Pratt & Miller 2006 Corvette Yearbook

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS General Motors Chevrolet Corvette Compuware Mobil 1 Motorola XM Satellite Radio Genuine Corvette Accessories Bose K&N Filters AER

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS Katech Michelin Mahle Pistons Paul Reed Smith Guitars BBS Wheels Piloti AND THANKS ALSO TO… Motorsports Composites Dynotech Team Tech CDM Detroit Ductile McNichol’s Anodizing Michigan Sandblasting Daredevil Choppers Powder Coating Tram Tool Carlisle Productions KFC Composites Lightnen’s Customs Competition Graphics

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AT THE PINNACLE OF OUR SPORT

Contents

This year we faced two formidable obstacles to success with the Corvette Racing program. The first was a worthy opponent in the Aston Martin racing team and the second was the series of “competition balancing” handicaps imposed by the sanctioning body. Both presented serious challenges but in the end neither could prevent us from sweeping all available ALMS championships, and nothing could stop us from winning GT1 at Le Mans yet again. All of this stands in irrefutable testimony to the depth of talent and dedication to winning that permeates every aspect of the Pratt & Miller organization.

AT THE PINNACLE OF OUR SPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

We strive to provide an environment in which people are both challenged and rewarded in their efforts to meet our customer’s expectations. That means investing in everything necessary, from basics like ample, clean, and well lit work space, to far more complicated things such as the most sophisticated tools and equipment available anywhere. While all of this helps a great deal, at the end of the day it all still comes down to our most precious resource - you! You are the glue that binds this organization and you are the fuel that drives its success.

ROAD AMERICA: 1-2 FINISH FOR CORVETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

LE MANS: CORVETTE RACING WINS LE MANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SEBRING: HISTORY IN THE MAKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 HOUSTON: CORVETTE RACING FINISHES 1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 MID-OHIO: THE WIN STREAK CONTINUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 LIME ROCK: CORVETTE 2nd IN PHOTO FINISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 MILLER : CORVETTE RACING FINISHES 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 PORTLAND: CORVETTE SCORES 50th WIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 MOSPORT: CORVETTES FINISH 2nd AND 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 ROAD ATLANTA: CORVETTE SETTLES FOR 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 LAGUNA SECA: CHAMPIONS AGAIN! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2006 ALMS AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 CORVETTE RACING HONORED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 CORVETTE TEAM PERSONALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Racing at the professional level is incredibly hard work. The hours are long, the time away from family can be very difficult, and the stress that comes with striving for perfection day in and day out is more than ordinary people can bear. But nobody in the Pratt & Miller family is an ordinary person. Each and every one of you is extraordinary, and that is precisely why collectively you find yourselves at the pinnacle of the sport for yet another year. In short, that is why you remain the best GT1 team in the world, and that is why we are both so very proud of you all.

— Jim Miller and Gary Pratt

Jim Miller Cover Photo: R Prince

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LE MANS: CORVETTE RACING WINS LE MANS CORVETTE POSTS FIFTH GT1 CLASS VICTORY IN CLASSIC ENDURANCE RACE

24 HOURS OF LE MANS Circuit de la Sarthe Le Mans, France June 17-19, 2006

Pratt & Miller and Corvette Racing continued their march through the Le Mans record book, recording yet another GT1 class victory in the world's greatest sports car race. It was Corvette’s fifth win in the past six years.

The victorious No. 64 Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen finished fourth overall and scored Corvette Racing's 12th podium finish since the team first came to Le Mans in 2000. It was the trio's third consecutive class victory at Le Mans and their fourth straight endurance racing win, a streak that included last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Corvette Racing extended its perfect finishing record in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to seven consecutive years and Chevrolet became the winningest manufacturer in recent GT history at Le Mans.

