The Corvette Racing program has been so successful for the past few years that it has brought about its own demise....sort of.

In case you haven't noticed, the only opposition to the C6.R in the LMGT1 class is air friction for the 2007 season of ALMS. And the head honcho for road racing at GM has said that the Corvette Racing program won't continue in the GT1 class if no other "meaningful" opposition will be expected for 2008. aka If the Aston Martin team doesn't come back in 2008, neither will the Corvette.

The competitors in the LMGT1 class has been dwindling for the past couple of years, probably because of the dominance of the Corvette/DB9 platforms. This class used to be populated with such cars as the Viper, the 575, the S7, and even a Pagani Zonda based chassis were competing way back in 2003.

It seems that the Corvette has pretty much dominated so badly that they are left to racing with themselves. The immediate future seems to be that the team may modify the C6.R to qualify for the GT2 class. And also considerations for entering into the new prototype class in the ALMS in the future is a possibility.

Assuming Aston Martin doesn't come back, will this leave ALMS with just 3 classes?

Or this could be a chance for Chrysler to put out some good publicity by restarting their Viper racing program based on the new SRT-10 chassis.

What do you guys think? Any insights, SteveFX?


Corvette Racing will confirm its continued participation in the American Le Mans Series--as soon as the Aston Martin Racing team does the same. GM road racing manager Steve Wesoloski even suggested that questions about Chevrolet's 2008 plans should be directed at Prodrive (which runs the Aston team) boss David Richards.

"As soon as they announce they are coming back, we'll announce that we'll be back," he said. "I think you should ask that question to David Richards and George Howard-Chappell [who also runs Aston racing]."

Wesloski and Corvette program manager Doug Fehan denied they are trying to goad their rival into returning, and they distanced themselves from a Corvette ad in the Mosport ALMS race program that clearly took a swipe at Aston. A picture of a Corvette passing a solitary team member, which just happened to be Howard-Chappell, bore the words: "Corvette: Turning participants into spectators." Wesoloski insisted that Chevrolet's Canadian subsidiary created the ad and had no understanding of the image's significance.

Should neither Aston nor any other meaningful opposition join the GT1 class next season, Corvette Racing will almost certainly end its long-time participation in the series. It has always insisted that it could only justify racing alone for one season only.

"The only thing I can say with any confidence is that we will be at the Le Mans 24 Hour next year," said Wesoloski. He also said that any operation built around Le Mans will not involve a full assault on the Le Mans Series in Europe, something that the team considered for this season.

In the longer term, Corvette is reviewing its options. It is evaluating a step down to GT2, while Pratt & Miller--which runs the team--appears interested in moving up to the new class for prototype coupes that is due to become Le Mans' top class in 2010.

Aston is also evaluating the future of prototypes. Any chance of it rejoining the ALMS appears to hinge on the series giving it some kind of performance break(s) akin to those it received the last time it competed in the ALMS, in 2006.
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070906/FREE/70906011/1566/FREE&rssfeed=rss01

http://www.americanlemans.com/drivers_and_teams/Images/77102006181652671.png

Hopefully there will be other companies that will compete in GT1 so that Corvette can stay in there. I'm talking about types of companies like Creation and Zytek.

Yeah, I would love to see some of the current production cars being raced in the LMGT1 class. Here's a few cars that would spice up the field:

Dodge Viper SRT-10

BMW M3 (spiritual revival of the M3 GTR but using the new E92 platform)

Ferrari 599

Ford Shelby GT500KR

Porsche 997 GT2

They are bluffing.

Vette would continue racing if for no other reason than to say they have been champions X ammount of years.

I don't know what the heck they are doing lately. They have been talking about a major redesign on the racing program for a long time, that might mean a whole new platform or it might mean they are getting off.

GM has a great racing heritage but for some reason GM's management has a grudge against GM doing anything well for any lengthy period of time.

If so, it's been a great last few years, but I doubt this it's going to happen.

Or maybe the general IS trying to goad some teams from trying the GT1 class again. I mean if the GT1 class is without participants, then any team can enter and win by default. As I said, I'm thinking Chrysler should really invest in their Viper again.

Nist7, that is a good possibility. GM and Dodge have been playing the press game regarding the Viper/Z06 wars so far, each making statements poking at the other. This might be GM's way of trying to bait the Vipers into LMS.

I think it's funny that an American car with it's classic terrible American technology, plastic parts, old useless leaf spring rear suspension, and horrible V8 has runn everyone else out of the class! lol

I will be very depressed if they don't enter GT1 next year... It's sad enough to watch a ALMS race and see no coverage of the GT1 class becuase it's just the Corvette's but this would be much worse. I love Corvettes and I would hate to see them go, if they have to move down to GT2 then I guess that's better then nothing... Anyways I hope this brings more competition into GT1.

I think it's funny that an American car with it's classic terrible American technology, plastic parts, old useless leaf spring rear suspension, and horrible V8 has runn everyone else out of the class! lol

For the first two years, the Viper won the ALMS GTS (now known as the GT1) class. And Prodrive actually ran a Ferrari 550 that barely lost to the C5.R back in 2003. And the Saleen S7 have had decent showings as well.

