Watch some old school fun in this ride-along video from the passenger-side seat of this racing 1956/1957 Corvette.
Dateline: 11.13.18 – Corvette racecars from the 1950s look absolutely prehistoric from our modern perspective. They were 100-percent mechanical beasts. This video beautifully captures the sights and sounds of this old world racing Corvette.
Back in the day, just like today, Corvettes had plenty of grunt and only needed improved suspension and brakes. That’s what Chevy’s RPO racing parts program was all about. Chevrolet general manager, Ed Cole, charged engineers Zora Arkus-Duntov and three-time Indy 500 winner Mauri Rose, with running the program.
Duntov oversaw the engineering in Detroit and tested the special parts at the GM Proving Ground, and Rose was the field engineer that worked with Smokey Yunick and various racers to field test and improve the parts. By the end of the 1959s, Corvettes were winning championships and were beginning to dominate.
Just for some contrast, I’ve included an in-car video from one of the C7.R Corvettes. Here’s Tommy Milner in the C7.R at Daytona in 2014.
How do you win a championship without winning a single race? Outstanding teamwork!
Dateline: 10.17.18 – The Corvette Racing Team beautifully finished their 20th season with a spectacular Team Championship and Driver’s Championship. And 2018 is the third year in a row that the Corvette Racing team has won the Championship. Chris Draper from the YouTube Channel, “My Corvette Life” delivered the below overview of the 2018 Petit le Mans race at Road Atlanta on October 13, 2018. Chris is also the editor and chief of www.BadBoyVettes.com the exclusively covers the Corvette Racing Team.
Since we like nice, round numbers, here’s a review of the Corvette Racing Team’s 20 years of success.
* 1999 was the official debut of the Corvette Racing Team with the launch of the partnership of Chevrolet with Pratt & Miller.
* Since the Corvette team was launched, the team has racked up 107 total wins, more than any other IMSA entrant.
* The Corvette Racing Team has won its class at at Le Mans eight times.
* The Corvette Racing Team has won its class at at the 12 Hours of Sebring 11 times.
* From 1999 to 2013 the Corvette Racing Team lead the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in all-time wins and 1-2 finishes.
* To date the Corvette Racing Team has won 11 ALMS Team Championships.
* To date the Corvette Racing Team has won 10 ALMS Manufacturer Championships.
* To date the Corvette Racing Team has won 10 Driver’s Championships.
Photo: CorvetteRacing.com
The last 20 years of extraordinary racing success has more than made of for previous years of spotty and sometimes embarrassing performance. Corvettes were long looked down upon as cars that were loud, brash, set track records, had pole starts, but rarely finished races.
Yes, there were exceptions, but overall Corvettes were the Rodney Dangerfield of sports race cars, “I’ll tell’m ya, I get no respect!”
Photo: Retroland.com
With the launch of the C5-R Corvette Racing Team, Corvettes have become the Charles Atlas of the sports racing car world. No one kicks sand in our faces anymore. All it took was training and teamwork.
In November 2012 I had the opportunity to see Doug Fehan and the Corvette Racing Team at the Simeone Museum for Simeone’s first “Corvette Racing” seminar. The C6.R “show car” was there along with Simeone’s 1963 Wintersteen Grand Sport #002. As part of the program, they presented a film explaining how the Corvette Racing Team prepared for one of their Le Mans assaults. They are consummate professionals and their level of professionalism is truly world-class. Everyone came away with a whole new level of respect and admiration for the Corvette Racing Team.
Here’s the view from inside Tommy Milner’s #4 office!
Yet, despite IMSA’s efforts with their Balance of Power (BoP) rules, the Corvette Racing Team out-flanked all competitors by being a better and more efficient team. “Racing” is supposed to be about the best car and team winning races, but IMSA is practically giving everyone a participation trophy by attempting to have an even race. Leave that to the spec racers.
While I am seriously at odds with IMSA and their absurd BoP rules, this year’s third team Championship is sweet revenge from a team that has obviously been held back by IMSA. Consequently, the team did not win any races in 2018, but took the championship just the same. The Corvette Racing Team also vanquished that tired old claptrap about how the Corvette’s front-mid-engine design is outdated. Really? The Ford GT and Porsche didn’t just score their third team Championship in a row, did they?
Photo: Motor1.com The C8.R Corvette race car was seen in testing in summer 2018.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing the mid-engine C8.R competing in the 2019 season. I have no “inside connections” but I do believe we will see the C8.R debut at Daytona in February 2019. Why? Because we have already seen the C8.R being tested last July. They wouldn’t have let out those images if the C8.R was going to compete in 2020. At least, that’s my speculative guess.
Corvette Racing Team scores ANOTHER win at the 12 Hours of Sebring IMSA Race
Dateline: 3-20-16: The overall winner of the 2016 12 Hours of Sebring was Pipo Derani driving his Ligier JS P2 Honda. The Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype driven by Dane Cameron took 2nd and Christian Fittipaldi took 3rd in his Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype.
But for Corvette fans, Tommy Milner brought home the gold and took 1st in GTLM Class in his C7.R Corvette.
Here are some interesting stats that show the success of the Corvette Racing Team:
* This was the 10th class victory at Sebring for Corvette Racing
* The Corvette Racing Team claimed its fifth straight Triple Crown victory!
* This was the second straight victory at Sebring for Corvette Racing and the third in four years. Continue reading “
Tommy Milner & the C7.R Corvette Wins GTLM at 12 Hours of Sebring!!! – 3 VIDEOS” →
Dateline: 8.8.11 Excellent Car, Excellent Drivers, Excellent Team, BAD WEATHER!
Photo credit - MotorSport.com
Summertime weather in America is predictably unpredictable. The August 6, 2011 ALMS Mid-Ohio race started out under sunny summer weather. But 2-1/2 hours later, the heavens opened up and drenched the track snatching a victory from the Corvette Racing team after leading the GT class for the first two hours of the two-hour and 45-minute race with the No. 4 C6.R Corvette. When the wet checkered flag came down, the No. 4 Corvette came in 2nd place, with the No. 3 Corvette coming is 6th place. A very tough break for the seasoned C6.R team, but “that’s racing.”
Two hours into the race, as the storm clouds were gathering, the No. 4 Corvette pitted for rain tires. After an excellent pit Gavin was in striking distance of first place – then the rain arrived. Here’s how Oliver Gaven described his rain experiences on the Ohio track, which is notoriously bad in the rain.
C6.R Corvette Racing team driver, Oliver Gavin
“Those last four or five laps were absolutely insane,” Gavin said. “I was driving down the straight with the steering wheel at full opposite lock, with the car just gliding and aquaplaning. Somehow my car straightened up and Pat Long’s car went off into a gravel trap. When Wolf Henzler drove by me, I had no answer for him; he certainly had a good rain setup. I was relieved when they brought out the red flag because it was really tough. “
Racing “rain tires” are only marginally better that the dry slicks that are normally used. It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to be driving a lightweight, high-powered, race car in the wet. DEFINITELY not for the faint of heart. For full details of the race, CLICK HERE.