Photos: R Prince, D Maybury, G P Johnson, K Johnson, R Pratt

QUALIFYING: 3rd GT1: Oliver Gavin, #64 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 3m53.100s (131.372 mph) 6th GT1: Ron Fellows, #63 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 3m53.993s (129.429 mph)

RACE: 1st GT1 (4th overall): #64 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 355 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen 7th GT1 (12th overall): #63 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 327 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis

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& G G2 0 20 0 5 0 6 M IML I LL EL RE R E ENNGG I N N EE EERRI N I N

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This year's 24-hour endurance test reprised the drama of last year's battle.

The No. 64 Corvette and the No. 009 Aston Martin were in lockstep from the start, separated by less than a lap in the running order for hour after hour. The turning point came in the 22nd hour when the green Aston went to the garage with a mechanical problem. At 2:09 p.m., Jan Magnussen officially took the lead - a lead that Corvette Racing would not relinquish. The winning Corvette completed 355 laps, made 25 faultless pit stops, and won by a five-lap margin of victory.

"You have a one-lap cushion, the Aston is in the garage, and you are five laps ahead of the next car," crew chief Ray Gongla radioed Magnussen when he took the point. "Do you copy? Can you hear us?"

"Yes, I can hear you," the Dane replied, "but I just can't believe it!"

Joining the three Corvette Racing drivers on the victory podium were Luc Alphand, Patrice Goueslard and Jerome Policand, who finished third in their independently run, Pratt & Miller built Corvette C5-R with 346 laps completed.

The No. 63 Corvette of Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis finished seventh after encountering a transmission problem Sunday afternoon. When No. 63 pitted at 1:20 p.m. in a cloud of smoke the crews from both cars went to work, removing, rebuilding and reinstalling the overheated gearbox. One hour and nine minutes later, Johnny O'Connell rejoined the fray.

"The rules don't allow you to replace the complete transmission, but you can rebuild it," explained team manager Gary Pratt. "We had a gearbox issue in Sebring, but we didn't expect it here, and it might have been the result of one problem creating another problem. What those guys did was unbelievable," continued Pratt. "Teamwork is what it's all about. Whichever car wins, the whole team wins."

“The performance of the team here at Le Mans exemplifies the spirit that drives everyone at Pratt & Miller,” commented Jim Miller. “The record setting finish of the No. 64 car, as well as the teamwork exhibited in getting the No. 63 car back into the race, proves that there is absolutely nothing this team can’t accomplish!”

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Photo: K Johnson

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SEBRING: HISTORY IN THE MAKING 1st IN CLASS AND 3rd OVERALL IS CORVETTE’S BEST SEBRING FINISH EVER

ALMS, ROUND 1 MOBIL 1 12 HOURS OF SEBRING Sebring International Raceway Sebring, Florida March 18, 2006 QUALIFYING: 3rd GT1: Oliver Gavin, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1:56:770s (114.070 mph) 4th GT1: Ron Fellows, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1:57.854s (113.021 mph)

RACE: 1st GT1 (3rd overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 338 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen 4th GT1 (7th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 324 laps, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis

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2006 marked the 50th anniversary of Corvettes’ first entry and first class victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Pratt & Miller led C6.R team celebrated the occasion by recording a resounding GT1 class victory and the marque’s highest-ever overall finish in the endurance classic. The No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Jan Magnussen took the lead at 1.03 into the race and held it for the remaining 11 hours, finishing one lap ahead of the No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9 to claim 1st in class and a remarkable 3rd overall. It was the sixth win in a row for Gavin and Beretta in the No. 4 car, and marked Beretta’s 25th ALMS class victory, the most of any driver in the series’ history.

The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, and Max Papis got off to a brilliant start and let the first hour but relinquished the lead to the No. 4 car after being called in for a stop-and-go penalty for a pit lane speed violation. No. 3 remained within striking distance until midway through the race when gearbox trouble struck. Repairs dropped the Fellows/O’Connell/Papis entry to fifth in class, 13 laps behind the leaders. The trio ran consistently fast and toward the end of the race caught up to the third placed No. 007 DBR9. With only 15 minutes to go Papis fought bitterly to claim the final spot on the podium, getting as close as .24-seconds to Tomas Enge’s DBR9. Despite his heroic efforts Papis could not find a way around the Aston.

