALMS GT2 in 2008

[1931Chevy]

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/06/c...s-gt2-in-2008/


General Motors still hasn't announced whether the factory GT1 Corvette C6Rs will be return to the American Le Mans Series in 2008, but there will be 'Vettes on the grid next year. Riley Technologies is building a pair of GT2 C6 Corvettes that will be run by Lou Gigliotti's team. GM has approved of the program, but they are not directly involved. They aren't the only new entrants in the GT2 class. Primetime Race Group will be preparing a customer Dodge Viper with factory support that is expected to debut at Sebring and Doran Racing is prepping a Ford GT. The GT2 class looks like it might the series to watch in 2008 with Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes, Vipers and a Ford GT.

[New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66]

Yea, I heard this on Speed when watching the ALMS from Atlanta. Cuz, right now GT1 is basically just Corvette. So does this mean Corvette is moving down to GT2?

And, I also understand GM has the corporate goal to win "The 24 Hours of Le Mans" out right with Corvette. I wonder how this plays into that since the GT2 entry is not directly factory backed.

[jbernie]

Sad to say it isn't a shock, it had been discussed previously and it really is hard for GM to do a factory racing team when a good portion of the time the only competition is the other car in your own team.

Petit Le Mans had 3 GT1 entries, 3rd car was a Maserati MC12 and it was 50 laps behind the #4 Corvette, the #3 was in an accident after 15 laps thanks to "At 12:08 pm (0h 52m running), Bryan Herta (#26-P2 Acura/ARX-01a) will be issued a black flag for a 30-second penalty for avoidable contact with Jan Magnussen (#3-GT1 Corvette C6.R)."

911 vs C6-R would be good, given they are frequently compared against each other in car mags.

Also even though it is great to have a C6R in first, it has a lot more meaning when they are racing other manufacturers.

[63GrandSport001]

Originally Posted by New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66

Yea, I heard this on Speed when watching the ALMS from Atlanta. Cuz, right now GT1 is basically just Corvette. So does this mean Corvette is moving down to GT2?

And, I also understand GM has the corporate goal to win "The 24 Hours of Le Mans" out right with Corvette. I wonder how this plays into that since the GT2 entry is not directly factory backed.

I believe that GM putting the C6R in the GT2 class is out of the question, they will probably move to a European racing league but I really see them staying in the GT1 class at ALMS. LG motorsports is going to run 2 Corvettes in the ALMS GT2 class next year nothing about Corvette racing running there.

[GotAWD]

So the Vettes have to go down a level because their is not enough Competition out there for them?

Here to winning in other classes

[dederer]

Originally Posted by GotAWD

So the Vettes have to go down a level because their is not enough Competition out there for them?

Here to winning in other classes

Yep, exactly. It will be nice to see the vette race against another manufacturer.

[JeffInDFW]

General Motors needs to learn from Porsche. Support the privateer in GT2 sports car racing, and you can race on someone elses dollar.

The GT1 Corvette program has done more for GMs image around the world than anything they have done in memory. The C5R and C6R Corvettes are some of the fan favorites at the 24 hours of LeMans. They are respected because all the race fans know what an incredible, professionial program GM has. Doug Fehan, Pratt and Miller, the drivers, the team. Audi has dominated the prototype racing at LeMans this decade, and has dominated so strongly that they have faced little competition for many of the years. Yet, Audi does not leave. They stand proudly at the top of the hill they have so rightly earned. I heard an Audi executive say that the amount of money they spend on the LeMans program would have allowed them to run a "back of the pack" Formula One program. They considered it, but chose instead to put that money into a LeMans program, where they have dominated.

I am going to guess that the amound of money GM has put into the Corvette LeMans program has been a very small amount compared to fielding another team in NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. I think the money spent on Corvette racing at LeMans has given GM a MUCH bigger return than another NASCAR team would have.

[monza164]

Wonder what will happen in Europe. The C5R and C6Rs could use some help with the Maserati MC12s in the FIA series.

[F14CRAZY]

How does Ford race a GT when it isn't made anymore? Or can you race anything?

[Relik86]

I lost interest in the ALMS the day they started adding weight and restricing Corvette's performance to help out the competition... That's not how it should work... at all. The competition should have to step up their game, not have the committee step in and slow the Vettes down.

[HoosierRon]

Go Corvette!

[Snafu_SS]

Originally Posted by jbernie

Sad to say it isn't a shock, it had been discussed previously and it really is hard for GM to do a factory racing team when a good portion of the time the only competition is the other car in your own team.

Petit Le Mans had 3 GT1 entries, 3rd car was a Maserati MC12 and it was 50 laps behind the #4 Corvette, the #3 was in an accident after 15 laps thanks to "At 12:08 pm (0h 52m running), Bryan Herta (#26-P2 Acura/ARX-01a) will be issued a black flag for a 30-second penalty for avoidable contact with Jan Magnussen (#3-GT1 Corvette C6.R)."

911 vs C6-R would be good, given they are frequently compared against each other in car mags.

Also even though it is great to have a C6R in first, it has a lot more meaning when they are racing other manufacturers.

I'd like to see some competition for Porsche as well...currently they seem to be the only ones in the lower classes

I'm just glad GM is sticking with this awesome racing series

[BigAls87Z28]

I have an old article writen back in 2000-2001 where GM High Tech performance interviews Lou Gigliotti, and he makes fun of ALMS saying that "if you want to sell Chevy's to American's, you race in Trans Am. If you want ot sell Chev's to the French, you race in ALMS."

[DJR]

It would be an absolute shame if the Pratt & Miller GT1 Corvettes dissapeared. I have been watching them race since they first ran years ago. Guess there is no point in racing yourself though! I wonder what will happen to the GT1 class??? The ALMS GT1 class stinks right now. It used to be the class to watch. No more Saleen S7, Prodrive 550s, DBR9s, or Prodrive 575s duking it out.

[BigAls87Z28]

Where are the DB9-R?S I thought they were giving Corvette a good run?
I dont think that Chevy plays it up that they rule GT1 series, and they should!!

Here is my question...does this mean, or could this mean, that we could see a downgraded Z06? I remember that the current Z06 got the LS7 because ALMS said that its production car had to be more in line with the race car, so they had to downgrade the GT1 car or upgrade the production car.