Chevrolet Corvette C5-R
The Chevrolet Corvette C5-R is a GT1 racing car developed by Pratt & Miller and General Motors for sports car racing . The vehicle is based on the Corvette C5 , but is designed exclusively for use in motorsport. It was one of the most successful GT race car, achieving both class wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona , the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24-hour race at Le Mans and championship victories in the American Le Mans Series . The Corvette C5-R debuted in 1999 in motorsport and is still used today, although they are already largely by the Corvette C6.R was replaced.
development
The Corvette C5-R was part of General Motors and its Chevrolet brand's plan to create a factory team to compete in sports car races around the world, most notably the 24 Hours of Le Mans. General Motors was previously against the works support of the Corvette racing program and was previously only involved in motorsport with the Corvette GTP, which competed in the IMSA GT Championship until 1989 . However, the Corvette GTP was not a motorsport offshoot of the series Corvette, but a completely new vehicle. With the appearance of the Corvette C5, General Motors decided to show the potential of the new vehicle and to develop a near-series racing car. The aim was to compete with the manufacturers Chrysler and Porsche , which were already represented in GT racing with the Chrysler Viper GTS-R and the Porsche 911 GT2 .
General Motors commissioned the Michigan-based company Pratt & Miller to develop and build the new racing car and also to organize the racing team in preparation for the motorsport debut in 1999. Even Riley & Scott supported the project by initiated a second team for a year. When the team was pressed for time, Pratt & Miller and General Motors used heavily modified road cars to test the engine and other parts that would later be used in the racing car.
Later the racing chassis was developed, which only had similarities with the road car in terms of structure. A fire protection wall was placed directly behind the driver's seat in the cockpit, which, however, prevented the view to the rear inside the vehicle. A large diffuser and a rear wing were attached to the rear, while a splitter was attached to the front and openings were made in the bonnet. Furthermore, permanent headlights were installed, which replaced the pop-up headlights of the road vehicle.
At the beginning of the 1999 season, the Corvette C5-R had a six-liter V8 engine based on the LS1 engine from the road car. A few months later this was replaced by a seven-liter V8 engine, which remained the standard engine for the rest of the Corvette C5-R's construction period. The engine designed by Katech Engine Development continued to use elements of the LS1 engine from the road car.
From 1999 to 2004, Pratt & Miller built a total of eleven chassis for the Corvette C5-R, ten of which were used directly by Corvette Racing, the Pratt & Miller's motorsport team, and only one was intended for private teams from the start. Finally, a twelfth C5-R chassis was built, which was only used to test the new Corvette C6.R.
Modifications
When the Corvette C5-R took part in competitions in the following years, it was further developed several times in order to remain competitive against stronger opponents. These revisions included changes to the aerodynamics to increase downforce. The hood design was changed during the 1999 season, replacing the small openings with a large one, which allowed the air to escape better. The third and fourth chassis built in 2000 differed from the first two in that they were made 3 inches wider to increase grip.
Later modifications included technology developed for the Corvette C6.R. These included an air conditioning system for more comfort as well as a rear camera on the bumper and a monitor in the cockpit to compensate for the lack of a rear window.
Technical specifications
| Data | C5-R | C5 |
| length | 4643 mm | 4570 mm |
| width | 1999 mm | 1870 mm |
| wheelbase | 2659 mm | 2656 mm |
| Displacement | 7.0 liters | 5.7 liters |
| power | 447 kW / 610 hp at 6200 rpm | 257 kW / 350 hp at 5400 rpm |
| Max. Torque | 772 Nm at 5600 rpm | 483 Nm at 4200 rpm |
Here in the table for comparison a normal, standard Corvette C5.
Racing history
Racing successes
- 1999: 24H Daytona Continental: 3rd place in the GT2 class
- 1999: Peak International Raceway: 2nd place
- 1999: Laguna Seca: SCCA World Challenge winner / 2. in the GTS class
- 1999: Sears Point Raceway: 2nd in the GTS class
- 2001: The C5-R wins the season with 8 out of 10 races in the GTS class, including the 24-hour race at Daytona and a double victory at the 24-hour race at Le Mans
- 2002: A new transmission concept is installed. From now on, the gearbox and differential form one unit. The C5-R wins the title in the GTS class again and repeats its double victory at Le Mans .
