The 2010 season would mark the first full year for Corvette Racing running their new GT2 spec C6.R. After the team moved to GT2 halfway through the 2009 season, they saw great pace in the new car. In just five races the C6.R GT2 accomplished four podiums including the class win at Mosport. Corvette Racing had a lot of confidence going into the 2010 season, with vice President of Pratt & Miller Engineering Gary Pratt aiming for the 2010 ALMS GT Manufactures Championship and the GTE Pro class win at the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Due to the American Le Mans Series eliminating the GT1 class altogether, they decided to rename the GT2 class to GT. A new class was added to the series in 2010 called GTC, which was made up of Porsche GT3 Cup cars. The GTC class were an average of five seconds slower than the GT cars. The GT roster had factory entries from Ferrari, Porsche and BMW with private entries from Jaguar and Ford, making for one of the most competitive classes in the series.
Corvette Racing used the same two chassis from 2009 of C6 RGT-001 and C6 RGT-002, but for the 2010 season they had undergone some changes. The biggest change was made under the hood, with the Katech developed LS7.R being replaced by the new GM in-house developed LS5.5-R. Due to the regulations mandating naturally aspirated engines must be limited to a maximum size of 5.5 liters, the new engine saw a reduction in displacement from the 6.0 liters of the LS7.R. This saw a reduction in the bore and stroke size of the LS5.5-R but there was a slight increase in the air restrictors over the previous motor resulting in a 15 hp increase in power over the LS7.R but a loss of 56 lb-ft of torque. Other modifications were made to the body of the C6.R with an improvement of the aero package. This included a redesign in the side skirts and rocker panels that featured a new exhaust angled more downward, which overall added a minor increase in downforce helped by air flow improvements and exhaust gases. Finally the front fenders now featured cut outs behind the front wheels to decrease lift generated by turbulent air that can get trapped at high speed.
The first round of the 2010 ALMS season was the infamous 12 Hours of Sebring. During the race Corvette Racing showed little pace compared to the rest of the factory GT cars with the #3 C6.R accomplishing the best finish for the team with eighth in class. This finish was a whole 11 laps behind the class leading Ferrari F430 GTC ran by Risi Competizione. At the second and third race of the season Corvette Racing accomplished podium finishes in class before they went to France for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours became the first time Corvette Racing had competing at the event outside of the GTS/GT1 class. It was looking positive for Corvette Racing at Le Mans with the #64 C6.R setting the fastest GT2 time in qualifying with the #63 C6.R car right behind. For most of the race the two Corvettes led their class and it was looking like the team would accomplish their first win in GT2 at Le Mans, but unfortunately the new LS5.5-R engine suffered catastrophic failure on lap 225 for the #63 car. Like clockwork only 30 laps later the engine in the #64 car also failed resulting in both Corvettes retired from the race. This would be the first time Corvette Racing as a team would fail to finish on the podium at Le Mans and the first time the team suffered a full team retirement at the legendary race. It immediately became apparent that the GM built LS5.5-R required evaluation to be more reliable at endurance races.
Returning to the USA to resume the 2010 ALMS season, Corvette Racing accomplished a few more podiums but the C6.R was struggling to keep with the pace with the factory Ferraris, Porsches and BMWs. It was decided at round eight of the ALMS season at Mosport that the team would realign the driver lineup for the remaining two races. Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan announced that Jan Magnussen that has been paired with Johnny O’Connell since 2007 would be trading seats with Olivier Berretta from the #4 car. This would mean Berretta whom had been paired with Oliver Gavin in the #4 car since 2004 would be joining Johnny O’Connell in the #3 car. Fehan announced the realignment of the driver pairings was due to setup preferences to minimize compromises in the car setups and maximize the on-track performance. A lot of the media speculated that the move was an act of desperation to try find more pace after poor results.
The season finale at the Petit Le Mans on October 2nd 2010 saw Corvette Racing accomplish their only class win of the season. On the final lap of the 10 hour endurance race the #4 C6.R was second in class behind the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari. As overall race winning Peugeot 908 crossed the finish line, fireworks illuminated the sky to celebrate the end of the race when the #62 Ferrari started drastically slowing on the back straight. With only three turns to go the Ferrari had ran out of fuel. Oliver Gavin in the #4 Corvette passed by the stationary Ferrari at full speed to take the chequered flag less than half a mile away. It was the highlight of a very tough 2010 season for Corvette Racing. They went into the year very optimistic but lacked a lot of pace compared to the competition partly due to the Balance of Performance (BOP) favouring the other teams and some bad luck.
