JAN HYDE, MR. CORVETTE RACING

The Registry of Corvette Racing’s – JAN HYDE, MR. CORVETTE RACING – was bitten by the Corvette ‘bug’ in 1964, resulting in the purchase of a ’60 Corvette Fuelie. And, he still owns it!

JAN HYDE, MR. CORVETTE RACING

Jan Hyde firmly believes that it was racing that saved the Corvette from an early death, and he has dedicated untold hours to preserving and celebrating its racing achievements from earliest times to the present. But it was probably his relationship with legendary privateer Corvette racer and SCCA B/Sports Champion, Frank Dominianni that got him started in historic racing and creating his Corvette racing archive:  The Registry of Corvette Racing, https://registryofcorvetteracecars.com/

Jan Hyde has been a friend of mine since the 1970s when I did a feature on his ’60 Corvette Fuelie in VETTE, the magazine I founded. He later re-introduced me to Frank Dominianni, top, driving #69 at Laguna Seca in 1987,  who I had known for his Corvette racing exploits and engine building and dyno tuning talents at HI=speed POWER EQUIPMENT, Valley, Stream, NY in the 1960s. In 1970 Frank, right with Jan Hyde and his ’60 Corvette Fuelie,  sold his #69 SCCA B/Production national points championship ’62 Fuelie to Jan. He started historic racing and later launched his iconic Corvette racing website.

JAN HYDE, MR. CORVETTE RACINGFor the complete story please visit VETTE VUES, https://vette-vues.com/unleashing-the-spirit-of-corvette-racing-jan-hyde-journey/

C8.R CORVETTE COPS CHAMPIONSHIP AT MONZA

Catsburg, Keating & Varrone C8.R CORVETTE COPS CHAMPIONSHIP AT MONZA, takes FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Am title.

C8.R CORVETTE COPS CHAMPIONSHIP AT MONZA

Corvette Racing clinched the GTE Am Drivers and Teams titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship on Sunday with a fourth-place finish at the Six Hours of Monza (Italy) for the trio of Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone. The No. 33 Corvette C8.R team finished ahead of its closest championship competitors to wrap up the program’s first title in WEC competition.

It’s been a dream season for Corvette Racing with three victories — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1000 Miles of Sebring and Six Hours Portimão — in addition to a runner-up finish at the Six Hours of Spa.

“Congratulations to Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone on their championship in the first year for Corvette Racing in the World Endurance Championship’s GTE Am class,” said Mark Stielow, director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. “This was not an easy accomplishment despite the results this season. The strategy and execution by the entire Corvette Racing team — the drivers, the crew and the engineers — has been excellent throughout the season. This was a deep and competitive class and we are grateful that Corvette Racing has come out on top. It gives us great momentum going into the end of the season and 2024 when the Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer program arrives in WEC.”

There were a number of scenarios in play to clinch the title. The most straightforward options were to win or finish second Sunday, or place ahead of its two nearest challengers — the No. 25 TF Sport and No. 85 Iron Dames entries. The latter worked just fine.C8.R CORVETTE COPS CHAMPIONSHIP AT MONZAKeating set the tone for the Corvette team early. He started sixth but picked up spots on consecutive laps to run third prior to a safety car period at the 15-minute mark. The Corvette crew elected to bring the C8.R into pitlane for a fuel top-off. By the time Keating made his second stop at 80 minutes running, he had worked his way back up to second as the varying pit strategies came into view.

He gave way to Varrone just past the two-hour mark, but a rare in-race mistake meant the C8.R was called in for a drive-through penalty due to speeding in the pitlane. Varrone slid back to sixth but steadily worked his way back to the lead with strong pace and the pit stop cycle. By the time his driving time was complete just prior to the four-hour mark, the C8.R ran third but less than four seconds from the leader.

Catsburg drove the final 92 minutes but was unable to make in-roads to the podium finishers — all of which were from the same manufacturer and ran more than 100 pounds lighter than the Corvette. The C8.R carried 40 additional kilograms of “success ballast” in accordance with GTE Am sporting rules. That is due to the victory in the previous race at Le Mans, 10 kilograms for taking the runner-up spot at Spa (the race prior to Le Mans) and another 15 for leading the championship. In addition, the C8.R received 10 additional kilograms of pre-event weight from the series, making the Corvette 50 kilograms (110 pounds) heavier than how it began the season at Sebring.

