The C5 Corvette debuted in 1997 and along with it the world was introduced to the LS engine. In 1999, Gary Pratt and Jim Miller of Pratt Miller Motorsports unleashed the C5-R Corvette race car with factory GM backing on the world. It would go on to be the most dominant car in American Le Mans Series GT racing from 1999 to 2005. In what is a rare opportunity, someone could own a piece of Corvette Racing history with the purchase of chassis C5R-007 that is currently available to the public through Art & Revs.

Images courtesy of Art & Revs. Lead image by Nigel Dobbie. 

Not including the original test mule Pratt Miller Motorsports used for development, there are only 11 C5-R race cars in existence. The first two — C5R-001 and C5R-002 — were built using the factory front and rear subframe cradles and hydro-formed frame rails. In 2000 Pratt Miller debuted a new chassis for the C5-R that was lower, wider, and purpose-built for GT racing. The early C5-R Corvettes were powered by a 6.0-liter LS engine, but from 2000 on all the C5-R cars ran a 7.0-liter LS engine developed by Katech Engineering.

C5R-003 and C5R-005 are possibly the most well-known of the C5-R Corvettes. Chassis C5R-003 made its debut in 2000 and was the first of the new Pratt Miller chassis. It was also the first appearance of the iconic Corvette Racing Yellow livery. In 2001, C5R-003 made history by capturing the overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona and dominating its class in the process. Chassis C5R-005 is the most dominant of the Corvette Racing C5-Rs. It won seven times in eleven races, and in 2002 C5R-005 helped legendary driver Ron Fellows win his first American Le Mans Series championship (ALMS).

In total, the Corvette Racing C5-R race cars entered 55 ALMS races, winning 31 of them. They finished on the podium in 51 of the 55 races and started from the pole position 24 times. In the five seasons Corvette Racing campaigned the C5-R in the American Le Man Series they captured four Team Championships, four Constructors’ Championships, and three Drivers’ Championships. Additionally, the C5-R Corvette holds three class wins at the 24 Hour of Le Mans.

With only 11 C5-R Corvettes in existence, owning one is highly unlikely for the avid enthusiast. Chassis C5R-003 is part of The GM Heritage Collection and will undoubtedly never be sold to a private individual. C5R-004 was sold to Chip Miller who helped start Carlisle Event and the largest Corvette gathering in the country, Corvettes at Carlisle. That car is currently owned by Chip’s son, Lance Miller. That leaves only nine C5-R Corvettes, almost all of which are in the hands of collectors and vintage racers, all except one — chassis C5R-007.

In 2002, Pratt Miller constructed chassis CR5-007 as a customer car for the privateer team Atomic Kitten Racing. At the time Atomic Kitten was a popular all-female band in the UK. The band’s management team thought running a race team would be a good idea for its image. It wasn’t, and the race team disappeared almost as quickly as the band. This left Pratt Miller with a spare car they didn’t need. C5R-007 was sold to Patrick Selleslagh, owner of  SRT Racing in Belgium. The car was campaigned in various racing series across Europe from 2003 to 2007 before it was sold and retired in 2008.

Chassie C5R-007 racing at Silverstone during the 2007 FIA GT Championship. Image courtesy of Nigel Dobbie.

Beginning in 2016, the C5R-007 Corvette underwent an extensive three-year ground-up restoration performed by Art & Revs. The Luxembourg-based company deals in very high-end exotic automobiles, classics, and race cars. Art & Revs currently has chassis C5R-007 available for sale. The car has been returned to its original all-yellow livery and appears as clean as the day it rolled out of the Pratt Miller facility.

As is commonly the case in the sale of rare and exotic automobiles, for the bargain price of “Please Inquire” you can be the owner of the C5R-007 Corvette. Hopefully, this C5-R Corvette will find its way into the hands of an owner who will get the car back onto the track for vintage races.