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THE DREAM SEASON ISSUE
The inside story of Chevrolet and Cadillac Racings incredible 2012
RACE AGAINST TIME
How Chevy beat the clock to build the ultimate Grand-Am Corvette
LEARNING FAST
Track tech thats building better street cars
JANUARY 2013 U.S. & CAN $8.95 RACER.com
CONTENTS

The inside story of Chevrolet and Cadillac Racings incredible 2012
RACE AGAINST TIME
How Chevy beat the clock to build the ultimate Grand-Am Corvette
LEARNING FAST
Track tech thats building better street cars
JANUARY 2013 U.S. & CAN $8.95 RACER.com
Chevrolets Corvette Daytona Prototype enjoyed a successful debut season. Photo: Grand-Am Media
248 CONTENTS
START 10 14 EDITORS COLUMN THE SPIN
Fresh approaches in IndyCar, Grand-Am, NASCAR and more
64
MAIN
P&M/GM
22 RYAN HUNTER-REAY The new IndyCar champ prepares to defend his crown 24

BOOSTED EVOLUTION
Chevrolets new turbo V6 soars in IndyCars Chevys IndyCar engineers feed back to its road cars Chevrolets NASCAR teams propel each other forward 2013 Chevy SS puts the stock back in stock car racing Lessons learned, Corvette Racing reconquers ALMS GT PLUS Le Mans frustration makes Vette team hungrier ZR1 is the starting point for Le Mans Corvette C6.R PLUS Racing DNA of the forthcoming Corvette C7 The rapid reality of the Corvette Daytona Prototype Corvette makes a big splash in Grand-Ams Rolex Series
34 THINKING AHEAD
74
Richard Prince/Cadillac Racing
38 A COMMON CAUSE

Nate Napierala
46 MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
50 CROWD-PLEASER IN THE LAST ACT
58 BUILDING OUTWARD FROM THE CORE 64 THE RACE TO MAKE THE RACE 68 GRAND TOUR 74
With a great car like the Cadillac, I just have to do some pretty simple things like, dont hit anything
Johnny OConnell
94
WINNING THE WORLD OVER
Cadillacs CTS-V breaks new Pirelli World Challenge ground JR Hildebrand finds the CTS-V is not your daddys Caddy Erica Enders schools the Pro Stock boys with her Cobalt PLUS Line and Anderson retool with NHRA Camaros Chevy winds up its World Touring Car program with relish PLUS Holdens Commodore commands the V8 Supercars PLUS Sonic is a heavy hitter in Brazilian stock cars Grand-Am ace Alex Gurney tests the Chevy Volts amps
82 ANGLE OF ATTACK
86 BEGINNINGS AND ENDERS 93 GLOBE TROTTERS

58
108 CURRENT AFFAIRS
108
FINISH
114 MAKING TRACKS 116 DIARY 118 REAR VIEW
Sean Klingelhoefer
Check out RACER.com for the latest racing news and views, blogs by the stars and up-and-comers, updated TV listings and much more. facebook.com/racermagazine twitter.com/racermag
Rick Graves
4 THE DREAM SEASON
(MAIN) The odds looked to be stacked against him...but thats what made Chevy-powered Ryan Hunter-Reays comeback charge to the IZOD IndyCar Series title that much more fullling. (BELOW LEFT) Corvette C6.R gets the translucent treatment. (BELOW) NASCAR Sprint Cup Chevy SS revealed.
248 5
GM
Eric Gilbert/LAT
Edmonton wasnt one of the four races that Chevy-powered 2012 IndyCar champ Ryan Hunter-Reay won (he was seventh), but a cool shot is a cool shot, so its in. WHERE Edmonton, Canada WHEN 07/22/12 PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Latest racing news at chevrolet.com/racing
Latest racing news at cadillac.com/racing
The one thing Cadillacs mega-sized banner is missing is a picture of the car. Pirelli World Challenge champ Johnny OConnell is momentarily happy to oblige. WHERE Sonoma, Calif. WHEN 08/25/12 PHOTOGRAPHER Richard Prince/Cadillac Racing
THE EDITOR
Editorial Business Office Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. 16842 Von Karman Ave., Suite 125 Irvine, CA 92606 (949) 417-6700 Fax (949) 417-6116 Editor David Malsher Editor-in-Chief Laurence Foster Executive Editor Andrew Crask Art Director Rob French Editorial Intern Kourtney Karpinski Columnists Helio Castroneves, Tony Stewart Founding NASCAR Editor Gerald Martin (1943-1999) Senior Writers Peter Brock, David Evans, Bryan Herta, Mark Hughes, Richard S. James, Eric Johnson, Tom Jensen, Robin Miller, Jonathan Noble, Jeff Olson, David Phillips, Marshall Pruett, Jeremy Shaw, Edd Straw, Todd Veney, Gary Watkins Photo Services LAT Photographic Senior Photographers Phillip Abbott, Tony Di Zinno, Marc Gewertz, Rick Graves, Nigel Kinrade, Brian Konoske, Michael Levitt, Lesley Ann Miller, Steve Swope, Paul Webb, Mark Weber Digital Artist Ree Tucker Illustrations Paul Laguette RACER.com Bloggers Marco Andretti, Conor Daly, Scott Dixon, Mike Hull, Sage Karam, Pippa Mann, Muscle Milk Racing, Will Power, Bobby Rahal, Oriol Servia, Paul Tracy, Zach Veach, Justin Wilson Pre-press/Image Manipulation Miguel Vega Production Assistant Dana Weinkrantz Circulation and Marketing Manager Tracey Harilall Associate Publisher Wen Lai Associate Publisher Steve Bottom Global Sales Director John Chambers Sales Manager Sophia Lopez Accounting Manager Jessica Levine Founder, CEO & Executive Publisher Paul Pfanner Co-founder, COO & Publisher Bill Sparks Co-founder & Editorial Advisor Jeff Zwart Toll-Free Advertising Line (800) 722-7140 Outside the U.S. and Canada (949) 417-6700 Fax (949) 417-6116 Website www.racer.com RACER (ISSN 1066-6060) is published monthly by Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Periodical postage paid at Irvine, CA 92619, and at additional mailing ofces. 2013 by Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster send address changes to: RACER P.O. Box 231 Congers, NY 10920. Printed in USA To subscribe call: (877) 425-4103 Outside the U.S. and Canada: (845) 267-3047 or e-mail racer@cambeywest.com or visit our Web site, www.racer.com Subscriptions: Rates for one year in U.S. and possessions, $49.95. Foreign rates on request. For address changes and adjustments, write to: RACER P.O. Box 231 Congers, NY 10920. Allow 4-6 weeks for address changes and new subscriptions. Subscriber Help Line: (877) 425-4103 Manuscripts, photos, and other material submitted must be accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelope. RACER assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
THE DREAM SEASON
David Malsher
EDITOR
We join the dots on a superlative year and get the inside story
t started as a casual ofce conversation, but quickly took on a life of its own. The subject was Chevrolets impressive return to the IndyCar Series, earning a drivers and manufacturers championship rst time out. That got us thinking about its other 2012 achievements Corvette Racings ALMS GT class title sweep, a grandslam of NASCAR manufacturers championships and WTCC domination, for starters. Add in Cadillacs Pirelli World Challenge successes, a stellar rst season for the Grand-Am Corvette Daytona Prototype, and you start to realize it was a season that doesnt come along too often. The longer the list became, the more we felt these were achievements worth celebrating. The folks at Chevrolet and Cadillac Racing agreed, and the result is this special bonus issue of RACER, where we join the dots on a superlative year and get the inside story from the people involved. Of course, it wasnt a perfect season, and telling the whole story means talking about the knocks as well as the triumphs. Chevy didnt get its fairy-tale Rolex 24 win, was made to look second best in the Indianapolis 500, and self-destructed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Respect, too, to Brad Keselowski, Penske and Dodge for putting one over on Jimmie Johnson
and Co. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Its what you do after youve lost that counts, and one of the impressive things putting this issue together was the forward focus of Chevys racing people. What can we learn from this? How do we get better? And learning is key to pretty much everything Chevy and Cadillac do in racing. Its more than just a branding exercise; its a fast track for developing technologies and people with real-world relevance. But its not a one-way street: GMs expertise in direct injection, turbocharged, small-capacity engines was key in making Chevys IndyCar V6 a winner rst time out, for example. Thats just one compelling storyline from a season packed full of them. But its the next storyline that intrigues us the most: How do they top 2012? editor@racer.com
CONTRIBUTOR
REPRINTS
Marshall Pruett is one of those rare writers who can take a complex technical story and make a bunch of RACER editors think they understand it. No mean feat...
Lesley Ann Miller/LAT
Contact Nick Iademarco at Wrights Media. Tel: (281) 419-5725 nlademarco@wrightsmedia.com
STORYBOARD
COLOR SEPS: QuadGraphics, Irvine, Calif. ELECTRONIC PRE-PRESS: QuadGraphics, Irvine, Calif. PRINTING: R.R. Donnelley, Pontiac, Ill.
The thing about talking to us about 2012 is that it gets in the way of preparing for 2013. So, a big thanks to the many people from Chevy, Caddy and their partners who took the time. Its appreciated.
10 THE DREAM SEASON
Rick Dole/Getty Images
2013 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES SCHEDULE
SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY MARCH 16 Sebring, FL
LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT APRIL 20 Long Beach, CA
MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
LIME ROCK PARK
CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK JULY 21 Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
ROAD AMERICA
BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT AUGUST 31 Baltimore, MD
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY OCTOBER 5 Alton, VA
ROAD ATLANTA
MAY 11 Monterey, CA
JULY 6 Lakeville, CT
AUGUST 11 Elkhart Lake, WI
SEPTEMBER 21 Austin, TX
OCTOBER 19 Braselton, GA
Feed Your Passion

You know who you are, you know what you love, and you know where you want to be in 2013. Watch the opening round of the 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrn at Sebring International Raceway.
The 61st Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida

March 13 - 16, 2013
Buy your tickets today! Advanced prices good through Feb. 15, 2013.
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Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Brand identity is a key part of the appeal of Australias V8 Supercars, and Holdens Commodore has given fans plenty to cheer. In 2013, at the Circuit of the Americas, we get a chance to see what the noise is all about.
WINNING THINKING
Racing is about winning, but winning requires much more than talent and luck. Success in major motorsports requires meticulous planning, expert development and skilful execution and it can only come from people with a passion for competing. Every series that Chevrolet or Cadillac races in has its own unique demands and challenges, but a common thread to them all is that passion of everyone involved. Each strives for excellence, but learns from defeat, and the 2012 results are plain to see, headed up by seven manufacturers championships in top-level North American-based motorsports (See below). By almost every measure, 2012 was a memorable season, says Jim Campbell, vice president of Performance Vehicles & Motorsports for Chevrolet and Cadillac. The results were directly related to the contributions and the never-give-up commitment of our owners, drivers and crews. Our 2013 focus is to provide the Chevrolet and Cadillac teams the best opportunity to succeed in every race.
Chevrolets and Cadillacs race programs are united by a common approach

Theres every reason to believe that focus forward will continue to bear substantial fruit. But rather than just collect trophies, Chevrolet and Cadillac are out to apply the lessons learned at the track to their passenger vehicles. As noted by Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, at the launch of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chevy SS, Were using relevant technology and incorporating designs so fans can make the link between what they see on the track and on the streets. Its a strategy that is sure to help the sport, whoever wins.
Our 2013 focus is to provide the Chevrolet and Cadillac teams the best opportunity to succeed
Jim Campbell
Manufacturers championships for Chevrolet from six major-league North American-based race series and the FIA World Touring Car Championship, plus a manufacturers championship for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge led the way in a trophy-laden 2012.
12 THE DREAM SEASON
John Harrelson/Getty Images
INDYCAR SERIES
Manufacturers Championship Drivers, Road Course and Oval Championships
NASCAR
Championships in Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series
Manufacturers
ALMS GT
Manufacturers Championship Drivers Championship Teams Championship
Engine Manufacturers Championship (Daytona Prototypes)
GRAND-AM
Brian Cleary/Getty Images
Phillip Abbott/LAT
Dan Boyd/LAT
THE RANDOM FACTS COLUMN...
To the victor, the spoils... Just part of Chevys haul of trophies testifies to the strength and depth of its racing commitments.
HERE ARE A FEW NUMERICAL TIDBITS FROM A SUCCESSFUL 2012 FOR CHEVROLET, CADILLAC AND GMS GLOBAL RACING BRANDS
8
Chevys total race wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series
Bruno Terena/Red Bull
Chevrolet races and wins around the globe. Home hero Caca Bueno had the goods on his rivals in Stock Car Brasil in 2012, while the Sonic provided him with an ideal platform on which to demonstrate his title-winning talents.
Manufacturers titles for Chevy and Cadillac in major North Americanbased race series
7
6
13
COMBINED NUMBER OF GRAND-AM ROLEX SERIES WINS BY TEAMS RACING CHEVROLETS NEW CORVETTE DP
Corvette Racings podium hit rate 12 from 20 total starts in the American Le Mans Series ultra-close GT class
60 PERCENT
FIRST TIME A DEBUT WIN FOR CHEVYS NEW INDYCAR ENGINE, COURTESY OF... PENSKE & HELIO CASTRONEVES
...OUT OF SIX
Chevrolet Sonic drivers swept the top six spots in Stock Car Brasil, the motorsports-crazy nations biggest race series. Not a bad debut season for the Sonic...
The record Manufacturers Championship points total for Chevys Cruze in its final FIA World Touring Car Championship season
1025
19 OUT OF 31
Top-five finishes, from a combined total of 24 starts, for Cadillac Racings Johnny OConnell and Andy Pilgrim in the Pirelli World Challenge
TWENTY
V8 Supercars win total for Jamie Whincup (12) and teammate Craig Lowndes (7), bringing the Triple Eight Holden team a championship 1-2
NUMERO UNO
Chevy Cobalt-driving Erica Enders became the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock race Total race victories for Chevroletpowered drivers in the 15-race IZOD IndyCar Series. Better throw in those 10 pole positions, too
FIA WTCC
Manufacturers Championship Drivers Championship
Jakob Ebrey/LAT
WORLD CHALLENGE
Manufacturers Championship Drivers Championship
RACER.com 13
BRIEFING
BELLE ISLE REBIRTH
Chevrolets long-term commitment to the Belle Isle Detroit Grand Prix (BELOW) helped bring the race back to the IndyCar Series in 2012 after a four-year hiatus. For 2013, the event gets bigger as it hosts the first of IndyCars new double-header events, with separate races on Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2, as well as a Grand-Am Rolex Series race on Saturday.
Brian Czobat/LAT
With his August victory at Michigan in a Chevy Silverado, Brazils Nelson Piquet Jr. became only the second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner born outside the U.S. The first was a Chevy legend Canadas Ron Fellows.
Chevrolets IZOD IndyCar Series program hit the ground running with a win first time out, and never let up.
SPRINTING OUT TO A FAST START
IMPALAS LEGS
With the all-new SS taking over as Chevys NASCAR Sprint Cup face, its time to bid farewell to the Impala, which defended the brands honor during the Car of Tomorrow era from 2007-12. In all, the model won all six manufacturers titles it contested and 151 races, the last one coming in the hands of career Chevy man Jeff Gordon in the season finale at Homestead (BELOW).
Ronald C. Modra/SI/Getty Images
Camden Thrasher/LAT
Nick Laham/Getty Images
Helio Castroneves first IndyCar race with Chevys new 2.2-liter V6 ended with a decisive victory on the streets of St. Petersburg.
EARTH FIRST
Chevys Silverado pick-ups are no strangers to working and playing in dirt, but for 2013 its race-going versions in the Camping World Truck Series will get that chance, too. For the first time, the series will race on dirt at Eldora Speedway, the legendary half-mile in Rossburg, Ohio, owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart.
14 THE DREAM SEASON
The opportunity presented by a brand-new engine formula in a major league racing series doesnt come around very often, so Chevrolet was eager to apply its capabilities to the challenge of the IZOD IndyCar Series new turbo era, based on small capacity, 2.2-liter V6s with comparable power to the 3.5-liter, normally aspirated V8s theyd supercede. But a challenge is all the more rewarding when the sweat of effort is repaid by the rush of victory, and Chevy didnt have to wait long for that. In fact, it didnt wait at all. After Chevrolet-powered
ULTRA COMBO
F. Peirce Williams/LAT
Team Penskes Helio Castroneves kick-started Chevys renewed IndyCar effort with a win, and his teammate Will Power swept the next three races. Statistically, it was Team Penskes best ever start to an open-wheel season.
At Darlington in May, Hendrick Motorsports scored its 200th Cup Series win and, just like the first 199, it came with Chevrolet. Hendricks winning record began back in April 1984 at Martinsville with Geoff Bodine (RIGHT).
ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images
Chevrolet confirms 2012 IndyCar engine program. Oct. 12, 2011 Ryan Hunter-Reay demos Chevys new engine for the first time at Las Vegas.
Russell LaBounty/LAT
FOUR STEPS TO VICTORY Nov. 12, 2010
VETTES VAULT
As related in detail beginning on page 64, Chevy and its Grand-Am Rolex Series teams faced a race against time to get the new Corvette Daytona Prototypes ready in time for the start of the 2012 season, but their efforts didnt take long to pay off. Best thing to say about a niggle-filled 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona debut? It provided valuable extra test miles... But at the second round of the season, March 31at Barber Motorsports Park, Spirit of Daytona took the victory with drivers Richard Westbrook and Antonio
The new Corvette Daytona Prototype didnt take long to open its Grand-Am win account
Garcia (celebrating, ABOVE) at the wheel. Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty followed them home in the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings entry to complete a Corvette DP 1-2 sweep. Talk about a weekend of firsts, Westbrook said. First win for our team and the first for Corvette DP its good to get the monkey off our back. Its good for morale to get that first victory out of the way. They kept right on coming, too: Corvette DP teams combined to win the next four straight races, and finished the season with eight wins out of 13 starts.
March 5, 2012 Chevrolets are 1-2 on opening day of Sebring Open Test. March 25, 2012 Helio Castroneves wins for Chevy on new engines debut.
cars took five of six places in the final qualifying shootout for the 2012 season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Helio Castroneves charged to victory in the race. Three more wins followed in succession, courtesy of Castroneves Team Penske teammate, Will Power. By seasons end, Chevy-engined cars had won 11 of 15 races four of them with Andretti Autosports Ryan Hunter-Reay, who claimed the drivers championship. Not surprisingly, with its 70 percentplus win rate, Chevrolet also secured the 2012 manufacturers crown.
The satisfaction was all the keener for Chevrolet because IndyCars engine formula allows it to develop some key technologies already being incorporated into its passenger vehicles. These include direct injection which, by increasing combustion efficiency, produces more power while maintaining fuel economy turbocharging, and E85 ethanol-based fuel blends. It was truly a win-win situation. For an in-depth look at Chevys return to IndyCar competition, and how the race program is hot-housing its road car technologies, turn to page 24.
Michael Levitt/LAT
WE CAME, WE SAW, WE WON

