2003 2003 THREE-TIME 2003CHAMPIONS Contents

A Tough Challenge Brings Out Our Best ...... 3 Winning Start – Mobil 1 ...... 4 Shooting for a Three-Peat – Le Mans Test Day ...... 10 Both on the Podium … Not at the Top – ...... 12 Corvettes Roar Back – Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta ...... 20 Superb at Sonoma – Infineon Grand Prix ...... 22 Almost Like Clockwork – Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières ...... 24 Cliffhanger – Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport ...... 26 One Lap Too Many – Road America 500 ...... 28 Mystery Unsolved – Fry’s Electronics Sports Car Championships . . . . . 30 The Walls Won – Grand Prix Americas ...... 32 Three-Time Champions – ...... 34 Tribute to Herb Fishel ...... 38 Pratt & Miller: People and Technology Creating Winners ...... 40 Good Times, Fun Memories ...... 46 The Photographers ...... 52 Robin’s Page ...... 58 Thanks To Our Sponsors ...... 59

Photos courtesy of Peter and Gayle Brock, John Brooks, Richard Dole, Gregory Johnson, Robert Mochernuk, David Noels, Robin Pratt, Richard Prince. Printed with permission.

Three-Time Champions, copyright © 2003 Pratt & Miller Engineering & Fabrication, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pratt & Miller Engineering & Fabrication, Inc. 29600 William K Smith Drive, New Hudson, MI 48165 Phone: 248-446-9800 Fax: 248-446-9020 www.prattmiller.com A TOUGH CHALLENGE BRINGS OUT OUR BEST

hings are moving fast; it’s a dynamic, exciting time at Pratt & Miller Engineering. Our T Corvette team has won three consecutive GTS Team and Manufacturer championships in the . All of us can be tremendously proud of this accomplishment. It has taken a lot of hard work … nothing new there, and that won’t change. The competition is fierce, and looks like it will keep coming on strong. But we’re the kind of people who love a tough challenge; it brings out the best in us, so bring it on. Our three championship years have seen the company go through a lot of growth — more than we expected just a couple of years ago. We have really “blossomed” with new facilities, new capabilities, and new programs, such as the Cadillac CTS-VR development and our Corvette customer project for the Selleslagh Racing team in Belgium. Our expansion and success are due to the outstanding work by all the people in this book, including our engineers in the Mooresville, N.C., operation. They don’t get much of the limelight, but they have made a huge addition to our engineering capability. The growth will continue, because we have a dedicated group of people, a great track record and a lot to offer our customers. That said, we also really appreciate the confidence that GM and our other customers have in us and in our ability to get the job done right. Finally, a Pratt & Miller salute to Herb Fishel. There is a tribute to this giant of motorsports later in this book. But Herb, we just want to say, you may be retired, but don’t be a stranger. — Jim Miller and Gary Pratt PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS SEBRING

Sebring International Raceway 3.7 miles, 5.95 km Sebring, Florida MOBIL 1 12 HOURS OF SEBRING March. 15, 2003

Qualifying: 1st GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, , 111.910 mph (record) 2nd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, n the 51st running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, there looked to be a battle- Johnny O’Connell, 111.504 mph royal shaping up between the Pratt & Miller Corvettes and a pair of Race: Winning Start IProdrive 550 Maranellos. In the preliminary practice sessions, 1st GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, CORVETTES FIRST AND THIRD these four cars swapped fast times around so often it was hard to tell , Johnny O’Connell, AT SEBRING who might have the hot setup. Franck Freon, 332 laps 3rd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, CORVETTE SPEED Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, Andy When it came to qualifying, however, the Corvettes showed they had found Pilgrim, 283 laps some extra speed over the winter, relegating the cars to third and fourth in the GTS starting order. Oliver Gavin took pole position in the number- 4 Corvette, with Johnny O’Connell second in the number-3 car. Both cars were under Ron Fellows’ three-year-old qualifying record, and Gavin’s pole time (1m59.024s) bettered the old mark by a little over half a second. “I enjoy this track because it seems to reward you when you start pushing hard,” said Gavin after his record-setting run “Over the winter Pratt & Miller has been working hard on performance gains, and also making the cars even more bullet-proof. I think today is proof that the work has paid off. Even so, the Prodrive cars are going to be extremely difficult to beat.” 4 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE TEAM

TCJim Miller

TCGary Pratt

TCDan Binks

TCRay Gongla 005 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

CLOSE FIGHT, BUT NOT FOR LONG The race started at 10:30 Saturday morning, and in the early going the expected Corvette-Ferrari battle was fierce. The lead switched back and forth several times during the first two driving stints. But at about the two-hour mark the first

SEBRING crack appeared in the ’ reliability armor, when one of the cars made a long stop for a cool- ing problem. About a half-hour later the other Prodrive car spent considerable time in the pits while its crew worked on the brakes. The Prodrive team never recovered those set- backs, which elevated the number-3 Corvette to second in GTS. For the next eight hours the Corvettes ran first and second, holding a lead of several laps over their closest pursuers. Eventually one of the Ferraris worked its way back to third place, but four laps back was a close as it got before retiring with mechanical problems with a little over three hours to go. The other Prodrive car inherited third, but it was considerably farther behind.

