Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From Crash.net:
Penalty swaps Corvette order at Mid-Ohio
TUESDAY 24TH MAY 2005
american lemans series 2005. midohio sports car course. lexington, ohio. 20-22 may 2005. corvette of gavin and beretta.
The #3 Compuware Corvette crossed the line in second place in the GT1 class, but a 20-second penalty levied on the #4 sister car of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta elevated Fellows and O'Connell to the top step of the podium. The Can-Am pairing thus added their 23rd ALMS victories, extending the series record, while the 1-2 result was Corvette's 24th.
The race began under cloudy skies, and weather radar showed that rain was imminent at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Showers began with 45 minutes remaining in the two-hour 45-minute race, and the final ten minutes were run under fully wet conditions.
"It was very difficult with the conditions today, and driving required total concentration," said Fellows, who drove the final stint in the race-winning Corvette on slick tyres, "Both Corvettes had a solid lead over the GT1 field, so we just had to keep it on the road when it started."
The decisive moment came with five minutes remaining, as the two Corvettes pitted together for a splash of fuel that would take them to the finish. Fellows was first into the pits, but Beretta was first out, but the outcome could still have gone either way.
"Both cars were running very close and needed a couple of gallons of fuel," explained Corvette Racing programme manager Doug Fehan, "The #3 car came in first but didn't stop quite short enough so, when the #4 pulled into its pit, the #3 couldn't get out. The #4 Corvette took the lead, but was then penalised 20 seconds because one of the crewmen didn't have his goggles in place during refuelling. That penalty moved them back to second.
"All in all, it was a exciting race with an unexpected finish. We never come away from an event without learning something. Most important, both cars are in perfect shape and ready to go to Le Mans."
Beretta was disappointed by the sudden turn of events, but celebrated another strong finish in the final warm-up for Le Mans.
"Someday I hope the good luck will be with me, but we finished 1-2, and that is the goal," the Monegasque said.
Gavin drove the first segment in the #No. 4 Corvette, leading the GT1 class for 17 laps until the first fuel stop under caution. The Saleen S7R of Johnny Mowlem stayed out and gained track position under the yellow flag, but Gavin retook the lead shortly after the one-hour mark. O'Connell then passed the Saleen, and the yellow Corvettes ran nose-to-tail to the finish.
"Corvette Racing team is a fantastic team, and everyone is pushing to the maximum," Gavin observed, "I had a great race with Johnny - he was pushing me really hard, and it was all-out for both of us and huge fun. Sometimes, however, little things can make or break the race."
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Penalty swaps Corvette order at Mid-Ohio
TUESDAY 24TH MAY 2005
american lemans series 2005. midohio sports car course. lexington, ohio. 20-22 may 2005. corvette of gavin and beretta.
Corvette Racing's Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell scored a second consecutive victory with the new Corvette C6.R in Mid-Ohio's round of the American Le Mans Series, but the win was anything but routine and relied on a late penalty for their team-mates to secure the victory.
The #3 Compuware Corvette crossed the line in second place in the GT1 class, but a 20-second penalty levied on the #4 sister car of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta elevated Fellows and O'Connell to the top step of the podium. The Can-Am pairing thus added their 23rd ALMS victories, extending the series record, while the 1-2 result was Corvette's 24th.
The race began under cloudy skies, and weather radar showed that rain was imminent at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Showers began with 45 minutes remaining in the two-hour 45-minute race, and the final ten minutes were run under fully wet conditions.
"It was very difficult with the conditions today, and driving required total concentration," said Fellows, who drove the final stint in the race-winning Corvette on slick tyres, "Both Corvettes had a solid lead over the GT1 field, so we just had to keep it on the road when it started."
The decisive moment came with five minutes remaining, as the two Corvettes pitted together for a splash of fuel that would take them to the finish. Fellows was first into the pits, but Beretta was first out, but the outcome could still have gone either way.
"Both cars were running very close and needed a couple of gallons of fuel," explained Corvette Racing programme manager Doug Fehan, "The #3 car came in first but didn't stop quite short enough so, when the #4 pulled into its pit, the #3 couldn't get out. The #4 Corvette took the lead, but was then penalised 20 seconds because one of the crewmen didn't have his goggles in place during refuelling. That penalty moved them back to second.
"All in all, it was a exciting race with an unexpected finish. We never come away from an event without learning something. Most important, both cars are in perfect shape and ready to go to Le Mans."
Beretta was disappointed by the sudden turn of events, but celebrated another strong finish in the final warm-up for Le Mans.
"Someday I hope the good luck will be with me, but we finished 1-2, and that is the goal," the Monegasque said.
Gavin drove the first segment in the #No. 4 Corvette, leading the GT1 class for 17 laps until the first fuel stop under caution. The Saleen S7R of Johnny Mowlem stayed out and gained track position under the yellow flag, but Gavin retook the lead shortly after the one-hour mark. O'Connell then passed the Saleen, and the yellow Corvettes ran nose-to-tail to the finish.
"Corvette Racing team is a fantastic team, and everyone is pushing to the maximum," Gavin observed, "I had a great race with Johnny - he was pushing me really hard, and it was all-out for both of us and huge fun. Sometimes, however, little things can make or break the race."
See all the best motorsport from the comfort of the best value hospitality in the business with Club Crash
Click here to go to Club Crash
