The future of Corvette

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by cor123

GM just announced that Johnny O and Andy Pilgrim will be racing for Cadillac.

In what? Isn't that Cadillac in the US Series (forget the name now) pretty old?

DK

[kyoung]

Link

Cadillac Returns to Racing With CTS-V Coupe

[kyoung]

Better link with a couple pics

[dxk1]

I just read in the "Pescarolo Sport - Future Plans" thread that Emmanuel Collard is quoted as saying he will be driving a P1 at Le Mans and in the ILMC (or LMS) in 2011 and will announce the team shortly. This would sort of leave Corvette without a third driver for all the major enduros they normally enter. Thus, they will need to bring in another driver for Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans. Thus their may be room for Milner and Leitzinger if they want to go that route or they could just have Johnny O'Connell drive those sort of like Fellows did for a few years after he went off the ALMS full-time line-up.

DK

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by kyoung

Better link with a couple pics

Thanks! So they are developing a new car. Makes sense.

DK

[joeb]

In other Corvette driver news, Ollie Gavin will be a full time driver with Banner racing in GA. Don't think that is in place of an ALMS campaign though.

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by joeb

In other Corvette driver news, Ollie Gavin will be a full time driver with Banner racing in GA. Don't think that is in place of an ALMS campaign though.

Ok, Banner switched to a Camaro, Jan Magnussen will drive with Stevenson again.

[TWK]

Originally Posted by dxk1

In what? Isn't that Cadillac in the US Series (forget the name now) pretty old?

DK

No. According to Murphy three months ago, it's a new car from Pratt & Miller:

The General is Busy
Pratt & Miller is in pre-build engineering a Caddy for GM. What effect on other GM programs, if any? Seemingly nothing for ALMS fans, since Murphy’s been told that Corvette Racing (the Pratt & Miller American Le Mans Series program in its entirety, he believes) has been approved/funded by GM to race through the 2013 season.

Over at Grand Am it’s different, where GM is pressuring teams to ditch their Corvettes in favor of Camaros – or Camaro look-alikes. So where does the Caddy go? (September 8)

[cor123]

Originally Posted by joeb

In other Corvette driver news, Ollie Gavin will be a full time driver with Banner racing in GA. Don't think that is in place of an ALMS campaign though.

Oliver Gavin has announced that he is to race in Grand-AM with Banner Racing. This will be an additional racing program.
http://www.olivergavin.com/2010/12/931/

[TWK]

Full time except for conflicts; according to the release, the Rolex 24 plus seven races.

[WMUCarGuy]

If Olly Is going to be 'full time' @ Corvette and Banner, I'd have to think that puts an end to the rumor that he'll be part of an all-pro FIA GT1 Corvette effort too.

[tkelland]

From his statements earlier in the season, I have reason to believe FIA GT1 WC left a bad taste in his mouth.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by tkelland

From his statements earlier in the season, I have reason to believe FIA GT1 WC left a bad taste in his mouth.

I got that impression from more than a few drivers/team owners/etc.

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by WMUCarGuy

I got that impression from more than a few drivers/team owners/etc.

Marc DVS, main complaint is too much contact ($$$)

The Corvettes teams, well save for Phoenix, who own the car they use, the others belong to a collector and after they BBQ'ed one the owner wanted it repaired and returned to him.

Outside of that, I didn't hear (read) much complaining later in the season, as the balance of performance between the cars worked out well, when you see how many different cars have won Qualifying and Championship races.

This isn't a FIA GT1 WC thread so I won't turn it into one, but trying to throw red flags and connecting to Ollie is pretty poor IMHO. He was forced to drive with Mr Mad Croc, hardly giving him a chance to win now does it?

[dj4monie]

I actually think the Corvette teams needs some fresh blood in it. There are plenty of open wheel drivers out there that are proven quick, many of them Americans (Rossi, Summerton, Edwards, JRH, Rahal, etc). Many are waiting for Indy Car, GP2, GP3 and F1 drives that will never materialize.