- 2003: Several class wins in the American Le Mans Series , including the Sebring 12-hour race
- 2004: The C5-R is on pole position in all ten races, wins all ten races in the GTS class and breaks all lap records. Another double victory at the Le Mans 24-hour race .
- 2005: The C5-R takes part in the FIA GT racing series, wins in Italy, Zhuhai and China and takes podium places several times. In the ALMS, she also achieved podium positions behind her successor, the C6-R.
- 2006: The C5-R returns to Le Mans (private racing team) and finishes the race in 3rd position behind the second-placed Aston Martin DBR9 and the first-placed C6-R.
Corvette Racing
Corvette Racing entered the Daytona 24-hour race in 1999 with two completed vehicles. The Corvette C5-R owned by the Canadian Ron Fellows and the US Americans Chris Kneifel and John Paul Jr. finished the race in 18th place overall, 34 laps behind the class winner. After retiring at the 12-hour race at Sebring, Riley & Scott contested a few races in the American Le Mans Series until the end of the season. The only Corvette C5-R used achieved second place in their class behind a works Viper at Sears Point and Laguna Seca .
Pratt & Miller was the only Corvette team to start the 2000 season again at the Daytona 24-hour race. The Corvette of Fellows, Kneifel and the newly added Briton Justin Bell improved significantly compared to the previous year and finished the race in second place overall, just one minute behind the victorious works Viper. The various prototypes could be clearly beaten. Even so, the team was not able to keep up with the Viper in the Sebring 12-hour race or in the debut of the Corvette C5-R in the Le Mans 24-hour race. The team reported back when it took its first class win in the American Le Mans Series. They managed to beat the Viper team in both Texas and the Petit Le Mans . Although the Corvette C5-R only contested part of the season, Corvette Racing finished third in the championship of the GTS class.
In 2001 Corvette Racing was able to improve again at the Daytona 24-hour race. The Corvette C5-R beat the prototypes and clinched overall victory itself. In the race for the first time Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. took part, who also contested their first race on the Corvette C5-R and brought their vehicle to the finish in fourth place. Now that the Corvette C5-R was able to win, Pratt & Miller contested its first full season in the American Le Mans Series and achieved six class wins, including a class win at Petit Le Mans for the second time. The Corvette C5-R also achieved its first class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which it finished 34 laps ahead of its closest competitor in its class and eighth place overall.
Corvette Racing did not return to the Daytona 24 Hours in 2002 due to changes in the regulations, but continued to take part in the American Le Mans Series. The Corvette C5-R won nine out of ten races and for the first time also achieved class victory in the Sebring 12-hour race. Corvette Racing only suffered a defeat against the new Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello from Prodrive . Corvette Racing also secured its second class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
After two years of dominance in its class, Corvette Racing received its first serious challenger in 2003. Prodrive decided to have their Ferraris contest a full season in the American Le Mans Series. Although not competitive with the Corvette C5-R at the beginning of the season, it won the last four races of the season, including the Petit Le Mans. Nevertheless, Corvette Racing was able to secure the championship with a lead of four points over Prodrive. The Ferraris struck again when they ended Corvette Racing's winning streak at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Corvette's 50th anniversary of all things.
Prodrive did not return to the American Le Mans Series in 2004, which is why Corvette Racing could clear the season and win the championship for the fourth time in a row. Although Prodrive competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing managed to retaliate for the defeat in the previous year and clinched the third class win at the event. The season was the last Corvette Racing fielded the Corvette C5-R. The development work on the new Corvette C6 led to a new racing car, called the Corvette C6.R, which the works team used from the 2005 season.
Corvette Racing achieved a total of 31 class wins in the American Le Mans Series with the Corvette C5-R, three class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and one overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Private teams
Initially, the Corvette C5-R were built exclusively for the Corvette Racing works team. It wasn't until 2001 that Pratt & Miller took up talks with other teams to sell their Corvette C5-R. British team Atomic Kitten Racing planned to buy two brand new vehicles in 2001 but failed to sign a deal. It wasn't until 2003 that the first Corvette C5-R was sold to a private team.