LOOKING GOOD, UNTIL… Just when things were looking hopeful for a Corvette 1-2 finish, there was a demonstration of how quickly and unexpectedly fortunes can turn. The drive shaft broke on the number-4 car. “We were leading and things were looking pretty good,” Gavin explained. “Then, just at the end of the front straight, it started vibrating for a second and then I heard a loud bang! The Sebring track is very hard on race cars, but I never expected a drive shaft would cause us to retire. It’s just frustrating after leading for so long.”

6 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE TEAM

TCRon Fellows

TCJohnny O’Connell

TCOliver Gavin

TCKelly Collins 007 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS SEBRING

With the number-4 Corvette sidelined, Fellows, O’Connell and Freon took the The number-3 Corvette completed 15 more laps than in its 2002 victory lead and eventually the remaining Prodrive Ferrari moved into second place. run, and finished one position higher in the overall order (eighth). It was There were very few caution periods and attrition was high on the tough old O’Connell’s fifth career win at Sebring, and he has developed a special Sebring track. Even though they were not running for most of the last two liking for the historic circuit. hours, Gavin, Collins and Pilgrim still wound up third in GTS. “Once you win at a track you fall in love with it,” Johnny said. “This is “This is a tough track and the key is durability,” commented Fellows after his a place where the car finds where it wants to run. You have to get your second consecutive Sebring win. “Our guys prepared great cars and it was just ego out of the lap time, get your head into winning, and run the car where unfortunate what happened to Oliver. I was behind him when he pulled off and it wants to run. they told us over the radio what the problem was. After that you tend to shift a “We are part of a great team; we were quick and consistent, and we had little easier and back down the pace a bit.” a trouble-free run,” O’Connell added. “The racing gods smiled on us again.”

8 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE TEAM

TCFranck Freon

TCAndy Pilgrim

TCDoug Louth

TCLynn Bishop 009 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

800 MILES IN 8 HOURS Shooting For A Three-Peat Dan Binks, crew chief of the number-53 Corvette driven by Ron Fellows, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS TEST DAY Johnny O’Connell and Franck Freon, said their car put in a smooth, solid LE MANS, FRANCE session, covering some 800 miles during the eight hours the track was open. MAY 4, 2003 “We got in a lot of scientific testing,” said Binks, “and also were able to work on some small comfort things that will help the drivers.” orvette Racing returned to the Sarthe circuit in north-west France, on a An engine had to be replaced in the number-50 mission to win the team’s third consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans. They Corvette driven by Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins and Cbrought two new Corvette C5-Rs, accompanied by crews and drivers . now seasoned and experienced in the French classic. “The crew did a great hurry-up change and “The drivers liked the new cars,” said Gary Pratt, team manager. “They we were back on the track in an hour,” said Ray were especially happy with the handling and braking. We made some gains Gongla, crew chief. “We got a good test in. We in straight-line speed, but we’re not up to the Ferraris yet. We’ve had pretty found a tire that will help us out in the race, good luck and good dependability the past two years, but there’s no guaran- because it has better longevity. The new cars tee we’ll have it this time. We just have to come well prepared and do the felt better in the corners, and we’re pleased with best we possibly can.” the new gearbox.” LE MANS TEST/ITALY TOUR LE TEST/ITALY MANS

10 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Joe Kiefer

Steve Cole

Dr. Dave Robinson

Frank Parker 11 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS LE MANS MANS LE

Circuit de la Sarthe 8.48 miles, 13.65 km Le Mans, France 24 HOURS OF LE MANS June 14-15, 2003

Qualifying: 3rd GTS: #50 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, 3m55.613s 5th GTS: #53 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, 3m58.941s Race: 2nd GTS: #50 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, Andy Pilgrim, 326 laps 3rd GTS: #53 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Franck Freon, 326 laps Both on the Podium…Not at the Top 2-3 FINISH ENDS VICTORY STREAK AT LE MANS

he numbers were different and the colors were different, but everybody at Corvette Racing was working hard to be sure the results would be the T same in the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans. A third consecutive GTS victory in the endurance racing classic would be the icing on Corvette’s 50th birthday cake. That was the reason for the number change — 50 for Corvette’s 50th anniversary, and 53 for the car’s first year of production. The new color scheme, predominantly blue, with red and white accents, resulted in the Corvettes, always popular with the French fans, being dubbed “Les Bleus.” 12 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE TEAM

