Corvette C5R-003 is possibly the most famous Corvette Racing chassis in history! It won the second race the car was entered (Texas 2000) and the car won the Daytona Rolex 24 in 2001. Frank Freon, Ron Fellows, Chris Keifel and O’Connell won that race in the #2 car with more than six laps ahead of Porsche 996 GT3-R from White Lightning Racing. C5R-003 chassis won 10 times in 17 races (including Le Mans in 2001 and 2002). It was the car of Corvette legends Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell.
For the 24 hours of Le Mans 2001, there was a slight modification of the rear wing and a revision of the refuelling openings.
Chassis 003 (#63) had a major accident on the Mulsanne straight in the practice session. So the car had to partially rebuilt. After that, there were problems with the fuel pressure, so the whole pump had to be rewired for the race. The #63 made it P02 in the qualifying sessions.
At the start of the 24h race, there was rain. Only the Corvette was on intermediate tyres and this was a master stroke. The car stayed out of trouble and could easily come in for full wets. By the 4th hour of the race, both Chevrolets were 17 th and 18th overall and already in the lead of the LM GTS class with the #64 in front of the #63. The car was briefly in the pits in H5 with a misfire. In the night and the rain, the lead over the Ray Mallock Saleen went up by 3 or 4 laps and a half distance, the nr. 63 car was 8th overall. At the finish line, both Corvettes were on P1 (#63) and P2 of the class.
C5R-003 was also entered in the Le Mans 2002 race with Oliver Gavin replacing Scott Pruett. They already had won the GTS class of the 12 hours of Sebring that year as a team. For the 24 hours, the main competition was expected to come from the Carsport Viper (#53), The Labre Viper (#50), the Franz Konrad Saleen (#66, #67) and the Prodrive Ferrari 550 Maranello (#58).
In practice, the C5R-003 got to the second spot. For the race it was a dry and hot day. The Ferrari started strong; Ricard Rydell took already 11 second gap within the first 5 laps of the race. Later, due to clever fuel strategy and a slice of luck behind the safe car, the Ferrari was 2 laps in the lead and drove away from their rivals. At half distance however, an oil leak caused a fire and the Ferrari had to stop definitively at the Porsche curves. That brought both Corvettes in the lead with #63 at the front. They barely missed a beat and kept this position until the end despite a puncture (Gavin) and a food poisoning (Fellows).
Chevrolet Racing repeated its 2001 one-two finish.
17.6.2001 24 hours Le Mans
Drivers: Johnny O’Connell / Ron Fellows/ Scott Pruett
P 08 overall and P 01 LM GTS with 278 laps
16.6.2002 24 hours Le Mans
Drivers: Johnny O’Connell / Ron Fellows/ Oliver Gavin
P 11 overall and P 01 LM GTS with 335 laps
The new C5R-004 chassis made his debut at the Petit Le Mans Road Atlanta race in september 2000. The car (like the 003), an evolution of the original C5R, showed his new millennium yellow. First race and first win for Andy pilgrim, Kelly Collins and Frank Freon beating the Viper Oreca. It was in this car that Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr. joined the regular drivers in the Rolex Daytona 24 hours 2001. The plan was for the Earnhardt’s to compete at Le Mans in June that year. Sadly, just two weeks after Daytona, Dale Sr. lost his life at Turn 4 on the final lap of the Daytona 500.
The car entered the 24 hours of Le Mans 2001 with the usual drivers behind the wheel in #64.
In qualifying, they were P28 overall.
A heavy rain fall at the start of the race wiped out almost all serious opponents. The # 64 lost 16 minutes while a new gearbox was fitted. But the Corvette team ended the race on the first two podium steps ! The #64 was 7 laps behind the sister car.
The last race for the 004 chassis was the 24 hours Le Mans race in 2002. The team had a number of problems on the way to a clear second place in the GTS group. This C5R went 2 laps down on the winning car while a problem with its gearbox was sorted out and more time was lost for the most bizarre of reasons. A wheel nut rolled under the car during a pit-stop, came to rest on its side and then punched its way through the sumps as the Vette was dropped off its jacks. The time to fix this took 3 laps. This gave the Oreca viper #52 a chance to get into the second place until they had problems with the starter.
A win for the #63 and second for the #64.
17.6.2001 24 hours Le Mans
Drivers: Andy Pilgrim /Kelly Collins/Frank Freon
P 14 overall and P 02 LM GTS with 271 laps
17.6.2002 24 hours Le Mans
Drivers: Andy Pilgrim /Kelly Collins/Frank Freon
P13 overall and P02 LM GTS with 331 laps
