Corvette Racing's bid for a record 13th consecutive victory in the GT1 class came up just short in a photo finish between the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R and the No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9. Aston Martin driver, Pedro Lamy, edged Corvette star, Johnny O'Connell, by .033-second at the stripe. It was the first race since March 2005 that Corvette Racing had to settle for the second spot on the podium.
"He had me by two feet, but with another lap or two we might have got him," says O'Connell. "The guys on the No. 3 Corvette crew have been working so hard, and I really wanted to get them a win. This is a very busy race track, but it was a fun battle, and we raced each other clean."
"It was crazy out there-as crazy as I've ever seen it," says O'Connell's teammate, Ron Fellows, who drove the first one-hour, 41-minute stint. "That's typical of Lime Rock. I was a tick quicker than the Aston in a couple of areas, but not quick enough to take a shot at him."
The two-hour, 45-minute race on the roller coaster 1.54-mile circuit was punctuated by frequent contact and three full-course caution periods. The first incident was the result of Dyson Racing's LMP1 prototype making an optimistic passing attempt in Turn 3 on Olivier Beretta in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. The prototype pushed the Corvette off the track, and both cars ended up in the guardrail, mired in mud. It took eight minutes for the track workers to extricate the wounded Corvette from the muck, and 17 minutes later the C6.R was back on the track with a new front end, and Oliver Gavin behind the wheel. "The crew had to change the nose, change the engine undertray, and replace a broken tie rod end," reports team manager Gary Pratt. "We cleaned off the mud, changed the tires, and the car was back going again."
That accident ended the bid of Beretta and Gavin to extend their record-setting winning streak to nine consecutive victories. "We've had some luck for the last eight races, and it ran out today," says Gavin. "It was just not our day. I was impressed with how the boys got the car back out there. We completed the required 70 percent of the laps, earned some points, and now it's on to the next race."
The race for the GT1 title was another pitched battle between the Aston Martin and Corvette camps, with the three frontrunners locked in combat on the same lap for the entire race. Fellows took the lead on the start, passing pole sitter Darren Turner's Aston Martin. At the 10-minute mark, Beretta and Aston Martin driver, Stephane Sarrazin, made contact in Turn 1 and both spun. After one hour and 19 minutes of flat-out racing, Fellows and Sarrazin swept past Turner on the inside of Turn 1. Following the final round of pit stops and driver changes, O'Connell took second place from Tomas Enge with eight minutes remaining, and then narrowed Lamy's margin from 3.7 seconds to a fender length at the finish.
The Corvettes were carrying 199 more pounds than the Aston Martins, running smaller intake restrictors, and using smaller fuel tanks as a result of "balance of performance" adjustments mandated by the sanctioning body. "At some point in time we knew that the 200 pounds and the restrictor would be too much to overcome, and today turned out to be that day," says Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "It was certainly one hell of a battle, and it's a good thing for Aston Martin that the race wasn't about four feet longer. I think the fans got their money's worth today."
Senate Bill 1955: Why Should You Care?There is a legendary story about Vic Edelbrock Sr. working with a couple guys in his machine shop in southern California, when one day in 1949, a young Robert E. Petersen showed up and pitched Vic on advertising in Hot Rod so his parts could be "discovered" beyond the reaches of the local area. The two struck a deal, and, needless to say, the rest is history. Edelbrock is now a major player, not just as a performance company, but as a significant employer that produces thousands of jobs directly and indirectly.
This story is relevant because the U.S. Senate is considering health care legislation (S. 1955) that would allow small entrepreneurs to gather together under a trade association banner, such as SEMA, and purchase health insurance for their workers at a more competitive rate. More competitive rates mean more jobs and better benefits for workers. Today SEMA has approximately 6,500 member companies, and they employ an estimated one million people worldwide. Many of these companies are small family businesses, just like Vic Edelbrock's company was back in 1949. They are businesses trying to grow and deliver great performance, restoration, and customization products at a fair price, while providing for the families of their employees. Many are forced to operate with little or no benefits because it is unaffordable to do so. The more they pay out for benefits, the less they can reinvest in their businesses. Less jobs means less product and, consequently, less fun and innovation for the consumer.
I recently attended SEMA's Washington, D.C. Rally with U.S. Congressional and Senate members. This event is SEMA's largest effort to protect your hobby from legislative threats, while promoting pro-hobby laws and regulations. The evening before I arrived, I received a phone call from Steve McDonald, SEMA's vice president of Government Affairs, delivering the bad news that S. 1955 had failed to gather the 60 votes required for passage under Senate rules. The legislation has the majority support of fifty-six Senators, and there is a continued effort underway to convince four more to vote in favor of helping American small businesses and their employees.
I haven't written a column in a very long time, but have done so now with the hope that our readers, millions of you, will get involved and let your legislators-federal, state, and local-know where you stand on this issue and hundreds of others that threaten our hobby. From car crusher bills, to muffler laws, to inadequate registration and titling regulations, your government threatens the specialty automotive industry every day. Government can also provide opportunity for the promotion of pro-hobby solutions. But we need you to get involved and now. It is easy and won't cost you a dime.