TCDavid James

TCGary Young

TCMike Atkins

TCTom Mikrut 0013 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS LE MANS MANS LE

But a three-peat was not to be. Lady luck is speed advantage. “Their top speed on the Mulsanne straight is about 10 miles especially fickle in long-distance racing, and an hour faster than ours,” said Pratt. “It translates to about three seconds a after two virtually trouble-free races in ’01 lap just on top speed, and that’s tough to make up with braking and cornering.” and ’02, both Corvettes were forced to make When the qualifying sessions ended, the number 50 Corvette was third extended stops for repairs. Those setbacks in GTS and the 53 car was fifth. The two Prodrive Ferraris were first and gave the Prodrive Maranello, driv- second, and another Ferrari 550 was fourth. Gary Pratt’s estimate on the en by Thomas Enge, and , an insurmountable lead. straight-line speed advantage proved to be accurate: the top-qualifying “It’s pretty simple; you need a clean run to win a race like this,” said Gary Ferrari’s lap time was some 2.3 seconds faster than Gavin’s best in the Pratt, Corvette Racing’s team manager. “We didn’t, and one of the Ferraris did.” number-50 Corvette. “I was quite happy with my time,” Gavin said of his 3:55.613 qualifying run. WE KNOW HOW TO WIN “The best part is, we’ve gained a couple of miles an hour on the straights The qualifying sessions confirmed what everybody already knew: the Ferrari since the test weekend in May, which proves the crews have been working 550s, with their V12, dual-overhead-cam engines, have a big straight-line really hard and it paid off.” 14 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE TEAM

TCRoss Jeffrey

TCGreg Hiatt

TCMike Tanner

TCJim Durbin 0015 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Fellows wasn’t as thrilled with the 53 car’s qualifying experience, but with two GTS victories behind him, he knew

LE MANS MANS LE what to expect. “We spent a lot of time chasing a good setup,” he commented, “and in the last qualifying session the track conditions weren’t very good. But whatever it’s like now, it will change a lot during the race, and we’re going to be ready. We know how to win.”

FERRARI: FAST, BUT FOR HOW LONG? Everybody knew the Ferraris had a speed advantage, but nobody knew how much of that advantage they could maintain for 24 hours without running into trouble. Unfortunately for the Corvette team, they never found out. Two of the 550s did succumb to mechan- ical problems, but the car that won was able to cruise through the last third of the race. “Those last eight hours are the toughest,” said Pratt. “If we had been in a position to push them into running faster than they wanted to go, it might have been a different story. But the time we spent in the pits gave them such a big lead they could take it easy and really conserve the equipment.” The first problem for the Corvettes stuck early, on the second lap of the race. Gavin had to come in with a broken throttle linkage, which put the 50 car a couple of laps down. Fellows, O’Connell and Freon were able to keep the pressure on for the next eight hours or so, but then a broken alternator drive pulley set them back. That made challenging the Ferrari difficult, but when the same problem happened again Sunday morning and the gearbox had to be changed, it became impossible. 16 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Rich Eldred

Don Male

Randy Hughes

Steve Hartsell 17 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS LE MANS MANS LE

In the meantime, Gavin, Collins and Pilgrim THREE BULLETS also had been plagued by frustrating mechani- The team, while disappointed at not winning, took pride in the fact cal ills that cost time in the pits. The crews that both cars completed the race and they overcame some very difficult performed heroically, and at the end of the race problems to get there. both Corvettes were on the same lap. They Doug Duchardt, director of GM Racing, summed up the team’s feelings. were a lot closer to the Ferrari than they had “Ferrari brought three bullets to the fight and only one of them was around been eight hours earlier, but still 10 laps behind. at the end of the race,” he said. “Both of our cars were running and finished “Mechanical problems take you out of on the podium.” contention,” commented Pratt. “We’ve won That made any disappointment they felt a whole lot easier to take. this race twice with clean runs. Now we have “All of us were up there on the podium at the end,” said O’Connell, to go back to work, and there are several “and looking out at that huge crowd of people it’s great to see how many issues we have to address — reliability of them love the Corvettes. Right away that gets us motivated to come back is one of the big ones.” next year and kick butt.” 18 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Mike West

Chuck Miller

Jonathan Nicols

Dave Barefield 19 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS ROAD

Road Atlanta 2.54 miles, 4.09 km Braselton, Ga.

