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25 years of factory Corvette Racing history may have just come to an end at Petit Le Mans, but the Chevy that started it all received a special honor in Braselton, Georgia over the weekend.
The Corvette C5-R which laid the groundwork for Corvette Racing teams that would go on to record 127 wins worldwide, nine victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 14 drivers and manufacturers titles was honored as part of the inaugural class of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame.
The enshrinement was made official at IMSA’s annual Night of Champions banquet near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and site of the season-ending Petit Le Mans race.
On hand for the ceremony was Herb Fishel, former Executive Director of GM Racing, who led the team that was the result of a collaboration between many groups with GM with the goal of creating a long-term, factory-level road racing program for Chevrolet.
“This was a very collaborative effort that established Corvette Racing as one of the premier sports car programs in the world,” Fishel said. “It started with GM and involved various groups from both production – including vehicle engineering, design and powertrain – and racing partners like Pratt Miller and Katech working hand-in-hand. Out of the efforts from each of these groups came the first factory-produced Corvette race car in almost 40 years, and one that changed the landscape of not just Corvette but sports car racing as a whole.”
Debuting in 1999 with a class podium finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the C5-R would dominate global GT racing for the next five years, with 31 wins in the American Le Mans Series and an overall victory at the Rolex 24 in 2001. Along the way, the C5-R earned three GTS victories at Le Mans in 2001, 2002, and 2004, with ALMS team and manufacturer championships in 2001-04. Nearly a quarter of Corvette Racing’s total 127 wins came with the C5-R.
Along the way, Corvette drivers like Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell became fan favorites in the C5-R, with Fellows winning 21 ALMS races and three GTS drivers’ championships, twice with O’Connell.
Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports, called it “a tremendous honor” for the C5-R to be included in the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
“It also is an honor to have Herb Fishel here to represent the team that brought the C5-R to the track. When you look at what Corvette Racing represents – the synergy between motorsports and the showroom – it all began with the C5-R,” added Campbell, who was part of the leadership team that helped guide the C5-R to its debut at Daytona in 1999. “The fans loved it. Our Corvette owners loved it. It helped set the standard for 25 years of Corvette Racing.”
The Corvette C5-R which laid the groundwork for Corvette Racing teams that would go on to record 127 wins worldwide, nine victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 14 drivers and manufacturers titles was honored as part of the inaugural class of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame.
The enshrinement was made official at IMSA’s annual Night of Champions banquet near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and site of the season-ending Petit Le Mans race.
On hand for the ceremony was Herb Fishel, former Executive Director of GM Racing, who led the team that was the result of a collaboration between many groups with GM with the goal of creating a long-term, factory-level road racing program for Chevrolet.
“This was a very collaborative effort that established Corvette Racing as one of the premier sports car programs in the world,” Fishel said. “It started with GM and involved various groups from both production – including vehicle engineering, design and powertrain – and racing partners like Pratt Miller and Katech working hand-in-hand. Out of the efforts from each of these groups came the first factory-produced Corvette race car in almost 40 years, and one that changed the landscape of not just Corvette but sports car racing as a whole.”
Debuting in 1999 with a class podium finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the C5-R would dominate global GT racing for the next five years, with 31 wins in the American Le Mans Series and an overall victory at the Rolex 24 in 2001. Along the way, the C5-R earned three GTS victories at Le Mans in 2001, 2002, and 2004, with ALMS team and manufacturer championships in 2001-04. Nearly a quarter of Corvette Racing’s total 127 wins came with the C5-R.
Along the way, Corvette drivers like Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell became fan favorites in the C5-R, with Fellows winning 21 ALMS races and three GTS drivers’ championships, twice with O’Connell.
Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports, called it “a tremendous honor” for the C5-R to be included in the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
“It also is an honor to have Herb Fishel here to represent the team that brought the C5-R to the track. When you look at what Corvette Racing represents – the synergy between motorsports and the showroom – it all began with the C5-R,” added Campbell, who was part of the leadership team that helped guide the C5-R to its debut at Daytona in 1999. “The fans loved it. Our Corvette owners loved it. It helped set the standard for 25 years of Corvette Racing.”