The reasonable level of performance balancing implemented by the series for Sebring compensated for the advantage the C6.R Corvettes enjoyed as a result of running on Michelins, and produced some of the closest, most exciting sports car racing ever seen. It was truly an epic battle between two great teams and the result was a gratifying start to the season for everyone in the Corvette Racing program and a perfect way to mark Corvette’s 50th anniversary at Sebring.

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, D maybury, P & G Brock, R Pratt

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Photo: P & G Brock

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HOUSTON: CORVETTE RACING FINISHES 1-2 GAVIN AND BERETTA CONTINUE HOT STREAK WITH SECOND OVERALL FINISH

ALMS, ROUND 2 LONE STAR GRAND PRIX Houston, Texas May 12, 2006 QUALIFYING: 1st GT1: Ron Fellows, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m08.035s (89.425 mph) 2nd GT1: Olivier Beretta, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m08.090s (89.352 mph)

RACE: 1st GT1 (2nd overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 138 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta 2nd GT1 (3rd overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 138 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell

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Under the lights at Houston's Reliant Park, the Pratt & Miller run Corvette program posted a 1-2 finish in the inaugural ALMS Lone Star Grand Prix. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta continued their streak, winning their seventh consecutive ALMS race. The "two Ollies" finished second overall in the No. 4 Corvette behind the winning LMP1 Audi R8, and took the GT1 title by 15.811 seconds over their teammates Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows inthe No. 3 Corvette.

Both Corvettes had flawless runs in the two-hour, 45-minute contest, finishing one lap ahead of their Aston Martin Racingrivals. The victory was Corvette Racing's 11th straight win in ALMS competition and the team's 32nd 1-2 finish since 2001.

"We had three targets this weekend," said Beretta, who scored his record 26th career ALMS victory. "The first goal was to qualify the Corvettes first and second in GT1, and we had two yellow Corvettes in the front row. The next target was to put the Corvettes first and second on the podium, and we did that. The third and most important target was not to damage the cars because that is very easy to do on a track like this. We pushed hard because we needed to win, but we drove with our heads. We hit all three targets and had a perfect race."

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, D Maybury

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MID-OHIO: THE WIN STREAK CONTINUES CORVETTE RACING SCORES FIFTH STRAIGHT 1-2 FINISH AT CLASSIC MID OHIO CIRCUIT

ALMS, ROUND 3 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES AT MID OHIO Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio May 21, 2006 QUALIFYING: 2nd GT1: Oliver Gavin, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1:18.880s (103.053 mph) 4th GT1: Johnny O’Connell, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1:19.044s (102.839 mph) RACE: 1st GT1 (6th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 116 laps Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta 2nd GT1 (7th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 116 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell

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Pratt & Miller and Corvette Racing continued their reign in the American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta extended Corvette Racing's winning streak at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to five straight ALMS victories in the GT1 class. A runner-up finish by Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell made it five consecutive 1-2 finishes at Mid-Ohio by the Pratt & Miller run team.

It was a record-breaking day for Gavin and Beretta as they set the mark for most consecutive GT1 wins with their eighth straight victory, a streak that begin in July 2005. Beretta notched his record 27th career ALMS title, and Corvette Racing equaled the series record for most consecutive GT1 victories by a marque with its 12th straight win.

Gavin and Beretta drove their No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a 1.833-second victory over the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Fellows and O'Connell. The Corvettes finished one lap ahead of the Aston Martin DBR9s of Enge/Turner and Lamy/Sarrazin.

"The car was just magic and it performed brilliantly," said Gavin. "The engineers and crew did a superb job, and it was a pleasure to drive the C6.R. The grip was getting better and the lap times quicker as the fuel load burned off, and the car stayed under me for my entire stint."