Only time will tell of the future of the GT1 class.

edit: Heck, they should build a GT2 class racer from the new base C6 cars! lol

Yes, they should...

To me, the entire American LeMans series is a sham that is quickly loosing my interest. I used to watch the races becuase of racing up until recently, now I will tune in to just see and hear the cars, then switch over to something else.

Porsche is smoking everybody now, including the diesels from Audi. The P1 class has no competition and the P2 is close to "competition" but it doesn't happen every week. GT2 may be the only competitive class, but even that isn't entertaining when they don't even cover it. Yet they do cover the amazing Penske cars leading everybody, which is boring.

Corvette Racing wants to have competitors and as a matter of fact they have had a team with an MC12 come in, and that team ended up in 3rd, but way behind the Vettes. I really think that the GT1 class will be eliminated eventually, maybe next year, if Aston doesn't return, and no privateer C6s come over from Europe, which is bad financially, GT1 will be no more. I hope that this actually happens becuase there is no point in having it if there is one team and only 2 cars every week.

I do hope that GM as well as Cerberus bring the Vette and Viper to GT2 and mix it up. Ferrari is slowly taking over that series, so new competitors could change things.

This is what happens when you are just that good.

Would be cool if they got into Prototype class one and knock Audi off its top spot. GT1 one class has dwindled dwn to about nothing just the C6.R and the DBR9. What happened to the S7, Viper, and other competitors. I guess the C5.R and the C6.R have dominated so badly they just let it go.

Interesting points clutch. With things the way they are, I won't be surprised if they just lumped the GT1 and GT2 class together, allowing for a faster version of the current GT2 cars while tuning down the GT1s. It would make for a very exciting race as well.

I only wish that more factory-backed teams were participating, like GM and Audi. Ferrari is doing well in Formula One and their F430 platform has seen success in privates in the past couple ALMS seasons. Chrysler and Ford need to get into the ALMS!

I think that the governing body should lift the restrictions off of the GT2 class, and let them up it to a GT1 class ranking. But I will probably never get my wish because of the 3Ms money, manufacturers, and marketing. GT1 cars cost a whole bunch more to build and race than a GT2 car, which removes any smaller team trying to make it. THis ruins any oportunity a small budget team has to race in LeMans.

Manufacturers are not going to be happy for sure if the blend happens, because R&D, testing, and product placement will be tough to get around if say Porsche plays 3 fiddle behind Ferrari and Chevrolet. Backing from the manufacturers also won't happen because GT2 cars are litterally real life cars that are lightly modded and equipped to race. GT1 cars are the "unlimited" version of a GT2. This goes away from the roots of GT2, where you can take a standard car and take it racing.

Finally marketing the series will be tough to any new entries, because with so many different cars running, and only 3 represented on the podium, so manufacturers might leave if they aren't seen enough on the TV or in interviews. LeMans has been usally a 4 tier series and considering that 4 series run at the 24, the American LeMans series won't be represented in a GT1 series when they race.

Overall it is a tough situation, and as much as I hate to say it, I am unhappy with Corvette winning all the time and competing with team cars in a realistically test session instead of a race. I want Aston to come back, and I would love to see the MC12s run over here too.

Yeah, I would love to see some of the current production cars being raced in the LMGT1 class. Here's a few cars that would spice up the field:

Dodge Viper SRT-10

BMW M3 (spiritual revival of the M3 GTR but using the new E92 platform)

Ferrari 599

Ford Shelby GT500KR

Porsche 997 GT2
I would especially like to see the 08' Viper. With those new breathing mods, it's alot more fit for racing than it was before. It would be interesting to see it compete against the corvette.

I think it's funny that an American car with it's classic terrible American technology, plastic parts, old useless leaf spring rear suspension, and horrible V8 has runn everyone else out of the class! lol
Pushrod motors CAN still perform great at high rpms, if the cam is timed right, it's just that usually the compromise is that you have an engine that runs rough/crappy at lower rpms due to the lack of any variable valve timing over the rev range.

I think it's funny that an American car with it's classic terrible American technology, plastic parts, old useless leaf spring rear suspension, and horrible V8 has runn everyone else out of the class! lol

Well, it was inevitable that someday the europeans would eventually beat the vette. I just didn't know it would be because GM would get so tired of beating them that they just quit racing, and allowed the europeans to win by default

nothing beats the gm V8. the C6.R is so beautiful. think of what a porsche would be without their little turbo chargers. the new vette ZO7will have a supercharger but without it, it still has a lot of power.

The gt3 and gt3 rs are hard to beat MOTORTREND OCT. 2007 "if 6 can do the job, why have 8, 10, or 12?

Do you think it would be possible to enter something like a GT1 version of the new Pontiac G8? Are there any rules regarding the cars allowed to participate?