Contact Jason Tolleson of the SEMA Action Network (SAN) at jasont@sema.org or (202) 783-6007, ext. 39. The SAN is a nationwide partnership between vehicle clubs, enthusiasts, and members of the specialty auto parts industry who want to protect their hobby. Jason will explain how you can, individually or through your car club, put pressure on Congress as well as lawmakers in all 50 states to be positive about our hobby and pass bills like S.1955. Your efforts will ensure that your great-grandchildren can still enjoy the cars and trucks we all love so much today.Thank you.Doug EvansSenior VP/PublisherPrimedia Performance Automotive Group
HOT ROD magazine and the Gibson Custom Shop have created a special anniversary '58 Historic Les Paul Reissue to celebrate Hot Rod magazine's 58 years of continuous publication.
The original '58 Gibson Les Paul Standard marked the beginning of the "Holy Grail of Guitars" era, with originals from '58, '59, and '60 now worth as much as $500,000. The guitar comes with a certificate of authenticity, Gibson Custom hard shell guitar case, and a special anniversary wall mountable display case for hanging in your home or office. Just pull it down and you're ready for thunder-proudly brought to you by the folks who like to rock as well as roll!
If you are interested in winning this guitar or seeing how you can buy one, please go to www.gibsoncustom.com/ hotrod58 for more details. Better hurry because the sweepstakes ends 12/31/2006!
For the first time since October 2003, Corvette Racing didn't finish first or second in the GT1 class in American Le Mans Series competition. Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell had to settle for third place in the inaugural Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park as the effects of series-mandated handicaps throttled the Corvettes' performance at this high-altitude track. The win went to Aston Martin for the second consecutive race as Tomas Enge and Darren Turner claimed victory over Stephane Sarrazin and Andrea Piccini. Corvette drivers Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta were Fourth.
"Racing the Aston Martins under these rules is like playing five-on-four hockey for an entire game," says Fellows after the two-hour, 46-minute race. As a result of performance adjustments imposed by the sanctioning body, the Corvettes went into battle with 1mm smaller intake air restrictors, 10-liter smaller fuel tanks, and 199 more pounds than their British rivals.
The performance imbalance became apparent shortly after the race began at 6:05 p.m. as the Aston Martins opened a gap and then led every lap. Fellows and Gavin started in the No. 3 and No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.Rs respectively, but the front-running Aston enjoyed a 15-second lead after four laps around the 4.5-mile road course. The Corvettes moved to second and third at the one-hour mark when an Aston made an early pit stop for tires. Beretta took over from Gavin and O'Connell replaced Fellows on the first round of pit stops after completing 26 laps, but 10 minutes later, the Astons were running first and second on fresh rubber.
The race's only full-course caution period with 25 minutes remaining sealed the Corvettes' fate as the yellow cars were caught behind the safety car, and Enge gained nearly a lap. When the pits reopened, the Corvettes made their final pit stops for fuel only, but couldn't make up the deficit to the Aston Martins in the closing laps. O'Connell passed Beretta with nine minutes remaining to take the final place on the podium.
"That was hard work today," O'Connell says. "It's an amazing track, and we gave it everything we could, but with these rules it's not a fair fight. That was as hard as we could race. We hoped their times would fall off with worn tires, but they didn't, so congratulations to Aston Martin Racing. Maybe today's race will show the powers that be that they have gone too far."
Gavin agrees. "It was a hard and hot race today," he says. "Early on we had a lot of trouble passing the LMP2 cars, and if we hadn't had that problem we might have been closer. This equalization rule is crazy; to pass the Astons would have been extremely difficult because they're just so fast on the straights. You have to wait for them to make a mistake, and that's how I got around Sarrazin when he made a mistake in Turn 3."
Coming EventsNovember 12, Winter Haven, FLCorvette Garden Party brought to you by Cypress Gardens and Bay Area Corvette Club (rain or shine, sorry no tents) 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (must be parked before 9:30 a.m.). Pre-registration ONLY (limited to first 250 cars); $35 allows car and two persons into the park (standard admission two persons/$80). Info: Diane at k63vette@msn.comwww.baccvette.us CF
zip products corvette trivia challengeThis month, Corvette Fever is continuing the new Zip Products Corvette Trivia Challenge. The Zip Products Corvette Trivia Challenge question will be featured in each issue of Corvette Fever and at www.corvettefever.com. You will be able to answer via e-mail or regular mail. The online poll will start at 12:01 a.m. on 9-19-06, and expire at 11:59 p.m. on 10-16-06. Those who answer correctly will be part of a drawing for a $200 gift certificate from Zip Products. The winner of the contest will also be featured in the next issue of Corvette Fever. Enter the Zip Products Corvette Trivia Challenge by answering the question and filling out the required information online, or by sending the answer on a 3x5 card with your name, address, phone number, and date of birth. See Rules on page 75. Send your written entry form to: Zip Products Corvette Trivia Challenge Corvette Fever magazine9036 Brittany WayTampa, FL 33619or answer online at: www.corvettefever.com.