C8.R Corvette Turns Laps At Petit

The new Corvette C8.R turned two laps of the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta before the start of the Motul Petit Le Mans.

The C8.R was on-hand, but with limited access. Note the "limo tint" on the windows.

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.

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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.

About the author

Nigel Dobbie

A certified petrol-head Nigel Dobbie is a native of the U.K. and a long-time Corvette owner. Currently living in the U.S., he drives a 2010 ZR1 and also owns a 2003 C5 Z06 that is currently in its third rebuild, which should end up as an 800 horsepower twin turbo track rat. He is passionate about motorsports, as long as it involves making right-hand turns. Nigel can usually be found trackside with his trusty Canon on any given ALMS race weekend. He is a freelance contributor for Power Automedia.
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