CHEVY GRAND PRIX OF ATLANTA June 29, 2003

Qualifying: 1st GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, 1m20.917s. 2nd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, 1m21.320s Race: Corvettes Roar Back 1st GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, GAVIN/COLLINS WIN; CUT TIRE SPOILS CHANCE OF A ONE-TWO FINISH Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, 118 laps 3rd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, fter the sting of Ferrari’s victory at Le Mans, Corvette Racing gave a convincing performance in Chevy Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Grand Prix of Atlanta. The Corvettes started one-two in GTS, and Oliver Gavin and Kelly Collins came 116 laps Athrough for the win. At the end they were 12 seconds ahead of the number 88 Ferrari 550 Maranello driven by Peter Kox and Tomas Enge. Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell, who led the early part of the race, suffered a cut tire that ruined what looked like the good possibility of a one-two Corvette finish. “That was bad luck and it put us way back in the pack,” said O’Connell, who was driving when the tire went down. “For the rest of the race both of us had to dig deep and give it everything we had.” Johnny fought back to fourth in class, with the number 80 Prodrive Ferrari ahead. When Fellows took over with 45 minutes to go, he was about 15 seconds behind the Ferrari. “It was hard work,” Ron said. “I was able to make up time, but very slowly. With about eight minutes to go I was three seconds back, but then he made it easy because he had a little spin and away we went.” “The Ferraris gave us a hard fight,” said Gavin, “but our Corvette ran perfectly and we pulled it off. Kelly and I both pushed as much as we could to stay in front. It turned out to be a great weekend for Corvette.” 20 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

JR Redfield

Ron Valine

Melanie Correll

Ralph Simpson 21 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS INFINEON

Infineon Raceway Superb at Sonoma 2.53 miles, 4.07 km CORVETTES SCORE FIRST 1-2 OF 03 Sonoma, California t California’s Infineon Raceway, in the wine country north of San INFINEON GRAND PRIX Francisco, the Pratt & Miller team brought its latest version of the OF SONOMA ACorvette C5-R — the cars they had raced at Le Mans — which July 27, 2003 included some aerodynamic improvements and some new Goodyear tires. Qualifying: The drivers also liked the new “no-lift shift” capability for changing gears. 1st GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, The team had tested the system, but this was its first use in competition. Oliver Gavin, 1m30:609s “I works well and it’s just very cool,” commented Fellows. “You just (100.520 mph), record keep your foot down on the gas and pull the lever. There’s less physical 4th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, effort and it makes the driver’s job a bit easier.” Ron Fellows, no time In qualifying, Gavin chopped almost a full second off of Fellows’ year-old Race: lap record, clocking the track’s first-ever GTS qualifying lap over 100 mph. 1st GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, 97 laps RACE, BUT NO CONTACT! 2nd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, In the race, the Ferrari threat fizzled due to on-track misadventures, and Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, 97 laps after two rounds of pit stops each of the Corvettes had led a through a driving stint. The critical moment was on a restart, when a traffic jam left Gavin and Fellows guessing about what would be the right move. Fellows caught the lucky break and got through cleanly. For the last half-hour, Gavin tried his best to find a way past, but Fellows withstood the pressure. “There were team orders,” said Gavin with a laugh, “we could race each other, but ‘no contact,’ and there just weren’t any opportunities that wouldn’t have been too much of a risk.” Fellows was less than half a second ahead of Gavin at the finish line. The Prodrive Ferraris were third and fourth, one lap and three laps down. 22 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE TEAM

TCKevin Pranger Katech

TCRon Helzer Katech

TCJim Kelly PRS

TCMike Toumi PRS 0023 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Enge made his pit stop Fellows took over the Almost Like Clockwork class lead, and then the Corvettes caught a THIS TIME GAVIN LEADS break in the form of a full-course yellow. Both A 1-2 FINISH Corvettes were able to make their stops and driver changes without losing position. he tight, bumpy, 1.52-mile Trois-Rivières street From then on it was an all-Corvette show. circuit puts a premium on durable equipment On the last stop, Gavin got out of his pit slightly T and is unforgiving of mental lapses. As usual, quicker than Fellows, and that was the race. Circuit de Corvette Racing took the situation in stride and, for “Then it was a case of holding off Ron,” Trois-Rivières the second race in a row, Corvettes finished first said Gavin. “For six or seven laps I pushed 1.52 miles, 2.45 km and second after a strong Ferrari challenge in the very hard, and then I think another car may Trois-Rivières, early going came up short. have forced him to go wide in a turn, and it Quebec TROIS REVIERES TROIS |takes a lap or two to get the tires back under INTENSE COMPETITION you when that happens.” LE GRAND PRIX The race was three hours — 15 minutes longer “Sure, not winning is a disappointment for DE TROIS-RIVIÈRES than the usual ALMS “sprint” race. For the first Johnny and me,” said Fellows, “but a one-two Aug. 3, 2003 hour, the GTS battle was a train of Corvettes and finish makes a great day for Corvette. And that’s Ferraris. Tomas Enge led, but under intense pres- what this team is all about — no matter which Qualifying: sure, first from Gavin and then Fellows. When car wins, we all celebrate.” 2nd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, 1m01:699s (88.747 mph) 4th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, 1m02.223s (88.000 mph)

