7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:29 PM Page 1 DESIGN • DEVELOP • BUILD • RACE • WIN 2005 CHAMPIONS 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:29 PM Page 2 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 THE PRODUCTION TEAM THANKS TO Robin Pratt OUR SPONSORS editor Richard Prince General Motors production coordinator Chevrolet John Machaqueiro Corvette art direction, design Compuware Dan Kelly Colortech Graphics, Inc. Mobil 1 printing Motorola Alleyne Kelly XM Satellite Radio proofreading GMAC Michelin THE PHOTOGRAPHERS Rick Dole AER Dave Friedman Corsa Exhaust Gregory P Johnson John Machaqueiro Paul Reed Smith Guitars Darren Maybury Bose Robert Mochernuk Robin Pratt K&N Filters Richard Prince Steve Robertson Ray Smith and thanks also to Denis Tanney John Thawley Katech Copyright © 2006 Pratt O-Z Wheels & Miller Engineering Carlisle Productions & Fabrication, Inc. All rights reserved. Eaton Fabricating Pratt & Miller Engineering KFC Composites & Fabrication, Inc. Lightnen’s Customs 29600 William K Smith Dr. New Hudson, MI 48165 Phone: 248-446-9800 Fax: 248-446-9020 You make it all happen! www.prattmiller.com 2 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:29 PM Page 3 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 THE BEST OF THE BEST Contents It’s rare when all of the different factors necessary for a race team to suc- The Best of the Best . .3 ceed at the highest levels of the sport come together. It’s even more unusual LE MANS: New Corvette C6.R Wins Le Mans . 4 when a team is able to sustain the momentum to continue succeeding at the highest levels year after year, but that is exactly what we are accomplishing SEBRING: A True Test of Team Spirit . 12 right now. ROAD ATLANTA: The Win Streak Begins . .18 MID-OHIO: Reigning Champs do it Again . .20 At Sebring we faced an old adversary with potent new cars and encountered LIME ROCK: Corvettes Finish 1-2 on the 4th . 22 some incredibly bad luck. But we’ve been at this long enough to know that INFINEON: Corvette Makes it Five in a Row . 24 luck – good and bad – is always part of the equation. We didn’t win but we Jim Miller didn’t give up in circumstances when many others would have, and that PORTLAND: Corvettes Sweep GT1 Podium . 26 speaks volumes about the character of each and every one of you. ROAD AMERICA: Pratt & Miller Clinches the Manufacturers Title . 28 MOSPORT: Corvette Continues to Dominate . 30 After Sebring we won every remaining race of the season. At Le Mans we ROAD ATLANTA: Clash of the Titans . 32 beat the strongest field of GT1 competitors we’ve ever faced. In ALMS we set- tled the score with Aston Martin and then some, and held off other competi- LAGUNA SECA: Gavin and Beretta Win the Title . 36 tors even when they were given a boost by rules adjustments. 2005 ALMS Awards . 38 Team Personals . 40 Though it is indeed a magnificent machine, the C6.R did not do any of this. Cars don’t win championships, people do. You are the people behind Corvette Racing, the individuals who design, develop, build, race, and win, and this year you once again swept the top two spots at Le Mans and won every avail- able ALMS championship. The future is never certain, especially in racing, but Gary Pratt right now you are clearly the best GT1 team in the world and we are extremely proud of everyone who makes this remarkable achievement possible. This book is dedicated to each one of you and is a celebration of everything you have accomplished during the past year. — Jim Miller and Gary Pratt 3 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:29 PM Page 4 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 LE MANS: NEW CORVETTE C6.R WINS LE MANS CORVETTE RACING RECORDS ITS FOURTH 1-2 FINISH IN FRENCH CLASSIC Pratt & Miller and Corvette Racing made history at Le Mans this Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Gavin, Beretta and Magnussen year, scoring its fourth 1-2 finish in the GT1 class in five years with took the point when the leading Aston Martin pitted for repairs. The the new Corvette C6.R. Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Jan Corvette kept relentless pressure on its pursuers, running 3-minute, Magnussen reprised their victory in last year's 24-hour endurance 55-second laps in withering 97-degree heat. The Corvette victory was race, and were again joined on the podium by teammates Ron sealed when both Aston Martins encountered problems in the 23rd Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis. hour, "I pushed hard, it was like qualifying every lap," said The team celebrated Corvette's 45th anniversary at Le Mans in Magnussen, who drove a stunning double stint at the crucial time. "I 24 HOURS OF LE MANS style, finishing fifth and sixth overall. Pratt & Miller turned back the was trying to stay out of trouble, be consistent and work the traffic. It Circuit de la Sarthe challenge of the Aston Martin team in a hard-fought battle that often paid off and we wore out the competition. I enjoyed every minute of Le Mans, France saw all four cars on the same lap. In scorching heat, the twin yellow it because I could see that we could open up the gap. It's the best June 18-19, 2005 Corvettes completed 349 and 347 laps respectively, scoring the 38th we could hope for. QUALIFYING: win for Corvette Racing in international road racing and the team's "This is a fantastic result for the first time we've run the C6.R at Le 3rd GT1: Oliver Gavin, 25th 1-2 finish. Mans," Gavin declared after he forced the pace in the closing hours #64 Compuware Corvette C6.R, After trailing its rivals through the night, the 19th hour proved to in his own double stint. "The Corvette Racing team just never, ever 3m52.426s be the turning point for the Pratt & Miller team. The # 64 gives up. The team told me that we needed a certain lap time to (131.372 mph) cont. on page 10 5th GT1: Johnny O’Connell, #63 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 3m55.914s (129.429 mph) RACE: 1st GT1 (5th overall): #64 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 349 laps Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen 2nd GT1 (6th overall): #63 Compuware Corvette C6.R, 347 laps Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis 4 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:29 PM Page 5 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 5 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 6 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 6 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 7 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 7 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 8 PRATTPRATT & &MILLER MILLER ENGINEERING ENGINEERING 2005 2005 8 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 9 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 9 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 10 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 make sure they would never catch us. We achieved the lap time we world-class status," said Corvette chief engineer Dave Hill. "The suc- needed, and they broke. I take my hat off to Aston Martin, but cess that we've had racing at Le Mans, linked with the capabilities of nobody beats Corvette Racing. I'm just delighted to be part of the production models like the new Z06, makes us feel that this is the team and driving with brilliant teammates like Olivier Beretta and Jan finest time in Corvette's history. This team has shown courage to take Magnussen. "Gary Pratt and Doug Fehan are the masterminds behind on strong adversaries over the years, from Viper and Ferrari to Aston the team's successful assault on the world's most famous endurance Martin. I've had the honor to be here at Le Mans for six years, and race. this is the best one yet. "Each time you come here, you think it can't possibly get any bet- "This was a great moment for Chevrolet in an epic race," noted ter, "Fehan noted. "Last year after our 1-2 finish, I left thinking there Brent Dewar, GM North America vice president of marketing and was no way to top this, but this year did. We didn't turn a wheel advertising."Chevrolet's racing DNA comes directly from its founder, wrong, we didn't hit anything, we didn't break anything. That comes Louis Chevrolet. With Corvette as the lead product for the global from the experience and continuity of being here year in and year Chevrolet brand, winning Le Mans is huge for us. Corvette is competi- out. I'm looking forward to coming back next year. tive against the best sports cars in the world. It's not just about "Forty-five years ago, Corvette first came to Le Mans with the speed; it's about technology and durability and endurance. I think Briggs Cunningham team with the support of Corvette legend Zora Louis Chevrolet and Zora Arkus-Duntov would be proud today." Arkus-Duntov. Today's result was another chapter in Corvette's rich racing history. "There should be no doubt that Corvette has arrived at 10 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 11 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 11 7108 Vette 2/28/06 2:30 PM Page 12 PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING 2005 SEBRING: A TRUE TEST OF TEAM SPIRIT NEW CORVETTES SECOND AND THIRD IN COMPETITION DEBUT Sebring ranks as one of the most difficult races anywhere, demand- opment to race trim in less than three months. ing the utmost from drivers, cars and teams.