2010 would be the final year for C6 RGT-001 and C6 RGT-002 with Corvette Racing with both cars being sold to privateer teams. Two new cars were built by Pratt & Miller for the 2011 season, that featured more updates.
2010 Corvette Racing Schedule & Results
Race | Race Date | Race Distance (time) | Track | Car Number | Class Position | Overall Position | Start Position | Drivers | Laps Completed | Fastest Lap | Series | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
58th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida | March 20 2010 | 12 Hours | Sebring International Raceway | 3 | 8 | 15 | 5 | Jan Magnussen / Johnny O'Connell / Antoinio Garcia | 320 | 2:02.268 | American Le Mans Series | GT2 |
58th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida | March 20 2010 | 12 Hours | Sebring International Raceway | 4 | 9 | 16 | 6 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta / Emmanuel Collard | 320 | 2:01.836 | American Le Mans Series | GT2 |
Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach | April 17 2010 | 100 Minutes | Long Beach Street Circuit | 3 | 2 | 10 | 3 | Johnny O'Connell / Jan Magnussen | 65 | 1:21.154 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach | April 17 2010 | 100 Minutes | Long Beach Street Circuit | 4 | 9 | 18 | 5 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta | 63 | 1:21.026 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
The American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón | May 22 2010 | 6 Hours | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta | 227 | 1:23.853 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
The American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón | May 22 2010 | 6 Hours | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | 3 | 6 | 10 | 4 | Johnny O'Connell / Jan Magnussen | 224 | 1:24.118 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
24 Heures du Mans | June 12 -13 2010 | 24 Hours | Circuit de la Sarthe | 64 | DNF, Engine Failure | DNF, Engine Failure | 1 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta / Emmanuel Collard | 255 | 3:59.098 | ACO | GT2 |
24 Heures du Mans | June 12 -13 2010 | 24 Hours | Circuit de la Sarthe | 63 | DNF, Engine Failure | DNF, Engine Failure | 2 | Johnny O'Connell / Jan Magnussen / Antonio Garcia | 225 | 3:58.384 | ACO | GT2 |
Larry H. Miller Dealership Utah Grand Prix | July 11 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Miller Motorsports Park | 3 | 3 | 11 | 8 | Johnny O'Connell / Jan Magnussen | 84 | 1:49.244 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Larry H. Miller Dealership Utah Grand Prix | July 11 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Miller Motorsports Park | 4 | 10 | 19 | 7 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta | 82 | 1:48.801 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix Lime Rock | July 24 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Lime Rock Park | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta | 159 | 55.973 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix Lime Rock | July 24 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Lime Rock Park | 3 | 12 | 27 | 4 | Johnny O'Connell | 35 | 57.11 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge | August 7 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 4 | 2 | 10 | 3 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta | 112 | 1:21.281 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge | August 7 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 3 | 13 | 30 | 4 | Johnny O'Connell / Jan Magnussen | 49 | 1:21.867 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
American Le Mans Series Road America powered by Estar | August 22 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Road America, Elkhart Lake | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1 | Oliver Gavin / Olivier Berretta | 66 | 2:08.014 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
American Le Mans Series Road America powered by Estar | August 22 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Road America, Elkhart Lake | 3 | 4 | 10 | 2 | Johnny O'Connell / Jan Magnussen | 66 | 2:08.591 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport | August 29 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Mosport International Raceway | 4 | 4 | 14 | 4 | Oliver Gavin / Jan Magnussen | 92 | 1:18.120 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport | August 29 2010 | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Mosport International Raceway | 3 | 5 | 15 | 6 | Johnny O'Connell / Olivier Berretta | 92 | 1:18.616 | American Le Mans Series | GT |
Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda 2 | October 2 2010 | 1000 Miles or 10 Hours | Road Atlanta | 4 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Oliver Gavin / Jan Magnussen / Emmanuel Collard | 355 | 1:20.503 | American Le Mans Series | GT2 |
Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda 2 | October 2 2010 | 1000 Miles or 10 Hours | Road Atlanta | 3 | 6 | 15 | 7 | Johnny O'Connell / Olivier Berretta / Antonio Garcia | 354 | 1:20.642 | American Le Mans Series | GT2 |
#3 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Drivers 2010 (#63 used for Le Mans)
Johnny O’Connell
The 2010 season marked Johnny O’Connells ninth and final year with Corvette Racing. He would be replaced by the new upcoming driver of Tommy Milner in 2011, but O’Connell would continue to be a part of the GM racing family by joining Cadillac to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge.
