Corvette C6.R GT2 to debut at Mid-Ohio 6-8 August!

Next-Generation Race Cars Strengthen Links Between Competition and Production Corvettes

Corvette Racing will debut the next-generation Corvette C6.R GT2 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 6-8. Ahead of next years single GT class, Corvette Racing are testing and developing the latest Corvette C6.R in the GT2 category over the final five rounds of the 2009 American Le Mans Series. Having dominated Le Mans over the last decade in GT1, the only serious competition for the Corvette team has been Aston Martin Prodrive and the carbon chassis F1 engined Maserati MC12. The pace of development in GT1 gradually took them ever closer to full race cars than the road cars they were based on, and costs spiralled. Additionally to reducing costs, the GT2 championship will effectively unify all three current series - GT1, GT2 and GT3, and bring together all the supercars to one GT class. Much more logical for fans who just want to see all their favourite cars race each other. So next year we have the mouthwatering prospect of seeing the Compuware Corvette C6.R GT2s compete against Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Audi, Viper, Lamborghini, Panoz, Morgan, Ascari, and Ford!

GT2 to make debut at Mid Ohio this weekend

Previous versions of the Corvette C5-R and C6.R race cars have dominated the GTS and GT1 categories in the last decade, winning 77 races and eight consecutive ALMS championships. The GT1 Corvettes were retired following Corvette Racing's sixth victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14, 2009. "In our decade in GT1, our primary focus has been on racing victories and the validation of the Corvette as a world-class sports car," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. "As an authentic way to communicate to knowledgeable customers, nothing beats racing. As a cost-effective means to improve vehicle performance, nothing beats racing. These are the reasons racing is in Corvette's DNA.
"Behind the scenes, the race team and the production car team have grown closer together, finding numerous ways to support each other and to make both cars better," Juechter said. "Most automotive companies give lip service to claims like 'racing improves the breed' or 'race on Sunday, sell on Monday'. For team Corvette, it is a daily reality. It is now impossible to imagine one team without the other."

Normally aspirated GT2 car is based on the ZR1 rolling chassis, as opposed to the GT1 which was based on the 7 litre Z06.

While the multiple Le Mans winning C6.R GT1 was based on the 7 litre Z06 road car, the new GT2 class car is based on the Corvette ZR1. GT2 rules require the use of many production-based components, making two-way transfer of technology between the race track and the showroom realistic. The updated Corvette C6.R uses the ZR1's body design, aero package, aluminium frame and chassis structure, steering system, windshield, among other components; the race team then prepares the cars in accordance with GT2 endurance racing rules, with permittd safety and performance modifications. So what has been changed, when compared with the GT1 cars?

The new GT2 regulations required a comprehensive redesign of the Corvette C6.R package. In place of the GT1 Corvette's steel frame, the GT2 version utilizes the production ZR1's hydroformed aluminum frame as the foundation for a fully integrated tubular steel safety cage. The GT1's custom wide & louvered fenders are replaced by production-based ZR1 fenders with wheel flares. In accordance with the aerodynamic regulations, the rear wing is reduced 25 percent in width, the diffuser is a flat panel without fences or strakes, and the splitter extends only as far as the production ZR1 part.

Steel brakes mandatory in GT2

Steel brake rotors have replaced the carbon discs used previously (GT2 rules disallow carbon brakes!), and the wheels are aluminum instead of magnesium. The GT2s adjustable steering column and steering rack are sourced from the road Corvette.
"Integrating a steel safety cage that meets GM Racing's stringent standards as well as the strength and durability targets required in racing is a challenge with an aluminum frame," explained Corvette Racing engineering director Doug Louth. "Working in conjunction with the structure and chassis engineers in the Corvette production group, we designed, built and tested numerous examples before we finalized the configuration. We went through a similar process with the production Corvette group on the body design and aero components. It was truly a collaborative effort between the production engineers and the race team."

Tiny air inlet restrictors!

