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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 02-23-2007, 09:24 AM
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Default Corvette for LeMans racing

Just a quick question for the history buffs.... was the Corvette ever used for LeMans racing (from the 60s to present day)?
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CSX 4241, KMP 357 - sold and missed, CSX 4819 - cancelled, FFR 5132 - sold

See my car at CSXinfo.net here >> CSX 4241
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Old 02-23-2007, 09:30 AM
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YES, it was........and still is........from the 50's to present day!
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Old 02-23-2007, 09:46 AM
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Not famous for it...but they have shown up over the years.

From the text at the Corvette Museum site:

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It fell to sportsman Briggs Cunningham to fulfill Duntov’s dream of competing at Le Mans . Cunningham fielded a trio of Corvettes at the French classic in 1960, and he was rewarded with an eighth-place finish overall and first in the big-bore GT class by drivers John Fitch and Bob Grossman.
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The lure of Le Mans has proven irresistible for Corvette racers. Dick Guldstrand and Bob Bondurant topped 171 mph on the infamous Mulsanne Straight with their L88 Corvette in 1967, but dropped out with mechanical problems before the halfway mark.
Quote:
Another generation of Americans returned to France in 1972 when John Greenwood and comedian Dick Smothers brought a Corvette painted in stars and stripes; it lasted 10 hours. Greenwood went back four years later to celebrate America ’s bicentennial with an outrageous wide-bodied, tri-colored Corvette, but a leaking fuel cell sidelined the American effort after five hours.
Quote:
In 1994 a Corvette prepared by specialist Reeves Callaway was the fastest qualifier in the GT2 class, but was disqualified after 11 hours when it was refueled on the course. Callaway’s second and third-place finishes in the GT class in 1995 foreshadowed the arrival of the all-conquering C5-R Corvettes.
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Old 02-23-2007, 11:26 AM
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..............let's not forget the factory backed C6R corvette program........
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Old 02-23-2007, 11:41 AM
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Oooo!! I know!! I know!!

1960: Briggs Cunningham entered 3 cars - all white with blue stripes (American racing colours - not Shelby stripes as some might think). Grossman and Fitchs 8th place finish in the #3 car was the best for Corvette until just a couple of years ago. Two cars have been found and restored - you can see my pics of the #3 car here:
http://public.fotki.com/VRM/corvette...ngham_1960_le/
Lucky Casners Camoradi team also entered one in that year. White with a single blue stripe and some nose mods. The cars is alive and well and living in CA today.

1962 had another Vette run by Tony Settember (also raced Cobras in Europe) and Jack Turner for Scuderia Sirroco. They DNF'ed. A friend of mine has some pics collected here:
http://palmeter.com/62LM01.htm
This car is also alive and well.

Alan Green Chevrolet planned to enter their Z06 in 1963, but they never did.

1967 had Bondo and Guldstrand sharing an L88 (one of 20 made in that year). The car was owned by the Botany 500 clothing company and painted in Sunray DX trim of white and blue with red stripes.

You can read a lot more about Sunray here:
http://www.v-r-m.com/decals/SunrayDX..._sunray_dx.htm

1968 had 2 L88 red coupes by Scuderia Filipinetti (a Swiss team). They both DNF'ed. The Sunray DX team also planned to enter 2 of their L88s as well, but the Sunray-Sunoco merger ended those plans as Penskes Sunoco team became the dominant race team.

1969 had another Scuderia Filipinetti car entered (the same chassis as one of last years car). They had planned for two cars but ended up selling one of them before the race.

1970 had two cars entered - one by Greder Racing (Henri Greder drove for Scuderia Filipinetti in the prior two years), and the other by Ecurie Leopard. Greder was not classified, and the leopard car DNF'ed.

1971 had the same two L88s by Greder and Ecurie Leopard return. Both DNF'ed. Delorenzos Owens Corning team had planned to enter two more L88s as well, but plans fell through. You can see what their cars looked like here:
http://public.fotki.com/VRM/corvette...ns_corning_12/

1972 had the Ecurie Leopard car, the Greder car, two cars for the Greenwood Team (Greenwood himself shared a car with Dick Smothers - yes, THAT Dick Smothers!) and one for NART (North American Racing team - the Ferrari dealer based in CT.) The Nart Corvette, painted in Ferrari red, was the only one that finished; they placed 15th.
Here are my pics of the NART car:
http://public.fotki.com/VRM/corvette...8_nart_lemans/

The same cars were back for 1973, but Greder placed 12th, the Ecurie Leopard car 18th, one of the Greenwood cars DNF'ed and the other Greenwood car DNQ'ed. The NART car never showed up.

1974 - Greder showed up with the only car to race - he placed 18th. Greenwood had planned to enter 1 car.

Greder showed up again in 1975, but DNF'ed.

1976 had only the Sprit of '76 Greenwood car with the IMSA body type. They DNF'ed.

Callaway entered some Corvette specials in the mid 90s (94-95??) that managed to place. There were also a couple of ZR1s entered, but I am pretty sure that they DNF'ed. I can look them up pretty easily if you want the info.

The last time I chacked the Corvette Racing website has the C5R and C6R results available.

Aren't you glad you asked!?! Don't ask me why I carry this stuff around in my head...I don't know either...and my wife does not want to know.

Steve
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Old 02-23-2007, 01:46 PM
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Was Ford the only American manufacturer to win LeMans?
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Old 02-23-2007, 01:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Power Surge
Was Ford the only American manufacturer to win LeMans?
yup....1966-67-68-69.

First 2 by Shelby, last 2 by John Wyer
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