And for anybody who thinks I'm crazy - The HRT 427 (basically a C5R Vette with a new body), competed and dominated the Bathurst 24 hour races. On average, it was 5 seconds a lap slower than a 5L pushrod V8 (limited to 7500rpm) in a car that was the predesecor to the VE Commodore/Pontiac G8. That's despite having 2L more displacement, being a bit lighter, and two less doors.

There are quite a number of cars out there that can compete with the C6-R, however, no team is willing to spend as much nor commit to the program as much as General Motors has with the Corvette.

Easily the most ready competition is the Aston Martin DBR9, but apparently America isn't a competitive/interesting enough market for Prodrive to continue racing here. Le Mans is the race that counts, yes, but what made that car known was that they competed against the Vette in the ALMS. There is a team, there are cars, and there are drivers all associated with the DBR9, it is just a matter of if they decide to come back or not.

The second option is one I have been hoping for ever since I heard about the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. You have to understand first that the Chrysler Viper was the Corvette of the late 90's, it dominated the entire class for years before Chrysler decided to shelve the program for a couple of prototype experiments (Chrysler LMP-1 and Cadillac LMP-1). Now, the funny thing is, the "competition coupe" was brought into the lower forms of auto racing, and Chrysler Corp. never bothered to try the Viper program again. You have no idea the things I would do in order to get a legitimate racing Viper program to go against the Corvettes in GT1. I'll be the team's mechanic, spokesperson, secretary, maintenence guy, and driver if I have to!

Then you have the Maserati team, which has enjoyed success overseas in the European Le Mans series, but doesn't seem to have quite the pace in the ALMS. They have some drivers and a car, but little development/financial backing. The car looks cool, it just doesn't perform.

There's also the Saleen's, which have found a good team to develop the cars (Team Oreca), but the chances of a French team competing in the American Le Mans with an outdated car are slim.

As for the BMW idea, supposedly BMW is going to get back into road racing, but it is unclear which class or series they will go into. I highly doubt they will go into GT1, plain and simply because there is already a highly dominant force there, and the costs are higher. It just depends on whether or not the V8's in the M3's are too powerful for GT2 when tuned for racing.

Hahaha.. wow.. talk about shaking your tail feather. That's awesome.

nothing beats the gm V8. the C6.R is so beautiful. think of what a porsche would be without their little turbo chargers. the new vette ZO7will have a supercharger but without it, it still has a lot of power.
lol, the porsche is 415 horsepower without turbos, and half the size of the corvette motor. Add turbos to that and the Corvette it gone.

lol, the porsche is 415 horsepower without turbos, and half the size of the corvette motor. Add turbos to that and the Corvette it gone.

But it doesn't have the steep torque curve or the wide powerband of the vette.

I would not expect most of you to know this but true engine builders have another view of Horse Power than most people who read about it in magazines, or on the net. Most true engine builders use the hp numbers for nothing more than graphing out the top end of the torque curve. Since most engines rarely operate in the top of their RPM range, the hp numbers are the very least important of all the figures that come from dyno testing

Isn't that why they have 6 gears to work with? The point of that is to keep the engine at a high rpm in all situations. If the cars were restricted to 4 speed manuals then maybe I could see the Corvette's torque advantage.

Isn't that why they have 6 gears to work with? The point of that is to keep the engine at a high rpm in all situations. If the cars were restricted to 4 speed manuals then maybe I could see the Corvette's torque advantage.

With an engine with a stronger torque curve you don't have to stay on top of the torque curve. You can use the full range of the engine. This gives smother acceleration while pulling harder. Corvettes have obviously had the right idea with this, and that is why they have dominated their class

I'd like to see them jump to GT2. Its obvious they have the ability, its just a matter of red tape on GM's end. Who here wouldn't watch a F430, 911, and Corvette slugging it out on a tack? It would be a nice improvement to an already amazing series. Unless your in a Porsche or Ferrari.

With an engine with a stronger torque curve you don't have to stay on top of the torque curve. You can use the full range of the engine. This gives smother acceleration while pulling harder. Corvettes have obviously had the right idea with this, and that is why they have dominated their class
Then why havn't the Vipers dominated their class? They use much larger engines than the vettes, which should give them a lot more torque at lower rpms.

The carrera gts engine was a failed racing project and that engine produces some scary numbers. good luck when the next gt1 comes:D

Isn't this only the ALMS series though?

How did it fair over in Europe on European tracks - That would be a fairer gauge of its relative performance...

Yeah, I would love to see some of the current production cars being raced in the LMGT1 class. Here's a few cars that would spice up the field:

Dodge Viper SRT-10

BMW M3 (spiritual revival of the M3 GTR but using the new E92 platform)

Ferrari 599

Ford Shelby GT500KR

Porsche 997 GT2

the viper is racing in the gt3 championship along with the vettes.
the m3 is in the gt2 class.won't jump in2 gt1.
the 599 is way to exp for any team to manage plus very powerful.
the gt500kr..no idea about that.since ford is going bankrupt,only a factory backed roush team wud take part.
997 gt2 or any other porsche wud never enter racing.porsche spends loadsa money on the gt3 so that can beat the crap outta others.