DESIGN, DEVELOP, BUILD, RACE, WIN UNDEFEATED 2004 CHAMPIONS A TEAM AT THE TOP OF ITS GAME Contents It has been a wild year. Think about it: We just got settled into our new A Team at the Top of its Game – Our Perfect Season . .2 Photos courtesy of Phil Binks, building, and now a big addition is under construction; our Cadillac CTS-V One-Two the Hard Way – 24 Hours of Le Mans . 4 Dan Boyd, team was in its first racing season; a new Pontiac GTO program was in ALMS Goes Green for 2004 – Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring . 12 Richard Dole, development; and our Corvette customer project for the Selleslagh Racing Gregory Johnson, The Masters – Ron and Johnny Go 3 for 3 at Mid-Ohio . .18 Robert Mochernuk, team in Belgium continued. Robin Pratt, Corvettes at Rush-Hour – New England Grand Prix, Lime Rock . .20 Richard Prince, In the midst of all this activity, Corvette Racing was never defeated in Bittersweet Victory – Grand Prix of Sonoma, Infineon Raceway . 22 Steve Robertson. 2004. We had a perfect season, and those are incredibly rare in auto Printed with permission. Hot One – Grand Prix of Portland . 24 racing. The reason for our success is the remarkable efforts exerted by Copyright © 2004 Pratt every person involved. This is a team at the top of its game, and our Gavin and Beretta Beat the Jinx – Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport . 26 & Miller Engineering & Fabrication, Inc. sincere thanks and appreciation for a job well done go out to every Two Straight – Road America 500 . 28 All rights reserved. one of you. A Win-Win Situation – Chevy Presents Petit Le Mans . 30 Pratt & Miller Engineering Le Mans was a great comeback; we worked hard and achieved our goal. Corvette C5-R’s Last Season Is Pefect – Laguna Seca . 34 & Fabrication, Inc. 29600 William K Smith Drive, During the year since the 2003 race we improved tremendously, and in Team Personals . 38 New Hudson, MI 48165 2004 we beat the Ferraris. Once again we put Corvette Racing at the From the Editor / Thanks to Our Sponsors . 42 Phone: 248-446-9800 pinnacle of endurance racing on a world stage. Fax: 248-446-9020 The Photographers . 44 www.prattmiller.com Of course, in 2004 the competition in the American Le Mans Series wasn’t what it had been, but that posed another kind of danger. We could have lost focus, let down and relaxed our effort, but that would not have served us well when tougher competition returns. And a let-down didn’t happen. Instead, we kept our focus, kept improving and honing our skills, working hard so we’ll be ready to take on the best in the world, any time, anywhere. This book is a tribute to our 2004 team and the success that came from contributions made by all of you. We are proud to be part of such a great group of people. It was a wonderful final season for the C5-R Corvette, and now we can look forward to 2005 and an exciting debut season with the C6. — Jim Miller and Gary Pratt Jim Miller Gary Pratt 2 3 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2004 S N A M ONE-TWO THE HARD WAY E L F It was a hard hit, but Fellows was able to limp back to the pits. O LUCK? NOT MUCH. Dan Binks and crew made bodywork and suspension repairs in S Last year, a Ferrari spoiled R Corvette Racing’s shot at three less than 30 minutes. U O straight wins in the world’s Then, just after O’Connell rejoined the race, an LMP car hit him H 24 HOURS OF LE MANS most prestigious endurance on the Mulsanne straight. He spun, but was able to get going 4 Circuit de la Sarthe race. Since then, the team has 2 Le Mans, France done an enormous amount of again with some cosmetic damage. At the eight-hour mark – one- 4 June 12-13, 2004 third of the race – the 64 Corvette led by a lap, with the 63 car 0 work in aerodynamic, engine 0 and chassis development. knocked back to sixth, 13 laps behind their teammates. 2 QUALIFYING: This year’s test weekend in The leading Corvette’s fortunes took a turn for the worse at 2nd GTS: Oliver Gavin, about 1:00 a.m. An LMP car chopped Magnussen off entering #64 Compuware Corvette C5-R, April showed the payoff: Max 3m49.750s Papis became the first GTS a turn, sending him into a tire barrier. This time it was the Ray (132.906 mph) driver ever to clock a lap under Gongla-led crew’s turn to replace smashed bodywork. 