After accomplishing the first GT2 victory for the team the previous year, O’Connell went into the 2010 season expecting to fight for another championship. Unfortunately O’Connell and the #3 car were only able to get onto the GT podium twice due to a combination of bad luck and lack of pace compared to the rest of the GT class field.
O’Connell is recognized as one of North America’s most talented race drivers. He began his racing career in single-seaters competing professionally in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987 where he won five races, the championship and Rookie of the Year. O’Connell moved to sports car racing where he would scored a class victory in the 1993 12 Hours of Sebring, an overall win in 1994 and another class victory in 1995 all driving a Nissan 300ZX Turbo for Clayton Cunningham Racing. At his first outing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994 he achieved a class victory.
O’Connell joined the Indycar series in 1996 where he competed in 4 races including the Indianapolis 500. In 1997 O’Connell made a return to sports car racing driving a Panoz GTR-1 in the IMSA GT race at Pikes Peak where he finished third. O’Connell competed in five races in a Hawk C-8 Chevrolet in the IMSA championship for the Mandeville Auto Tech team the same year before returning to full time sports car racing with Panoz Motorsports in 1998.
O’Connell joined Corvette Racing in 2001, scoring an overall victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in his first race for the team. In the same year he was part of the #63 crew helping Corvette Racing achieve their first class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Whilst part of Corvette Racing he helped the team capture eight straight manufacturers titles and shared the drivers championship for the GTS class with teammate Ron Fellows in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 2008, O’Connell and teammate Jan Magnussen dominated the GT1 class in the C6.R, scoring eight wins and the class championship. O’Connell is the all-time leader in Sebring victories with his eight career wins in 2009.
Vitals
- Birthdate: July 24th, 1962
- Birthplace: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
- Residence: Flowery Branch, Ga.
- Family: Son Canaan, daughter Kelly
- Corvette Racing: 2001 -2010
Notable Career Highlights
- Formula West Champion and Rookie of the Year 1987
- 12 Hours of Sebring GTS class winner 1993, 1994 and 1995
- Rolex 24 at Daytona Overall winner 2001
- ALMS GTS Drivers Champion 2002, 2003 and 2004
- ALMS GT1 Drivers Champion 2008
- Won class in 12 Hours of Sebring for record eighth time in 2009
- Four class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – 1994 (IMSA GTS), 2001, 2002 (GTS), 2009 (GT1)
Jan Magnussen
The 2010 season marked Magnussen’s fifth year with Corvette Racing. After healing from the big accident at Laguna Seca in October of last year, Magnussen was keen to get back in the C6.R and collect his second ALMS championship. Unfortunately the 2010 season would not go down as planned, with the C6.R struggling to keep pace with the other factory GT teams.
Magnussen started his racing career in 1990 racing single-seaters. In 1994 Magnussen won the British Formula 3 Championship with Paul Stewart Racing breaking Ayrton Senna’s record of most wins in a single season, capturing 14 wins out of 18 races.
Magnussen would become a Formula 1 test driver for McLaren before competing in DTM and International Touring Car Championship between 1995 and 1996, where he finished second in the 1996 ITC Championship. Magnussen would become a full time Formula 1 driver for the Stewart Grand Prix team in 1997, where he would accomplish a career best sixth place finish at the Montreal Grand Prix in 1998.
Magnussen joined Panoz Motorsports in 1999 to compete in the ALMS where he captured six wins. He would become part of the Corvette- Ferrari rivalry in 2003, driving the Prodrive Ferrari and would join Corvette Racing the following year.
A legend in Denmark, his aggressive racing style and take-no-prisoners mentality made him very popular with the fans. Magnussen became a full time driver with Corvette Racing in 2007 and throughout his time with the team he accomplished 35 wins. In 2008 Magnussen became the ALMS GT1 Driver Champion with teammate Johnny O’connell and would win the IMSA GT Drivers Championship with Antonio Garcia in 2013.
