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On June 18-19, 2016 the world’s greatest car manufacturers will battle at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Through special arrangement with the ACO, three locations outside of France will be given commercial free, direct feed of the race… Berlin, Tokyo and Bowling Green, Kentucky at the National Corvette Museum.
We are planning to show the race on our 28 foot giant screen in the Chevrolet Theater, with live timing and scoring, refreshments during the entire 24 hours, private Skypes hourly from the Corvette Racing team and door prizes. We think this will be the next best thing to being there yourself!
Space will be very limited – pre-registration early is of the essence!
Registration for this event is $100 per person and will include:
24 hour opening of the NCM’s Theater for viewing purposes
Early opening of NCM on Saturday, June 18
Continental breakfast both Saturday and Sunday
Light dinner service included
Cash bar will be open Saturday from 5:15pm – 7:00pm
Snacks & refreshments provided all 24 hours
Hourly drawings for signed race team hero cards (Must be registered participant & present to win)
Security will cover the front grass circle entrance door (parking lot A entrance) from 5:00pm – 8:00am so you are free to come and go at your leisure. RV parking is allowed in the truck parking lot for this event only. Bring in your sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc for an all night stay in the NCM. All activities are open to Event Registrants only.
Johnny O'Connell, Patterson & Bryant For Team AAI Corvette At Le Mans
O’Connell, Patterson & Bryant For Team AAI Corvette At Le Mans
on 16/05/2016 18:23 in Latest News, Le Mans News
The final confirmed crew for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours will see GM factory driver Johnny O’Connell make his 15th Le Mans start, in a career that has seen four class wins and five further podium finishes at the French classic. The four-time Pirelli World Challenge champion will be joined by Mark Patterson and Le Mans debutant Oliver Bryant.
The trio will campaign the Team AAI-entered Corvette C7.R, this the very car that won the GTE Pro class at last year’s race. It is team AAI’s second consecutive year at Le Mans, having brought a pair of Porsche GTE Am entries to the finish in 2015.
The effort will again be supported by Rudi Penders’ Prospeed outfit.
Any word on the Corvette corral when the show comes to Lime Rock on the 7/23.
2016 July 22 - 23 IMSA Corvette Owners VIP Experience Presented by Club Corvette of Connecticut
[2016 July 22 - 23 IMSA Corvette Owners VIP Experience Presented by Club Corvette of Connecticut]
THIS EXPERIENCE DOES NOT INCLUDE YOUR ADMISSION TICKET – THAT MUST BE PURCHASED SEPERATELY
Corvette Owners VIP Experience presented by Club Corvette of Connecticut
The experience includes:
Guaranteed infield parking in the Corvette Corral adjacent to the Skid Pad area (just for participants of this experience!)
Parade laps for the first 50 cars to arrive on your day of attendance driving around the same 1.5-mile track as Corvette Racing
A really nice portable boxed lunch to take with you to the spectator hillside:
Hearty Baguette Style Ultra-Stuffed Sandwich, including Italian Combo, Chicken Breast, Heirloom Tomato and Roast Turkey options
Fresh House Baked Cookies
Local Apple or Seasonal Fresh Whole Fruit
Sweet Snack or Mixed Nuts
Artisanal Potato Chips
Chilled Crystal Rock Bottled Water
Water and sodas all day
A private, VIP hospitality tent just for participating Corvette owners
Guest speakers and meet-and-greet opportunities including drivers from the Corvette Racing team
Raffle prizes provided by Chevrolet
Live TV feed of the on-track IMSA action with timing and scoring in the private hospitality tent
Corvette Owners VIP Experience Prices:
$65 – Adult Driver Friday, not including track admission
$65 – Adult Driver Saturday, not including track admission
$50 – Adult Guest Friday, not including track admission
$50 – Adult Guest Saturday, not including track admission
$10 – Child Friday - Children 16 and under (admission free)
$10 – Child Saturday - Children 16 and under (admission free)
Admission prices for the event are: $30 for Friday, $60 for Saturday or $80.00 for the whole weekend
Children 16 and under and current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces are admitted free with any proof of service to the Park, but must have the appropriate Corvette Owners VIP Experience Pass to enter the tent
If you watch the video, there is a 3rd car under cover. Not sure if it is a new 2016 (new-rules) car, or the unaccounted for 2014/15 car, or even just a non-working display car.
I'm thinking the team doesn't want a repeat of last year where they could only run 1 car due to a practice accident, so there is something else to run. I'm not sure the rules would allow a 2015 car in GTE-Pro due to the safety and aero changes, so perhaps we have a 3rd chassis? Or a show car...
