Pratt & Miller Corvette Racing Team Snapshot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

[gwwyjjliu]

As five o’ clock rolls around on Sunday afternoon, the Pratt & Miller Corvette Racing team is getting its second wind. Twenty-odd hours into the 24 Heures du Mans marathon and the finish line is finally in sight– literally and figuratively; the garage opens onto the racetrack’s historic grandstands. The Pratt & Miller team has persisted through an intense all-night battle with rivals Aston Martin and, finally, the blazing afternoon heat of the French countryside in summer.

The race started an hour later than normal, to avoid conflict with World Cup soccer. Race activity in the following hours has gone from frenetic to merely hectic. Qualifying fourth and fifth, the Corvettes start as they mean to finish; showing typical pace over the 8.5 mile Circuit de la Sarthe. They're only a few seconds slower than the not-so-ironically named 007 and 009 Astons. And then, less than an hour into the race, the team runs into its first major stumbling block. Johnny O’Connell, driver of the number 63 Corvette, radios-in to report a shunt on the back side of the circuit.

Just before the crash, Pratt & Millers’ trackside engineers were treated to a blizzard of blinking lights on their telemetry readouts. Wildly fluctuating oil and water pressure, tire temperatures and other data– all highlighted by insistent red and green warnings– blipped onto their screens. In a heartbeat, the mood in the garage shifts from anxious to serious.

The crew members prepare for the damaged car’s arrival. The garage grows quieter and more focused. Finally, the fierce baritone of the Corvette’s 7.0-liter V-8 can be heard bouncing off the pit lane walls. Seconds later, the car slides into its designated stall. Dan Binks and the crew of #63 leap into action, pneumatically raising the car, lowering it onto dollies and rolling it nose-first into the garage. With the race only a few hours old, the energy level is high. A dozen mechanics swarm over the car, like worker bees attending to the queen. Within 10 minutes, the crew has replaced the rear wing, wheel arch and tie rod. A few moments later, #63 fires up and roars out of the pit stall to rejoin the race.


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http://www2.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=2554

[New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66]

This is a race I hope to see someday.

Hmm, I might plug in my 'Le Mans' DVD with Steve McQueen tonite. Might be a good way to relax on a Sunday night.

[Platt_Mallar]

Pratt & Miller sounds a lot like Platt Mallar. Go team!