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, D Maybury

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LIME ROCK: CORVETTE 2nd IN PHOTO FINISH O’CONNELL AND FELLOWS COME WITHIN INCHES OF VICTORY

ALMS, ROUND 4 NEW ENGLAND GRAND PRIX Lime Rock Park Lakeville, Connecticut July 1, 2006 QUALIFYING: 2nd GT1: Ron Fellows, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 0m50.491s (109.802 mph) 3rd GT1: Olivier Beretta, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 0m50.873s (108.977 mph) RACE: 2nd GT1 (5th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 166 laps, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell 4th GT1 (15th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 142 laps Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta

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Corvette Racing's bid for a record 13th consecutive victory in GT1 came up just short in a photo finish between the No. 3 Corvette and the No. 009 DBR9 when Pedro Lamy edged Johnny O'Connell by .033-second.

"He had me by two feet, but with another lap or two we might have got him," said O'Connell. "The guys on the No. 3 Corvette crew have been working so hard and I really wanted to get them a win. This is a very busy race track, but it was a fun battle and we raced each other clean."

An accident put the No. 4 C6.R into the pits for repairs and ended the bid of Beretta and Gavin to extend their record-setting winning streak to nine consecutive victories.

"The crew had to change the nose, change the engine undertray, and replace a broken tie rod end," reported Gary Pratt. "We cleaned off the mud, changed the tires, and the car was back going again."

The Corvettes were carrying 199 more pounds than the Astons, running smaller intake restrictors, and using smaller fuel tanks as a result of IMSA "balance of performance" adjustments.

"At some point in time we knew that the 200 pounds and the restrictor would be too much to overcome, and today turned out to be that day," said Doug Fehan. "It was certainly one hell of a battle, and it's a good thing for Aston Martin that the race wasn't about four feet longer."

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, D Maybury

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MILLER: CORVETTE RACING FINISHES 3rd O’CONNELL AND FELLOWS EARN PODIUM SPOT DESPITE PERFORMANCE HANDICAPS

ALMS ROUND 5 UTAH GRAND PRIX Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah July 15, 2006 QUALIFYING: 3rd GT1: Johnny O’Connell, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 2m37.414s (102.593 mph) 4th GT1: Oliver Gavin, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 2m37.626s (102.455 mph) RACE: 3rd GT1: (10th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 61 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell 4th GT1: (11th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 61 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta

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For the first time since October 2003, the Pratt & Miller run Corvette Racing team didn't finish first or second in the GT1 class in ALMS competition. Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell had to settle for third place in the inaugural Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park as the effects of series-mandated handicaps throttled the Corvettes' performance at this high-altitude track. First and second went to Aston Martin and Corvette drivers Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta were fourth in the No. 4 Corvette.

"Racing the Aston Martins under these rules is like playing five-on-four hockey for an entire game," commented Fellows after the two-hour, 46-minute race.

As a result of performance adjustments imposed by the sanctioning body, the C6.R Corvettes went into battle with 1-mm smaller intake air restrictors, 10-liter smaller fuel tanks, and 199 more pounds than their British rivals.

"It was a long, hot day, and despite our hard work it was disappointing to finish third," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "With the way the rules are now, we never really had a chance.

"I'm proud of the team for coming out here, going full throttle all afternoon, and representing Corvette to the best of our ability in this situation," Fehan continued. "They did a great job, and they never gave up."

Photos: R Prince

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PORTLAND: CORVETTE SCORES 50th WIN GAVIN AND BERETTA BACK ON TRACK WITH 5th WIN IN 2006

ALMS ROUND 6 PORTLAND GRAND PRIX Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon July 22, 2006 QUALIFYING: 1st GT1: Olivier Beretta, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m09.399s (101.880 mph) 2nd GT1: Johnny O’Connell, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m09.525s (101.696 mph) RACE: 1st GT1 (7th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 133 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta 3rd GT1 (10th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 133 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell

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Record-breaking heat gave way to a history-making performance as Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta notched the 50th victory for the Pratt & Miller run Corvette Racing program. It was a day of champagne and roses in the Rose City for Gavin and Beretta as their No. 4 C6.R finished 54.8 seconds ahead of the No. 007 Aston Martin. Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell had to battle intense heat inside the No. 3 Corvette when their air conditioner malfunctioned but still managed to finish third.

