Last update: February 7, 2025
This blog begins in the year 2003. I do have some older Corvette models, these will appear in a different Collection later.
2003 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C5-R. Of course the history of Corvette goes back much further than 2003, in fact 50 years. The factory Corvettes – prepared as always by Pratt & Miller – run in blue, white and red this year to celebrate “50 years Corvette”. It doesn’t bring them luck because after class wins at Le Mans in the last two years, they got beaten by Ferrari. In their celebration year!
#50 Oliver Gavin (GB) / Kelly Collins (USA) / Andy Pilgrim (GB) – 11th overall / 2nd in GT1
#53 Ron Fellows (CAN) / Johnny O’Connell (USA) / Franck Fréon (F) – 12th overall / 3rd in GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R – 7.0 liter Chevrolet LS1 V8 90º, approx. 620 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #008 & #009
- MINICHAMPS MC430 031450 & MC430 031453 (diecast)
- ACTION PERFORMANCE AC4 001463 (diecast)
2001 Daytona 24h, Corvette C5-R. The factory Corvette C5-R made its debut in 1999. The Vipers were still dominant during the 2000 season, but Corvette would be in the years following. The #2 Corvette took the overall victory in Daytona 2001 also beating the prototypes.
#2 Ron Fellows (USA) / Johnny O’Connell (USA) / Chris Kneifel USA() / Franck Fréon (F) – 1st
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R – 7.0 liter Chevrolet LS1 V8 90º, approx. 620 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #003
- IXO Modern Le Mans & GT Cars GTM019 (diecast)
2002 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C5-R. In 2002, the Corvette had taken over the position of the dominant GT1 from Viper. The yellow factory Corvettes won a double victory at Le Mans this year, this #64 coming second.
#2 Andy Pilgrim (GB) / Kelly Collins (USA) / Franck Fréon (F) – 13th / 2nd GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R – 7.0 liter Chevrolet LS1 V8 90º, approx. 620 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #004
- MINICHAMPS MC430 021464 limited 1008 pcs (diecast)
Corvette C6.R
2005 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6.R.The new C6 version of the Corvette made its debut in 2005, the same year that the Aston Martins returned to Le Mans. The competition was strong but the Corvette continue their winning streak because of their great reliability. The Corvette even finished 5th overall.
#64 Jan Magnussen (DK) / Oliver Gavin (GB) / Olivier Beretta (MC) – 5th overall / 1st GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #002
- SPARK S0172 (resin)
Customer teams that race Corvettes
2006 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C5-R. The new C6 version of the Corvette made its debut in 2005 and won, just as they did in 2006. Former ski downhill champion Luc Alphand managed to get one of the older Pratt & Miller built C5-R’s and raced it to a beautiful 8th place overall in 2006.
#72 Luc Alphand (F) / Patrice Goueslard (F) / Jerome Policand (F) – 8th overall / 3rd in GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R – 7.0 liter Chevrolet LS1 V8 90º, approx. 620 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #010
- SPARK S0175 (resin)
2007 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6.R. Former downhill ski champion and Corvette client Luc Alphand received a new Corvette C.6R. He also entered an older C5-R. Both cars finished the race, this one in 12th position, the C5 way down in 24th.
#72 Luc Alphand (F) / Jérome Policand (F) / Patrice Goueslard (F) -12th / 7th GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #003
- IXO Modern Le Mans & GT Cars LMM127 (diecast)
2008 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6.R. The French Alphand team ran two C6-R’s as a semi-works team. The cars finished only 17th and 21st overall. In GT1 they had to settle behind the factory team Corvettes and Aston Martins.
#72 Luc Alphand (F) / Jérome Policand (F) / Guillaume Moreau (F) -17th / 5th GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #003
- SPARK S1488 (resin)
2006 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Corvette C6.R. Belgian GLPK Racing managed to get their hands on one of the new Corvette C6.Rs. During the 24-hour race at Spa the car consumed so much oil that every stop 7 liters had to be added. Despite this the car finished 3rd.
#4 Mike Hezemans (NL) / Bert Longin (B) / Anthony Kumpen (B) / Kurt Mollekens (B) – 3rd
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #001
- SPARK S0176 (resin)
2007 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Corvette C6.R. Carsport Holland drove this Corvette C6.R to victory in 2007, thanks to an off from favorite Van de Poele in his Maserati. Last year, the same team (under the name GLPK) was close already to victory also but slowed down by gigantic oil consumption.