Race: 1st GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, 162 laps 2nd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, 162 laps

24 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Scott Bentham Bosch Motorsports

Nick Olsen AP Racing

John Taube Goodyear

Gary Grube Motorola 25 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS CLIFFHANGER O’CONNELL HOLDS ’EM OFF FOR CORVETTE WIN NUMBER 5

t Mosport, Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell car is hurt but I’m not, thanks to the Corvette’s MOSPORT scored their third victory of the season in a strength and the way it is designed.” Acome-from-behind team effort. GAVIN’S NEW RECORD EXCITING FINISH Oliver Gavin demolished the GTS qualifying Gavin’s car was too badly damaged to continue record by one-and-a-half seconds, and became and Fellows took up the chase, running close the first GTS car ever to clock under a minute behind the two Ferraris. In the next round of Mosport International and 15 seconds and over 118 mph on the tricky, Raceway stops, the crew produced an extra-fast stop and 2.459 miles, undulating circuit. O’Connell came out leading GTS. At the finish an Bowmanville, Ontario In the race, Gavin led from the start, but after hour later he was able to hold off Peter Kox by a full-course caution about a half-hour in, he ran eight-tenths of a second. TORONTO GRAND PRIX into trouble in turn four, a high-speed, downhill “The guys in the pits won the race when they OF MOSPORT left-hander. got me out in front,” O’Connell said. “Then I Aug. 17, 2003 “There were two GT cars ahead of me and pushed really hard and opened up a lead of seven I tried to get past both of them,” recalled Gavin, seconds or so. But at the end the tires were used Qualifying: “but one of them braked a bit early. I had to go up and that’s why the Ferrari got so close. I don’t 1st GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, wide to avoid hitting him, and just went sideways think I could have held him off for another lap. It Oliver Gavin, 1m14:417s into the barrier. It was a pretty hard hit, and the sure was exciting.” (118.957 mph – record) 3rd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, 1m15.115s (117.851 mph)

Race: 1st GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, 112 laps 7th GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, 24 laps

26 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Steve Shannon GM Racing

Doug Duchardt GM Racing

Harry Turner GM Racing

Doug Fehan GM Racing 27 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS ROAD AMERICA ROAD

Road America 4.0 miles, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, ROAD AMERICA 500 Aug. 24, 2003

Qualifying: One Lap Too Many 1st GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, 2m01.969s CORVETTE VICTORY STREAK BROKEN ON LAST LAP AT ROAD AMERICA (119.480 mph) – record orvette Racing’s victory streak in the 2003 was worn down mentally and physically. My body 4th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, was actually tingling. It was a mental mistake that Ron Fellows, 2m02.155s American Le Mans Series ended at five on the (119.298 mph) Cfast, four-mile Road America circuit. In the won’t happen again, but when something like that closing laps, the scenario was virtually the same happens you always want to go back and do it Race: as at the end of the Mosport race a week earlier over. But even so, with second place we opened 2nd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, — Johnny O’Connell leading with a red Ferrari on up a bigger lead in the championship points.” Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, his rear bumper. Johnny wasn’t giving an inch, but For Oliver Gavin and Kelly Collins, the combi- 75 laps after the white flag when they were heading into nation of a stop-and-go penalty and a trip 5th GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, turn one for the last time, Jan Magnusson made into a gravel trap relegated the pole-winning Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, 73 laps his move. It took Johnny by surprise because he number-4 Compuware Corvette to fifth in GTS, thought LMP cars were coming through to pass two laps down. both of them. In fact, those cars had backed off “Johnny drove his heart out,” said Fellows. “The to let O’Connell and Magnusson fight it out, but Ferrari was just a little quicker than us at the end. Johnny didn’t know that. Our strength is handling, theirs is straight-line By that time O’Connell had been in the car the speed, and the competition is excellent. We cer- better part of two hours, and the heat was taking tainly have nothing to be ashamed of. The team its toll. “It was difficult to concentrate because I performed really well this weekend.” 28 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Dave Hill GM Racing

Gary Claudio GM Racing

Richard Baldick GM Racing

John Rice GM Racing 29 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Mystery Unsolved CORVETTE VICTORY DENIED AT LAGUNA SECA — AGAIN t’s a mystery. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca remains the only track on the ALMS schedule Iwhere Corvette Racing has never won, and once again the team was not able to find a winning combination for this California circuit.