"It's fantastic to be part of Corvette's 50th victory," said Gavin. "The car was fantastic and the Michelin tires stood up extremely well under very hot conditions. We just managed everything as best we could and slowly eked out a lead. It was a hard fought battle in very difficult circumstances."

"I was trying very hard to keep the lead, and the Aston Martin was putting a lot of pressure on us," said Beretta.

"This was an amazing race, and this team is unbelievable. Corvette Racing never gives up."

Corvette Racing's milestone 50th win came as Chevrolet was celebrating Corvette's 50th anniversary in international road racing. With the Portland win Corvette Racing's resume included 44 class victories in the American Le Mans Series, five class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and an overall victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Photos: D Tanney, R Dole

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ROAD AMERICA: 1-2 FINISH FOR CORVETTE GAVIN AND BERETTA MAINTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH

ALMS ROUND 7 GENERAC 500 AT ROAD AMERICA Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin August 20, 2006 QUALIFYING: 1st GT1: Ron Fellows, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m59.814s (121.629 mph) 4th GT1: Oliver Gavin, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 2m00.062s (121.377 mph) RACE: 1st GT1 (9th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 74 laps, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell 2nd GT1 (10th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 71 laps Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta

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Savvy driving, smart race strategy and spot-on execution propelled the Pratt & Miller run Corvette team to a 1-2 finish at Road America. Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell drove their No. 3 C6.R to a one-lap margin over the No. 4 C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta. It was the 25th career ALMS victory for both O'Connell and Fellows and their first ALMS win since July 2005.

"I first raced here since 1986, and I've had more second place finishes than they have bratwursts," O'Connell laughed. "It's been a long time for us, and it's great to be back on the top step of the podium.

Fellows agreed: "It was great fun," said the Canadian ace. "I hated to get out of the car; the longer we ran, the be ter it got. We've been in position to win and then got unlucky with track position and cautions. This time a caution went our way. The guys never gave up, and Johnny did a fantastic job as always."

"The engineers did a great job with the strategy, and with the luck of the caution it could have gone either way for either car," said Gary Pratt. "We don't care which car wins as long as it's a 1-2 Corvette finish. The Astons fought hard, and it was tough for us here with the extra weight our cars are carrying. Our tires held up perfectly, the engines ran flawlessly, and all of the drivers did a fantastic job."

Photos: J Machaqueiro, R Pratt

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MOSPORT: CORVETTES FINISH 2nd AND 4th GAVIN AND BERETTA MAINTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

ALMS ROUND 8 GRAND PRIX OF MOSPORT Mosport International Raceway Bowmanville, Ontario September 3, 2006 QUALIFYING: Cancelled due to weather.

The dark sky overhead at Mosport reflected the mood in the Corvette pits as performance handicaps hampered the team's performance. Sharp pit strategy and hard driving earned a runner-up finish for Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the No. 4 Corvette, which finished one lap behind Aston Martin. An early stop-and-go penalty torpedoed the chances of the No. 3 Corvette as Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell finished fourth.

"Corvette Racing's primary objective is to win the manufacturers championship, and Oliver and Olivier did a great job today to protect the lead we have," said Doug Fehan. "But we found out today just how far great pit strategy and flawless execution will take you - and that's to second place."

Series officials mandated a reduction in the size of the Corvettes' intake air restrictors for this race, an adjustment that cut engine output by 35 horsepower. The Corvettes were also required to weigh 199 pounds more than their British rivals.

