Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan on Laguna crash and the 5.5L
01-07-2010, 05:34 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
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Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan on Laguna crash and the 5.5L
Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan on Laguna crash and the 5.5L (from GM High-Tech Performance Blogs)
Q: On a serious note, what were the lessons learned in Jan's last-lap crash at Laguna Seca?
Fehan: "Unfortunately the hardest lessons you learn in this sport are always safety related. You never want to put your safety systems to the test, but when that moment arrives, it's very reassuring to know that they are validated. That's what we learned at Laguna Seca.
"Initially we had concerns about running an aluminum chassis, and we had concerns about how the roll cage was integrated into the chassis. The force of the impact exceeded 50 g's, and yet Jan walked away. When we analyzed the chassis after the crash, the safety systems worked just as they were designed, and the aluminum chassis did a marvelous job of absorbing the energy and protecting Jan from serious injury.
"The extent of Jan's injuries was a broken tailbone, which we attribute to the seat design. We have redesigned that part to prevent a reoccurrence in the future, so that is the upside of the incident. Despite the severity of the crash, the crew had the No. 3 Corvette repaired and fully operational within a couple of weeks."
Q: Corvette Racing will introduce a production-based 5.5-liter small-block V-8 engine in 2010 in place of the 7.0-liter and 6.0-liter engines used previously. What's the outlook for the engine program?
Fehan: "GM Powertrain has completed the initial dynamometer tests of the 5.5-liter small-block V8, and the race team has conducted the first track test with the new engine. We are quite satisfied with its performance level at this point. We plan to continue development and introduce the 5.5-liter engine package in competition at Sebring."
Q: What are Corvette Racing's goals for 2010?
Fehan: "The ALMS GT championship and victory at Le Mans."
Corvette Racing's next event is the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., on March 20, 2010. The classic 12-hour endurance race will be televised live on SPEED starting at 10 a.m. ET.
Fehan: "Unfortunately the hardest lessons you learn in this sport are always safety related. You never want to put your safety systems to the test, but when that moment arrives, it's very reassuring to know that they are validated. That's what we learned at Laguna Seca.
"Initially we had concerns about running an aluminum chassis, and we had concerns about how the roll cage was integrated into the chassis. The force of the impact exceeded 50 g's, and yet Jan walked away. When we analyzed the chassis after the crash, the safety systems worked just as they were designed, and the aluminum chassis did a marvelous job of absorbing the energy and protecting Jan from serious injury.
"The extent of Jan's injuries was a broken tailbone, which we attribute to the seat design. We have redesigned that part to prevent a reoccurrence in the future, so that is the upside of the incident. Despite the severity of the crash, the crew had the No. 3 Corvette repaired and fully operational within a couple of weeks."
Q: Corvette Racing will introduce a production-based 5.5-liter small-block V-8 engine in 2010 in place of the 7.0-liter and 6.0-liter engines used previously. What's the outlook for the engine program?
Fehan: "GM Powertrain has completed the initial dynamometer tests of the 5.5-liter small-block V8, and the race team has conducted the first track test with the new engine. We are quite satisfied with its performance level at this point. We plan to continue development and introduce the 5.5-liter engine package in competition at Sebring."
Q: What are Corvette Racing's goals for 2010?
Fehan: "The ALMS GT championship and victory at Le Mans."
Corvette Racing's next event is the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., on March 20, 2010. The classic 12-hour endurance race will be televised live on SPEED starting at 10 a.m. ET.
01-07-2010, 06:29 PM
#4
Team Owner
Interesting read.Safety is always good. 5.5 has been rumored and talked about for quite a while now.Hopefully it has 450 horses at least in the production version and not 300 something!
01-07-2010, 06:32 PM
#5
Race Director
01-07-2010, 06:33 PM
#6
Still could use a few more ponies..HP is like money or sex, cant have enough...
01-07-2010, 06:54 PM
#8
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Good reading. Thanks! Jan's crash was brutal. Looking forward to their first full season in GT2.....
They really had some great duels with the Flying Lizards last year.
They really had some great duels with the Flying Lizards last year.
01-07-2010, 07:02 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
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01-07-2010, 08:14 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
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