Pretty crazy a team is going to take delivery of a car less than a week before testing and only a few weeks before the race. That said, it is the GTE-PRo winning car, so I guess when you write the check to by the car, you tell Corvette Racing "set it up like you ran it at Le Mans last year, and we'll take it form there''.
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Test Day Marks Return to France for Defending Champion
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Test Day Marks Return to France for Defending Champion
Pair of Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs set to take part in eight hours of testing at Circuit de la Sarthe
· Gavin, Milner, Taylor defending GTE Pro class winners
· Reliability, performance hallmarks of Chevrolet Corvette
· Seventeenth appearance at Le Mans for Corvette Racing
DETROIT (June 1, 2016) – The world’s toughest endurance race beckons once again for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing as the two-car squad aims to write another chapter in its endurance racing history book. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the marquee event for Corvette Racing each year; the results since 2001 bear out how important the event is to Chevrolet.
Corvette Racing will arrive at Le Mans for the annual Test Day in search of its ninth class victory and a second consecutive triumph. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor in the No. 64 Konica Minolta/Mobil 1/Sirius XM Corvette C7.R lead the charge for Corvette Racing as the reigning GTE Pro champions following a storybook race in 2015. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor share the No. 63 Corvette C7.R – the first race together for the trio.
The six drivers have combined for 15 career victories at Le Mans with Gavin winning for the fifth time last year. The No. 64 Corvette was the lone entry in the race following a crash in qualifying for the No. 63 C7.R that forced its withdrawal.
This year’s race will pit Chevrolet against a number of premier automobile manufacturers – many of which also compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. Through four races, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing lead the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Manufacturer and Team championship.
Endurance and Corvette Racing go hand-in-hand. No manufacturer can match the record of Chevrolet and its flagship sports car racing team with 27 long-distance victories since 1999. That includes five straight victories in Triple Crown events; in addition to last year’s Le Mans, Corvette Racing has won the last two years in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. No sports car team, regardless of class, can boast that level of continuous success in endurance racing’s premier events.
The test program ahead of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans has focused on finding the right aerodynamic package for the 2016-spec Corvette C7.R, which meets this year’s Automobile Club de l’Ouest regulations for top-level GT cars that compete in both GTE Pro and the IMSA GTLM class. There are a number of aerodynamic changes from last year’s car including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette. Side skirts and a repositioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTE Pro and GTLM cars.
All of those facets along with Michelin tires specific to FIA World Endurance Championship competition have been the focus of Corvette Racing’s on-track testing and engineering preparations. The two Corvette C7.Rs and six drivers performed a final pre-Le Mans test at Road America earlier this month.
Side-by-side, the road-going Corvette Z06 and C7.R race car are virtually identical – a hallmark of Chevrolet’s philosophy of technology transfer. Both cars share a common aluminum frame that provides stiffness (and added safety) while at the same time a weight savings over the previous generation of racing Corvette. Advanced aerodynamics help with air flow, engine and braking cooling, and downforce in the high-speed corners that dot the nearly 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe.
The Corvette C7.R and Corvette Z06 also benefit from the use of direct fuel injection, which helps improve fuel economy to the Chevrolet small-block V8. That often proves critical at Le Mans where longer runs on fuel can mean as much as an extra two laps between stops.
The Le Mans Test Day starts at 9 a.m. CET/3 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 31. The 83rd running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 13.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “You need to maximize as much track time as possible on the Test Day. I hope the weather is good but even if it rains you need to try a few things. Laguna Seca the last few years has been where we’ve started running the new Michelin tire for Le Mans. But you don’t really have time to focus on making it work there. So when you get to Le Mans, one of the most important things to concentrate on are tires and then all the new bits and pieces that we have in the Le Mans-spec aero. Year after year, Le Mans has gotten more competitive. Every single tenth of a second there counts, which might seem strange to say considering the length of the track. We have to use all the experience we’ve gained over these first four races in the U.S, and be ready with any improvements as soon possible so we can be as competitive as possible.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “For us, the Test Day is about getting back in the groove of Le Mans. We come there with a new car and different levels of downforce. We need to learn what the car will do. We won’t pay too much attention to what others will do. When it’s all over we will use that as a gauge to where we are. Our main focus is learning the car and fine-tuning the new aero. When you go there for the test, that’s pretty much what you have. You can adjust a lot of stuff but you’re doing going to redesign anything. You won’t have a chance to know if it will last 24 hours. Obviously after the test we can go back and have a rethink. It’s a lot of time for the engineers to look through the data and try to come up with solutions to whatever problems we’ve had. It is exactly what it is: a test and practice before the main event.”
RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “GTE Pro is always super-competitive at Le Mans. This year with four Fords going, just by numbers it will be one of the toughest years ever. Getting that time at Road America and working through lots of things and getting an idea of what the engineers can simulate on the computers over the stretch before the race and understanding certain parameters of the car that apply to Le Mans is important. The team has a solid plan about what we want to do and changes to make. Jordan and I aren’t getting there until the afternoon, so it will be a busy time getting some laps and getting to work through a couple of changes. The team has a solid plan. They’ve done this so many times that while it’s not exactly routine but they can handle themselves well and get a lot of good work done.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “The Test Day has always been important, but as things have gotten more finely tuned, and you know what to expect from the car and you know what you should be doing, it becomes quite clear where you are in terms of the car’s performance compared to previous years. You then have to see how that stacks up against competition. I’ve had really good cars at Le Mans and I’ve had some cars that have been quite hard to drive. You always hope that every time you go there, that the package you bring is going to come together and give you a nice, comfortable feeling to give you an attacking style you want to use around Le Mans. If you don’t have that, then you know you’re likely going to be in for a long 24 hours and it makes the job incredibly more difficult to drag a good result out of it.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “This year especially the Test Day is more important than it has been in years past. We have a new rules package for GTE Pro. It’s the biggest change in our Corvette since we went from C6 to C7 a few years ago. Even then the rules were fundamentally the same. Now we go there with a car that will have quite a bit more downforce potentially. Plus you had on the extra pressure from Ford, Aston Martin has a renewed interest and program… there’s just lots of ‘new’ everywhere. For us, we have something new but it’s not quite as new, which I think will help us.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “Every year when you go to Le Mans, any track time you can get is important – especially with the added car count this year. You really have to be on your game from the word go. Yes we have two long sessions but the lap is four minutes long so by the end of the day you aren’t really going to have that many laps in. You really have to make the most of it. For the drivers, it’s nice to get used to the track again and for the engineers, it’s valuable data they can take to the raceweek.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “In our 17 years of coming to Le Mans, I’m confident that this will be toughest test we will face at the 24 Hours. The Test Day is more critical now than it ever has been with the number of new cars and new manufacturers. For us, we have spent many hours testing and performing simulations in order to arrive at a package that will give us the best opportunity to win at Le Mans for the ninth time.”
Ford, Aston Martin Receive Weight Breaks in BoP Shakeup
By John Dagys
Ford and Aston Martin have received weight breaks, while Ferrari has been pegged back, in the latest round of Balance of Performance adjustments ahead of this weekend’s Le Mans Test Day and 24 Hours of Le Mans later this month.
The FIA confirmed on Wednesday its pre-Le Mans test day BoP, which sees changes to four of the five cars competing in GTE-Pro.
Both the Ford GT and Aston Martin Vantage GTE have received a 20kg reduction in minimum weight, although the Aston will be forced to run with a 0.4 mm (x2) smaller air restrictor for the French endurance classic.
The weight break for the Aston brings it down to 1190 kg, following an initial 20kg reduction given to the British manufacturer prior to last month’s WEC Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Ferrari, which dominated the opening two rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship with the pair of AF Corse-run 488 GTE cars, has been given a 10kg increase in minimum weight.
No changes have been made to the boost levels for either the Ford or Ferrari, although the GTE-Pro class Corvette C7.R’s air restrictor has been adjusted to 29.1mm (x2), a slight reduction over it initial specification.
The pair of factory Pratt & Miller Corvettes run with 29.5mm air restrictors in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but will be 10kg lighter in WEC trim.
All GTE-Pro cars, meanwhile, have been given a 5 liter increase in fuel capacity for the race.
Minor BoP changes have been made in GTE-Am, with the Ferrari F458 Italia receiving a 10kg weight break and the Aston Martin getting a 0.3mm larger air restrictor.
All GTE-Am cars except the Corvette C7.R will also have the 5-liter increase in fuel capacity as well, along with class-specific gurney height adjustments made to both the Aston Martin and Corvette.
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Garcia Fastest Driver in GTE Pro Class on Test Day
Mission accomplished for two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs ahead of 24 Hours
· Oliver Gavin fourth-quickest in class as No. 64 team goes for second straight Le Mans win
· Focus turns to race-week preparation for what will be hard-fought class battle
· Team going for ninth class win in 17th Le Mans appearance
· Corvette Racing with five straight Triple Crown event victories
LE MANS, France (June 5, 2016) – Corvette Racing ended the Le Mans Test Day with the fastest time in the GTE Pro class as Antonio Garcia set a lap of 3:55.122 (129.680 mph) in the No. 63 Konica Minolta/Mobil 1/Sirius XM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. Garcia, who celebrated a birthday Sunday and will team with Jan Magnussen and Ricky Taylor, led a Corvette Racing effort that focused on race setup and strategy as the team works toward what it hopes will be a ninth victory at the French endurance classic.
