Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Fellows enjoying life in fast lane
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Elton Alexander
Plain Dealer Reporter
Lexington, Ohio - Life is good for Ron Fellows, the current American LeMans Series leader, and three-time GT1 Series champ. Sitting behind the wheel of a Corvette can help make it that way.
Entering this season, Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell had finished in the top three in 16 of the last 18 races.
"We're doing all right," Fellows, 45, said.
"It's a combination of things. Extremely good car, well engineered, well designed and well run. We have a very good team. [Since] we first started testing the Corvette in late 1997, obviously the team has grown but the core people are still with the team. That says a lot."
This weekend at the Mid-Ohio Race Car course that core group is working on a string of 50 straight top 10 ALMS finishes dating to 1999, 46 of those top-5 finishes, 39 top 3. Saturday, Fellows qualified second for the starting grid for today's American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio. With the good times rolling, it might be hard for some to remember the tough times. But not Fellows.
"I remember our first win like it was yesterday [September 2000, Texas Motor Speedway], and we've had quite a few in between," Fellows said.
"We went almost two years before we got out first win," Fellows said. "We went through a couple of fairly serious changes, drive-line issues, trying to find the right transmission. We had four or five before we settled on one. Through that development, and some engine changes, in terms of packaging, you [now] know this is something you can count on."
Part of that package is Fellows. When the C6-R is purring like a kitten sitting on a sunny windowsill, it's easy to think Fellows is just along for the ride, a right foot for hire. But native of Canada is an accomplished road racer.
When NASCAR teams venture into the strange world of right turns, Fellows is on call. Since 1995 he has driven in 10 NASCAR races and six Busch races. He has six top-5 finishes in those 16 events.
Last year at Watkins Glen, driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Fellows started 43rd on the grid and finished second. He also has a solid reputation in the Trans-Am arena, where he ranks sixth in career wins. But his home base is the ALMS.
Driving his C6-R Corvette, Fellows is coming off an ALMS victory at Road Atlanta, and views racing around the 2.25-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit this weekend as a good warmup for next month's LeMans.
The seemingly blind corners, hills and valleys in the Ohio countryside gives the team a chance to check and double-check the racing components that will be so important on the tight French roads.
"Certainly for the team, anytime we race we learn something," Fellows said. "While the track at LeMans is very different, there will be something we will learn. The things that we will probably get the most out of this [weekend] are pit strategy and brake work. Brakes always get a good test at Mid-Ohio and at LeMans as well. That will be one area we will be focusing on."
Last year Fellows, O'Connell and Max Papis finished second in the 24 hours of LeMans in the Corvette. This year, Fellows is looking to take the checkered flag there.
"I wouldn't bet against us," he said.
Boy, oh boy:
After qualifying fourth and promptly moving up to third, Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, slipped off course in the Star Mazda race Saturday and finished 10th.
In the same race, which ended under caution, Marco Andretti, son of Michael and grandson of Indy winner Mario Andretti, started fifth and finished fourth.
Fellows enjoying life in fast lane
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Elton Alexander
Plain Dealer Reporter
Lexington, Ohio - Life is good for Ron Fellows, the current American LeMans Series leader, and three-time GT1 Series champ. Sitting behind the wheel of a Corvette can help make it that way.
Entering this season, Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell had finished in the top three in 16 of the last 18 races.
"We're doing all right," Fellows, 45, said.
"It's a combination of things. Extremely good car, well engineered, well designed and well run. We have a very good team. [Since] we first started testing the Corvette in late 1997, obviously the team has grown but the core people are still with the team. That says a lot."
This weekend at the Mid-Ohio Race Car course that core group is working on a string of 50 straight top 10 ALMS finishes dating to 1999, 46 of those top-5 finishes, 39 top 3. Saturday, Fellows qualified second for the starting grid for today's American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio. With the good times rolling, it might be hard for some to remember the tough times. But not Fellows.
"I remember our first win like it was yesterday [September 2000, Texas Motor Speedway], and we've had quite a few in between," Fellows said.
"We went almost two years before we got out first win," Fellows said. "We went through a couple of fairly serious changes, drive-line issues, trying to find the right transmission. We had four or five before we settled on one. Through that development, and some engine changes, in terms of packaging, you [now] know this is something you can count on."
Part of that package is Fellows. When the C6-R is purring like a kitten sitting on a sunny windowsill, it's easy to think Fellows is just along for the ride, a right foot for hire. But native of Canada is an accomplished road racer.
When NASCAR teams venture into the strange world of right turns, Fellows is on call. Since 1995 he has driven in 10 NASCAR races and six Busch races. He has six top-5 finishes in those 16 events.
Last year at Watkins Glen, driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Fellows started 43rd on the grid and finished second. He also has a solid reputation in the Trans-Am arena, where he ranks sixth in career wins. But his home base is the ALMS.
Driving his C6-R Corvette, Fellows is coming off an ALMS victory at Road Atlanta, and views racing around the 2.25-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit this weekend as a good warmup for next month's LeMans.
The seemingly blind corners, hills and valleys in the Ohio countryside gives the team a chance to check and double-check the racing components that will be so important on the tight French roads.
"Certainly for the team, anytime we race we learn something," Fellows said. "While the track at LeMans is very different, there will be something we will learn. The things that we will probably get the most out of this [weekend] are pit strategy and brake work. Brakes always get a good test at Mid-Ohio and at LeMans as well. That will be one area we will be focusing on."
Last year Fellows, O'Connell and Max Papis finished second in the 24 hours of LeMans in the Corvette. This year, Fellows is looking to take the checkered flag there.
"I wouldn't bet against us," he said.
Boy, oh boy:
After qualifying fourth and promptly moving up to third, Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, slipped off course in the Star Mazda race Saturday and finished 10th.
In the same race, which ended under caution, Marco Andretti, son of Michael and grandson of Indy winner Mario Andretti, started fifth and finished fourth.