Vitals
- Birthdate: July 4th, 1973
- Birthplace: Roskilde, Denmark
- Residence: Roskilde, Denmark
- Family: Wife Christina, sons Kevin and Luca, daughter Millie
- Corvette Racing: 2004-2019
Notable Career Highlights
- Two time ALMS Driver Champion – 2008 (GT1), 2013 (GT)
- Two time IMSA WeatherTech GTLM Champion – 2017, 2018
- Four time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner – 2004 (GTS), 2005, 2006, 2009 (GT1)
- Rolex 24 at Daytona GTLM class winner – 2015
- Five time 12 Hours of Sebring class winner – 2006, 2008, 2009 (GT1), 2015, 2017 (GTLM)
- ALMS “Most Popular Driver” – 2001, 2003, 2011, 2013
Antonio Garcia (Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
Garcia rejoined Corvette Racing for his second season as the third driver in the #3 car. He made his Corvette Racing debut in 2009 as the third driver for the three endurances races the team entered that season. Garcia immediately impressed by helping the team take the class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Corvette Racing and Garcia had the same intentions for the 2010 season especially when it came to Le Mans. Unfortunately after 225 laps of the legendary race the #63 C6.R suffered catastrophic engine failure, destroying what looked to be a certain class victory for the team.
Garcia is regarded as one of the best GT drivers in the world. He has claimed multiple victories at the biggest endurance races in world such as Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona. Garcia won back-to-back IMSA titles in 2017 and 2018 and has never finished lower than third in points dating back to his first full season with Corvette Racing in 2012.
Vitals
- Birthdate: June 5th, 1980
- Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
- Residence: Barcelona, Spain
- Family: wife and two children
- Corvette Racing: 2009 – Present
Notable Career Highlights
- 2013 ALMS GT Champion
- 2017 and 2018 IMSA GTLM WeatherTech Champion
- 24 Hours of Le Mans winner – 2008-09 (GT1), 2011 (GTE Pro)
- Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona winner – 2009 (overall), 2015 (GTLM)
- Sebring 12 Hours winner – 2009 (GT1), 2015 (GTLM), 2017 (GTLM)
Olivier Berretta (Mosport and Petit Le Mans)
Berretta had been paired with Oliver Gavin in the #4 car since 2004 and as part of that duo accomplished three back to back ALMS Driver Championships. At the start of the 2010 season the driver lineup remained unchanged until Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan announced for the last two rounds of the 2010 ALMS season the driver lineup would be realigned. Berretta joined Johnny O’Connell in the #3 car for the first time in his career due to a more equal preference in the setup of the car.
#4 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Drivers 2010 (#64 used for Le Mans)
Oliver Gavin
Oliver Gavin started his eighth year with Corvette Racing in 2010. He had previously accomplished three back to back ALMS Drivers Championships with his co-driver Olivier Berretta. Going into 2010 Gavin had intentions to add a fourth championship to his resumé, but the C6.R was heavily restricted by the Balance of Performance and the GT rules, which led to a struggle in pace against the competition. Gavin and the #4 C6.R had more success in 2010 than the sister #3 car, accomplishing four podiums including the teams only win at the Petit Le Mans.
Oliver Gavin would become the most successful and longest-serving driver in Corvette Racing history. With 51 victories and five championships as part of the program, Gavin would rank as one of the most accomplished drivers in IMSA history. His Corvette Racing record included wins at Le Mans, Sebring, Daytona and Petit Le Mans. Gavin would win two championships with co-driver Tommy Milner (2012 and 2016) and would become the longest-running driver pairing in IMSA history at the time of the start of the 2020 season.
Vitals
- Birthdate: September 29th, 1972
- Birthplace: Huntington, England
- Residence: Yardley Hastings, England
- Family: Wife Helen; children Lily, Isaac, Fergus
- Corvette Racing: 2002-2020
Notable Career Highlights
- 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM Champion
- Four-time ALMS champion – 2005-07 (GTS/GT1), 2012 (GT)
- Five class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans – 2002, 2004-06 (GTS/GT1), 2015 (GTLM Pro)
- Six class wins at 12 Hours of Sebring – 2001-02 (GTS), 2006-07 (GT1), 2013 (GT), 2016 (GTLM)
- Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona winner – 2016 (GTLM)
Olivier Berretta
Olivier began his seventh year with Corvette Racing in 2010. After a string of three back to back ALMS Driver Championships between 2005 and 2007, Berretta and his teammate Oliver Gavin were looking to start another streak in 2010. After collecting a podium at round three of the 2010 season, Berretta and the team were looking good for the rest of the season but unfortunately ran into bad luck and punishing Balance of Performance restrictions.
