Corvette Goes Undefeated in 2004

[vetteheadracer]

Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell win season-closing race at Laguna Seca


The Chevrolet Corvette C5-R closed out an historic era on Saturday night with a GTS victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a circuit at which the championship-winning team had never won. Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell took the class victory in their #3 Compuware Corvette C5-R, less than a second ahead of teammates Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the #4 Corvette. The successful endurance sports car racing program closed out the Corvette C5 era with a notable 35th victory in 55 races. Corvette won every single American Le Mans Series event in 2004 as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

[eric the brave]

Great race and a brilliant series - Did you get wet at the end of the race. The last Corvette pitstop, when the 3 & 4 cars changed places, was something to behold.The competitiveness between the two pit crews was clearly evident and their delight or despair, subject to which car they were working on, was monster.

[vetteheadracer]

Jan and I were sitting in the Grandstand right opposite the Corvette pits and both vettes and they Saleen came in together with the #3 1st, then the #4 then the Saleen. The #4 tried blocking the #3 and the Saleen tried blocking the #4 by both parking with the tails out. Johnny O got out first follwed by Olly G but he had to reverse back to get around the Saleen which cost him a couple of seconds which basically lost him the race as he as 8 seconds down after the pit stop and was catching Johnny by about 3 seconds a lap and both cars exited the final corner of the final lap nose to tail. Johnny crossed the line first but if there had been another lap I think Olly would have overtaken Johnny if he was allowed to by the team.

And, yes we both got very wet!

[anonymous-user]

As results go, that one will do nicely. Sets the scene for LM 2005.