The new Corvette C8.R turned two laps of the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta before the start of the Motul Petit Le Mans.
The Corvette Racing Team started the C8.R in the garage this morning and blipped the V8 5.5L flat-plane crank engine, much to the delight of the throng of Corvette Racing fans which had gathered.
Doug Fehan explained to the Corvette Corral fans on Friday the reason that the sound of the V8 is so different from the existing familiar C7.R sound, is the two ignition pulses per rotation compared with the four pulses of the current C7.R V8.
Doug Fehan explained that the new engine is more fuel efficient than the existing C7.R engine configuration. This will help the team’s strategy, as it allows the race cars to either run more laps per stint, or allow for part fills, saving time at the crucial final stop.