Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From Crash.net:
'Best ever' Corvette takes first victory
MONDAY 18TH APRIL 2005
Corvette Racing, Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, March 19, 2005, C6.R Corvette #3, driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell, and Max Papis. Photo credit Richard Prince. ©2005 Richard Prince, richard@rprincephoto.com.
Following in the footsteps of the ultra successful C5-R, Corvette Racing can celebrate the first victory of the C6-R era after Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows notched the teams 36th ALMS win in the second round of the season at Road Atlanta.
To cap a near perfect day for the team, Oliver Gavin and Olvier Beretta battled back from mid-race problems to secure a one-two finish for the team – ahead of the third placed Maserati.
O'Connell put the #3 C6-R on the GT1 pole, and the duo led the class for the entire 2-hour, 45-minute race, finishing fifth overall and a lap ahead of Gavin and Beretta in the #4 Corvette.
"Ron and I were able to get the last win in the C5-R, and to get the first win with the C6-R at my home track is very special," O'Connell said afterwards. "I knew in qualifying that this was the best car I've driven since I joined Corvette Racing. Ron and I did what we always do - push as hard as we can and stay out of trouble."
Team-mate Fellows admitted he felt proud to be part of the team and dedicated the win to the memory of a friend who recently passed away.
"It's been a tremendous team effort by Corvette Racing since I joined the program in November 1997,” he said. “I'm really proud to be part of it.
"I want to dedicate this win to an old friend who died last week. He built a race track in Ontario and gave a lot of us a place to race. This one's for John Nelson."
While the race was trouble free for O'Connell and Fellows, Gavin and Beretta had to overcome adversity to secure their podium place – as had been the case in the season opener at Sebring.
At the 90-minute mark, Oliver Gavin made an excursion into the turn ten gravel trap that dropped his yellow Corvette from second to fifth in class, but he fought back to ensure the team collected its first one-two of the new season.
"I put a little drama into the day - going off in turn ten was not in the plan," Gavin said afterwards. "I think I had the brake balance just a little too far to the rear. When I got hard on the brake pedal, it just locked the rears and looped me into the gravel.
"I had to pass the Saleen and pass the Maserati, and they were very strong. In the season to come we're going to have some very good races."
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'Best ever' Corvette takes first victory
MONDAY 18TH APRIL 2005
Corvette Racing, Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, March 19, 2005, C6.R Corvette #3, driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell, and Max Papis. Photo credit Richard Prince. ©2005 Richard Prince, richard@rprincephoto.com.
Following in the footsteps of the ultra successful C5-R, Corvette Racing can celebrate the first victory of the C6-R era after Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows notched the teams 36th ALMS win in the second round of the season at Road Atlanta.
To cap a near perfect day for the team, Oliver Gavin and Olvier Beretta battled back from mid-race problems to secure a one-two finish for the team – ahead of the third placed Maserati.
O'Connell put the #3 C6-R on the GT1 pole, and the duo led the class for the entire 2-hour, 45-minute race, finishing fifth overall and a lap ahead of Gavin and Beretta in the #4 Corvette.
"Ron and I were able to get the last win in the C5-R, and to get the first win with the C6-R at my home track is very special," O'Connell said afterwards. "I knew in qualifying that this was the best car I've driven since I joined Corvette Racing. Ron and I did what we always do - push as hard as we can and stay out of trouble."
Team-mate Fellows admitted he felt proud to be part of the team and dedicated the win to the memory of a friend who recently passed away.
"It's been a tremendous team effort by Corvette Racing since I joined the program in November 1997,” he said. “I'm really proud to be part of it.
"I want to dedicate this win to an old friend who died last week. He built a race track in Ontario and gave a lot of us a place to race. This one's for John Nelson."
While the race was trouble free for O'Connell and Fellows, Gavin and Beretta had to overcome adversity to secure their podium place – as had been the case in the season opener at Sebring.
At the 90-minute mark, Oliver Gavin made an excursion into the turn ten gravel trap that dropped his yellow Corvette from second to fifth in class, but he fought back to ensure the team collected its first one-two of the new season.
"I put a little drama into the day - going off in turn ten was not in the plan," Gavin said afterwards. "I think I had the brake balance just a little too far to the rear. When I got hard on the brake pedal, it just locked the rears and looped me into the gravel.
"I had to pass the Saleen and pass the Maserati, and they were very strong. In the season to come we're going to have some very good races."
Keep up to date with the latest motorsport news and the best music with Crash.net Radio
The latest updates and exclusive interviews are always available on Crash Radio
Click here to go to Crash Radio
