20/24 #13: Chevrolet Corvette C6.R (chassis 004)
Chosen by: Oliver Gavin
Best finish: 1st in GT1, 2005, 2006
Team: Corvette Racing
Driven by: Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen

If, like me, you were a trackside endurance racing regular in the early 2000s, then you can probably hear this illustration. Pratt & Miller’s extraordinary success with Chevrolet’s Corvette in various guises is legendary, and much of it was driven by the might of the Chevrolet LS7 engine.

“The C6.R GT1 was a monster of a machine,” says Oliver Gavin, who racked up a hat-trick of Le Mans wins between 2004 and 2006 with Corvette, twice with the C6.R. “I can still picture myself, and hear the with raw mix of the V8 & V12 sound, racing side by side with Peter Kox coming down into the second chicane lap one of the race in 2006. The sound was unreal, a core Le Mans 24 hours memory for me.”

It was a period of ridiculous, intense competition in the GT1 class. First with Ferraris, then Aston Martins, Prodrive was the main rival, and the battles were fierce.

“This was the golden period in GT racing, with Corvette Racing vs Prodrive Aston Martin. There was fierce competition, but great respect between the two teams and driver line ups. Corvette Racing, the same #64 crew & driver lineup went three in a row in class. Jan Magnussen, Olivier Beretta and me. But Aston got their revenge in 2007 and 2008!”

As an impressionable teen, that era staked endurance racing directly into my heart. GT1 and all that made it happen have got a lot to answer for!

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