A Chevrolet Corvette won the GT1 class at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the No. 63 Corvette Racing C6.R scored the team's sixth class victory in the French endurance classic. The question is, will this be the last victory for Corvette at Le Mans?
The No. 63 Corvette Racing C6.R of Antonio Garcia. Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell prevailed when the no. 62 Corvette Racing entry broke down with gearbox issues while leading the class with just two hours to go. The No. 63 car faced its own issues as Jan Magnussen fell ill with food poisoning during the night and was unable to continue. The No. 73 Luc Alphand Adventures Corvette C6.R finished second.
In truth there was never any doubt that a Corvette would win the woefully undersubscribed class, which has fallen far from the days when the Aston Martin DBR9, Ferrari 550 and Saleen S7 all battled Corvette. This has been the last year for the current GT1 rules.
Pratt & Miller Engineering has prepared a Corvette for competition in the GT2 class next year, where it would match up with the Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, but the GM bankruptcy has made the future of the program problematic. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the Corvette's first appearance at Le Mans, when the Briggs Cunningham entry won its class and finished eighth overall, a breakthrough in respectability for America's sports car. No other Corvette finished so well at Le Mans until the factory-sponsored Corvette Racing entry did the job in 2001.
The win was Corvette Racing's 16th podium finish at Le Mans since 2000. It was the fourth Le Mans class win for O'Connell and Magnussen, and the second consecutive Le Mans GT1 victory for Garcia. O'Connell became the first American driver to win four class titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
More coverage is available from Corvette Racing.
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stovt001 says:
11:12 AM, 06/15/09
I thought the Corvette with gearbox problems was #64.
I hardly think this is the last victory for Corvette in Le Mans. I'm excited for the car to actually have competition in GT2 now, and whether GM or a privateer does it, I'm sure Corvette will rise to victory again at some point. GM said the Corvette as a product will continue despite bankruptcy. Someone will race it, and the chance of winning is good.
estreka says:
04:27 PM, 06/15/09
The Corvette is a pretty phenomenal car, especially in its C6 iteration. The C5s were leaps and bounds ahead of the C4s, but the C6 is a truly commendable product.
porschecarrera says:
10:44 AM, 06/17/09
Yeah, when the GT1 race was between 4 Corvettes, 1 Aston Martin DBR9 and a Lamborghini Murcielago, is there really any doubt the Corvette will win.