C5-R History

By: David Palmeter 

Autoweek October 5, 1998
First photo of Corvette Factory race car

Introduction

Those folks charged with creating the Corvette over the years have always had many in the group that wanted to race the Corvette. Unfortunately, those in charge of the Corporation have always had more fiscal and legal conservatives in their ranks that did not want to race the Corvette. Over the years, many semi-official, unofficial and other clandestine racing Corvettes have been built but none have ever raced with full factory support and development.

 None, that is, until the introduction of the Corvette Fifth Generation – C5 – in 1997. By 1998 a modified pilot production car was being tested and, in January, 1999, the first race ever for a fully recognized and funded Corvette Racing Team, with two C5-R cars, was entered at the Daytona 24 Hour race. The rest, of course, is history.

C5-R Info Index

Chassis Serial Number History – Race Season Order and Links to Some Pictures

Chassis Serial Number History – Chassis Number Order and Links to Some Pictures

Homologation Car – The original C5-R test mule had a second life

Show History – The early C5-R show car was, quite often, a frequently repainted road car

C5-R Customer Cars – The first C5-R never raced by the factory was….

C5 Factory-Built Customer Car Kits – All the stuff you don’t need in order to race was left behind

C5-Based Non-Factory Race Cars – Interesting things going on behind the scenes….

Red, White and Blue – Why yellow?

Slot Cars – The C5-R is popular in 1:32 scale, too

Above – Pratt & Miller – September 14, 2001 – Chassis Number C5R-007 under construction

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