Nate Napierala
2012 was the endpoint for Chevrolets Cruze in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. But what a sign-off it was, with a pair of championship titles. See page 94.
RACER.com 15
R.D. Ethan/LAT
GM
With the real C7 Corvette hidden from view until Januarys Detroit auto show, Vette fans got a tantalizing hint of whats to come when Chevy and the Gran Turismo 5 video racing game released this under wraps version.
BRIEFING
RESET FOR LE MANS
Corvette Racing returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to take another shot at an eighth class victory at the French endurance classic next June, in what figures to be the final appearance at the Sarthe for the C6.R before the C7 racecar arrives in 2014. This years running of the 24 Hours has been set back one week, to June 22-23, to avoid a date conflict with Formula 1.
Richard Prince/Corvette Racing Photo
STARTING FRESH
NASCAR enters a new era for 2013 with its new sixth-generation Sprint Cup car, which is intended to provide closer resemblance to the racecars road-going counterparts as well as give the drivers wider scope for racing (turn to page 46 for more details). From the initial tests of the new Chevrolet SS, the new car is on course to fulfill both expectations. Im real impressed, enthused Hendrick Motorsports Dale Earnhardt Jr., who considers the new car a big improvement over the previous Car of Tomorrow. This
Chevrolet drivers in NASCARs Sprint Cup will do battle in 2013 in a racecar that accurately reflects the road car behind it. (RIGHT) Dale Earnhardt Jr. tests his Chevy SS at Charlotte in November.
CHEVYS NEW CUP SS, NATIONWIDE CAMARO STIR EXCITEMENT

car really gives me a lot of similar sensations to the car of 5-10 years ago. A narrower, taller spoiler was added to enhance the new cars drivability and downforce. NASCAR vp of competition Robin Pemberton said that additional tweaks could be implemented to improve the raceability of the cars as required. The new Chevy SS is based on the same V8-engined, rear-wheel drive platform as the Australian-built Holden Commodore. Im excited that its a V8 with rear-wheel drive, said Jeff Gordon of the
BIG NAMES, HIGH HOPES

Chevy teams are assembling star-packed lineups in their bids to take the Corvette Daytona Prototype to a 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona victory. An exciting addition will be new team 8Star Motorsports, which will team former Peugeot factory drivers Stephane Sarrazin, Nic Minassian and Pedro Lamy with Toyotas Anthony Davidson and Enzo Potolicchio, runner-up in 2012s Rolex 24.
WATCH VIDEO
GM
AHEAD OF THE CURVE

Want to get all the news about the latest Chevrolet developments in highperformance engines and components, upcoming project cars and special events sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for FUEL, the official Chevrolet Performance eNewsletter. To register, visit chevroletperformance.com and click on the FUEL link.
16 THE DREAM SEASON
NASCARs not the only sedan-based series with new cars for 2013. Australian-based V8 Supercars has a cheaper, lighter safer Car of the Future, and Holden will race with a Commodore built to the new regs.
This car really gives me a lot of similar sensations to the car of 5-10 years ago
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
SS road car. If you look at where things are going manufacturer-wise, its kind of getting away from that. But I think that race fans and car enthusiasts still like that. I applaud them for putting that into this car. Just like the SS in Sprint Cup, the Camaro that Chevrolet teams will campaign in NASCARs Nationwide Series retains major styling cues from the road car. With input from Chevys road car design team, its distinctive Camaro elements include the unique powerbulge hood and deeply recessed grille.
LAT South
GM
The IndyCar champion has some unfinished business to attend to at Indianapolis.
THE THIN RED LINE

As he explains beginning on page 24, the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series was the realization of a dream for Ryan Hunter-Reay, who went from future hopeful to series champ in Chevys first year back in IndyCars. But there are still plenty of goals for him to shoot for in 2013. The Indy 500 has been a tough place for RHR, who dropped out in 2012 with a CV joint failure. But his experience there with his Andretti Autosport squad has convinced him hes in the right seat to get the job done. From first practice this
Ryan Hunter-Reay saddles up to defend his IndyCar crown, and lasso an Indy victory
year, I knew I had a shot at winning, said Hunter-Reay. Being at Indy with positive energy is some of the most fun you can have in a racecar. So, Indy is the next big target. For Chevy, Indy was the one that got away. It locked out the front two rows in qualifying, but Tony Kanaans third place was its race best. IndyCar program manager Chris Berube says lessons have been taken onboard. Were going to look at things that are more relevant late in the race and make sure we have the opportunity to race for the win, he said.
CHEVYS INDY 500 WINNERS

1988 1989 1990
Michael Levitt/LAT
RICK MEARS Penske-Chevrolet EMERSON FITTIPALDI Penske-Chevrolet ARIE LUYENDYK Lola-Chevrolet
1991
RICK MEARS Penske-Chevrolet
1992
POSTCARD
Find out more at chevrolet.com/racing

GM
THE SIGN OF FOUR?

Helio Castroneves, who scored one of his three Indy wins with Chevy power, will have the Bowtie behind him as he aims to tie the all-time winners record.
AL UNSER JR. Galmer-Chevrolet
1993
EMERSON FITTIPALDI Penske-Chevrolet
2002
HELIO CASTRONEVES Dallara-Chevrolet RACER.com 17
Michael Levitt/LAT
credit/LAT
The 2-liter, Spin turbo story I-4 inengine here please from the Spin new story Cadillac in here ATS has please been named Spin story one of in here North please Americas Spin story 10 Best in Engines here please for 2013. Spin story The engine in here shares please Spin its direct-injection, story in here turbocharged, please Spin story small-capacity in here design ethos please with Spin Chevys story in V6 here IndyCar please engine. xxxxxxxx
GM
GIVE THIS AND TAKE THAT

Cadillac gives OConnell and Pilgrim an ace to play in Pirelli World Challenge
GOING PRO WITH JOHNNY O
Cadillac Racings Johnny OConnell (right) and Andy Pilgrim performed a balancing act in Pirelli World Challenge.
Find out more at cadillac.com/racing
Alongside a racing career that has brought him success in sports cars and open-wheelers, Johnny OConnell has also made a lasting impact as a driving instructor. Hes now vp of global operations at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, where his experience tutors enthusiasts and budding pros.
The Pirelli World Challenge offers a unique take on sports car racing. Its sprint-race format cuts against the endurance style common elsewhere, but the all-out competition is tempered by the series competitive balancing and performance restrictions. It means Cadillac Racings CTS-V racecars must go into battle with less power than their production counterparts, but thats all
part of the challenge that drivers Johnny OConnell and Andy Pilgrim have grown to appreciate. Both are experienced endurance racers, but theyve adapted well to the mentality of knowing you have to charge hard early and make the most of every opportunity, In this series, its like the last 10 laps of a NASCAR race on a permanent basis, says Pilgrim. Any hole, any opportunity,
any half-decent or even slight chance that you see, you have to take it, because you may not get another one. OConnell took enough chances and made them stick to claim the World Challenge GT class drivers championship, while runner-up Pilgrim backed him up sufficiently to help secure Cadillac the manufacturers title. To read the full story of how they did it, turn to page 74.
Chevy Volt saves you some coin handy for those downtown parking meters...
DONT CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

For all the interest in green racing, race drivers have an understandable bias against cars whose purpose is other than optimizing pure performance. So we thought it would be interesting to get the take of Grand-Am Rolex Series ace Alex Gurney on the car that marks the leading edge of Chevrolets efficiency tech the electric-gas Volt. It surprised him. I gave the Volt full throttle and the response was not bad at all, the torque of the electric motor very evident, related Gurney, who shares the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP with Jon Fogarty. He also found the Volts handling offered more than he expected. It didnt have as much understeer as I expected, he related. As a racecar driver, I know its hard to get a car to turn aggressively yet still give you the feeling that the rear is securely underneath you. This car definitely passed that test. To read Alexs full account of his time with the Volt, turn to page 108.
Sean Klingelhoefer
18 THE DREAM SEASON
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RYANS column
belieF we can do it again
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Andretti Autosport DRIVER
Wearing No. 1 (and 28!) brings a different burden. But thats fine with me, because I love my job
n the first 48 hours after winning the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, I felt a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Having always believed I was capable of achieving this, given the right opportunity, suddenly getting the proof was hugely satisfying and something that no one can ever take away. But very quickly we were talking about next season, and a new pressure arrived expectation! The No. 28 Andretti Autosport team has proven its a world class championship team, so wearing that No. 1 (and 28!) brings a different burden. We have to stay at that level, we have to perform week in, week out for myself, for the team, for Chevrolet, for our sponsors DHL and Sun Drop, and for our fans. But thats absolutely fine with me, because I truly love my job. I knew from my first race weekend with Andretti Autosport, Brazil 2010, that as a team we could be strong. We were fourth or fifth fastest in the first practice, and by the end of the race we were standing second
on the podium. I hadnt been consistently that high on the timing charts throughout a race weekend for 18 months, and I thought, Man, this is looking good After the win in Long Beach, I knew we had championship potential. At that stage, there were still pieces of the puzzle to put in place we needed more consistency from race to race but we had high hopes for 2011. Those hopes were quickly deflated as we were challenged by every problem imaginable. Yet, in terms of speed, we were really starting to perform strongly on all types of tracks. After the first half of the year we were only 21st in points incredibly bad! Then we strung together some really strong finishes and a win and scored more points than anyone else in the second half of the year incredibly good! So we had momentum coming into the 2012 season, during which we kept working hard and improving, earning four wins, three of them in succession and, ultimately, the championship. So now we have the IndyCar Series title,
WALKING THE WALK AT MILWAUKEE Back in 2004, Ryan Hunter-Reay set the record for most laps led in an Indy car race, when he ran P1 throughout the 250 laps of Champ Cars race at the Milwaukee Mile. This year, however, he had to fight hard for his first win of the season, eventually conquering both Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves.
Just a few races into his Andretti Autosport contract, Ryan was sure that he and wife Beccy could soon be in a position to celebrate a championship. Now he wants to do it again.
a check for a million dollars and I have a beautiful wife whos expecting our first child! Whats next? Someones reply to that was, The Indy 500! but neither life nor racing quite work that way. Nothing comes easy at Indy. I was eaten alive during restarts at this years 500 because of overboost penalties but, as an example of how proactive Chevrolet is, by the next race, it had implemented a solution to that issue. Chevy is also working on running cooler in 2013, as Dallaras current layout favors single-turbo engines in that regard, so cooling our twin-turbo engine will be a big help at Indy and Fontana. Its tough enough to compete for the championship, let alone win one, but I think we can do it again if we have the right approach. The off-season is interesting because various teams can go in different (or the same) directions to improve their cars. But when you head down certain development paths, theres no way of knowing whether its the right or wrong one until you have that precious on-track validation; and even if its a right path, will it gain you as much speed as if youd focused more energy on a different aspect of the car? Often the answers wont reveal themselves in testing because teams may run different age tires, different fuel levels, or they may be sandbagging. To compete for another championship depends on consistently making the right decisions on and off the racetrack as we did in 2012! Ill also be intensely focused on continuing to progress as a racing driver; I will not allow complacency in any regard to set in. The bottom line: Myself, everyone at Andretti Autosport and Chevrolet are well up to the task of fighting for another championship title, the difference being this time around we know what we are capable of when we extract our full potential. The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, the right to run the coveted No.1 on our car and the Astor Cup are the proof. Now the toughest workload lies ahead: to repeat as champions. Follow Ryan on Twitter at @RyanHunterReay and Andretti Autosport at @FollowAndretti
22 THE DREAM SEASON
Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Champion
Congratulations are in order.