Getting a juicy gig with a factory run sports car team is just as good and you make a connect with fans that are very loyal, I see vastly more positives driving for GM in the ALMS that being in a backmarker team in any of those the middle and upper class Open Wheel series.

I think Garcia will get bumped up to Sprint race duty for starters.

[Mal]

Confirmation that Johnny O is to leave Corvette for Caddy

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88701

[Victor_RO]

I have a sneaking feeling that one O. Beretta is going to be rather chuffed to bits about this.

[fieldodreams79]

Hate to see Johnny O leave 'vette racing, but excited to hear about the Cadillac deal. I will look and discuss Caddys and WC elsewhere.

[Victor_RO]

Autosport confirms in the print/digital edition that Tommy Milner will be driving for Corvette instead of Johnny O from next year.

[dxk1]

I know it's been posted in other threads, but just for the record, it should be in this post because it regards Corvette's future. For 2011. Milner and Beretta in the #3 with Garcia for Sebring, Le Mans and Petit with Mags and Gavin in the #4 with Westbrook at Sebring, Le Mans and Petit. The story is here:

http://www.planetlemans.com/2011/01/...driver-lineup/

DK

[David]

Corvette Sebring Test 2011 - Fastest (#3) and third (#4) in the final session. YES! Hope this is Corvette's year.

I am glad to see that Jake and the barbed wire are gone, but I don't understand the zoomie wedges on the back. I still think it should be red, white and blue.

[arakis]

I have noticed in this years rules there is no distinciton between cars with 2 valves per cylinder and cars with more then that, last year 2valve cars like the corvette have been alowed to use larger restrictors then the ones perscriber by the ACO table. and it was writen into the 2010 rulebook. now in this years rules there is no mention of that distincion between 2 valve or more, that leads me to conclude that they will be forced to use smaler restrictors then last year, a drop from 28.6 to 27.9 witch is substantial,. does anyone know anything about this

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by arakis

last year 2valve cars like the corvette have been alowed to use larger restrictors then the ones perscriber by the ACO table.

Maybe because for years they had a separate table for 2 valve engines and the Corvette was the only car that would be affected by the transition to the new single table for normally aspirated engines.

Originally Posted by arakis

now in this years rules there is no mention of that distincion between 2 valve or more, that leads me to conclude that they will be forced to use smaler restrictors then last year, a drop from 28.6 to 27.9 witch is substantial,. does anyone know anything about this

From a quick look at the rules on the ACO site you are correct with the exception of IMSA E85/E10 rule which would allow a 2% restrictor increase for running E10. I guess the 5.5 liter max is on again, I thought they fell back to the 8 liter max, or was that just the FIA?

IMSA E85/E10 rule

[arakis]

Originally Posted by kyoung

Maybe because for years they had a separate table for 2 valve engines and the Corvette was the only car that would be affected by the transition to the new single table for normally aspirated engines.

well they had only one table but there was an eqution in the rules by withc 2 valve per cylinder engines calculated their restrictors from the main table.

here is an extract form 2010 regulations

For engines with two valves per cylinder and a single camshaft located in the cylinder block, the following

restrictors’ diameter must be corrected according to the formula:
D = {[D-1] x 1,034} + 1. The result will be rounded to the nearest decimal.

this is not present it the 2011 regulations

and if corvettes gets hit by this they will lose massive amounts of power.
only solution to the problem would be to grant Corvette a waiver, or for imsa to disregard aco rules and keep the old regulations for corvette, but that would mean the corvettes would be competitive in ALMS while at Le Mans they would be at a disentvantige

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by arakis

and if corvettes gets hit by this they will lose massive amounts of power.
only solution to the problem would be to grant Corvette a waiver, or for imsa to disregard aco rules and keep the old regulations for corvette, but that would mean the corvettes would be competitive in ALMS while at Le Mans they would be at a disentvantige

I’m not too concerned; I think the Corvettes will have more than enough power to stay competitive without waivers here or there. Although the recent rule changes do show the sanctioning bodies wish for the death of the large displacement 2 valve engines.