Le Mans 2004

[Hotvette]

Corvette C5-R Racing Team Prepares for the GTS Class Battle Royale

From GM Media – Le Mans France

The Corvette Racing Team has arrived in Le Mans, site of the 72nd annual 24-hour race in the French countryside. The team has begun a weeklong set of activities in and around the 8.46-mile Sarthe circuit, while on-track qualifying sessions begin on Wednesday evening. The 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin at 4:00 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 12. This year’s driver lineup for Le Mans is:

#63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis

#64 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen

The team has carefully assembled eight engines for this week’s qualifying sessions and race. A total of 96 hours (four 24-hour sessions) have been logged to prepare for this year’s Le Mans race. Team engineers note that for the first time this year’s engines blocks run without cylinder liners. The Nicom (nickel and silicon) coating, electroplated into the cylinder walls by U.S. Chrome, creates a structurally stronger engine block. This is just one of the many improvements the team has made to the legendary small-block Chevy V-8 engine in preparation for this year’s race. Good luck Corvette C5-R Team! For more information, visit the Corvette Racing website at: CR