From all of us at INDYCAR, congratulations to Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport and Chevrolet for bringing home the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship. We look forward to having you back for another fantastic season in 2013!
2013 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE
Schedule subject to change.
Oval
Street/Road Course
2012 Indy Racing League, LLC (dba INDYCAR). All Rights Reserved. 2012 Indy Racing League, LLC (dba INDYCAR). All Rights Reserved. 2012 Indy Racing League, LLC (dba INDYCAR). All Rights Reserved. 2012 Indy Racing League, LLC (dba INDYCAR). All Rights Reserved.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
WORDS David Malsher MAIN IMAGE Rick Graves
Chevrolets return to the IZOD IndyCar Series provided an epic season of action and brought a Manufacturers and Drivers Championship double for Chevy.
24 THE DREAM SEASON
WINNING AN EPIC BATTLE
he 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series was one of the most competitive in U.S. open-wheel racing history. Central to it was the return of engine competition and the enthralling, season-long fight between Chevrolet and its battle-hardened rival, Honda. When the final checkered flag waved, it was returnee Chevy holding the Manufacturers Championship trophy, with Chevrolet-powered Ryan Hunter-Reay celebrating his first Drivers Championship. Chevy had been attracted back by new rules which provided a platform to build race engines with genuine relevancy direct-injection, turbocharged, 2.2-liter V6
units that would allow for a transfer of technology and ideas between its race and road car engineering groups. Partnering with Ilmor Engineering, Chevy would pitch its twin-turbo V6 against Hondas HPD-built, single-turbo unit. A new racecar, the Dallara DW12, added to the intrigue and expectation ahead of the season. But with Team Penske and Andretti Autosport among its team partners, Chevy came out at a gallop, winning first time out and adding 10 more through a close-fought, 15-race season. Heres the story of Chevys epic return from some of the key players involved.
Jamey Price/LAT
(MAIN) Andretti Autosports Dallara DW12-Chevrolet, which Ryan Hunter-Reay (TOP) drove to title glory after some typically gritty performances from the American racer.
RACER.com 25
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
Its winter in Florida and (BELOW) James Hinchcliffe is about to put in more Sebring test miles for Andretti and Chevy. Same deal for Team Penskes Helio Castroneves (RIGHT) and Will Power (BELOW RIGHT), who both knew hard work now would pay off later.
PUTTING IN MILES, CHEVY-STYLE
Michael Levitt/LAT
Even before the IndyCar teams received their full complement of new Dallara DW12 racecars, the engine manufacturers still needed test miles completed, as well as developmental input from drivers and team engineers real world feedback, you could say. Chevrolet had its various teams take it in turns to log miles; then the data was pooled. CHRIS BERUBE (Chevrolet project manager)
Were proud of the key-partner concept we devised in IndyCar, modeled on what we do in NASCAR, working as a team off the track while remaining competitors on track. If you collaborate, you get better results. And because the chassis was new, too but no one would discuss it in front of their rival teams everyone remained
26 THE DREAM SEASON
Michael Levitt/LAT
when it was our turn Will in the car, me engineering all the other Chevrolet teams engineers and drivers would be there, listening and watching. So, yeah, that kept us away from doing chassis development and focused us more on the engine. No way were we going to try our setups or discuss handling just to share that with our rival teams!
POWERFUL ATTRACTION While Chevrolet is renowned for V8 icons like the Camaro (BELOW), the companys return to IndyCar was a chance to showcase and develop some of its other technologies. IndyCar rules demanding smallcapacity twin-turbo V6s fitted Chevys needs perfectly.
Dan Boyd/LAT
WILL POWER (Team Penske, twice title runner-up)
focused on the engine and worked through what we needed them to do.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI (Andretti Autosport team owner)

That was a great way of unifying Team Chevy, making us all work for the common good. Camaraderie is too strong a word, but there was definitely a realization that if we improved the engine, wed all benefit.
The power delivery was very different compared with the normally aspirated engines. These new ones had much less torque, being only 2.2 liters. But being a turbo, it would get delivered all at once; that got a lot better as the year went on.
RAY GOSSELIN (Andretti Autosport race engineer for Ryan Hunter-Reay)
DAVE FAUSTINO (Will Powers Penske race engineer)

When we did the manufacturer tests,
Once the teams got their own cars and we all started going off in our own directions regarding setup on the DW12, Ryan was right where we thought we should be
WINNING AN EPIC BATTLE IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
A DOUBLE TITLE-WINNING RETURN

As Chris Berube, Chevys IndyCar project manager, says: Look at the top five finishers of each race and youll see it was a close competition. So were very proud to have prevailed.
MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Winning a championship against an opponent as experienced and successful in racing as Honda is a big deal especially first year back.
(TOP TO BOTTOM) Ryan Hunter-Reay left Sebring confident; the input from F1 vet Rubens Barrichello was useful; Panther was a single-car team that benefited from the Team Chevy collaboration.
CHEVROLET
123
HONDA
102
LOTUS
Points system: In each race, the highest-placed manufacturer scores 9 points, the second highest 6 and the third highest 4.
WINS
60
Michael Levitt/LAT
Penske drivers took six of Chevys 11 wins, with Andretti Autosports Ryan Hunter-Reay adding four and ownerdriver Ed Carpenter bringing home No. 11.
DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP
11
CHEVROLET
HONDA
Drivers from three Chevy-powered teams appeared in the top 10, KVs Tony Kanaan joining five Penske and Andretti representatives.
1
RYAN HUNTER-REAY 468 pts (4 wins) (Andretti Autosport/CHEVY)
Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
3
SCOTT DIXON 435 (2) (Target Chip Ganassi Racing/HONDA)
4
HELIO CASTRONEVES 431 (2) (Team Penske/CHEVY)
5
SIMON PAGENAUD 387 (0) (Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports/ HONDA)
6
RYAN BRISCOE 370 (1) (Team Penske/CHEVY)
7
DARIO FRANCHITTI 363 (1) (Target Chip Ganassi Racing/ HONDA)
8
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE 358 (0) (Andretti Autosport/CHEVY)
9
TONY KANAAN 351 (0) (KV Racing Technology/ CHEVY)
10
GRAHAM RAHAL 333 (0) (Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing/HONDA)
Dan Botd/LAT
I was confident wed be strong enough to fight for wins and poles, but there are always unknowns
Ryan Hunter-Reay relative to the Penskes. But in the final pre-season open test, the Honda cars that we really wanted to gauge ourselves against werent there until later in the week. The lap times showed that the Ganassi cars, in particular, were really quick, but Sebring picks up a lot of time from rubber, so you couldnt directly compare.
OTHER RACE WINNERS 15th HONDA Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing) 278 (1); 18th CHEVY Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing) 261 (1).
Points system: Winner: 50 pts, then 40-35-32-30, etc. Pole:1pt; Most laps led: 2pts. Indy 500 qualifying earns bonus points.
ROAD COURSE CHAMPIONSHIP OVAL CHAMPIONSHIP
RYAN HUNTER-REAY CHEVY 168 PTS (2 WINS)
WILL POWER CHEVY 379 PTS (3 wins) RYAN HUNTER-REAY CHEVY 300 (2) SCOTT DIXON HONDA 291 (2) HELIO CASTRONEVES CHEVY 288 (2) SIMON PAGENAUD HONDA 279 (0) RYAN BRISCOE CHEVY 249 (1)
HELIO CASTRONEVES CHEVY 143 (0)
I was confident wed be strong enough to fight for wins and poles, but there are always unknowns. Both Chevrolet and Honda made improvements day by day. Wed only done a handful of tests by the first round, so you do worry. But each time we were on track, it got more promising.
The initial targets for these engines were 550hp on superspeedways and 700 on road and street courses. We werent going to mandate maximum power output otherwise competition goes away. But we also didnt want the power battles to get out of hand.
Points system: Simple one, this: identical to the main points system, but only tracks of respective type are counted!
RACER.com 27
DARIO FRANCHITTI HONDA 134 (1)
TONY KANAAN CHEVY 148 (0)
SCOTT DIXON HONDA 144 (0)
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (Andretti Autosport, five IndyCar wins)
WILL PHILLIPS (IndyCar vp of competition)
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE CHEVY 138 (0)
ANDRETTI Because of IndyCars tight control over performance, I thought they were both pretty equal as testing ended.
Paul Webb/LAT
Three wins, three other podium finishes and five poles helped Power to a third straight Mario Andretti Trophy.
WILL POWER 465 (3) (Team Penske/CHEVY)
Two wins and a fourth in five races gave RHR the A.J. Foyt Trophy. Power scored just 86 points on left-turn-only tracks.
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
Powers three straight wins, including a charge through the field at Long Beach (LEFT and BELOW) vindicated Chevrolets return to IndyCar. Following Castroneves win in the season opener (BELOW LEFT), Chevy was unbeaten after four rounds.
Phillip Abbott/LAT
A STUNNING START TO THE CAMPAIGN
PENSKE & CHEVY UNITED IN HISTORY Roger Penskes victorious past with Chevrolet stretches back as far as 1967, when he entered a Camaro in the Trans-Am series for Mark Donohue. This mighty triumvirate won the 68 and 69 titles. In IndyCar racing, Chevy-powered Penske cars took the 1988 and 89 CART titles with Danny Sullivan and Emerson Fittipaldi respectively, as well as five Indy 500s Rick Mears in 88 and 91, Fittipaldi in 89 and 93 and Helio Castroneves in Penskes Dallara in 02. Could the Team Penske-Chevy combo take Helio to his record-equaling fourth 500 in 13?
HELIO CASTRONEVES (Penskes three-time Indy 500 winner)

We arrived in St. Petersburg and discovered in qualifying that Chevrolet was already ahead of expectations, which was great! They took five of the top six places on the grid. Winning the race, I was happy for several reasons. 1) I know that when you start a season strong, youre probably going to battle for the championship, and thats what I wanted very bad. 2) I was thrilled for my guys, because 2011 had been a horrible season for us. 3) It was the first win back for Chevy, and right from the start of Penske and Chevrolet joining forces, I felt it would be a good marriage! GOSSELIN That was the most intense weekend in terms of development work. Every weekend the Chevrolet Ilmor guys worked on drivability maps, anything to
28 THE DREAM SEASON
try and make life better for the drivers. But at St. Pete there was a lot of hardware as well as software development. It was eye-opening to go from nowhere in first practice, to the second row of the grid in qualifying, and then have Ryan on the podium. We were clearly competitive. POWER Winning at Barber after starting ninth [a spinning car caused a red flag during the second round of qualifying] was a great result for us. It was kind of like a warm-up for the grid penalty at Long Beach! Seriously though, Chevy was absolutely right to make that change. It would have been stupid to risk a DNF. FAUSTINO I didnt assume a win was out of the questionbut maybe only because
Michael Levitt/LAT
Team Penske drivers took pole and victory for the opening four races, the latter two against increasing odds. Helio Castroneves gave Chevrolet a memorable victory first time out at St. Petersburg, with Will Power winning the next three. The Aussie won from 12th on the grid on the streets of Long Beach, after Chevrolet changed all its engines for an update to improve reliability, thus incurring a 10-place grid penalty.
it came on the calendar right after Barber, where wed gone from ninth to win. But Long Beach was one of the first races where we really saw Chevrolets superior fuel economy come into play. POWER Yeah, Chevy definitely had the edge on fuel mileage. You can never be sure, but I think the Chevy gave me an extra lap of fuel to play with. GOSSELIN The call made against Ryan when he collided with [Takuma] Sato on the last lap and dropped us from third to sixth was totally wrong in my opinion. I remember thinking, I hope those lost points dont come back to haunt us. We were also worried when Honda got the rules break regarding its turbo inlet in time for Brazil. At Sao Paulo, the Ganassi cars and [Simon] Pagenaud were on par, and their fuel consumption improved, too. PHILLIPS IndyCar was trying to ensure parity between single and twin turbos. That doesnt mean as installed in the car, because you could put a great turbo in, but badly installed and it wouldnt work. But as far as single and twin-turbo units compared in efficiency and performance, it was clear they werent equal, so the process was about rectifying that. Yes, it was Hondas choice to go the single-turbo route, but the understanding was that if there wasnt parity, then parity would be provided. There was a slightly different interpretation on Chevrolets part! So they pursued their viewpoint with all means available to them which, as a competitor, you have to do.
Robert Laberge/Getty Images
WINNING AN EPIC BATTLE
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY...

Qualifying for the 96th Indianapolis 500 saw turbo boost pressure raised from 1.3to 1.4-bar, and Chevrolet-powered cars dominated. Penskes Ryan Briscoe took pole at 226.484mph, ahead of three Andretti Autosport cars and his teammates. But on race day, the Ganassi cars of Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon carved through from mid-grid for a Honda-powered 1-2.
While Chevy-powered cars monopolized the front two rows, race day at the Indy 500 failed to deliver.
failure that took him out. I think Marco [Andretti] was our strongest car he might have been able to beat the Hondas. berube Once we had nine of the top 10 grid spots, we never thought we had it wrapped up, at all. The Ganassi cars had an edge toward the end of the race, but Tony Kanaan (KV Racing-Chevrolet) was third, and it would have been interesting to see what Marco could have done, too. CASTRONEVES I want Chevy to really concentrate on the Indy 500 for 2013. I dont want Dario to have a chance of beating me to the four-time winners club! BERUBE We just have to take what we learned this year and problem-solve. If we can analyze the data and see when the HPD-powered cars were faster, when we were faster, and find out why, then we can go into the next Month of May with a different strategy. Were not going to lay down in qualifying; if it turns out we have eight of the Fast Nine again, thats great. But were going to look at things that are more relevant late in the race and make sure that we have the opportunity to race for the win. The Ganassi cars just drove through the field at the end, so we need to help our teams be able to do that.
ANDRETTI With 1.4-bar boost, Chevys dual turbos had a clear edge over Hondas single; but at1.3-bar race boost, the new-spec Hondas were difficult to overcome. I think Indy qualifying and Indy race day were two of the rare occasions where you could see one concept had a clear advantage over the other. GOSSELIN I was pleasantly surprised by qualifying, but Hondas engines on race day were a step forward. We werent horrible: Ryan had issues with overboost penalties, so initially we got freight-trained on restarts, but ultimately it was a CV joint
I think Marco was our strongest car at Indy. He might have been able to beat the Hondas
Ray Gosselin
RACER.com 29
Phillip Abbott/LAT
(ABOVE) Chevys front row Briscoe (right) on pole, alongside Hinchcliffe and Hunter-Reay. (TOP) Kanaan was top Chevy in the race, taking third.
Maria W. Grady/LAT
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
In June, Hunter-Reay (RIGHT) went on a winning spree, but it was halted by Castroneves Edmonton victory (BELOW). Power (BELOW RIGHT) was unlucky to miss out at Sonoma, where Briscoe (FAR RIGHT) prevailed.
Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
FLYIN RYAN WONT BACK DOWN
HUNTER-REAY At times, I wondered if

my title chances were slipping away. It had been promising, grabbing so many points early in the season. But after three down weekendsI wouldnt say we lost faith, but it was concerning. So we came out swinging at Milwaukee and won. GOSSELIN Ryan did an exceptional job there and the win at Iowa was great, too. That was a bizarre weekend because of the heat races. First practice was our only chance to do long runs. In second practice you had to be in the top eight to get into the shootout race, which was too short, too early in the day and with too few cars to be representative of anything youd do in the proper race! HUNTER-REAY I had an imbalance with the car, but I learned as I tried different lines through the race that there was a certain way I could drive which got more out of it at the end of a stint. So we won there and in Toronto, too. That was when the manufacturers first gave us push-to-
ANDRETTI WORE A BOWTIE BEFORE Michael Andretti has fond memories of Chevrolet power. He was runner-up in the CART IndyCar championship five times in his career, but nailed the title in 1991, driving Newman/Haas Racings Lola T91/00-Chevrolet. His teammate was his illustrious father, Mario (BELOW).
BERUBE Winning the first four races of

the season was a shocker, but we never looked away from Honda and thought we had them under control; the competition was too close to think that way. Winning four in a row was surprising, but losing three in a row Indy, Detroit and Texas was even more surprising GOSSELIN After the CV joint failure at Indy, we lost an engine in Texas, but in between those two there was also an undisclosed problem at Detroit, where we lost 150hp. For Ryan to finish seventh
30 THE DREAM SEASON
that day was amazing definitely one of his greatest drives. No one in the media knew the circumstances, so it went largely unappreciated even by RACER! BERUBE We never expect everything to run smoothly. The key is how quick you react to problems, and Im very proud of our team at how we identified, reacted and came up with countermeasures to them. But Ryans issue at Detroit was something that did take us a little longer to get our heads around and get a fix in place.
Kevin York/LAT
After its first loss of the year at Indy (see previous page), Chevrolet and Ilmor were well aware that Honda was coming after them in a big way. With the battle heating up, it was Hunter-Reay who would put Chevy power back in Victory Lane
George Tiedemann/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
WINNING AN EPIC BATTLE CHEVY ROLL OF HONOR
HIT RATES AND HIGH POINTS

