Corvette Racing boss Doug Fehan always wanted to bring America’s sport’s car to Le Mans with a modern, full-factory-backed effort to challenge the Europeans. After all, Le Mans is where legends are born, a pinnacle in motorsport where the world’s best come to compete, making it a fantastic place to test the mettle of the latest race-spec Chevy Corvette. Of course, just making it onto the grid at the Circuit de La Sarthe, let along succeeding there, is an enormous undertaking, with innumerable obstacles and setbacks along the way – including winning over the French people themselves.
Following a successful (albeit limited) run in the 1999 race season, Corvette Racing convinced General Motors to support a bid for the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans. To put two cars on track, Corvette Racing would need to juggle an incredible array of logistics and expenditures, including the transportation of some 50 tons of equipment and an army of staff and personnel. Even small things, like European power adapters and equipment fittings, added to the complications.
Getting the Chevy Corvette racing machines up to spec was a nightmare in and of itself, with the Corvette Racing Team going back and forth with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (A.C.O.) just to get approval for entry. Engineers and mechanics poured over the rule book to get everything up to spec, only to have the A.C.O. reject the bid and outline further changes and modifications. After several rounds, the A.C.O. finally gave the team the green light.
Despite the perceived “international tensions” between the Americans and the French, Fehan assured the GM brass that it was all part of the process, a paying of dues, as it were. The effort that went into bringing the new American racers to Le Mans was justified by the prestige of the event. Although the Chevy Corvette nameplate (and Americans in general) didn’t enjoy the same status as some of the competing European brands, Fehan knew that a good performance in France would be huge for GM.
However, part of the battle would be for the hearts and minds of the international racing fans. But the Corvette Racing team had a plan for that too.
Fast forward to scrutineering for the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans, a public event where the A.C.O. checked over the race cars amid throngs of fans and photographers.
As the Corvette Racing team congregated for a publicity shot, team members quickly donned cowboy hats, much to the amusement of onlookers. As it turns out, the French had a soft spot for the old spaghetti western movies, and loved seeing the Americans dressed up alongside the brash new Corvette racers.
The team then swapped the cowboy hats for berets and fake mustaches, causing some of the photographers to laugh so hard, they could barely get a stable shot.
After the costume stunt at scrutineering, the Corvette Racing team opened the barriers and invited kids to sit in the driver’s seat, a break from tradition that typically put the cars well out of reach from your average fan.
The icebreaker worked, and pictures of the team wearing cowboy hats went international. America’s sports car was suddenly a fan favorite overseas.
The Corvette Racing team finished second and third in class in the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans, only to return the following year for a class win. Numerous successes would follow, and in 2008, the A.C.O named a corner on the La Sarthe circuit after the Chevy Corvette.
And it all started with a few cowboy hats.
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Comments
The one lasting thing that has endured the Corvette to the French has been the sound of the V8. Many years they were the only thundering sound at the track as many cars were high pitch high RPM engines some muffles more with Turbo chargers.
They have always loved that should of a V8 that many had not heard Igor years in France.
Also the team has worked the crowd well in France letting kids come in and sit in the cars and mingle with the drivers.
Even here in the states I have gotten to meet and know some team members and drivers. They have let me into their garages at Mid Ohio for some spectacular photos of the cars as the team set up for the race. Few teams will let you do that.
Dan Binks was the kindest of all and has just retired. He will be missed as not only was he a great crew chief but he was a great ambassador for the team.
You really want to do a story do one on the how the no fear decals turned into the Jake we all know and love now. As they say Take No Prisoners.
I was there at the Le mans race in 2006 and it was absolutely AWESOME. The Corvettes roared by as the other race cars went by. It was the thrill of a lifetime for a race fan. That was the original sound of music. I’ve never seen so many people at one race in my life and I’ve been to many including the Indy 500 about 12 times. Everyone there was having a ball. Parking was tough and I found out that if you don’t buy a parking pass way in advance, you’re out of luck. I conned one of the French security guards to get me a pass because I was a foreigner & didn’t know. I showed him my U.S. drivers lic. and he felt sorry for me.
Are you sure the French were not laughing with you, but laughing at you instead? You realize they’re views of the US are not always positive.
Hey the French are easy to amuse.
They love Jerry Lewis….. say no more.