In the remaining races in 2009, the Corvette race cars will be powered by 6.0-liter GM small-block V8s that are based on the 7.0-liter LS7.R that powered the GT1 version. The reduction in capacity is achieved by shortening the stroke from 3.875-inch to 3.32-inch. The diameter of the series-mandated intake air restrictors was decreased from 30.6 mm to just 28.6 mm, with a corresponding reduction in engine output from 590 to 470 horsepower. 28mm!!! Our contact at GM said "I suppose if they took off the restrictors, we might give Audi, Peugeot, and Acura a race!" The road cars intake is 90mm, just to show you how much the Corvette is strangled to help the others keep up. A 5.5-liter production-based GM small-block V8 is currently under development and will be introduced at the start of the 2010 season; this engine like the previous LS7R will run on E85R ethanol racing fuel.

With so much changing with the car, it makes sense to retain some stability and so the championship-winning line up of drivers remains the same. Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen will share the No. 3 C6.R, and Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta will drive the No.4 car. They will be joined by Antonio Garcia and Marcel Fassler at Petit Le Mans.
Corvette Racing also has the continued support of its long-time sponsors and technical partners. Compuware is the team's primary sponsor, with Mobil 1 supplying low-friction lubricants and Michelin providing its world-class racing tyres. Also adorning the car will be decals from sponsors XM Satellite Radio, UAW-GM, Genuine Corvette Accessories, Bose, Motorola, PRS Guitars, and BBS.

CFD Air Pressure Model

The GT2-spec Corvettes were designed, built and tested on a compressed schedule. The program was approved and announced in September 2008, and construction of the first chassis began in early December. The first track test was conducted at Road Atlanta on April 8-9, followed by single-car tests in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and Sebring, Fla. Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing manager said "The Corvette Racing team had to take on several challenges simultaneously to execute this program." He added "We were preparing for our regular race season with the GT1 cars while designing the GT2 version. The cars were being built and tested in the midst of our preparations for Le Mans. The team was multi-tasking to the extreme, operating on a leaner budget and a faster timeline. It was a monumental effort to have these cars ready for the Mid-Ohio race."

CFD Cooling Model

Advanced technology tools enabled Corvette Racing to meet the challenge. "With the short development schedule, we relied on 'virtual' design and computer simulation more than ever before," said team manager Gary Pratt. "We made design, engineering and manufacturing simultaneous processes as much as possible. For example, while the first chassis was being built, we continued to run computer simulations on suspension geometry and refined the aerodynamics using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) because these areas didn't have to be finalized until later in the production timeline. We have developed the capabilities to do finite element analysis and composite fabrication in-house, which has accelerated our design and production cycle.

CFD Streamlining Model

"We're not running for a championship this year, so we're looking at the upcoming races as preparation for 2010," Pratt said. "Our only testing from this point on will be at the races, and we'll be doing it in the public eye. Certainly we hope to achieve the same level of success that we did in GT1, but the caliber of the competition we will face in GT2 is very high. When we started in GT1 in 1999, it took a while to win; now we have 10 years of experience that should help us to become competitive in a new category. Everyone at Corvette Racing is looking forward to the challenge." Fehan is confident but cautious about Corvette Racing's prospects in the GT2 category: "In the limited testing we've done so far, we've been very impressed with the car's durability, reliability and performance," he said. "We'll continue to focus on those three factors in the upcoming races. We view the rest of this year as a development cycle, and we believe that our experience as a team in preparation, race strategy, and pit stop execution should allow us to be competitive even if there is a slight performance disparity."
The GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R will make its debut in the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The two-hour, 45-minute race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 8. NBC will televise the race tape-delayed at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 9.

For tickets to the event, and more information about it, CLICK HERE for the Mid Ohio circuit website.
 

CFD Turbulence Model

The view rivals will have of the Corvette in 2010

The following is an overview of the differences and similarities between the GT1 and GT2 versions of the Corvette C6.R.

2009 Corvette Engine Specifications

2009 Corvette Chassis Specifications