10 poles (Power 5, Briscoe 2, Castroneves, Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti 1) from 15 races were curtain raisers to 11 visits to Victory Lane for the 2012 roster of Chevy-powered racers.
Win No. 1
ST. PETERSBURG
Helio Castroneves
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Win No. 2
BARBER
Will Power
Win No. 3
Will Power
LONG BEACH
Win No. 4
SAO PAULO
Will Power
Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Win No. 5
pass boost, which didnt hurt reliability at all. Then we got pole at Edmonton but had to give it up because we were upgrading to the next-step engine. That was tough! PHILLIPS There were instances when teams chose to change their engine for the next step and instances when a manufacturer made the choice for its own reasons. Had the penalty for doing that been harsher, maybe they wouldnt have done it so often. That tells us a 10-place
MILWAUKEE
Win No. 6
IOWA
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Jamey Price/LAT
Win No. 7
TORONTO
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Win No. 8
EDMONTON
Helio Castroneves
Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
When Ilmor told us the next-step Chevy had a 12-15hp gain, we felt OK taking a grid penalty
Will Power grid penalty for early [pre-1800 miles] changes wasnt harsh enough. POWER We were caught out by a drying track in qualifying at Edmonton, so I only qualified seventh. The engine I had wasnt
due to be changed until Baltimore, but when Ilmor told us the next-step Chevy had a 12-15hp gain, myself, Dave [Faustino] and Tim [Cindric, Powers strategist] felt OK taking a grid penalty now: Edmonton is a track where you can pass and, obviously, it meant having this improved engine sooner. And that paid off: Helio kept the older-spec Chevy, kept his grid position and won for Penske, while we went from 17th to third, despite no caution flags. Couldnt have done that at Mid-Ohio or Sonoma!
Win No. 9
SONOMA
Ryan Briscoe
BALTIMORE
Win No. 10
Win No. 11
FONTANA
Ed Carpenter
RACER.com 31
R. Hunter-Reay
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Michael Levitt/LAT
Perry Nelson/LAT
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Perry Nelson/LAT
Carsten Horst/LAT
Michael Levitt/LAT
Nick Laham/Getty Images
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
CHEVY TO THE FOUR!
a focus on winning
Chris Berube, Chevrolets IndyCar project manager (ABOVE), is a quiet, modest guy, but even he admits: It was a fairy-tale story to return to Indy car racing and capture four championships manufacturer, driver, road course driver and oval driver. But we werent obsessed with winning them; we just focused on winning races, treating each one as a mini championship. Win those and titles will take care of themselves. Will Powers Team Penske race engineer, Dave Faustino, says: Chevrolet did a really good job of working with the drivers, focusing on the torque coming off the corners. With IndyCar having such a lockdown on what can be changed, for Chevy to make those very noticeable differences over the course of just 15 races was great. Power himself adds: I had absolutely no issues during any race weekend in the season, and the more I think about that, the more I think thats pretty amazing work from Chevy and Ilmor. Berube smiles at that. Yes, if I plotted a graph for the issues encountered from first race to last, theres definitely a decrease. And there was another parallel to the road car world: As well as power, torque and reliability, you have to always consider fuel mileage, too, because depending on how many laps IndyCar decides to stipulate and how many yellows there are, it may or may not be a fuel mileage race. Just like in road cars, everyone wants more power, but customers and the government! demand good fuel mileage, too. In every aspect of engine-building, we were considerably smarter by the end of the year than we were at the start.
ALL-CHEVY FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Poles for Power at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma converted only into second places, but Hunter-Reay suffered an engine failure and a collision at those two events, setting up a showdown at the Fontana finale. Meanwhile, Castroneves win at Edmonton came at a price CASTRONEVES Edmonton was great:
we justified keeping the older-spec engine because we won. But getting a new engine and taking the penalty at Mid-Ohio, where you cant pass... Wow, that hurt! We qualified only 13th, so we started 23rd. Talk about destroying our championship chances! GOSSELIN Ryans engine failure at Mid-Ohio was tough to swallow, because we were heading for fourth there. Then, Sonoma, we got taken out of third by another car. ANDRETTI Chevrolet is always totally open with us. They apologized for Mid-Ohio and made sure it didnt happen again. And thats all you can ask. When manufacturers are pushing the limit, theres gonna be an occasional failure, but Id far rather they take a risk than not push. Racing is about improving performance; Chevy get that. HUNTER-REAY We went to Baltimore 36 points down on Will and in qualifying someone crashed, so we couldnt even get a lap in! So, it wasnt just a points deficit that we had to overcome, but a mid-grid starting position. Still, it just made us that much more determined to do something
32 THE DREAM SEASON
Michael Levitt/LAT
special that day; we were fully aware that the title pretty much hinged on this. GOSSELIN Keeping Ryan out on slicks in the wet, the great passing he was doing, the crowd chanting USA! USA! at the end as he held up the flagand knowing wed halved the gap to Power. Thats the greatest race Ive ever been involved in! POWER So it came down to the Fontana finale... Like I said at the time, wed been quickest for the previous five races and something always kept us from the win. But spinning out of the final race was my fault. HUNTER-REAY I really enjoyed winning the championship for an iconic American brand, but also for the people involved guys like Jim Campbell and Mark Kent at Chevy, and John Proctor and Steve Miller at Ilmor. All of their people worked so hard and improved the engine at every race. That really opened my eyes to their capability. Chevy deserved this success.
(ABOVE) Will Power was a gracious loser, Ryan Hunter-Reay a magnanimous winner. (TOP) RHRs drive to fourth in the Fontana finale was another mind-over-matter performance after failing to find the setup sweet spot in practice.
Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Camden Thrasher/LAT
The Fastest Weekend of the Summer! May 31 June 2, 2013

n
Two great IndyCar races on one amazing weekend! Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and June 2 Redesigned race course with an extended straightaway for faster speeds and more passing opportunities World-class competition also featuring the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Pirelli World Challenge Series
Family-friendly activities, live music, autograph sessions and interactive entertainment Friday Free Prix Day on May 31 provides complimentary admission and paddock access for all Free general admission access for children 12 and under when accompanied by adult
Individual tickets starting at $25 or experience the entire weekend for as little as $45! Tickets/info: www.DetroitGP.com Call for tickets: 866-464-PRIX (7749)
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
GM engineer Matthew Wiles has swapped Michigan for Brixworth, England, as he works with Chevys IndyCar engine partner, Ilmor, on crossover technologies in the race and road car engine programs.
34 THE DREAM SEASON
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
WORDS Marshall Pruett MAIN IMAGE Jakob Ebrey
IndyCars direct-injection, turbo V6 engines are ripe for road-race technical transfers. Enter Matthew Wiles...
ake your car, engine or piece of technology to the track. Test it, race it and compete head to head with other brands to prove and promote which product is better. That process the concept of transferring street- and race-proven wares back and forth to make better vehicles can be traced to the very origins of motor racing. And its certainly found within Chevrolets championship-winning IndyCar Series engine program, but theres an added element that has played a valuable role in the teams immediate success. General Motors recognizes that to make great products, we need great people, and thats why we use motorsports to train young engineers, says Mark Kent, director of Chevrolet Racing. Putting them in a racing environment, where they have that sense of urgency and responsibility, and its lled with pressure and the need for thinking on their feet, is incredibly dynamic. Those engineers are pushed to their limits, and when they return from the eld to GM, theyre better and our products come out better as well. A perfect example of Chevrolets human-tech transfer initiative is UK-based American Matthew Wiles, a GM employee whos embedded with Ilmor Engineering, the specialist engine rm responsible for Chevys 2.2-liter, twin-turbo IndyCar V6. Tasked with leading Chevrolets IndyCar tech transfer, Wiles is expected to grow his personal knowledge base to become a smarter, more capable engineer wholl raise
RACER.com 35
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
Chevrolets IndyCar V6 engine (RIGHT) makes use of technology derived from road car programs and accelerates it for reapplication to GMs direct-injection, turbocharged, small-capacity street production engines, such as the 2-liter, 4-cylinder, 259hp Ecotec available in the 2013 Chevy Malibu.
WATCH VIDEO
the bar within GMs technical ranks. Its difficult sometimes to point to a specific engine part, for example, and explain all of the things that made it better by going from a production environment to racing, or vice versa, says Wiles. But one thing thats easy to explain and applicable for production cars, is that a racing environment prepares engineers for a more rigorous production environment. Racing gives you near-instant feedback, week to week or even on the pit stand during a race, he adds. So it really compresses the time frame that engineers have to work through and trains them to thrive in that environment. Working inside this program, it feels like a fast-paced engineering think-tank. That cycle is not only critical to GM as it looks to build better products through
36 THE DREAM SEASON
its engineering corps, but also pays rather large dividends on the stopwatch. As much as Wiles is meant to improve the production side of GM through his IndyCar engine training, the program goes both ways. Hes expected to influence the performance of the IndyCar engine with whatever personal knowledge and R&D information GM can provide. Before being assigned to this project, I worked in GMs advanced engineering, which falls somewhere between pure R&D and production; we basically take the future technologies that are five to 10 years out and make them viable for production, he says. One of those technologies is direct injection. So what Ive been able to do is take those same empirical and analytical techniques, certain dyno testing strategies, and analysis tools
(Above) the bowtie on every Chevy-powered Dallara DW12 isnt just a marketing exercise. The program is key to accelerating knowledge in road car-relevant technologies such as direct injection.
such as cylinder spray modeling and combustion development, and apply them directly to the IndyCar engine program. Based on the impressive fuel mileage the Chevy-powered IndyCar teams were able to achieve, this is just one production-related area of expertise that helped the marque to win 11 of 15 races in its first season back in the series. Looking at the most effective areas for Chevrolet and Ilmor to intersect on their IndyCar engine program, you might be surprised at how much production knowledge has been incorporated into such a purebred racing motor. Ilmor handled the major design architecture of the small displacement powerplant, but with extensive use of small, turbocharged, direct-injected, ethanol-friendly engines in GMs road
Michael Levitt/LAT
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
(LEFT) Matthew Wiles has been able to incorporate techniques from GMs advanced engineering dept, such as dynomometer testing strategies, into the development of Chevrolets IndyCar V6. (BELOW right) The pressure and frenetic pace of a racetrack environment provides a hothouse for developing Chevys next generation of road car engineers. ENGINEERING A DREAM VOCATION As the latest in a long line of auto enthusiasts in his family, Matthew Wiles learned how to wrench all kinds of cars, and trucks, and I was also good at math and science so engineering was a natural t. The son of an engineer, he went to undergrad at Virginia Tech, decided I wanted to get my Masters degree, but what in? Enrolling at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, renowned for its engine research center, Wiles eventually joined GM through an R&D internship and basically made my inroads there. After eight years in the advanced engineering dept., the opportunity with Ilmor came up. At the 2012 Indy 500, Wiles was among those recognized when the annual Louis Schwitzer Award for engineering excellence in racing was given to Chevy for its work on the IndyCar engine program (BELOW).
Jakob Ebrey
cars, Wiles and his GM associates had a signicant hand in shaping the nal IndyCar concept before it hit the track. Weve been working with a supplier that we use in production, Hitachi Automotive Systems, explains Wiles. Theyve been helping us adapt and optimize production fuel system components, injectors and direct injection fuel pumps for application to the IndyCar engine. Its a great example of using production knowledge to ll a void on the racing side. And were talking about direct-injection parts that you can nd in most of our products, both four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines. If achieving greater fuel efciency through direct injection has been a signicant area of tech transfer, IndyCars use of an alternative fuel has also fostered an educational opportunity.
Racing gives you near-instant feedback, week to week, or even on the pit stand during a race
Matthew Wiles The IndyCar program has helped GM understand the limits of engine biasing for E85, says Wiles. 50 percent of the products GM makes are direct injection, and the vast majority of those are ex fuel, but because our customers need to be able to run them on both gasoline and E85, we cant bias the engines too far in one direction. We can share with Ilmor what we know about E85, then learn from using it in racing, so that it provides the production program with a performance benchmark. That will help our future ex fuel engines.
And thats the bottom line. As Kent says, The ultimate goal for this project has always been to develop powerful, fuel-efcient engine technologies that could be transferred to production cars. With GM involved in so many major auto racing series, Wiles wont be the only production engineer wholl be re-allocated to its competition programs. Hes been invaluable to the Chevy-Ilmor IndyCar program but, despite his impact, will head back to Detroit when his UK tour is over. We do fully intend that when Matt goes back into production, another will take his place, Kent conrms. Were looking forward to having more engineers come through our racing programs, bringing their learning from production to racing, and more of that racing education back to their regular jobs. Matthew is just the start.
Steven Holman
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NASCAR
A sweep of NASCARs three Manufacturers Championships in 2012 was the end result, but there were numerous highlights along the way including Jimmie Johnson earning Chevy its 700th Sprint Cup win at Texas in November.
38 THE DREAM SEASON
CHEVY TO THE POWER OF THREE
WORDS Tom Jensen MAIN IMAGE Tom Pennington/Getty Images
TRIPLE CROWNS
When it comes to helping its NASCAR teams win, Chevrolets philosophy is that the sum is greater than the parts. The results speak for themselves...
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NASCAR
Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
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Hendrick Motorsports Jeff Gordon (ABOVE) and Kasey Kahne (RIGHT), team owner and racer Tony Stewart (LEFT), and Childress driver Kevin Harvick (ABOVE LEFT)were among the guys putting Chevy in the Sprint Cup win column.
ne of the truisms of sports is that you are what your record says you are. In the case of Chevrolet, its record says it isnt just a NASCAR championship manufacturer, but the dominant one in the sport of stock car racing. In 2012, Chevrolet won Manufacturers Championships in all three of NASCARs top divisions, the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. In Sprint Cup, Chevy has been top manufacturer 36 times, including 32 times since 1972 and the last 10 in a row. Add in 15 Nationwide Series titles and eight more in the Truck Series and you have an era of true domination. Chevrolet won 15 out of 36 Cup races in 2012, 13 of 34 in Nationwide, and 12 of 22 in the Truck Series. Dating back to Fonty Flocks triumph at Columbia, S.C.,
40 THE DREAM SEASON
on March 26, 1955, Chevy has a record 702 Sprint Cup race victories. Chevrolet drivers closed out the 2012 season with four straight Sprint Cup race victories, each with a unique story behind it: In October, Jimmie Johnson clinched the manufacturers title by winning from the pole at Martinsville Speedway, the slowest oval in NASCAR. A week later, Johnson won from the pole again, capturing the 700th win for Chevy at Texas Motor Speedway, one of NASCARs fastest tracks. Im real proud of the fact that weve been the team to actually clinch the Manufacturers Championship for Chevrolet a couple of times, says Johnsons crew chief, Chad Knaus. Its always nice to see everybody from Chevrolet step up and be happy when were in Victory Lane after
Chris Trotman/Getty Images
JIMMIE JOINS THE FOUR-TIME CLUB Jimmie Johnson joined his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon as the Brickyard 400s only four-time winners when he took his No. 48 Lowes Chevy Impala to victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, July 29, 2012 (RIGHT). Chevys record in the Brickyard 400 is now 14 victories in the events 19-year history.
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
NASCAR
CHEVYS MANUFACTURER SWEEP