The next round for Corvette Racing in the FIA WEC is the Six Hours of Fuji on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Photos: Richard Prince.

For more information about C8.R CORVETTE COPS CHAMPIONSHIP AT MONZA and Chevrolet Motorsports, please visit  https://www.chevrolet.com/motorsports

CORVETTES IN COMPETITION

The evolution of racing America’s sports car showcased in CORVETTES IN COMPETITION at the Petersen Museum.

CORVETTES IN COMPETITIONIn the 1950s, sports cars were taking the nation by storm, and foreign manufacturers like MG, Ferrari, and Porsche were ruling the streets. But then, in 1953, Chevrolet unleashed a game-changer: the Corvette! Initially a head-turner, it needed a hero to match its looks with power. Enter Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Russian engineer who transformed the Corvette into a speed demon that could rival its European counterparts!

Racing its way from beaches to victory lanes, CORVETTES IN COMPETITION conquered hearts both on American soil and overseas, proudly representing the USA in major events. Today, with Corvette Racing leading the charge, this American legend continues to dominate the tracks, collecting victories at Le Mans and Daytona, and claiming multiple championships! America’s Sports Car has truly become America’s Race Car, a symbol of speed, heritage, and the pursuit of greatness!

CORVETTES IN COMPETITIONDiscover the icons of American racing history at the CORVETTES IN COMPETITION exhibit at the Petersen Museum, opening August 5th. For more information, please visit https://www.petersen.org/corvette

’19 CORVETTE ZR1: KING OF THE ROAD & TRACK!

’19 CORVETTE ZR1: KING OF THE ROAD & TRACK!

The ‘19 Corvette ZR1 set a production-car lap record on the 4.1-mile Grand Course West at Virginia International Raceway with a time of 2:37.25.

’19 CORVETTE ZR1: KING OF THE ROAD & TRACK!’19 CORVETTE ZR1: KING OF THE ROAD & TRACK!Along with a harness bar and track seats with five-point harnesses, the record-setting stock ZR1 coupe was equipped with the available paddle-shift eight-speed automatic and ZTK Performance Package. The ZTK package includes an adjustable carbon-fiber High Wing, a front splitter with carbon-fiber end caps, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer-only tires, and specific chassis and Magnetic Ride Control tuning.

“The Corvette ZR1’s lap record at VIR, arguably America’s most challenging road course, is a testament to its supercar status,” said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “On the racetrack, the ZR1 can compete with any supercar – at any price.”

On sale this spring, the ZR1 coupe will carry a suggested retail price of $119,995 (price includes destination charge, but excludes tax, title and other dealer fees). The ZTK Performance Package will cost $2,995.

 The ZR1’s record lap at VIR was set during routine validation testing earlier this month; with vehicle dynamics engineer Jim Mero at the wheel. The car was set up per the owner’s manual’s recommended track alignment and aerodynamic settings. As part of the validation, the ZR1 was finalizing its total of 24 hours of at-limit track testing, with multiple GM Performance engineers logging laps.

’19 CORVETTE ZR1: KING OF THE ROAD & TRACK!“The track had been empty since mid-December, so it was a bit slow when we started, but the conditions turned pretty quick at the end,” said Alex MacDonald, manager, Vehicle Performance. “On the heels of announcing our Z06 time of 2:39.77, the ZR1 lap time is the icing on the cake. It’s not too often you set a lap record during validation testing.”

’19 CORVETTE ZR1: KING OF THE ROAD & TRACK!

The ZR1’s exclusive LT5 6.2L supercharged engine is rated at an SAE-certified 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque. It features a new, more-efficient intercooled supercharger system, along with GM’s first dual fuel-injection system, which employs primary direct injection and supplemental port injection. Compared to the supercharger system on the Corvette Z06 LT4 engine, the LT5 employs a larger, 2.65-liter supercharger that generates more boost while spinning at a slightly slower speed. That reduces heat to help maintain a lower air intake temperature for optimal performance. Four new radiators also help manage cooling in the ZR1, which features 13 radiators in all, including circuits for engine oil, transmission and differential cooling.

Watch the 2019 Corvette ZR1 set lap record at VIR,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7j1gCM6-5M

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