"I'm proud of what we accomplished today running at such a large competitive disadvantage," Fehan noted. "We challenged ourselves to do the best we could with what we had to work with, and I'm pleased with what we achieved.

The engineers worked very hard on the strategic side of racing, the drivers worked hard in the cars, and the crew worked hard on the cars. But at the end of the day, the deficit was impossible to overcome."

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, G P Johnson

RACE: 2nd GT1 (8th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 123 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta 4th GT1 (10th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 122 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell

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ROAD ATLANTA: CORVETTE SETTLES FOR 3rd GAVIN, BERETTA, AND MAGNUSSEN EARN THIRD AS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE TIGHTENS

ALMS ROUND 9 PETIT LE MANS Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia September 30, 2006 QUALIFYING: 1st GT1: Johnny O’Connell, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m18.210s (116.916 mph) 2nd GT1: Oliver Gavin, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m18.460s (116.543 mph) RACE: 3rd GT1 (10th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 372 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen 4th GT1 (11th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 371 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis

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The Pratt & Miller run Corvette Racing team finished third and fourth in Road Atlanta?s Petit Le Mans. The penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series saw intense wheel-to-wheel combat between the Corvette C6.Rs and the Aston Martin DBR9s. Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen finished third in the No. 4 Corvette behind the No. 007 and No. 009 Astons. Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis were fourth in the No. 3 Corvette.

Corvette Racing was again handicapped with performance adjustments, spotting their rivals a 110-pound weight advantage and larger engine restrictors. The Corvettes were able to make it a race for the first seven hours, but extended pit stops to change the front brake rotors and calipers proved costly.

"When you combine the weight and the restrictor penalties that have been imposed on the Corvettes, we're at a 50 to 60-horsepower disadvantage," said Doug Fehan. "In order to compensate for that on a track like Road Atlanta you have to try to make up the difference. We tried to do that with brakes today - it was the only option we had.

Obviously it was less successful than we'd hoped, but the reality is that we were already relegated to third- and fourth-place finishes based on the performance adjustments," Fehan explained. "It was certainly worth a try to move up a little bit, but we simply can't race with these penalties."

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, D Maybury

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LAGUNA SECA: CHAMPIONS AGAIN! TEAMWORK IS KEY TO SWEEPING THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

ALMS ROUND 10 MONTEREY SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIPS Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California October 21, 2006 QUALIFYING: 2rd GT1: Johnny O’Connell, #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m21.229s (99.186 mph) 3rd GT1: Olivier Beretta, #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 1m21.351s (99.038 mph) RACE: 2nd GT1 (9th overall): #4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 163 laps, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta 3rd GT1 (10th overall): #3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 162 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell

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The Pratt & Miller run Corvette Racing team capped Corvette's 50th anniversary in international road racing by sweeping the ALMS manufacturers, drivers and team championships in the season finale at Laguna Seca. A runnerup finish by Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the No. 4 Corvette wrapped up Chevrolet's sixth consecutive manufacturers' title and gave the pair their second straight drivers championship.

The four-hour race was hard fought from the green flag to the checkered flag as all four GT1 contenders finished within one lap of each other. The No. 009 Aston Martin won by 4.945 seconds over Gavin and Beretta, while the No. 3 Corvette of Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows took third place by .474 seconds over the No. 007 Aston.

"That was a tough race against a tough competitor," said Gary Pratt. "When the No. 4 car was hit and then the caution came out I said to myself, 'This is going to be our lucky day.' We got it fixed and went right back out there and raced them again."

"Winning the American Le Mans Series championship puts an exclamation point on Corvette's 50th anniversary in international road racing," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "We began the year with a victory in Sebring, the site of Corvette's first major win in 1956. In June we celebrated Corvette's fifth win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's greatest sports car race. Now with this championship performance today at Laguna Seca, we've again shown why racing is such an important part of Corvette's heritage. On behalf of the entire Chevrolet organization, I congratulate the drivers, mechanics, engineers, support personnel and team managers of Corvette Racing. They're the best in the business, and they proved it again today."