Being the dominant manufacturer in one of NASCARs top divisions is a huge achievement in itself, but to achieve that feat across all three, against intense opposition, is more than noteworthy.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER STANDINGS
The 2012 Manufacturers Championship was Chevrolets 10th straight in NASCARs top division and its 36th overall.
CHEVROLET 249 PTS TOYOTA 213 FORD 174 DODGE 156

Points system: In each race, the winning manufacturer earns 9 points; second highest, 6; third highest, 4; fourth highest, 3.
WINS
Hendrick Motorsports contributed 10 wins, with Stewart-Haas Racing and Richard Childress Racing adding 4 and 1, respectively.
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CHEVROLET TOYOTA FORD DODGE
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER STANDINGS
In 2012, Chevrolet took the Manufacturers Championship for the 15th time in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.
CHEVROLET 216 PTS TOYOTA 189 FORD 170 DODGE 151

WINS
Championshipeligible drivers took 7 of Chevys 13 2012 wins, with runner-up Elliott Sadler on 4, Austin Dillon with 2 and Justin Allgaier on 1.
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FORD DODGE
[Chevrolet ]does an awful lot for us, and its an honor to be racing with those guys
Chad Knaus doing that. They do an awful lot for us, and its an honor to be racing with those guys. After Johnsons two very significant wins, Kevin Harvick put Richard Childress Racing into Victory Lane for the first time all season in the years penultimate race at Phoenix International Raceway. And, finally, four-time Sprint Cup champ Jeff Gordon closed things out by winning for the first time at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Despite the gaudy stats, winning at this level isnt easy. By their nature, racers are
selfish and secretive, which they almost have to be if they want to be best of the best. But Chevy works closely with its top teams including Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and Stewart-Haas Racing to create an environment of cooperation first, then competition. Winning requires a dedicated effort across the board, with the manufacturer and the teams working together, pulling in one direction. Its not something that comes naturally to racers, but they understand its necessary to win. And it starts with leadership from Chevrolets racing executives. We look to the core teams in each series to provide the Team Chevy key partner approach, says Pat Suhy, group manager of Chevys oval track group. I think what it
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES MANUF. STANDINGS
Chevrolet has a .500 batting average in the Truck Series, earning nine Manufacturer Championships since its inception in 1995.
CHEVROLET 166 PTS TOYOTA 151 RAM 93 FORD 74

WINS
2012 Drivers Champion James Buescher led the series in wins, taking 4 at the wheel of his Turner Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
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really amounts to is they all know there are certain things they can learn faster if they share and receive like information. Alba Colon, Chevys NASCAR Sprint Cup program manager, agrees, noting that it isnt just speed of development, but the simple economics of the situation that make it logical for teams to cooperate. We see each other as, We are a team, she says. We are the Chevrolet team. We all know there are some things we have to do together for the good of making the Chevrolet camp better and to help each other. The reality is, there are some things that it doesnt make any sense that each team goes and develops themselves. The strength of a team makes the group better. Recent evolution in NASCAR has made it easier for Chevy and its teams to work together. Under the hood, NASCAR now mandates that manufacturers provide the engine block, cylinder heads and intake
42 THE DREAM SEASON
KEVIN HARVICK IS MR. VERSATILITY Kevin Harvick was the only driver in 2012 to win in all three of NASCARs national series. He put an Impala into Victory Lane in Sprint Cup (Phoenix) and the Nationwide Series (Richmond and Texas), and took a Silverado to a win in Martinsvilles opening Camping World Truck Series counter.
manifolds to each team. And over the last two decades, economic realities have reduced the number of teams building their own engines. In Chevys case, there are just two primary engine builders: Hendrick Motorsports and ECR Engines, a partnership led by Richard Childress Racing. When you go back in time to the early 1990s, there were nine to 10 Chevrolet engine builders, says Doug Duchardt, a former GM executive whos now vice president of development at Hendrick, and each team had their own engine shop. But its evolved to where its just Hendrick and Childress. The Hendrick guys and the Childress guys sit down and talk about engine parts and any issues were having, or the direction future parts should go. Still, Hendrick and ECR operate in what Colon calls two differing schools of thought, working in different directions on items like pistons and headers and cylinder
We know in a big sample where we stack up. Thats beneficial to know if youre out in the weeds or not
Doug Duchardt heads. The relationship between them helps a lot. You have to have two sides who trust each other to make it work, she says. Likewise on the aerodynamic side, the advent of the Car of Tomorrow in 2007 meant teams could no longer build cars that had radically different aerodynamic profiles and body mounting locations. Still, even todays cars are subtly different. GM periodically tests each teams cars in its wind tunnel and, after all the cars are tested, shares the raw drag and downforce numbers with all the teams but not which car produced what set of numbers. The teams know what their own
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
(MAIN) Elliott Sadlers Chevrolet Impala leads the field at Bristols March Nationwide Series race one of four hed win during 2012. (ABOVE LEFT) Sadlers 2012 form played a big part in Chevrolets push to the Manufacturers Championship, helped by rising stars such as Austin Dillon (LEFT). In a season when he also won two Truck Series races, Brazils Nelson Piquet Jr. made Chevy top dog at the Elkhart Lake road course (ABOVE).
numbers are, says Suhy. So if they see numbers above or below them in a particular area, they know that theyre better than others, or have work to do. It gives you an understanding of how you stack up against your peers, says Duchardt. We dont really know who specifically ran what, but we know in a big sample size where we stack up. Thats beneficial to know if youre out in the weeds or not and it also helps Chevrolet know where their cars are from a trend standpoint. Chevy also provides access to a whole host of resources and tech, from the ability to test at proving grounds in Yuma, Ariz., and Northern Michigan, to computer simulation tools and hardware such as seven-post and pull-down rigs. It also provides engineering help during the week and an IT expert on race weekends. What they dont share is chassis setups. Those are proprietary to each
Jamey Price/LAT
DOUBLE CENTURY
HENDRICKS 200 AND COUNTING

Seven months between Sprint Cup race wins is an eternity for NASCAR powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. But thats how long it took before the counter clicked from 199 (Jimmie Johnson at Kansas Speedway, Oct. 9, 2011) to the magic 200 (Johnson again, at storied Darlington Speedway, May 12, 2012, RIGHT). After that, business as usual as the floodgates opened and Hendrick drivers took another nine wins to close out 2012 four more for Johnson, two apiece for Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, and a popular return to Victory Lane for Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Michigan Speedway in June, ending a 143-race losing streak. Every single one of Hendrick Motorsports 209 Cup wins has been achieved with Chevrolet. And those victories have helped take Hendrick drivers to 10 championships five consecutive for Johnson from 2006-10, four for Gordon and one for Terry Labonte. Since Geoff Bodine took the first Hendrick win, at Martinsville, April 29, 1984, 16 different drivers have won for the team (eight taking their first career Cup wins) and eight seasons have seen double-digit victory totals, the most being 18 in 2007, Amazingly, just two drivers Gordon and Johnson, with 87 and 60 wins, respectively account for 70 percent of Hendricks win total. And its safe to assume theyre not done yet...
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NASCAR
Im trying to get them halfway up those stairs and let them race each other to the top
Shane Martin team. In the Cup Series, chassis setups and things like that are sacred, says Suhy. And theyre almost sacred between individual teams, too. Crew chief to crew chief, they all want to race each other, just like Earnhardt Ganassi wants to race Stewart-Haas Racing and we all want to race Ford. The bottom line is that, despite being fiercely competitive with each other on race day, the owners, drivers, crew chiefs and crews still need to work as closely as possible until the green flag falls. Shane Martin, Chevrolets Nationwide Series program manager, sets that tone with the race teams he works with. I look at it like a flight of stairs, he says. Im trying to get them halfway up those stairs and then let them race each other to the top. If I can get all of em up
44 THE DREAM SEASON
(ABOVE) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champ James Buescher takes on tires and fuel in his Turner Motorsports Chevy Silverado. (LEFT) Chevy-equipped Ty Dillon earned Rookie of the Year honors.
the first little flight, than they can figure it out among themselves. The same is true in the Camping World Truck Series, where Chevy helps extensively with aerodynamics and tire data. Then, its up to each team to get the job done. We help them in the areas we can help them, but we still understand theyre competing against each other, says Dayne Pierantoni, Truck Series program manager for Chevrolet. And we try to let them race in a healthy way. Across all three NASCAR divisions, leadership at the top is a critical key to success. Colon knows that despite the competitive nature and strong personalities of Chevys team owners, drivers, crew chiefs and personnel, its still a team game, at least until they hit the track and are turned loose to race each other. It doesnt matter egos or no egos at the end of the day, everybody understands that they have to work as a group to make something work, says Colon. When they get here to the racetrack, thats when they separate and do their own things.
Nigel Kinrade/LAT
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
chevy to the power of three
(MAIN) Ty Dillon prioritized the Truck Series, but (BELOW) got a chance to go side by side with older brother Austin in NNS at Dover. (BOTTOM) Grandpa, Richard Childress, chats with Austin at Bristol.
GENERATION NEXT
Richard Childress Racing, long one of NASCARs established and successful powerhouses, is going through a generational transformation with an eye toward the future. Formed more than four decades ago by then-independent owner/driver Richard Childress, the team has since gone on to accumulate 11 Owners Championships in NASCARs top three divisions, with the late, great Dale Earnhardt winning six of his seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships driving for RCR. Now, though, the future of the team is pointed toward Childresss grandsons, Austin and Ty Dillon, who in 2012 won Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series, respectively. Last season, Austin, 22, won three NNS poles and two races, parlaying 16 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes into a final ranking of third overall in the point standings. In the much shorter, 22-race Truck Series schedule, 20-year-old Ty took his Chevy Silverado to one victory, seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, ending the year fourth overall in points. In 2013, each of the Dillon boys will return to his respective RCR ride and race
Geoff Burke/Getty Images
Richard Childress is enjoying seeing his grandkids, Austin and Ty Dillon, rise through the ranks.
for a championship, Austin in Nationwide and Ty in the Truck Series. Austin will also enter the 2013 Daytona 500, the opening points race of the Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet SS, with sponsorship from Honey Nut Cheerios. Weve got to get in the race first, says Austin of his impending debut in stock car racings biggest event. Thats the first thing we have to worry about. Well have some testing in January and make sure we bring a good car and do everything I can as a driver to get in the race. Once were locked in, its going to be fun. As for Ty, hes excited about the future. Were really going good as a team, he says. It says a lot for the future of RCR, not only just me and Austin as drivers, but our teams moving up and getting stronger and stronger in every series. To see the success Austin had in his rookie NASCAR Nationwide Series season, especially with the two wins and Rookie of the Year honors, has surpassed our expectations, says Childress, talking as a team owner and a proud grandparent. For Ty to be Rookie of the Year in the Truck Series, after Joey Coulter did it last year and Austin in 2010, is a pretty cool deal for RCR, ECR and our family.
Were really going good as a team. It says a lot for the future of RCR
Ty Dillon
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Brian Czobat/LAT
NASCAR 2013
BACK TO THE STREET

