THE STORY BEHIND WHAT’S MISSING FOR CORVETTE RACING IN 2017

GM turns to Cadillac vs the DP Corvette with new DPi rules taking effect.

GM seeks to influence potential buyers that Cadillac has what it takes to compete. In addition to performance, buyers want new cars that offer hybrid or electric power, better fuel economy, cleaner emissions, greater safety and autonomous driving innovations. The spending shift in racing intends to raise the image of Cadillac luxury sedans and SUVs above and beyond that enjoyed by Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Lexus. GM previously relied on the halo effect of the Corvette to influence buyers of its Chevrolet line.

Will the plan work? Early indications are that Corvette racing fans will be supporting the DP Corvette teams and drivers that migrated to Cadillac. If they keep winning it can sway folks to spread the word and consider a Cadillac when the time comes to buy.

It should be noted that some die hard fans questioned the DP Corvettes of 2012-2016 as “legitimate” Corvettes. The same applied to the Lola-based IMSA GTP Corvettes that GM Goodwrench showcased from 1984-1989. Today these cars are valued by collectors and have been replicated.

Hopes now rest on the two C7.R GTLM Corvettes fielded by Pratt & Miller. Can this remarkable team, the stalwart of Corvette racing, match its stellar performance of last year? A setback occurred in testing before the Daytona 24 hour race. The # 4 car suffered serious fire damage caused by a ruptured fuel line. It appears they will rebuild it in time to take the green flag.

The French Larbre team fields an earlier C7.R chassis in the World Endurance Challenge LM GTE AM class. This Corvette stands out against the Ferraris, Porsches and Aston Martins but nine race series is spread across the globe which offers little exposure to USA fans.

Yet by now the Corvette seems to be part of our culture. GT1 Corvettes (silhouette body/tube-frame chassis) keep winning the Trans Am Series. That includes 2-time champ Amy Ruman, her closest rival Paul Fix and others. And there usually is a good turnout of Corvettes at larger vintage races like Sebring, Indy, Watkins Glen, Road America and Laguna Seca.

This email “newsletter” is an attempt to archive all we can gather up on the DP Corvettes while they are fresh in our minds. Everyone is most welcome to contribute to the effort.

SPREADSHEET OF CAR #, TEAM, DRIVERS, CHASSIS, SPONSORS, WINS FOR DP Corvettes 2012-2016

A CORVETTE DP PHOTO REFERENCE TO TOP THEM ALL

We can direct those interested in acquiring larger photos to respective photographers.

Our thanks go out to Patrick Durand, publisher of online AMP Magazine (FR); to Wayne Ellwood, Excel specialist and photo hawk par excellence and to our many dedicated collaborators.

We will be at the SVRA vintage and Trans Am races at Sebring on March 2-5. Check our Facebook group page for more. We welcome photos and comments from any races you might be attending.

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