Corvette Racing Off to a Good GT1 Start
The Corvette C6.R GT1 Competition vehicle has been well documented over the last few years for its impressive performance, incredible build, and gorgeous Corvette looks. Over that time, though, it's race results have been mixed and varied. Corvette Racing did end their 2010 Race season with an impressive (albeit close, and a little lucky) victory which came directly as result of their pit crew managing their fueling better than the opponents (especially Ferrari, whose race leading vehicle ran out of gas--literally--on the homestretch of the final lap). Before that great win at the Petit Le Mans, though, the Corvette Racing season hadn't been as promising. Some great top-3 finishes were marred by other less than stellar showings at major races.
This season, however, looks to be off to a great start from the get-go. While not officially 2011, the first GT1 event of the year is underway, and the Corvette C6.R made a great showing by putting down the quickest opening-day pre race qualification times. The driver who managed this, also, is not one of last year's Corvette Racing regulars, but was instead one of two Brazilian newcomers to the Corvette team.
Sergio Jimenez, the driver who set the benchmark for his competition with a 1:33.024 time on the 2.676-mile Autódromo José Carlos Pace, is a Brazilian born driver who has spent the last few years between various different levels of racing. With victories at GP2 and A1GP, Jimenez also represents Lamborghini in the GT3 race division. He will, in fact, be pulling double-duty this weekend and driving both the GT1 C6.R and the GT3 Lambo car.
Of course, Jimenez's knowledge of the Brazilian course gave him a bit of a home-field advantage. Knowledge of the course, actually, accounted for quiet a disparity in qualifying times, as the top 4 drivers were all Brazilians. The good news there is that Jimenez topped his Brazilian brethren, who were driving such vehicles as the GT1 Lamborghini Murcielago and the Maserati MC12 (who posted the third and second best times, respectively). While these qualification times don't immediately mean a great deal for the season ahead, they do present some great promise.
When asked about his time driving the Corvette, Jimenez compared it to his GT3 Lamborghini and said, "The main difference I have noticed between this car and the GT3 Lamborghini I have driven is the brakes and the torque. It has great torque which is going to good for us in the uphill sections.”
Of course, Jimenez wasn't the only person making their GT1 debut inside of a Corvette Racing C6.R. Joining the team alongside Jimenez was Claudio Dahruj, who is acting as his co-driver for the race. Here's to hoping for great times from this Brazilian race tandem in the future when they're behind the wheels of the Corvette Racing C6.R. If you want to watch their performance this week, also, it will be airing on Speed2, live, on Sunday at 12p.m.