WORDS Tom Jensen MAIN IMAGE Chevrolet Racing
GM
A new generation of NASCAR stock cars hits the track in 2013 with a mission to put road car aesthetics front and center once more. Chevrolets SS and Camaro will do that.
46 THE DREAM SEASON
CHEVYS NEW BREED
or the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, teams will race what NASCAR calls the G6 or sixth-generation cars. Chevrolet will compete with the SS, based on its soon-to-be-revealed, front-engined, rear-wheel-drive sedan. Lining up against it, Ford will campaign its new-for-2013 Fusion sedan, while Toyota will stay with the Camry, which was updated for the 2012 model year. The CliffsNotes version of the G6 centers around two key points: The cars had to look much more like street cars than the Car of Tomorrow (COT) introduced in 2007, and they had to race better, especially on the high-speed ovals that make up so much of the Sprint Cup calendar. But the back story is how it all happened. And the key to that is that NASCAR went to the four manufacturers Dodge
Those first meetings, there were a lot of quiet times no one really trusting each other
Alba Colon was still in the sport when the G6 project was launched two-and-a-half years ago and said, in essence, You guys figure it out. NASCAR briefed representatives of the four automakers on the key points, then told them to design the car a historic and unprecedented change of philosophy. Suddenly, the fierce rivals had to work together to build a car that raced well, but all four models had to have distinct looks that clearly set them apart from each other. Needless to say, it was a new experience. That first meeting we were all together,
the paranoia was kicking in like you have no idea! laughs Alba Colon, Chevys NASCAR Sprint Cup program manager. Theyre my competitors, and when I get to the track I want to beat them. Those first meetings, there were a lot of quiet times no one really trusting each other. It took time to realize that we all had to work together on this. After its done, then we can go beat each other at the track. Once the initial wariness wore off, the hard work really started. We approached the development of the 2013 Chevrolet SS racecar with the same processes and technologies that we use on all of our production vehicles, says Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. That meant CFD, or computational fluid dynamics, to model the aerodynamic performance, then
The Chevrolet SS will be raced in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup by a roster of top teams including Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.
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NASCAR 2013
building a 40 percent scale model and putting it on a rolling-road wind tunnel. After that, it was time to build cars. We set off on a path before there were any rules or concept provided by NASCAR of what that path might be, other than it should fit the same chassis (as the COT), says Pat Suhy, group manager for Chevys oval-track programs. We built a prototype R&D car at Hendrick Motorsports, but with input from all of our teams. We showed it to NASCAR well before any rules were made, to say, Heres how far we think we can push it. They said, Hey, were over a cliff. Lets just go. Make it look more like a production car than you did. And so they did. We went through two more major design iterations of the car, says Suhy. Then we worked with the other manufacturers to ensure enough commonality so that NASCAR could still inspect them and we could have relative parity in the aero performance, and to make sure the teams could build them so there wouldnt be a lot of variation in how a Chevy was built vs. a Ford or a Toyota. The manufacturers agreed to a
Styling cues for the Chevrolet SS racecar arent limited to the nose, with the side and rear panels getting the SS treatment, too.
common greenhouse area basically everything from the base of the windshield to the rear deck lid but elsewhere the bodies are distinctly different among manufacturers, which was the goal. NASCARs vice president of competition Robin Pemberton and Sprint Cup director John Darby helped sweat the details, which ultimately included removing 160lbs from the car and modifying the rear suspension. Just as importantly, NASCAR insisted that the cars be more fully realized than the COT was when it made its debut. And officials vowed to keep tweaking designs as the 2013 season goes on to ensure parity.
Theres still work that we are doing, things that we may implement before the start of the year, says Pemberton. Those are the things that help cars run in traffic, not be at a deficit as much of a deficit when theyre in the back of the pack. And we wont quit. Were going to continue when the car is introduced and well continue until somebody tells us to quit. By all accounts, the project looks as if it will be a huge success. The ultimate test, of course, will be how the G6 cars race, but the early returns are as encouraging as the stunning appearance of the new cars. It was a collaborative effort, and along
A HIGH-SPEED LABORATORY Chevy offers more E85-capable cars and trucks than any other manufacturer. So when NASCAR introduced 15-percent ethanol blend Sunoco race fuel to the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series in 2011, it provided a platform for Chevy engineers to gather data in a high-performance environment. Its yet another example of how the pressure-cooker world of racing plays a key role in accelerating road car technology.
GM
The SS racecar has some big shoes to fill when it replaces the Chevy Impala in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The Impala took 151 race wins and six straight Manufacturers Championships from 2007-12. However, early testing says the SS will be up to the task.
48 THE DREAM SEASON
John Harrelson/Getty Images
GM
CHEVYS NEW BREED
(LEFT) Testing of the SS indicates it has the speed to match its looks. (CENTER) Power, of course, comes from Chevys legendary small-block V8. The 2013 season will be the 358cu.in. units second using fuel injection. NATIONWIDE SERIES CAMARO
GM
GM
the way weve learned that there are people engaged in our sport who know how to do things like this. Working with their design teams and their engineers, Robin and his group were able, we believe very strongly, to deliver something that the fans had asked for, says NASCAR President Mike Helton, adding a vow that the sanctioning body will put stock back in NASCAR stock cars. The drivers like what they see, too. You stand there and see Fords, Toyotas and Chevrolets driving by, and its great because they all look different and recognizable, says Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
wholl be behind the wheel of a Hendrick Motorsports SS in 2013. Im not sure a lot of people realize how important that is for our sport, having that instant recognition of a manufacturer, and how much more healthy it is because of that. Making a racecar look more like a street car is a huge step in the right direction, adds Jeff Burton, especially when the street car looks good. It gets us more to where we need to be from an aesthetics standpoint. And NASCAR is working hard to make it not just about the aesthetics, but to make 2013 about better, closer racing, too. Im real excited about that.
BUILDING IN THE DNA

The SS isnt the only new car Chevrolet will be racing in NASCAR in 2013. The automaker will also change cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, showcasing Americas top-selling sports car, the Camaro. So why not the SS in both series? Well, for starters, the rules packages are different between the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, which means the Sprint Cup version of the SS and the Nationwide Series SS wouldnt look exactly alike. We looked at a lot of options, says Pat Suhy, group manager for Chevys oval-track programs. The difference you would see with the SS in the Cup Series and the Nationwide Series wasnt a desirable thing. We thought we could do a pretty good job with the Camaro, and I think we did a great job. One glance at Chevys new Nationwide Series contender leaves you in no doubt of its DNA, with its power-bulge hood, deep recessed grille and halo light rings all pure Camaro. The key to getting it right was putting Chevrolets design team together with NASCAR officials before starting work on the Camaro to make sure the new car would not only look good, but would fit NASCARs rules, too. We reached out to the design studio, says Shane Martin, Chevrolets program manager for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. They put all their styling guys to work, so they could make the car look like a Camaro and still have it fit inside the box that NASCAR gives us to work in. And that was critical.
One look at the Camaro SS road car shows how well Chevys design team has captured its defining features in the 2013 racecar.
GM
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GM
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES
WORDS Marshall Pruett MAIN IMAGE Scott R LePage/LAT
BACK TO FRONT
The lessons learned from three tough GT seasons paid off for Corvette Racing with a trio of championships in 2012.
ook beyond the individual races, the brilliant drives, strategy calls and mechanical preparation, and Corvette Racings sweep of the GT class Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams Championships in the 2012 American Le Mans Series can be attributed to years of learning packed into a concise pre-season plan. Corvette Racing, as the world witnessed, became the most feared GT team of the 2000s. Using heavy rations of patriotism and a hard-nosed, uncompromising approach to their craft,
the Michigan-based factory program collected championships and race wins at a pace that was downright immodest. But 2009s shift from ALMS GT1, a class it seemingly owned, to become the new kids on the GT2 block was a humbling affair. And it was also somewhat familiar. Corvettes ALMS debut came in 1999, when Dodge and its Vipers ruled the GT landscape, but it didnt take long for the Corvette team to learn from and eventually overwhelm the Mopar gang. Cast into the same dynamic a decade
For Corvette Racing, it was normal service is resumed in 2012, with an ALMS Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams title sweep.
50 THE DREAM SEASON
LESSONS LEARNED AND APPLIED
Its Corvette Racings continuity, our team, that pushed us over the edge
Doug Fehan
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american le mans series
BACK WHEN IT ALL BEGAN Corvette Racing made its debut in the 1999 Rolex 24 at Daytona with a pair of C5-Rs. The No. 2 car of Ron Fellows, Chris Kneifel and John Paul Jr. finished third in class, 18th overall, having led half of the race before being slowed by an oil leak. The No. 4 car also led, but finished 46th with various technical problems.
later, everything about Corvette Racings run to a trio of 2012 ALMS GT championships followed an identical script. Like Ayrton Sennas yellow helmet, the sight of a GT1 Corvette in a competitors mirror signaled the inevitable that a pass was about to take place but in the first few years of its GT2-turned-GT effort, those thundering yellow apparitions often lingered in the mirrors for far too long. For Doug Fehan, Corvette Racings zen-like program manager, watching BMW, Ferrari and Porsche beat their C6.Rs to three straight ALMS titles wasnt easy. But as he learned while trying to topple Dodge, frustration has to give way to patience. It doesnt have anything to do with how much effort or money you put into it, or what the product is that youre building; it has everything to do with learning the racecar, he says. Thats simply a function of time. You cant really speed it up. You have to go to each race, you have to subject yourself to trial by fire, you have to take what you learn at each event, and write the book on the car. And when youre starting the book with empty pages, like we did in GT2, it takes a long time to fill those up. We did it when we
When youre starting the book with empty pages, like we did in GT2, it takes a long time to fill those up
Doug Fehan started Corvette Racing in the 90s, and once more when we switched classes. Ours is a culture based on winning. Its what we expect every time we unload. But overreacting, panicking, shaking things up was exactly the wrong thing to do. That necessary growth spurt an experiential blossoming took the better part of three years to complete, but left Corvette Racings personnel steeled to the
new challenges theyd face. And the next step in the transformation took place when its C6.Rs were placed in the crosshairs. Corvettes won just three ALMS races between 2009 and 11, and those infrequent trips to Victory Lane could be traced to a simple shortcoming. The cars were fast at many tracks, but the fractions of a second needed to become an every-round contender proved elusive. Rather than try to solve the problem with a major rewrite of the entire C6.R concept, the team used driver feedback to zero in on a few high value improvements. Following some of the other cars in 2011 showed that they generated a little bit more downforce, and they also had a bit more speed through and then off the turns, says Oliver Gavin, co-driver of the title-winning No. 4 Corvette. So we wanted to focus on those areas. Our braking performance had always been spectacular, and we wanted to keep that, but if we could have a bit more mechanical grip in the slow and medium corners and a touch more aero grip in the high-speed stuff, we knew there wouldnt be much to choose between us and everyone else. Tommy Milner, who joined the team in
ISC Archives Photo/Getty Images
52 THE DREAM SEASON
Paul Webb/LAT
lessons learned and applied
(FAR LEFT) Oliver Gavin celebrates the No. 4 C6.Rs VIR victory. (LEFT) Corvette Racing leads the ALMS GT class express train. (BELOW LEFT) Jan Magnussen offers advice to enduro event teammate Jordan Taylor. (BELOW) Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and the art of the driver change.
NORMAL SERVICE IS RESUMED

Corvette Racing has taken nine ALMS GT manufacturers titles and eight drivers championships since 2001, but the current level of competition makes 2012 perhaps the hardest-earned titles yet.
GT Manufacturers Championship
Each manufacturers highest-placed car is awarded points. In six of the 10 ALMS races in 2012, that was Corvette Racings No. 4 entry.
Chevrolet 187
Porsche 155
Ferrari 149
Points system: Points are based on race distance. Winning a race of less than 4 hours is 20pts; 4-8 hrs gets 22; 8-plus is 24.
WINS
BMW 155
Four wins for the Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner C6.R Long Beach, Laguna Seca (joined by Richard Westbrook), Mid-Ohio and VIR anchored the season. being a taller rear wing, erased the C6.Rs performance deficits in an instant. The wider car corrected an imbalance relative to the Ferrari, says Louth. They enjoyed that advantage in 2011 because the regulation was changed to allow the 458 into the class. Our wider track put us on par with the Ferrari in that regard. And then wed also spent a few years with a relatively consistent aero package. The new 458 came out and certainly set a new precedent for aero performance in the class, and once we were permitted to make similar adjustments, we had an equal footing to work from. Gavin recalls a parallel that came to mind when he sampled his modified Corvette for the first time at Sonoma Raceway. I thought that the car was very, very similar to how I remembered the GT1 car around there, he says. Quite a bit of time had elapsed between driving the final GT1 race at Sonoma and testing this GT car in 2012 spec, and the regulations were still pretty different between the old GT1 car and the new GT cars. But the best way I could relate it to the guys was that the chassis itself and the way that the car drove through the turns was almost
4 2 2 2
Chevrolet Porsche BMW Ferrari
Dan Boyd/LAT
GT Drivers Championship
Gavin and Milner backed up their 4 wins with 3 more podiums. Garcia and Magnussen made the podium 5 times to secure third.
Richard Prince/Corvette Racing
Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner (Corvette Racing) Scott Sharp/ Johannes Van Overbeek (Extreme Speed Motorsports)
146 123 121
2011 in the No. 3 car, had the same wish list. We had the power and, handling-wise, we felt OK in the cockpit, he says. But the GT class is all about these tiny differences. There were no big complaints. It was more about getting a little bit of help here and there to make things even with the rest of the cars. To find that parity, Corvette Racing engineering director Doug Louth and his group noted the concessions given to the 2011 ALMS GT title-winning Ferrari F458 and sought approval from the ACO to update the C6.Rs with some of those items. When the revised Corvettes appeared in 2012, their wider stance, courtesy of a two-inch increase in track width, and aerodynamic gains, most noticeable
Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen (Corvette Racing)
GT Michelin Green X Challenge (Manufacturers)
A competition that is endorsed by the U.S. Dept. of Energy and recognizes the cleanest, fastest, most efficient cars in each event.
1 Chevrolet 2 BMW 3 FERRARI 4 PORSCHE
47 pts 63 73 102
Points system: Scores are determined by measuring several factors, including emissions, energy use and average speed.
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SRT 38
american le mans series
identical. That gave me a good indication that we were on the right track. We knew wed taken a significant step forward because all the drivers were smiling The consistency and stability the C6.Rs had lacked was found, and the same could be said for the GT program as a whole. The championship-winning swagger that sure-footed foundation Corvette Racing was accustomed to working from was also back, yet Fehan saw one more area to
Do you know what continuity brings? It improves efficiency from top to bottom, inside out
Doug Fehan finesse before the season got under way. People are always curious about how you come up with the driver lineups, he says. Simple fact is that we moved Tommy Milner to the No. 4 with Oliver, and did so with the knowledge and expectation it would produce the best results for the team. The same with Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 car. You could try and say it was all done in a purely scientific decision-making process and we did test them all and looked at data to figure out where there were similarities but styles also matter. Now, and more so than ever in our
54 THE DREAM SEASON
13-year history, we have two guys in each car who like the same chassis setup. They think alike. Theyre really comfortable with it and that makes a big difference. Ready team, ready cars and ready drivers. Now all they had to do was win a championship with the combined might of Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Lotus, Porsche and SRT Viper against them. Corvette Racing won four times during the 10-round ALMS season, a drastic improvement over its one-win-per-year rate during its first three seasons in the category. An immense amount of pre-season work and planning had delivered the No. 4 Corvette to the threshold of its first title in GT. Now it was up to the rock solid Gavin and the will this kid crack under pressure?
(ABOVE) The sun sets at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the first race for the Oliver Gavin/ Tommy Milner pairing in the No. 4 Corvette albeit joined by Richard Westbrook for the enduro classic.
Milner to produce at Virginia International Raceway, site of the penultimate round. I asked Tommy at Baltimore, Were leading the points pretty late in the season. Have you ever been in a position like this before? says Gavin. He said, No, but well just keep doing what were doing. We went to VIR, qualified well and got in the lead. Then he got in and drove brilliantly, under great pressure from the BMWs. He was icy cool. I think it was the real making of him. He delivered under pressure, and it was the BMW that cracked and went off. The wins were important, but it was the steady stream of points from the other six races that factored most heavily into Corvette Racings run to the title. And in Fehans estimation, it was the one area of the operation he left untouched for 2012 that completed a vital piece of the puzzle. Do you know what continuity brings? he asks. It improves efficiency from top to bottom, inside out. We go racing with the same people year after year and they are so incredibly well-drilled. Everything gets honed to such a fine edge that it gives you a great competitive advantage. If you have the right car and drivers, you can build a powerful machine if you invest in the right people and stick with them. We made a lot of changes this year, but its Corvette Racings continuity, our team, that pushed us over the edge. Thats why were ALMS GT champions.
Paul Webb/LAT
lessons learned and applied
building the chemistry

Endurance racing co-drivers know the feeling of being cast into arranged marriages, and that dynamic certainly applied to 2012s ALMS GT champions. Tommy Milner, the young upstart who had a tough rookie campaign with Corvette Racing, was moved laterally from his 2011 seat in the No. 3 to join team veteran Oliver Gavin in the Britons No. 4 prior to the season opener at Sebring, and as the 26-year-old American tells it, it took some time before Ollys trepidations turned into trust. I think Olivers first reaction was that he was a little bit disappointed, Milner admits. I have no shame in saying that, but I knew that if I just did my job, I could win him over and deliver for the team. As one of the more direct drivers in the paddock, Gavin wanted to win immediately. The thought of having an unproven quantity alongside him in the No. 4 C6.R called for some quiet introspection, to put it mildly.
How best to earn a new teammates trust? By delivering on the track.