LAGUNA SECA LAGUNA Both cars’ qualifying times were more than a second quicker than they had run a year ago, but they were off the pace of the Prodrive Ferraris by some eight-tenths of a second. After a first-lap “moment” going into turn two, the Corvettes had a virtually trouble-free race. Everything went smoothly on the track and in the pits. The bad news was, the Ferraris were well out in front — a lap ahead by the end. However, one of the Ferraris failed to pass post-race technical inspection and was Mazda Raceway excluded from the results. That bumped Ron Laguna Seca and Johnny up to second, and put Oliver and 2.238 miles, Kelly on the podium in third place. Monterey, California “We had no problems,” said Fellows, “and the setup was the best we’ve ever had here. FRY’S ELECTRONICS The balance was very good, and it stayed quite SPORTS CAR consistent through a tank of fuel. Really, there CHAMPIONSHIPS isn’t a whole lot I’d do differently. We just Sept. 7, 2003 weren’t fast enough. We could have used more grip, especially after the first 10 or 12 laps Qualifying: of a run. There is something about the track 3rd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, surface here … we’ve always struggled to find Oliver Gavin, 1m23.148s (96.897 mph) grip. This year was no different, but we learned a lot and we’ll be stronger next time.” 4th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Johnny O’Connell, 1m23.365s (96.645 mph) Race: 2nd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, 112 laps 3rd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, 111 laps 30 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Steve Wesoloski GM Racing

Gary Deleeuw GM Racing

Donny Atkins GM Racing

Brian Goble GM Racing 31 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS MIAMI

Miami Bayfront Park Street Course 1.15 miles, Miami, Florida GRAND PRIX AMERICAS Sept. 27, 2003 The Walls Won Qualifying: BUT FELLOWS AND O’CONNELL EXIT MIAMI AS ’03 GTS CHAMPIONS 2nd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, 51.246s (80.787 mph) year ago, Corvette Racing’s C5-Rs stormed If the car had dropped out at that point, they 3rd GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, to a one-two finish on Miami’s unforgiving would have scored no points because they Johnny O’Connell, 51.576s . After this year’s race, the driv- hadn’t completed enough laps. (80.270 mph) A ers might be forgiven for paraphrasing the words Race: of an old song: “I fought the walls and the walls CREW HEROICS 4th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, won.” Kelly Collins had an encounter with the The crew fixed one of the broken suspension Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, 122 laps concrete in the Saturday morning warm-up, while component with some particularly ingenious and trying to find a better line through a particularly quick thinking. A ratcheting strap held it together Did Not Start: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins bumpy turn. Damage made it impossible for the through the 18 additional laps O’Connell complet- number-4 Corvette to run in the race. As a conse- ed. That was enough to place them fourth in GTS, quence, Fellows and O’Connell locked up the 2003 with more than enough laps to collect the 10 GTS championship for drivers just by starting. precious fourth-place points. For a while it looked as though a Corvette victory “We’re disappointed because we might have was possible, but late in the race O’Connell also been able to win it,” O’Connell said, “but the smacked the wall while trying to avoid contact crew did an amazing job to get us going again. with another car. It’s great to have the driver’s championship, but Johnny made it back to the pits, where the I’ll be able to enjoy that a lot more when we’ve crew went to work. The championships for auto locked up the manufacturer, team and tire titles. manufacturers, teams and tire manufacturers That’s our job now.” were still in play, and every point was vital. 32 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Reilly Brennan GM Racing

Benoit Froger GM Racing – The French Connection

Fritz Kayl Katech

Warren Frieze Katech 33 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

orvette Racing accomplished what the team needed to achieve in the Three-Time Champions final race of the 2003 American Le Mans Series: They clinched their t hird consecutive GTS team, auto manufacturer and tire manufacturer CORVETTE RACING WINS C championships for Corvette Racing, and Goodyear, respectively. THIRD-STRAIGHT TITLES The weekend didn’t lack for nail-biting tension. The way the mathematics IN SEASON FINALE worked out, if Ferraris finished first and second, a Corvette had to finish third to stay ahead in the championship races. When it was all over, Chevrolet won the manufacturers’ title by just one point over Ferrari, 167 to 166. Corvette Racing’s and Goodyear’s margin over Prodrive and Michelin, respectively, was four points – 167 to 163.

