There have been very, very few ‘ever presents’ in sportscar racing over DSC’s now near decade and a half history, but we’re delighted to recognise a hugely significant achievement yesterday by one of them.
Corvette Racing is the longest surviving of all of the factory-backed racing efforts in our world, with a history that extends back to January 1999 at Daytona and a winning record that began late the following year.
It’s an effort that has encompassed three generations of the iconic Chevrolet Corvette (C5, C6 and now C7) and two major racing classifications (GTS/ GT1 and GT2/ GTE/ GTLM) as well as multiple series’ and championships.
And yesterday at Lime Rock Park, the team scored an historic 1-2 that secured its 100th competitive victory (even more amazingly, it was also the team’s 60th 1-2 finish!)
If race wins are the bricks that build up a reputation then racing records are the walls that hold our sport up high.
That should be something we can all celebrate and appreciate, from the race organisers, through the media and onto Corvette’s loyal and extensive fanbase.
Huge congratulations are due to everyone involved in the effort, from General Motors for its continued backing of the programme, to Pratt & Miller for its engineering excellence, to the team management for their continued classiness in victory and defeat, the boys and girls behind the wall for keeping the wheels rolling (quickly!) and of course to the drivers.
100 up, a fabulous record, but they aren’t done yet, and we can all be very grateful for that.
Notes
The racing record of the Corvette Racing outfit now includes:
Ten Manufacturer and Team Championships in the American Le Mans Series
Nine ALMS driver titles
Eight class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Three class wins in the Rolex 24
An overall victory at the Rolex 24 in 2001
Ten class wins at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
Nine race wins in the WeatherTech (formerly TUDOR) SportsCar Championship,
82 American Le Mans Series race wins (a record)
One race win in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series (the 2001 Daytona Win).
Corvette Racing also claimed endurance racing’s triple crown in 2015 with wins at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans. It was the first team in 15 years to accomplish the feat.