I think we were all sort of trying to figure out how this was going to work, Gavin recalls with a laugh. For Milner, the added pressure of living up to Gavins expectations helped to produce his finest body of work as a pro. Gavins continual support and mentoring also helped Milner to form a tight bond with his team leader. Where I think the chemistry really solidified between us is that Oliver was great to me, says Milner. Even though I could see his initial reaction, he was immediately supportive and I eventually earned his trust. It made all the difference. Beyond their interpersonal growth, Gavin points to similar driving styles (and that of Richard Westbrook, LEFT, who bolstered the No. 4 roster at the enduros and the 24 Hours of Le Mans) as a key element. We were asking the engineers for the same stuff, he says. We wanted the same things from the car to go quicker and it really did help us a lot through the season. You can waste a lot of time if teammates want different things from the car, but when it became apparent we were on the same page, everything just clicked and the rest is history.
I think we were all sort of trying to figure out how this was going to work
Oliver Gavin
(RIGHT) Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner celebrate victory at VIR, the fourth of the season for the new pairing. (ABOVE) Richard Westbrook joined them for the enduros, sharing in the victory at Laguna Seca.
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24 HOURS OF LE MANS
ELUSIVE EIGHTH
WORDS Marshall Pruett MAIN IMAGE Richard Prince/Corvette Racing
No matter how prepared a team is, Le Mans has a habit of throwing up the unexpected.
s the owner of seven class wins from its first 12 visits to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, expectations are always high when Corvette Racing rolls unloads its pair of C6.R racecars at La Sarthe. But expectation never becomes complacency. Every last person involved in the mammoth effort to transplant a full-functioning, battle-ready race team to northern France each June knows that Le Mans is always ready to bite. That was the case in 2012 one year after the No. 73 C6.R won the GTE Pro class when a combination of a pit lane mix-up and an unforeseen mechanical issue robbed the two-car effort of an eighth win on the 8.5-mile road course. You just have to take it on the chin, says Oliver Gavin, whose four Le Mans wins for Corvette between 2002 and 06
56 THE DREAM SEASON
So far, so good... The No. 73 C6.R of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor thunders into the night. But trouble would follow, leaving it fifth in GTE Pro at the finish.
have been tempered by four straight years of interrupted runs to the checkered flag. We had, once again, prepared ourselves extremely well, but Le Mans likes to throw the unexpected at you. Gavin, who shared the No. 74 entry with his ALMS co-driver Tommy Milner and endurance specialist Richard Westbrook, saw the cartoon anvil headed
for his Corvette when the rarest of scenarios cropped up on pit lane a wheel nut wasnt properly tightened during a routine stop which started a rapid decline in fortunes for the class-leading car. The wheel coming off was just a freak thing, says Gavin, who could only watch as Westbrook gently drove the threewheeling Corvette back to the pits. Once that happened, everything just unraveled as it can at Le Mans. There were gearbox problems, other incidents on the track, other mysterious problems turning up. With the No. 74 serving as a magnet for hip checks and barriers and its chance of victory ruined, the call was made to pull it into the garage and perform a quick mechanical makeover. But with two more accidents waiting in the wings, and a host of additional repairs being required, it would
NOT THIS YEAR... LE MANS ROLL OF HONOR (LEFT and BELOW) Efficiency is the name of the game for everybody involved in Corvette Racings Le Mans effort. But being prepared for the unexpected is key to taking on the worlds toughest test of endurance, too.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

With seven class victories since making its debut at the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing remains the GT benchmark at the grueling, French endurance classic. Remarkably, the first four wins were all 1-2 finishes.
2001
No. 63 C5-R (GTS) Ron Fellows, Johnny OConnell & Scott Pruett Corvette Racings second Le Mans visit brings a first win, and a 1-2 to boot.
case of running around, dont make any mistakes. Our cars were that good. The No. 73 Vette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor also looked a potential winner, until persistent problems with the steering rack could only be solved by stopping for a replacement at the 12-hour mark. A change to a two-inch wider track on the C6.Rs for 2012 helped generate more cornering speed, but as Corvette Racing engineering director Doug Louth surmises, those extra forces could have taxed the steering rack beyond its limits.
2002
No. 63 C5-R (GTS) Ron Fellows, Oliver Gavin & Johnny OConnell Second 1-2 also brings the first of Gavins four (and counting) wins in a Vette.
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Oliver Gavin The steering rack, specifically, was a challenge, he says. The increased performance of the car, due to tires and aero and what have you, definitely made that a more critical part than it had been in the past. There are always things that you identify that you could do better. But nothing stood out as fundamentally flawed. Even in years that we win, we come away with important things that we can do better in the future, and there were certainly a number of those things at our last trip to Le Mans. For those who know the Corvette Racing team, pouting over lost opportunities was never an option. Doing a thorough post-mortem to fully understand what went wrong, however, is standard fare and will help the team to avoid making the same mistake twice. We film every pit stop, says Fehan. So we go back and look at everything. It was a routine stop on the No. 74, although we consider all our stops to be routine. We looked at the wheel gun; we looked at the wheel nut, the safety restraining device on the wheel nut; we looked at the hub and the spindle and we reviewed every element of that design to see where we could refine it. We found a couple of areas that we could improve upon, and we did that. We lost the race, but we are better because of it.
2004
No. 64 C5-R (GTS) Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin & Jan Magnussen Another 1-2 result as the fifth-generation Vette battled a fleet of Ferrari 550s to sign off in style.
2005
No. 64 C6.R (GT1) Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin & Jan Magnussen Fourth Corvette 1-2 at Le Mans, and the first for the C6.R, overcoming searing heat and the Aston Martins.
2006
No. 64 C6.R (GT1) Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin & Jan Magnussen Classic Corvette vs. Aston Martin duel ends in fifth win.
Getty Images
2009
No. 63 C6.R (GT1) Antonio Garcia, Johnny OConnell & Jan Magnussen When the No. 64 retires from the lead after 22 hours, the 63 Vette is right there.
Jeff Bloxham/LAT
lose 121 laps in the pits and come home an unclassified 34th overall. More than a half-year later, that outcome still stings. It was the 12th hour when the calamity occurred, says Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. And we were winninghandily. I mean, we pretty much had the thing in the bag. At that point, before the problem, it was just going to be a
2011
No. 73 C6.R (GTE Pro) Olivier Beretta, Antonio Garcia & Tommy Milner A lap down with six hours to go, the No. 73 celebrates Chevys 100th anniversary with a charge to the front.
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Kevin Wood/LAT
Peter Spinney/LAT
We had prepared ourselves extremely well, but Le Mans likes to throw the unexpected at you
Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
Ker Robertson/Allsport
ROAD TO RACECAR
CORVETTE C6.R
SERIES American Le Mans Series, GT class PHOTOGRAPHY Rick Graves WORDS Marshall Pruett
lessed with an abundance of technology and speed, the road-to-race conversion that begins with the ZR1 road car and produces Corvette Racings C6.R the racecar that earned a trio of American Le Mans Series GT class titles in 2012 can only be described as reverse-engineering a champion. Chevy isnt shy to point out that the mighty ZR1 requires a healthy list of deletions to comply with series rulemaker ACOs regulations, but whether its in the engine bay (see page 61) or beneath the bodywork, Corvette Racing is still able to rely on the natural advantages from the ZR1 that remain. Youd think as basic racecars go, that
58
THE DREAM SEASON
FROM ZR1 TO C6.R
Weve got a great road car from which to build a great racecar, baby!
Doug Fehan having something that was mid- or rear-engine would give you a tremendous advantage from an acceleration standpoint, for weight distribution and also yaw, says Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. We dont have that luxury with the Corvette because its a front-engined car. However, when you look at the lessons we learned in racing, we knew
that 50-50 weight distribution was where you wanted to be. So weve hit that number pretty much spot-on in the production cars and were not giving up a whole lot there from a rear-engine to mid-engine car. Starting with a bare production ZR1 chassis, Corvette Racing builds outward from its core, fitting purebred racing components wherever permitted. A tailor-made fuel cell is installed, along with custom front suspension and a new multi-link rear suspension possibly the single biggest departure in the road-torace transformation. The ZR1s carbon-ceramic discs (and ABS) are illegal in the GT category, so
The supercharged, 6.2-liter, 638hp Corvette ZR1 (rear) is the base car for the C6.R racer. But every Corvette, including the lightweight, 505hp Z06 (front) shares DNA, technology and a philosophy of engineering excellence with the racecar.
The 2012 Corvette C6.R raced its way to a sweep of the Manufacturers, Teams and Drivers Championships in the ultra-competitive ALMS GT category.
RACER.com 59
GM
ROAD TO RACECAR
The core of the C6.R remains out and out ZR1, including the aluminum frame and chassis structure and a de-stroked LS7 V8.
steel units are swapped in. Lightweight composite body panels are used in every possible area, helping the C6.R to step lightly on the scales at 2,745lbs, more than 600lbs less than a stock ZR1. A limited number of aerodynamic aids are allowed, with the splitter and rear wing serving as the most noticeable outward departures from the production model. Safety modifications comprise a healthy chunk of time and resources when building a C6.R, and as Fehan reveals in one of his classic stories, although Corvettes rivals go through the same steel safety cage design and installation process, those unibody cars struggle to match the C6.R for stiffness and lightness.
60 THE DREAM SEASON
The 2012 C6.R featured a 2in. wider track, with corresponding tweaks to the fender flares, and a rear wing mounted 75mm (3in.) higher.
Heres where we have one huge advantage, and it goes back to when we originally homologated the very first Corvette racecar, Fehan beams. The ACO came over and looked at the frame on the car. Keep in mind, they havent built a car in Europe on a frame in probably 60 years. They looked at it, looked at me and said, Is this a truck? Is this is a truck frame? I said, Yeah. Parallel ladder frame just like in a truck. They said, This is a Corvette? I said, Yeah, yes it is. They didnt believe it at first. Thought we were stuck in the past... Well, think about it. First, theyre hydro-formed rails. In highly technical terms, Dude, weve got a tubeframe chassis! All aluminum, superlight. Weve
FROM ZR1 TO C6.R
TURN IT DOWN, PLEASE
LS7 ON THE LEASH

Unbolt the supercharger. De-stroke the engine by some 700cc (thats around 43cu.in. in dollars and cents). Oh, and make the intake trumpets sip air through Slurpee straws. How much fun is that for an LS7? If youre Corvette Racing, losing some of the pavement-terrorizing goodies from the ZR1s engine has made life more challenging, but that challenge makes winning a championship more satisfying. Yes, the racecar has less power and ultimate engine performance compared with the ZR1 road car, says Corvette Racings Doug Louth. But it makes what we are required to do for racing with the Corvette engine rather exciting. Transforming the ZR1 powerplant into an ACO-compliant engine (BELOW) is accomplished by turning its proverbial volume down from 11 to seven. It shrinks from 6.2 liters to 5.5, horsepower is dropped from 638 to 491, torque figures fall from 604lb.ft to 485 and RPMs are also sacrificed, with the C6.R turning a maximum of 5,800, compared with the ZR1s 6,500. Despite the limitations, Louth says working within the tighter confines of the ACO regulations has helped to generate greater technology and information. Weve been able to use the LS engine architecture, reduce the displacement and achieve a similar performance level to the rest of the manufacturers in the class. We still have a wide power curve, very good drivability and a very lightweight engine package. Theres a lot we have to do to make the ZR1 engine fit the rules, which are tight, but as the drivers will tell you, the C6.Rs V8 (BELOW) is pretty exciting.
RACER.com 61
GM
developed an ingenious method of affixing the roll cage to that aluminum chassis. It took us two years to do this. And that product is stiff; thats a great advantage. Weve got a great road car from which to build a great racecar, baby. The end result, as 2012 GT co-Drivers Champion Oliver Gavin explains, is a racecar that stays remarkably true to its street car origins. Every single Corvette that Ive ever driven, including the ZR1 or the C6.R, brakes and then transitions into the corner the same, he says. This is the DNA crossing over from the racecar to the road car, and from the road car to the racecar. Without a doubt, it works.
CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6.R

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Engine 5.5-liter, naturally-aspirated Chevrolet LS7 V8 (90-degree) Power and torque 491hp @ 5,800rpm; 485lb.ft @ 4,800rpm Fuel system Sequential EFI Fuel E85R ethanol (ALMS); E10 (Le Mans) Throttle system Individual runner, with two ACO-mandated 29.2mm intake air restrictors Chassis Hydroformed aluminum chassis; composite body Wheelbase (mm/in.) 2685/105.7 Length (mm/in.) 4476/176.2 Width (mm/in.) 2047/80.6 Height (mm/in.) 1166/45.9 Weight (kg/lbs) 1245/2745 Suspension (front and rear) Independent, short/long double wishbone with coil-over multi-adjustable shock absorbers Brakes 4-wheel disc with monoblock calipers and steel rotors Wheels (in.) Front: 18 x 12.5; Rear:18 x 13 Tires Michelin; Front: 30/68-18; Rear: 31/71-18
2014 CORVETTE C7
WORDS Marshall Pruett IMAGES Chevrolet
For Corvette, racing helps make better road cars, and road car technology improves the racecars. Everybodys a winner.
orget the marketing and PR spin that usually goes along with production-based racecars. With the new-for-2014 Corvette C7, the old racing improves the breed adage not only passes muster on every level, it serves as the core philosophy thats seen the Corvette Racing C6.R become the ultimate two-way test bed. Theres a whole bunch of things and areas of transfer, says GMs Tadge Jeuchter, chief engineer for Corvette. Going one way, theres the technology transfer of what the racecar does now and how we can apply that to the street car to get similar kinds of performance improvements. Going the other, theres
what the racecar needs in order to be better than the C7 car, and what we can do to help the C6.R be even better. For the C7, Jeuchter was able to rely quite extensively on the tools, expertise and experience offered by GM Racing partner Pratt & Miller Engineering, which runs the Corvette Racing program. We use Pratt & Miller development tools for the C7, he says. For example, theyve developed world-class tools and strategies for vehicle aerodynamics. Beyond using P&Ms Corvid system for computer-based development, Jeuchter also made use of the lessons learned with the C6.R from countless hours of real
Theres always massive excitement and anticipation when a newgeneration Corvette is in the works, but Chevys teasers for the C7, including a restyled logo, video clips (ABOVE) and a camouflaged test prototype for the Gran Turismo 5 racing game, have helped whip Vette fans into a frenzy. All will be revealed mid-January 2013 at Detroits North American International Auto Show.
WATCH VIDEO
62 THE DREAM SEASON
A TWO-WAY STREET
world racing at Le Mans, Sebring and many other demanding racetracks. Aero is a huge part of where we try to learn from the racecar and apply it to the street car, he says. But a racecar is designed in a truly functional way; nothing matters but how it works. On the street car, you cant be so uncompromising. So weve taken some aerodynamic strategies from the racecar, implemented them for the same purposes, but integrated them in an elegant way thats suitable for a street car. Its not just drag and lift; its also cooling of underhood, underbody components and cooling strategies. Racecars generate tremendous energy in certain areas, so the race team addresses that, and then we can duplicate those lessons on the street cars. Modern Corvette owners would find more similarities between what sits in
Aero is a huge part of where we try to learn from the racecar and apply it to the street car
Tadge Jeuchter
their garage and the C6.R racecars than they might expect. But theyd also find some solutions on the C6.Rs that came directly from Jeuchters group. Chevrolet is really good in airconditioning, he says. Its not something that racecar engineers usually deal with, so they turned to us for the C6.Rs air-con system and used a bunch of production parts, some of which were future items from Chevrolet. We helped them to design the system and used the race team as the high-stress validation environment for future air-conditioning compressors. While some manufacturers would struggle to list the genuine number of street/track crossover development items, Jeuchter could fill a book on the C6.R/C7 relationship alone. We only covered the tip of the iceberg; its everything from materials, usage, tires he says. Weve got a huge story on tires, taking technology from the current race program and then mixing it with the latest and greatest technology on rolling resistance to create a new level of street tires. The list just goes on.
THE NEW LT1 ENGINE
TAKING V8 TECHNOLOGY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