Both Corvettes were among the four fastest cars in what should be a highly competitive fight in GTE Pro. Oliver Gavin in the No. 64 Corvette C7.R was fourth-fastest with a lap of 3:55.837 (129.245 mph). He, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor are the defending class winners at Le Mans, and Gavin and Milner won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to open the season.
Both Corvettes recorded significant mileage around the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. The No. 64 Corvette turned 81 laps while the No. 63 Corvette posted 73 laps. The entire day was run in warm, dry conditions which allowed the team to maximize its efforts to find the best race setup for the 2016-spec Corvette C7.Rs.
Sunday marked the first time at Le Mans for the cars, which feature a number of changes from 2015 including a larger splitter at the front and diffuser at the rear of the Corvette. Side skirts and a repositioned wing also are among the most notable changes, along with updated safety features that are now mandated on all GTE Pro cars.
Corvette Racing engineers, crew and drivers will spend the days leading up to next week’s practice and qualifying sessions pouring over data to fine-tune the performance, reliability and efficiency of the two Corvettes. The task is monumental given the quality and quantity of the other manufacturer-based teams in GTE Pro.
The 84th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is set for 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 18. Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for June 15-16.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It's been a while since we've had such a clean test day with no worries. That helped us a lot in going through our test program. We're happy with where we are, and we're well prepared for the race. Now we have a ton of data to go through, but it looks like it will be a great race with a very competitive field in GTE Pro."
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: "I'm quite happy with what we've achieved today. We had a problem-free test and tried some different possibilities for the race. It's always a bit of a guess to know how much grip the track will gain throughout the race week, but we're in good shape."
RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: "It was great to be in Le Mans with the Corvette Racing team for the first time! The balance of the car was very good, so I could take my time to get up to speed. It's a pity about the red flag which cut short the last session while I was driving, but I'm sure the car will be very strong."
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: "It's been a productive day. It's very close between all competitors in the GTE Pro class. I feel that we've learned a decent amount and that we're in a good spot. The weather was quite stable throughout the day and we'll have to see what the race week brings."
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: "It was great to be back and get the Le Mans experience going again. It's nice to come here with a car that's a bit different from what we had here in last couple of years with the new aero package. We were trying to make sure we ticked all the boxes, and we did that. We also tried some different things and learned a lot from that. We were pretty quick and finished fourth in class which is a good place to be in. We're all fairly comfortable with the car, so it's ‘Mission Accomplished’ as far as the Test Day went."
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 64 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: "It was good to be back. It always takes some ten laps to get back into the rhythm of things, but the car felt very good, so I'm happy. You do feel a little bit better aero. At Le Mans you’re completely trimmed out so any additional downforce you can get without the drag is important, and I think that’s what Corvette has done with this new C7.R – increased the level of downforce and reduced the drag.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “We come to Le Mans each year with our list of items and settings to work through to put us in the best possible position for when we come back for the race. That is what we accomplished today with both our Corvette C7.Rs. Antonio going quickest in the class is a good indication of the quality of the effort our engineers and crew have put forward. Although we are pleased with today's results, we realize we still have more work to do. Preparation, strategy and execution are what we have used to win eight times at Le Mans, and it’s what we will count on again this year.”
Attention GT and Prototype Race Fans of ALL Marques!!
On June 18-19, 2016 the world’s greatest car manufacturers will battle at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Through special arrangement with the ACO, three locations outside of France will be given commercial free, direct feed of the race… Berlin, Tokyo and Bowling Green, Kentucky at the National Corvette Museum.
We are planning to show the race on our 28 foot giant screen in the Chevrolet Theater, with live timing and scoring, refreshments during the entire 24 hours, private Skypes hourly from the Corvette Racing team and door prizes. We think this will be the next best thing to being there yourself!
Registration for this event is $100 per person and will include:
24 hour opening of the NCM’s Theater for viewing purposes
Early opening of NCM on Saturday, June 18
Continental breakfast both Saturday and Sunday
Light dinner service included
Cash bar will be open Saturday from 5:15pm – 7:00pm
Snacks & refreshments provided all 24 hours
Hourly drawings for signed race team hero cards (Must be registered participant & present to win)
Click here to register
For those of us who do not get FS2 Le Mans has offered an app to watch the race for a premimum package Program: (cost approx $10.00) http://www.lemans.org/en/Page/mobile-app/99
Yes, and this is the 2nd time they made a change so keep watching in case they change it again. I am posting now as I will be in France and may not be able to update
05-09-2016, 04:17 PM
...so glad that we have ALMS Racing thread !!