#5 Mike Hezemans (NL) / Marcel Fässler (CH) / Jean-Denis Delétraz (CH) / Fabrizio Gollin (I) – 1st
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #001
- PROVENCE hand built kit (resin)
Back to the factory cars
2007 Sebring 12h, Corvette C6.R. The #3 car appeared in a special white livery. It finished 2nd in GT1, only 20 seconds behind its teammate.
#3 Ron Fellows (USA) / Johnny O’Connell (USA) / Jan Magnussen (DK) – 8th overall / 2nd GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #005
- SPARK S0170 (resin)
2007 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6.R. At Le Mans, the Corvette was again back in their well known yellow. After three wins in a row, one with the old C5-R and two with the C6.R, this Corvette was beaten by Aston Martin this year after a fabulous battle. The #64 suffered a broken prop shaft and retired early in the race.
#63 Ron Fellows (USA) / Johnny O’Connell (USA) / Jan Magnussen (DK) – 6th overall / 2nd GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #005
- SPARK S0178 (resin)
2008 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6.R. Last year the Corvette was beaten by Aston Martin for the first time. This year the same happened, the difference between the two cars was less than a lap and the second Corvette came home 3rd another 3 laps down. The GT1’s could not be found in the top 10 overall because of the high level of LMP1 entrants this year.
#63 Ron Fellows (USA) / Johnny O’Connell (USA) / Jan Magnussen (DK) – 14th overall / 2nd GT1
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #007
- SPARK S1486 (resin)
2009 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6.R. In 2009 the Corvettes ruled GT1, this car retired but its teammates #63 won the class in front of a similar car from Alphand Aventures. There was virtually no competition from other makes, showing that this generation GT1 cars is coming to an end.
#64 Oliver Gavin (GB) / Olivier Beretta (MC) / Marcel Fässler (CH) – DNF
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1120 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #008
- SPARK S1528 (resin)
Corvette C6 ZR-1
2010 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6 ZR-1. The Corvette C5-R and C6-R raced in GT1 for a decade. Now GT1 has its own World Championship and only a handfull of older GT1’s race at Le Mans for the last time. Corvette Racing switched to GT2 with a brand new production car based ZR-1 and now competes with Porsche, Ferrari and BMW. The Corvettes did well, but both cars retired with broken engines.
Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR-1 – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 490 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1245 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller C6RGT #001
#63 Jan Magnussen (DK) / Johnny O’Connell (USA) / Antonio Garcia (E) – DNF
- SPARK S2579 (resin)
2011 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C6 ZR-1. French Larbre Competition was the last winner of the GT1 class at Le Mans. GT1 have their own championship in 2011 and do not compete at Le Mans anymore. The former GT2 category is now divided into GTE-Pro for the factory teams and professional drivers and GTE-Am for privateers and gentleman drivers. Larbre competes in the second category and wins its class, they would also do that in 2012.
Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR-1 – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 490 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1245 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller C6RGT #001
#50 Patrick Bornhauser (F) / Julien Canal (F) / Gabriele Gardel (CH) – 20th / 1st GTE-Am
- SPARK S2543 (resin)
2011 FIA GT1, Corvette C.6R. Dutchmen Mike Hezemans and Nick Catsburg drove the sole Corvette in this year’s FIA GT1 World Championship which still had the ‘old’ GT1 cars. They took a podium at Zolder, but only drove the first four events. At the final weekend in Argentina, the red Corvette returned to the track. It was driven by two rookies: Francesco Pastorelli and Yelmer Buurman who surprisingly won both races!
#11 Mike Hezemans (NL) / Nick Catsburg (NL)
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 570 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1100 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #006.
- SPARK SA011 #174 / 300 pcs (resin)
Corvette DP
2014 Petit Le Mans, Corvette DP. General Motors entered the Daytona Prototypes with a works team. The Corvette DP raced in Grand-Am competition from 2012 and 2013 as a Daytona Prototype and then continued in the P class in the IMSA championship after Grand-Am seized. Several teams used the Corvette, one of them being Wayne Taylor Racing. Some chassis’ were built by Coyote but the Taylor car came from Dallara. Both Taylor’s sons and Max Angelelli won the Petit Le Mans in 2014.