Photos: R Prince, J Machaqueiro, D Maybury

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Photos: R Prince

CORVETTE RACING 2006

DRIVERS OLIVIER BERETTA RON FELLOWS OLIVER GAVIN JAN MAGNUSSEN JOHNNY O’CONNELL MAX PAPIS TEAM JIM MILLER GARY PRATT DOUG LOUTH

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DAN BINKS RAY GONGLA TOM MIKRUT DAVE BAREFIELD STEVE COLE JIM DURBIN RICHARD ELDRED NEAL EVERHART STEVE HARTSELL DAVID JAMES ROSS JEFFREY AVI KAGAN

JOE KIEFER STEVE LONGHI DON MALE DAVID MARIN CHUCK MILLER JONATHAN NICOLS ROBIN PRATT KURT RYCHENER MIKE WEST GARY YOUNG

RADIO GARY GRUBE FRANK PARKER STUART TAYLOR TIMIMG AND SCORING MELANIE CORRELL BOSCH CHRISTOPH LEHMANN

MICHELIN DONNIE WILSON HOSPITALITY RALPH SIMPSON KATECH JOHN RICE RON HELZER KEVIN PRANGER

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GM RACING EXECUTIVE TEAM BRENT DEWAR MARK KENT STEVE WESOLOSKI

GM RACING DOUG FEHAN ROGER ALLEN KRISTIN ANDERSON DONNY ATKINS BENOIT FROGER TOM GIDEON BRIAN GOBLE MIKE HENNEY RICHARD PRINCE CHARLIE SULLIVAN RICK VOEGELIN

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CHEVROLET ED PEPER TOM WALLACE GARY CLAUDIO TODD CHRISTENSEN AMY MANARDO

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2006 ALMS AWARDS GT1 Manufacturers Championship: Chevrolet GT1 Team Championship: Corvette Racing GT1 Drivers Championship: Olivier Beretta & Oliver Gavin GT1 Tire Manufacturers Championship: Michelin GT1 Mechanic of the Year: Dan Binks Most Polpular Driver: Ron Fellows

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CORVETTE RACING HONORED

Corvette Racing received a hero’s welcome in Motor City on July 26, 2006, when a Corvette caravan commemorated the team’s fifth class victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The celebration began with the presentation of the 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy at Compuware Corporation and concluded at GM World Headquarters at the Renaissance Center after a parade through Detroit's downtown business district.

The roar of the No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R’s 7-liter GM small-block V8 racing engine reverberated through the skyscrapers as the caravan motored from Woodward Avenue to Jefferson Avenue. The parade featured Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell and Max Papis in Corvette convertibles, the Corvette Indianapolis 500 pace car, and dozens of Corvettes from local clubs.

No. 64 crew chief Ray Gongla demonstrated the race car’s power with a tire-smoking burnout. Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper and Compuware chairman and CEO Peter Karmanos Jr. then thanked and congratulated the Corvette Racing team in front of an enthusiastic crowd of fans and supporters.

“This is a big day for all of us because we're celebrating another huge win for the Corvette Racing team - their fifth victory in the biggest, most prestigious and most important road racing event in the world,” said Peper.

“We're very proud that Corvette competes and wins on that global stage.

Today we applaud the accomplishments of the men and women of Corvette Racing, and we salute the team that works behind the scenes at General Motors and our affiliated sponsors and suppliers to make this a world-class racing team.

“We believe a great race car begins with a great production car,” Peper noted. “One look at the Corvette Z06 supercar and the Corvette C6.R race car shows the two-way transfer of technology between racing and production that benefits our customers. A major reason that Chevy is the most successful marque in motorsports is the GM small-block V-8, the world's most successful production-based racing engine. There's no better way to celebrate Corvette’s 50th anniversary in international road racing than with this win at Le Mans."

Photos: C Egan, R Mochernuk

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