Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 10:49 pm:

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From Le Mans to Motown: Corvette Victory Celebration Coming to Downtown Detroit
July 13, 2006


GM to Salute Le Mans-Winning Corvette Racing Team with Parade and Presentations on July 18




DETROIT - A victory celebration that began in June on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, will continue when GM stages a star-spangled salute to Corvette Racing in downtown Detroit on July 18. The event will spotlight Corvette Racing's fifth victory in the GT1 class at the world's greatest sports car race.

The celebration will begin with an awards presentation at the headquarters of Compuware Corporation, the primary sponsor of Corvette Racing, at One Campus Martius in Detroit. A parade of Corvettes that will include a Corvette C6.R race car, Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen, Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis, the Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car, and Corvettes from local clubs will then caravan via Woodward Ave. and Jefferson Ave. to GM World Headquarters at the Renaissance Center. GM employees and team members will greet the Corvette caravan when it arrives at the Renaissance Center at 1 p.m.

"The men and women of Corvette Racing have achieved truly remarkable results," said Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper. "They have taken on the best of the best in America and in Europe, and they have proven that Corvette is a world-class sports car with a distinctive American accent. As we celebrate Corvette's 50th anniversary in international road racing, we want to recognize the accomplishments of the drivers, team members, GM Racing, and the affiliated sponsors and suppliers who have made Corvette Racing the benchmark in sports car competition."

The Corvette victory celebration will include presentation of the 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy to Compuware Chairman and CEO Peter Karmanos, Jr. Compuware Corporation is an industry leader in enterprise software and information technology services.

"Compuware is extremely proud to participate in Corvette Racing," said Karmanos, also owner of the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team. "It's very exciting for us to see GM's great success in this endeavor. The accomplishments of Corvette Racing make everyone involved in the program winners, and I congratulate the entire team for its latest victory at Le Mans."

Since Corvette Racing made its debut in 1999, Chevrolet's factory team has won 49 races (including five class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, four class wins in the Sebring 12-hour race and an overall win in the Daytona 24-hour race), five American Le Mans Series manufacturers championships and four ALMS drivers championships. The Corvette C6.R race car, the most technically advanced sports car ever developed by GM, has strong links to the production Corvette coupe and convertible and the Corvette Z06 supercar.

"The Corvette Racing program has not only benefited Corvette customers through the continuous improvement of production models, but it has also proved tremendously valuable for what it has done to energize the entire GM organization from the inside," said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. "The values that foster success on the race track also contribute to success in GM's core business: teamwork, commitment, flexibility, innovative technology and quick decision-making."

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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 8:57 am:

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Corvette Racing crew chief Ray Gongla lights up the tires of the Le Mans-winning Corvette C6.R in front of GM headquarters. (GM Photo/Jeffrey Sauger)

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