Selleslagh Racing Team
The Corvette C5-R's first customer was Belgian Patrick Selleslagh, who headed the Selleslagh Racing Team in the Belgian GT championship. The best result of the vehicle was a second place in a championship run in Spa . The team also competed in the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race , which is held as part of the FIA GT Championship , and reached the finish line in 18th place.
In 2004, the team achieved the best result, in addition to a few third places, again second place at a championship run in Spa. In 2005 the vehicle took control in the Belgian GT Championship. After winning the season opening race in Zolder , the Selleslagh Racing Team won four more races, including the Zolder 24-hour race . So the team was able to win the championship. It also achieved eighth place in the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race.
At the end of 2005, the Selleslagh Racing Team bought a former factory Corvette to add to the existing vehicle. Both vehicles contested the French GT championship in the 2006 season. The team's best finish was a second place in Nogaro . In 2007 only one Corvette C5-R was used in the French GT Championship, which finished five races in third place. The Selleslagh Racing Team fielded the second Corvette C5-R in the FIA GT Championship. There she won three races of the Citation Cup and finished the 24-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps in tenth place.
Pacific Coast Motorsports
The US American Tom Figge bought a Corvette C5-R as a second customer in 2004, although it was not a new, but a former works vehicle. He used the vehicle in his Pacific Coast Motorsports team in the American Le Mans Series in 2005. Although it was not expected that the team could keep up with Corvette Racing, it was also difficult against other private teams such as ACEMCO Motorsports with its Saleen S7R . The team finished on the podium only once in seven races in its class before leaving the racing series.
GLPK Carsport
The Belgian-Dutch team GLPK-Carsport bought another former works Corvette, with which the team contested a full season in the FIA GT Championship in 2005. The team won two races in Imola and Zhuhai in its debut season . At the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps, the team finished fourth, but was later disqualified. GLPK-Carsport finished the season in fourth place in the team classification and was therefore the best team that only entered one vehicle.
In the 2006 season, GLPK-Carsport now fielded the Corvette C5-R in the Belgian GT championship, while its new Corvette C6.R took part in the FIA GT championship. The team won its debut season in the Belgian GT Championship. When the team split in 2007, Carsport Holland took over the Corvette C6.R, while PK-Carsport left the Corvette C5-R. PK-Carsport returned to the FIA GT Championship with the Corvette C5-R. It achieved its best result with second place at the end of the season in Zolder. In Oschersleben , the Corvette from PK-Carsport was the first to cross the finish line, but was subsequently disqualified. The team also achieved one of the best results of the season at the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race, which it finished third, just three laps behind the winner.
PSI Experience
After Pacific Coast Motorsports withdrew from the American Le Mans Series, his Corvette C5-R was up for sale. The Belgian team PSI Experience bought the vehicle alongside a Corvette C6.R. The team contested the French GT Championship in 2006 with both vehicles. The Corvette C5-R, driven by David Hallyday among others , won the race in Lédenon . PSI also took part in the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race, in which it finished in eleventh place.
PSI Experience competed in the French GT Championship again in 2007. The Corvette C5-R scored another victory, this time in Nogaro. The vehicle was also used as part of the Citation Cups in some races of the FIA GT Championship.
Luc Alphand Aventures
As one of the last Corvette C5-Rs to be sold, the French Olympian Luc Alphand bought a former works vehicle to use in the 2006 Le Mans Series . The car did well, finishing two second and one third in five races. The team thus ended the season on the third championship course. The team also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and surprisingly finished third in its class behind a factory Corvette C6.R and an Aston Martin DBR9 .
In 2007 the team was expanded to include a Corvette C6.R. Both vehicles took part in both the Le Mans Series and the French GT Championship. The Corvette C5-R finished in second place three times in the French GT Championship, while it only finished two thirds in the Le Mans Series. The vehicle was also used again in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but only finished in a defeated 24th place.