PETIT LE MANS LE PETIT GUNS BLAZING Trying to pull off an upset, Ferrari stepped up with a third car for the Prodrive team. Combined with the Olive Garden Ferrari that had been getting stronger through the season, it shortened the odds on the Corvettes scoring their Road Atlanta three-peat. 2.54 miles, 4.09 km “They showed up at Road Atlanta will all guns blazing,” said Gary Pratt, Braselton, Ga. team manager for Corvette Racing. “They had four strong cars, and that made things really tough for our two Corvettes. It wasn’t easy. We had some prob- lems and weren’t thrilled with the way the race went. But we pulled it off and PETIT LE MANS won our third-straight championships. That part really feels good.” October 18, 2003

Qualifying: 4th GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, 1m29.574s (102.083 mph) 6th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, 1m30.230s (101.341 mph) Race: 3rd GTS: #4 Corvette C5-R, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, Andy Pilgrim, 366 laps 5th GTS: #3 Corvette C5-R, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Franck Freon 353 laps

34 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

35 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS PETIT LE MANS LE PETIT

LONG DAY’S JOURNEY A thousand miles is a long race — almost 10 hours on the Road Atlanta circuit if conditions are good. For a while the prospects were looking good, with both cars running in the top three. Then the num- ber 4 Corvette was forced back when a full-course caution came out at just the wrong time. At about the six-hour mark, Johnny O’Connell made what was supposed to be a routine pit stop. But the car would not re-start. It turned out that the flywheel ring gear had failed and the crew had to replace the gearbox.

WE DID IT! But by this time the number-4 Corvette was back in contention — at least for third place — and in the final two hours they were able to cruise when two of the Ferraris suffered setbacks. Everyone had fingers crossed that nothing would go wrong … and it didn’t. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy with a third-place finish,” commented Pratt. “It wasn’t pretty, but it made all the difference in the world to the outcome of our season. It was tough, but we did it.” “We had a great season, and we did what we set out to do,” said Gavin. “Now, we’re already preparing for next year, working on cars that we hope will bring us even more victories in 2004.” 36 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

2003 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES GTS CHAMPIONSHIPS GTS Team: Corvette Racing GTS Auto Manufacturer: Chevrolet GTS Drivers: Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell GTS Mechanic of the Year: Dan Binks GTS Tire Manufacturer: Goodyear

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HERB FISHEL MR. GM RACING, AND A GREAT FRIEND

erb Fishel retired in 2003 from his position as head of GM Racing. During his long, success-filled career, he became one of the most Hinfluential people in the world of motorsports. Right from the beginning of our Corvette Racing program he believed in what we were doing — in our potential for success — and provided strong support. For that we thank him sincerely, and wish him the very best.

HERB FISHEL TRIBUTE FISHEL HERB — Jim Miller, Gary Pratt, and the whole team

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39 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Pratt & Miller Engineering PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY CREATING WINNERS PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING & MILLER PRATT ur 2003 racing season ended on a high note, with the Corvette Racing team winning their third consecutive ALMS Team and Manufacturer championships. At about the same time, we were Oapproaching the end of our first year in the new headquarters building in New Hudson, Michigan. And going into 2004, we are seeing the results of rapid growth over the previous two or three years.

EXPANDED CAPABILITIES, SOPHISTICATED TOOLS This growth has added a very high level of analytical capability and experience to our engineering team. Now, from three locations — New Hudson and Ann Arbor in Michigan, and Mooresville, North Carolina — we can offer our customers a range of computer-aided engineering and design capabilities that are among the most sophisticated in the world. They provide virtual testing and track simulations that accelerate the development of new vehicles and components.

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41 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

CADILLAC CTS-V GOES RACING biggest challenges involved trimming 1,000 pounds off of the car’s weight. The first complete vehicle we have developed with our full range of engi- This weight loss involved eliminating all the production-based equipment in neering, fabrication and production capacity is the new Cadillac CTS-VR the car not required for racing. It was also helped along by using lightweight race car. This program is aimed at helping General Motors position Cadillac materials where the rules allowed, such as substituting composite body at the forefront of the world’s luxury performance cars. Beginning in 2004, panels for the stock steel parts, and installing Lexan in place of glass. We we will race the new CTS-VR against the best from , , BMW, made further weight reductions by using our advanced technology tools DaimlerChrysler and others in the Sports Car Club of America’s Speed such as finite element analysis. FEA gave our engineers data that allowed World Challenge series. them to lighten components without compromising their strength or function. Led by Lynn Bishop, team manager, and Dave Spitzer, program manager with GM Racing, our team of skilled and dedicated people has transformed the high-performance CTS-V production car into a formidable racing machine. To meet the technical requirements for Speed World Challenge competition, the car was constructed primarily from stock CTS-V components. One of our PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING & MILLER PRATT

