Here's the story on this print:
lIlustrated Corvette Series No. 114 - 2001 Le Mans-Winning C5-R Corvette
"Victory at le Mans"
Had it not been for Zora Arkus-Duntov, there never would have been a C5-R. The Corvette’s first chief of engineering knew firsthand the value of racing. In 1952 and ‘53 he co-drove an Allard sports car at Le Mans. Then, in ‘54 and ’55, he drove a 1,000cc Porsche Spyder to a class win. While Duntov never got to see all-out factory support for a Corvette racing team, his passion for motorsports lived on in the hearts of the C5 design team. With the car having proved more successful than anyone in GM’s upper management could have imagined, 1999 seemed like the perfect year to introduce a factory-supported Corvette racing program.
GT endurance competition is arguably one of the most difficult forms of auto racing. Cars have to be fast, powerful, and durable. Drivers must have stamina, and teams need to work together perfectly. And, of course, there’s always the luck factor. Fortunately, the C5 came with all the basic elements a racing engineer could want, giving the ‘99 C5-R a great platform from which to start.
The ‘99 C5-R made a great showing in its first five races, even taking Second at Laguna Seca. The ‘00 season got off to a great start, with the Vettes taking Second place at Daytona. The year ended with two wins, three seconds, and a creditable Third place in the GTS class at Le Mans. 2001 proved to be the best year yet, bringing the Corvette’s first-ever overall win at the 24 Hours at Daytona. The stage was set for Le Mans.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the pinnacle of modern endurance racing, and the ultimate feather in any sports-car manufacturer’s cap. The 8.45-mile course is mostly made up of two-lane country roads. By the third season the cars were well sorted out, and the team was primed for victory. The ‘01 C5-Rs were called the “wide body” cars because they had been built to the maximum allowable width for the GTS class. A little-known fact is that the GTS cars actually had to be crash-tested as part of the certification process.
As noted, luck can play an important part in endurance racing. The 2001 Le Mans race was one of the wettest in memory, with vicious rain starting just 10 minutes after the green flag. Most cars had to quickly pit to exchange their racing slicks for rain tires. Rain caused two of the four Vipers to crash, and a third had to drop out of the race due to electrical problems. The three controversial S7R Saleen cars all broke. For decades the Corvettes had borne the brunt of the bad luck and durability problems. This race was C5-R’s time to shine.
Through the night the No. 63 and No. 64 C5-Rs swapped the lead several times. At one point, the No. 64 car made a 15-minute pit stop to fix a broken starter. Then, the car spun out two times in as many laps, putting it far back from the leaders. One hour before the end of the race, it poured again, and the pace car had to come out. When this happens, hard-fought leads shrink, as cars can catch up with—but not pass—one another. When the checkered flag came down, C5-R No. 63 crossed the finish line with C5-R No. 64 slightly behind.
The C5-R team finished First and Second in the GTS class and Eighth place overall. The 63 car—driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, and Scott Pruett—ran 278 laps totaling 2,349 miles. The 64 car—driven by Frank Feron, Andy Pilgrim, and Kelly Collins—ran 271 laps totaling 2,289 miles. Speedvision (now the SPEED Channel) said, “Nobody at Le Mans knows the Corvettes won at Daytona, but everyone at Daytona knows that Corvettes won at Le Mans!” Thanks, Zora.
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Printed on high quality tan-colored parchment paper using a Xante professional grade printer.
This print comes in one size:
11” x 17”
Print is shrink wrapped on 11.5" x 17.5" cardboard so that they stay flat and clean and shipped via USPS Priority Mail. All prints are signed by the artist. They make a wonderful gift for the car lover in your life!