3rd GTS: Johnny O’Connell, 3 minutes and 50 seconds, #63 Compuware Corvette C5-R, and all told it looked as though At the 16-hour mark a Ferrari led by six laps over Gavin, 3m51.378s the Corvettes had made net Beretta and Magnussen, but by then the 63 car was up to third (131.971 mph) gains of some 6 seconds a lap. in class, within five laps of their teammates. Unfortunately, O’Connell and Papis were shouldering all the driving. Fellows RACE: A Corvette never has won a GTS pole at Le Mans, and this year had suffered a concussion in his crash, and was pronounced 1st GTS (6th overall): was no different. In the June 10 qualifying sessions one of the medically unfit for the duration. #64 Compuware Corvette Prodrive Ferraris clocked the fastest GTS lap at 3:49.438. Even C5-R, 345 laps, Oliver Gavin, The last eight hours are always a grind, but by 10 a.m. the Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen so, everybody on the team knew they could win, if they did every- thing right and had a bit of luck. But not long after the race start- Corvette teams had received a shot in the arm when the leading 2nd GTS (8th overall): Ferrari made a long stop for a broken suspension. Magnussen #63 Compuware Corvette ed at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, it became apparent that luck might C5-R, 334 laps,Ron Fellows, be in short supply. took the lead, and the 64 Corvette stayed in front from then on. Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis Further problems for the Ferrari moved O’Connell and Papis up Just after the first round of pit stops, with Ron Fellows leading to second, and after 24 hours the Corvettes crossed the finish GTS and Oliver Gavin second, Fellows got caught out passing line in an exuberant one-two formation. a GT car. He went off the track, damaged the front bodywork, and the 63 car lost five laps while the crew made repairs. Things went fine for several hours. Gavin, Beretta and Magnussen kept the 64 car out in front, and shortly after the six-hour mark, the number-63 Corvette was up to third in class with Fellows at the wheel. This time, luck deserted him in a big way. “I was headed toward Indianapolis at about 170 when all of a sudden I felt a vibration,” Fellows said. “I backed off, then heard a ‘poof,’ and the car spun backwards into the guardrail.” 4 2004 24 HOURS OF LE MANS 5 2004 It’s a special place. It’s Le Mans. PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING PRATT 6 2004 24 HOURS OF LE MANS Success here doesn’t come easily. Success heredoesn’tcomeeasily. PRATT & MILLERENGINEERING PRATT It takes hard work and meticulous preparation. and hardwork It takes 2004 2004 24 HOURS OF LE MANS 7 2004 It’s a tense time. It’s PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING PRATT Practice and qualifying; cards on the table. Practice 8 2004 24 HOURS OF LE MANS PRATT & MILLERENGINEERING PRATT 4 Then thereis24hours– p.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday. to4p.m.Sunday. p.m. Saturday 2004 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2004 2 0 0 4 2 4 H O U R S O F L E A poem by Mike West (written on an engine tag during M A the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans) N S To the racing gods I pray today To see the Vettes along their way. It’s the toughest grind in racing. Speed, endurance are the trials, The course is tough, one lap eight miles. A simple prize we’re searching for, Black & white, nothing more. 9 10 2004 24 HOURS OF LE MANS PRATT & MILLERENGINEERING PRATT 2004 2004 24 HOURS OF LE MANS 11 2004 that make it all worthwhile that make PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING PRATT THIS WAS CORVETTE RACING’S THIRD 24 HOURS OF LE MANS VICTORY. RACING’S CORVETTE THIS WAS And sometimes, there are special moments PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2004 G N I R B ALMS GOES GREEN FOR 2004 E S F SEBRING THREE-PEAT: SWEETER STILL O The 12 Hours of Sebring is a tough race to win. It took three For two and a half hours the Corvettes ran comfortably in first S R years of hard work and disappointments before Corvette Racing and second. Then, after the pit stop when Gavin began his U came up with its first victory. But, as Ron Fellows said after second stint, disaster struck. The number-4 car began smoking O that first win in 2002, “After all the disappointments and almost immediately, and Gavin was stranded out on the course H frustrations, this one is that much sweeter.” with a burned-out clutch. 2 1 1 Three in a row is sweeter still, especially on a track as rough The race’s last nine hours proceeded perfectly for the number-3 L and tough as Sebring.