6.6.2006
Le Mans 2006: Trouble-free test for Corvette Racing

It was only a test, but Corvette Racing's twin Corvette C6.R passed with flying colors as the two Corvettes had a day of trouble-free testing on the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans. The eight-hour session was the only opportunity for teams to test the road course before the start of official practice and qualifying on June 14.

The No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen ran a fast lap of 3:53.029, placing it third among the 12 GT1 entries. The No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Johnny O'Connell, Ron Fellows and Max Papis completed the 13.6-kilometer circuit in 3:53.174, placing it fourth on the GT1 speed chart. The No. 63 Corvette ran a total of 91 laps and its sister car completed 83 laps. Neither car had any significant issues as the team evaluated tires, shock absorbers and aerodynamic settings. The independent Corvette C5-R of Policand/Goueslard/Alphand was fifth fastest at 3:54.113.

"I couldn't have asked for the test to be any better," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "We had perfect weather and enjoyed a virtually trouble-free day. The two Corvette C6.Rs completed a total of 174 laps, the most among the two-car GT1 teams, and we have a huge amount of data to analyze.

"Lap times were very good, the dramatic improvement over last year that we were looking for," Fehan continued. "They were a close match to what the computer simulations suggested, further validating our software. We hit all of the goals we intended to accomplish."

Corvette Racing is aiming for a fifth class victory in six years in the classic 24-hour endurance race.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 17:00 h local time on Saturday, June 17 and finishes at 17:00 h on Sunday, June 18. The race will be broadcast on SPEED Channel in North America and in Europe on MotorsTV. Live radio coverage will be available at www.radiolemans.com.

24 Hours of Le Mans GT1 Test Times: