Le Mans 2002

***Corvette Racing Prepares to Defend Le Mans GTS Title

Test Day Participation Vital to Race Success LE MANS, May 5, 2002 – Defending GTS Champions, Corvette Racing, will arrive in Le Mans on a high: since October 2000 they have won every major endurance race in the world (Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans), and won the ALMS Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles. Difficult to do better, yet the team is keen to repeat their 2001 performance on the Sarthe racetrack.  Earlier this year, America’s legendary sportscar added the missing jewel to its crown by winning the Sebring 12 Hours in dominant style. The next outing will be the Le Mans test day on May 5, prelude to the last race for the current cars. “The current cars have been well used by now,” Program Manager Doug Fehan explains. “We haven’t stopped developing them since the day they were built and even for this year quite a number of small changes were made to make sure we can challenge for the win each time we race. After the test the two cars (C5R-003 and C5R-004) will stay in France for the race, while two new ones (C5R-005 and C5R-006) are being built for the Sears Point ALMS race two weeks after the test. The car that won Daytona and Le Mans last year and Sebring this year (C5R-003) will be retired to the museum, the other one (C5R-004 – the Dale Earnhardt Daytona car) will be sold.”

From http://alms.americanlemans.com/

Le Mans 2002 – C5R-003 (#63) and C5R-004 in the May test session. Note US and French flags on rear wing. “Nous Sommes Unis” translates literally as “We United”

Le Mans 2002 – C5R-004 in the May test session

Le Mans 2002 – C5R-004 in the June race weekend test session – Note addition of “Navy” sticker since the May test picture above

Le Mans 2002 – C5R-004 in the pits during the race

Le Mans 2002 – C5R-003 early in the race

Le Mans 2002 – C5R-003 late in the race

Le Mans 2002 – A one-two finish in class for the second year in a row!