Beretta began his racing career in the 1989 French Formula 3 series. The following year he would finish third in the championship and accomplished a podium at the Monaco Grand Prix support race. Berretta started test driving for the Larrousse Grand Prix team in 1994 and would compete in 10 grand prix, where he finished three times in the top 10, with a career-best seventh in the German Grand Prix.
In 1996 Berretta became involved in the development of the Chrysler Viper of Team Oreca. He would finish third in the FIA GT drivers championship the following year. Beretta would win the 1998 FIA GT drivers championship with teammate Pedro Lamy, where they accomplished eight wins out of 10 races.
In 1999, Berretta would win the FIA GT Championship, the ALMS GTS class championship and the Le Mans 24 hours GTS class, scoring 13 of the 16 race wins for Team Oreca. The following year in 1999 Berretta would win the Rolex 24 at Daytona overall, a class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, a class win at Le Mans and a ALMS class championship.
Once joining Corvette Racing in 2004, Berretta scored five victories, including class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans.
After leaving Corvette Racing, Berretta became a factory Ferrari driver for various privateer Ferrari customers.
Vitals
- Birthdate: November 23rd, 1969
- Birthplace: Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Family: Son Riccardo
- Corvette Racing: 2004-2011
Notable Career Highlights
- Drove for Larrousse Formula 1 team – 1994
- FIA GT2 Champion – 1998, 1999
- Overall winner of the 2000 Rolex 24 at Daytona
- ALMS Drivers Champion – 1999, 2000 (GTS), 2005, 2006, 2007 (GT1)
- 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner – 1999, 2000, 2004 (GTS), 2005, 2006 (GT1)
Emmanuel Collard (Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
Emmanuel Collard joined Corvette Racing in 2010 as the third driver in the three endurance races the team competed in that year. This would be the one and only year Collard would be part of the Corvette Racing team as he was replaced by Richard Westbrook the following year. Collard managed to win the 2010 Petit Le Mans in the GT class for Corvette Racing with Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen.
Collard had built a great the reputation at Le Mans due to his previous success at the infamous race with five podiums including the 2003 GT class win in a Porsche 911 GT3-RS and the 2009 LMP2 class win in a Porsche RS Spyder Evo. 2010 was not the first time Collard had driven for a GM backed race team as he piloted a Cadillac Northstar LMP between 2000 and 2002.
Early in Collards racing career he became a test driver for Formula One teams such as Leigier-Ford, Benetton and Prost Grand Prix. Collard won back to back Le Mans Series with co-driver Jean-Christophe Boullion for Pescarolo Sport in 2005 and 2006. In 2008 he accomplished the overall win of the 2008 Twelve Hours of Sebring for Penske Racing in the Porsche RS Spyder.
Most recently Collard has been driving a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo for AF Corsa and won the 2019-2020 World Endurance Championship in the LMGTE Am class.
Vitals
- Birthdate: April 3rd, 1971
- Birthplace: Arpajon, France
- Residence: Champs-sur-Marne, France
- Family: Wife Sabrina, daughter Elisa, son Jules
- Corvette Racing: 2010
Notable Career Highlights
- 24 Hours of Le Mans winner – 2003 (GT), 2009 (LMP2)
- Rolex 24 at Daytona winner – 2005
- Le Mans Endurance series LMP1 winner – 2005, 2006
- Le Mans Series LMP1 winner – 2011
- FIA World Endurance Championship winner – 2016 (LMGTE Am), 2020 (GTE Am)
Jan Magnussen (Mosport and Petit Le Mans)
Magnussen had been paired with Johnny O’Connell since 2007 and together they won the 2008 ALMS GT1 Drivers Championship. In a move by Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan to help match car setup preferences amongst drivers, Jan was moved to the #4 C6.R for the final two rounds of the 2010 ALMS season at Mosport and the Petit Le Mans. This was not the first time Magnussen had been paired with Oliver Gavin in the #4 car. Magnussen acted as the third driver with the duo of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Berretta between 2004 and 2006.
Due to the driver realignment in the 2010 season only being for two races, it could not be certain if the move made much of a difference. However Magnussen with Oliver Gavin and Emmanuel Collard won the GT class at the 2010 Petit Le Mans.