42 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

43 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

The Cadillac’s suspension, steering and braking systems had to be opti- mized for racing performance. To do that, we used stock components where we could and fabricated new ones if it were both permissible and desirable for performance. Part of the suspension work involved lowering the stock CTS-V’s ride height. This dropped the car’s center of gravity and also

PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING & MILLER PRATT improved aerodynamic performance under racing conditions. Of course, a comprehensive range of racing safety equipment had to be designed, fabricated and installed in the car. This includes a full roll cage structure, five-point safety harness, and on-board fire-suppression system. The CTS-VR’s engine is a 6-liter aluminum V8 coupled to a production Tremec T-56 transmission. Power is fed through the same Getrag rear axle found in production CTS-Vs.

DESIGN, DEVELOP, BUILD, RACE, WIN By applying leading edge technology and good old-fashioned hard work, we have transformed one of the world’s best luxury performance sedans into a production-based race car — one we hope will be among the world’s best. Time will tell, but we are confident. Our company’s ability to take a vehicle concept all the way from an idea to the winner’s circle has been distilled into five words: design, develop, build, race, win. For the Cadillac CTS-VR, three ‘of those steps were completed in 2003. In 2004 it will race and, if past Pratt & Miller performance is any indication, it will win.

Cadillac CTS-V development story contributed by Richard Prince. 44 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

45 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

Good Times, Fun Memories GOOD TIMES, FUN MEMORIES FUN TIMES, GOOD PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

47 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS GOOD TIMES, FUN MEMORIES FUN TIMES, GOOD

48 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

49 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS GOOD TIMES, FUN MEMORIES FUN TIMES, GOOD

50 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

51 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE PHOTOGRAPHERS THE

PETER & GAYLE BROCK 52 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

JOHN BROOKS 53 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE PHOTOGRAPHERS THE

RICHARD DOLE 54 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

DAVID NOELS 55 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS THE PHOTOGRAPHERS THE

The competition was tough

RICHARD PRINCE 56 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 20032003 THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS

GREG JOHNSON ROBERT MOCHERNUCK 57 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR t’s 2004 and here comes the fourth edition of the Pratt & Miller Yearbook, hot off the press. Each of the books has been different Ifrom the ones before, because no year is the same. Stuff happens, and it happens a lot! This year was not a gimme. We took a few hits along the way and there were lots of tribulations as well as tri- umphs. But we all made it. As champions! I’ve heard it said that listening to Eric Clapton on the guitar is what 20 years of experience and practice sounds like. That’s how I would describe the people who work for and with Pratt & Miller and GM Racing. My congratulations to all of you. You are the real champions. Without everyone working together for one goal — to win races — we could not do our job properly at the track. Championships sometimes are won or lost on one lug nut. Some of the pictures you see in this book may never be shown again. Some of them only mean something to us, because we were there. That is why I do the book — for us. Last year one of the guys came up and told me how much he liked the book. He said his small son loves to sit on his lap, point to a picture and say, “That’s my daddy.” That’s why I do this book. All of us can look back with pride and say, “That’s me. I did that. Yes, I was part of a championship team.” If you can sum up one year in 60 pages, lots of images, and a little history, that is what I wanted to accomplish with this yearbook. I tried to keep it on the personal side, because I feel that is more interesting. I also tried to include everyone who was involved — not easy when the team is growing so fast. I had a lot of help from some of the best photographers in the business, and from Chuck McLaren and his production team. Thanks to all of you for a great job. The result is, I can show what has been happening in the most beautiful way I know how.… This is one year at Pratt Miller/GM Racing. Cheers to our team of champions, Robin Pratt

The Production Team The Photographers Chuck McLaren, writing, editing, direction Peter and Gayle Brock Ray McAllister, design John Brooks Kate McLaren, production coordination Richard Dole Dan Kelly, Colortech Graphics, Inc., printing Gregory Johnson Alleyne Kelly, proofreading Robert Mochernuk David Noels Robin Pratt Richard Prince 58 THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

General Motors Chevrolet Corvette Cadillac Compuware GMAC GM Card Goodyear AER Katech GM Protection Plan UAW Mobil 1 Motorola Hella Bose OZ Wheels Mahle Pistons

Winners every one!

59 Pratt & Miller Engineering & Fabrication Inc. 29600 William K Smith Drive New Hudson, MI 48165 Phone: 248-446-9800 Fax: 248-446-9020 www.prattmiller.com