O'Connell and Magnussen Score Third GT1 Win of Season in Sizzling Utah Grand Prix

Corvette Racing's final warm-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans was run in near-record temperatures as a heat wave in Utah's high desert prevailed. Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen kept their hot streak alive in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, scoring a one-minute, 4.9-second victory over the No. 4 Corvette C6.R of Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin in the American Le Mans Series Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix. 

"The car worked really well, and this was a really good final test before Le Mans," said Magnussen as he shrugged off the 90-degree heat at Miller Motorsports Park. "We were able to get some good data, and the main thing is there's not a scratch on the car."

Beretta led the first 52 minutes in the pole-winning No. 4 Corvette C6.R, but O'Connell and the No. 3 Corvette C6.R took the point after the first round of pit stops when a problem with the refueling system cost the No. 4 car precious time in the pits. Both Corvettes completed 88 laps and finished 10th and 11th overall in the 30-car field.

"Luck is a big part of it, and the luck is going our way now," said O'Connell. "Jan is driving well, I feel that I'm driving well, so this is a great way to go into Le Mans. Hopefully we can continue with a lot of momentum.

"We had the luxury of being able to run a Le Mans setup with low downforce," O'Connell reported. "It makes the car more difficult to drive, but that's what we'll run in Le Mans. One of the great things about our association with Michelin is that we're always challenging them to improve and they're constantly challenging us to get better."

The twin Corvette race cars will begin their transatlantic journey in three days as the team prepares for its assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"I think we came away with some great data and we are absolutely ready for Le Mans," commented Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Today was very helpful running the tires in hot conditions, and that is something we wanted to do. We're very satisfied with the information we collected."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 14-15. The 76th running of the classic 24-hour endurance race on the 8.5-mile Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans will begin at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. EDT). Portions of the race will be televised live on SPEED. [05/21/08]