#10 Jordan Taylor (USA) / Ricky Taylor (USA) / Max Angelelli (I) – 1st
Wayne Taylor Corvette DP – 5.0 liter Corvette/ECR V8 90°, approx. 530 hp. Continental tires. Weight 1000 kg. Carbon fibre monocoque, chassisnr. Dallara #DP01-003
- SPARK US152 (resin)
Corvette C7.R
2014 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C7.R. The new C7.R version of the Corvette has considerably changed compared to the C6 ZR-1. The car is shorter and more aerodynamic and the weight has moved to the back. The 6-litre supercharged engine of the street car has been replaced by a normally aspirated 5.5 litre version, the maximum capacity that is allowed by the GTE rules. Both Corvettes reach the finish this year, and end in 2nd and 5th place in the GTE-Pro category.
73 Jan Magnussen (DK) / Antonio Garcia (E) / Jordan Taylor (USA) – 16th overall / 5th in GTE-Pro
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R – 5.5 liter Chevrolet LS9 V8 90º, approx. 500 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1100 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller C7RGT #002
- SPARK S4227 (resin)
2015 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C7.R. GTE-Pro promised to be a good race again between Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Corvette. The #63 Corvette had a big crash in qualifying and was damaged beyond repair. There was too little time to replace the chassis and the team had to retire before the start of the race. This was the luck of the Larbre Corvette: it crashed in a similar way as the factory car but could be repaired by the crew of the #63 car and its spare parts. The #64 team did excellent and had a fierce battle to the end with the AF Corse Ferrari 458 and won their class.
#64 Oliver Gavin (GB) / Antonio Garcia (E) / Tom Milner (USA) – 17th overall / 1st in GTE-Pro
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R – 5.5 liter Chevrolet LS9 V8 90º, approx. 500 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1100 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller C7RGT #001
- SPARK S4662 (resin)
In the following years, no wins were recorded for the Corvettes: In 2016 7th, in 2017 3rd, in 2018 2nd and in 2019 8th. 2020 was the Covid year and the American team stayed in the USA.
Corvette C8.R
2020 presentation version, Corvette C8.R. Unlike all its predecessors, the new Corvette C8.R has its engine behind the driver. The Corvette C8.R made its debut in Daytona 2020. The grey car finished way back, while the yellow #3 took 4th place in GTLM.
#4 Corvette C8.R – presentation
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – 5.5 liter Chevrolet LS9 V8 90º, approx. 500 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1100 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller C8 #001
- Bburago (diecast)
2021 Le Mans 24h, Corvette C8.R. Unlike all its predecessors, the new Corvette C8.R has its engine behind the driver. What remains is the 5.5L V8 but that sounds far less like a roar than it used to be. Corvette skipped the 2020 Le Mans because Covid restrictions, and however these haven’t completely disappeared in 2021, the yellow beasts were back in France.
#63 Antonio Garcia (E) / Jordan Taylor (USA) / Nicky Catsburg (NL) – 21st overall / 2nd in GTE-Pro
Chevrolet Corvette C7-R – 5.5 liter Chevrolet LS9 V8 90º, approx. 500 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1100 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller C8 #004
- SPARK S8259 (resin)
Pratt & Miller before the Corvettes
1996 Daytona 24h, Oldsmobile Aurora. Pratt & Miller have been preparing General Motors products for many years. Before they started building the famous racing Corvettes, they prepared these great Oldsmobiles. The Oldsmobiles with their high-revving V8’s were competitive with the GT1 Vipers and Lister Storm. This car retired, but its team mate finished 7th overall, winning GTS-1.
#1 Irv Hoerr (USA) / Brian Cunningham (USA
) / Mike Borkowski (USA
) / Darin Brassfield (USA
) – DNF
Brix Racing Oldsmobile Aurora – 4.0 liter GM Northstar V8 90º, approx. 650 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight unknown. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Pratt & Miller #unknown
- MINICHAMPS MC430 145600 (diecast)
Callaway, that other Corvette builder
2011 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Corvette C6.R GT3. The Corvette C6.R was designed as a GT1 car. Because of the continuous increase of interest in the GT3 category, Callaway rebuild some C6.R to match GT3 specs. This one raced in the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps, it qualified in a decent 17th place but failed to finish because of a drive train failure.
#26 Frédéric Bouvy (B) / Damien Coens (B) / Jean-Luc Blanchemain (F) / Christian Kelders (B) – DNF
Corvette C6.R GT3 – 6.0 liter Chevrolet LS7 V8 90º, approx. 540 hp. Steel space frame chassisnr. Callaway #unknown
- MINICHAMPS evolution MC437 111426 produced by SPARK (resin)
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