The C6.Rs engine offers a wondrous blend of power and efficiency under a necessarily restrictive set of regulations. But with more space to play in, the design team on the 2014 Corvette C7 road cars LT1 powerplant (ABOVE and BELOW) have unveiled a free-thinking V8 thats truly high tech. Its still a small block V8, but it has all the buzzwords, says Tadge Jeuchter, chief engineer for Corvette. Its got direct injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation. It has a combination of technologies that deliver amazing performance in a small light package, but with extraordinary efficiency, especially when running in four-cylinder mode. Simply put, the 2014 LT1 engine proves that, despite the maturity of the V8 concept, innovation is very much alive and well under the hood of the new Corvette C7. Low mass, compact size and extraordinary efficiency are all music to the racers ears, says Jeuchter as he rattles off some of the attributes that will benefit C7 owners and a future C7.R alike. The team has been lobbying for direct injection so that they can control their combustion events more carefully for a long time, and thats been on our wish list for the street car as well. We also have a pretty radical new combustion chamber. If you look at the shape of the top of our piston it looks like a rocky Martian landscape Theres definitely a lot more still to come from the V8 in the future.
Knowledge gained from the Corvette Racing program thats been applied to the C7 road car includes areas such as optimizing airflow to the brakes (BELOW), transmission and differential.
GM
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GM
GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES
Chevys stunning new Corvette Daytona Prototype has taken the category to a new level, but making it a reality was a battle against the clock.
WORDS John Dagys MAIN IMAGE Grand-Am Media
ne of the most fascinating aspects of top-level sports car racing is the mix of purpose-built prototype and productionbased GT classes. While the former showcase the exotic, no-holds-barred nature of the sport, the latter bring road-car relevance, highlighting the performance and aspirational qualities of a manufacturers actual products. So, what if you put the best of both of those worlds together? Organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de lOuest, evaluated such a concept in 2007, with Chevrolet undertaking a feasibility study on a Corvette-themed prototype. The car,
designed for the proposed LMP Evo rules, included significant styling cues from its production counterpart. While the ACOs concept was put on ice, the idea stuck in the minds of some of the top brass at Chevy, who had been in talks with Grand-Am for ways to take its highly competitive Daytona Prototype formula to the next level, visually. In the end, [LMP Evo] didnt go forward but we still had a lot of information and a lot of ideas, explains Doug Louth, director of engineering at Chevys long-time motorsports technical partner Pratt & Miller Engineering. Grand-Am and [series founder] Jim
Grand-Am and [series founder ] Jim France were looking for the next step for the DP cars
Doug Louth France were looking for the next step for the DP cars. As interesting and exciting as those cars were, they wanted to make them more visually appealing to draw people in. Inspired by the ACO study, as well as the Corvette IMSA GTP car from the 1980s, Grand-Ams push toward a new generation of prototypes, evoking the spirit and form of production cars, began in 2010. The
64 THE DREAM SEASON
BUILDING THE CORVETTE DP
(LEFT) Spirit of Daytona Racings Coyotechassied version was the first Corvette DP to put in the test miles (Oliver Gavin behind the wheel). (BELOW) Input on styling for the new DP car came from GMs own design department, as well as the in-house capabilities of Pratt & Miller.
DPG3 concept, with Chevys backing, was officially green-lighted in April 2011 for an intended debut just eight months later at the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona. The accelerated timeframe put Chevrolet and Pratt & Miller in a race against the clock to build and develop Corvette-specific bodywork for the 2012 Rolex Series. A process that typically takes 12 to 15 months had to be compressed into 240 days, according to Louth. Both from Jim Frances viewpoint and Chevrolets top management, the car had to debut for the Rolex 24, says Jim Lutz, Chevys Grand-Am program manager. It was the most prestigious race of the
RACER.com 65
Courtesy Pratt & Miller
240 DAYS AND COUNTING
AGAINST THE CLOCK

Not only did Pratt & Miller, Chevrolet and Grand-Am have to come up with a design that moved the DP class to a new visual level, they had to do it in a timeframe that turned the project into a race against the clock...
...but at Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 15, 2011, the first Corvette DP was unveiled to an expectant gathering of the good and the great. Not that the hard work and effort ended there...
season, so we were in a must do situation. Instead of building an all-new car, the DPG3 concept called for roll cage modifications to existing chassis, in order to allow for a smaller greenhouse and greater freedom in the design of brand-specific bodywork. This also resulted in Pratt & Miller creating the Corvette bodywork to not only fit its self-developed Coyote, but also chassis from Riley and Dallara. Grand-Am was very adamant that we had to find a way to apply this to all existing chassis manufacturers and find a way to modify existing chassis and not start over with brand-new chassis, Louth explains. The economics of Grand-Am and the DP series and all the race teams was a very important part of that. Months of intense, computer-based CAD and CFD analysis was put into the initial design, with the entire process overlooked by Grand-Am and its technical team, which worked directly with Chevrolet Racing director Mark Kent to ensure the new Corvette bodywork was within the spirit of the series rules.
(ABOVE) Despite the constraints of making the new DP body work with existing chassis, its Corvette DNA is obvious to see. (LEFT) The Spirit of Daytona crew hones its new Vette during initial testing at Daytona.
While production of the first components began soon after the regulations were confirmed, development continued concurrently, led by Louth and his team at Pratt & Miller. Chevys design department also provided input on the styling cues, which Louth admits was a challenge, considering the constraints they were up against. Chevrolet, for the last decade or so, has had a lot of interest in racing cars relevant to the road car products, he says. Thats why they compete in GT racing; because they are running actual
Grand-Am
66 THE DREAM SEASON
Photo sequence courtesy of Pratt & Miller
Grand-Am
BUILDING THE CORVETTE DP
LS BRINGS THE NOISE
UNDER THE HOOD

As well as the striking new brandspecific bodywork, the Corvette Daytona Prototype also shares some serious DNA with its road-going counterpart under the hood. Chevrolet opted for a 5-liter V8, based on the LS family of small blocks, to power its fleet of factory-supported entries. The LS engine has been the sole powerplant of the Chevrolet Corvette since 1997, and is the base unit for the engines that power Corvette Racings highly successful ALMS and 24 Hours of Le Mans GT program, too. While its aluminum head and block originates from the sixth-generation Corvettes powerplant, the productionbased engine had to be de-stroked to meet Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series regulations. However, it still produces up to 530hp at 6,900rpm, and 450ft.lb of torque at 5,500rpm, in line with the other DP engines in the series. The engines are built and maintained by Earnhardt-Childress Racing (BELOW), another familiar Chevy partner that also builds the motive power for teams competing in NASCAR, ARCA, SCCA, short track and sprint car racing. ECR Engines works closely with our GM Racing Powertrains department, explains Chevrolets Grand-Am program manager, Jim Lutz. That allows us to cross-share information from all of our race programs, both in road racing and stock cars, etc, so its very beneficial for both parties. And thanks to the Corvettes success in its debut year, which saw eight wins from 13 races, Chevrolet claimed the 2012 DP Engine Manufacturers Championship fine reward for its significant investment in the category.
Grand-Am
Chevrolet has had a lot of interest in racing cars relevant to the road car products
Doug Louth racecars based on the road car product. This car came at it from the opposite direction, where, in reality, it was a pure racecar trying to accommodate the road car relevance as much as possible. With some of the final components still yet to be fitted, the much anticipated unveiling of the Corvette DP came on Nov. 15 at Daytona International Speedway. One day later, the first car, a Coyote-chassied DP for Spirit of Daytona Racing, was put through its paces on the Florida high banks, less than 230 days after the programs official go-ahead. Once the car was assembled for the initial aero testing, right away that started another very rapid development process, Louth explains. The cars were not 100 percent complete at the first wind tunnel
test. There were a lot of changes in the few months of development we had. The whole process was compressed, every step along the way. Looking back, it was really amazing we got through that. I dont know how we did it! The work was far from over, though, despite all factory-supported teams Action Express Racing, SunTrust Racing and GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing having completed the initial builds of their cars by December. Extensive wind tunnel testing soon began, initiated by Grand-Am, to determine the Corvettes Balance of Performance, while two additional on-track tests at Daytona delivered further data in the run up to the crucial debut race. While Chevrolet, Pratt & Miller and Grand-Am achieved their collective goal when all five Corvette DPs took the green at the 50th Rolex 24 in January, perhaps the bigger victory went to sports car racing as a whole. With Chevys help and initiative, Grand-Am moved its DP class to a new level and opened the door for other manufacturers to follow Chevys lead.
(TOP) Antonio Garcia climbs aboard to put more miles on the Spirit of Daytona car, late 2011 at Daytona. (ABOVE) Meanwhile, getting up to speed began for the other teams whod be racing the new Corvette DP, too, including GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing.
Grand-Am
Grand-Am
RACER.com 67
WORDS John Dagys MAIN IMAGE Jamey Price/LAT
GRAND DESIGNS
The Corvette Daytona Prototype energized the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series as it proved a prolific winner in its debut season of competition.
68 THE DREAM SEASON
YEAR OF THE VETTE
A blossoming reputation... Second race of its career, the Corvette DP took a first win at Barber Motorsports Park, courtesy of Spirit of Daytona.
RACER.com 69
NO REST FOR THE RAPID... Spaniard Antonio Garcia doubled up when the Grand-Am and ALMS schedules allowed. He ran a full ALMS and 24 Hours of Le Mans program with Corvette Racing, sharing Vette No.3 with Jan Magnussen, and added in seven Grand-Am races for Spirit of Daytona, winning twice with Richard Westbrook.
of the series since its inception in 2000, had the first Corvette DP on track and was also the first to Victory Lane, with Westbrook and Garcia taking the historic win in only the second round of the season, at Barber Motorsports Park in March. No one really knew what to expect, Westbrook says. There was quite a lot of in-house competition with SunTrust and all of the other Corvette DPs. But it was key for us to get the first win. That is the one that stands out the most to me. And
70 THE DREAM SEASON
R. D. Ethan/LAT
hile no doubt enduring a challenging debut at the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Grand-Am season opener was only a small piece of the Corvette DP story, in what turned out to be an extremely successful year for the Chevy-powered runners in Rolex Series competition. The Corvette DP was the dominant force in 2012. Its four factory supported teams Action Express, Spirit of Daytona, SunTrust and GAINSCO/Bob Stallings combined to take eight wins out of 13 races, as well as nine poles, which propelled Chevy to the Engine Manufacturers Championship. It was a whole new ballgame and a massive learning curve, says Spirit of Daytonas Richard Westbrook, who claimed three victories, including two with fellow GM driver Antonio Garcia. The team had experience with the Coyote chassis, but everything was new with the aero. That was really the key to unlocking it. The Troy Flis-led organization, a stalwart
it was extra special because it was Spirit of Daytonas first [DP] victory as well. While the Coyote-chassied entry went on to claim additional wins at Mid-Ohio and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, it was the Corvette-bodied Dallara from SunTrust that snatched victory in the rain-shortened round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and then again two weeks later at a much drier New Jersey Motorsports Park. The primary challenge for all Vette teams was coming to grips with a new aero package. Years of setups and data had effectively become obsolete. Some adapted quicker than others, including the SunTrust entry of Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli, which showed encouraging pace from the very first pre-season test at Daytona. It was tough for us because there was so much development and money spent on [the Gen-2] car in getting the aero right, SunTrust team owner Wayne Taylor explains. Then, all of a sudden, we had to
YEAR OF THE VETTE
Spirit of Daytona was highest Corvette DP in the teams standings, finishing third.
R. D. Ethan/LAT
FORTUNES VARY
(FAR LEFT, clockwise) ; Action Express ran a two-car campaign. The No. 5 (pictured) finished fourth in team points, but the No. 9 took two wins; How on earth did GAINSCO not win a race in 2012? Weird!
GRAND-AM ROLEX SERIES
CORVETTE MUSCLE BACK WITH A BANG

There was no debut win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona (unless you count winning a race against the clock to be there). But a win at Barbers round 2 for Spirit of Daytona kicked off 8 wins in the next 12.
ENGINE MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP (DAYTONA PROTOTYPE)
No Vette team was consistent enough for the teams title, but their cumulative efforts secured Chevrolet its title.
424 389 382

CHEVROLET
FORD
R. D. Ethan/LAT
Points system: A manufacturer receives points for its highest finishing car. A win is 35pts, then 32-30-28, etc.
WINS
(ABOVE) Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor (left) sprayed the champagne three times for SunTrust, including the Lime Rock finale. (LEFT) The teams Corvette-bodied Dallara shows off its elegant new lines.
change the car and basically everything under the body remained the same. In the end, it was a good strategy call to go with Corvette. I think we did a really good job considering where we were at the beginning of the season. For Action Express, the only two-car Corvette squad, the learning curve was much steeper, as the Gary Nelson-led organization switched chassis and engine manufacturers in addition to having the new Pratt & Miller-designed bodywork. I had to adapt my driving style a little bit, but it was a big challenge for the whole team, says Joao Barbosa, driver of the No. 9 Corvette DP. All of the experience we had was on the Riley. It was like starting with a new piece of paper. We were learning everything and didnt have any data that matched what we had on the Corvette. Having started the year with Terry Borcheller as his co-driver, a reshuffle saw Barbosa paired with Darren Law from the
It was key for us to get the first win. That is the one that stands out the most to me
Richard Westbrook fifth round at Detroits Belle Isle. It was there where the duo broke through to give AXR and Chevy a crucial win and 1-2 sweep in its own backyard. Three races later, they were back in Victory Lane at the Sahlens Six Hours of The Glen. Despite the early success, development on the Corvette DP wasnt standing still. Following the Rolex 24, Pratt & Miller came out with two additional front splitter designs, which helped achieve an improved aero balance, according to Ben Johnson, Pratt & Millers Grand-Am program manager. As you saw by the end of the year, we were really strong on the high-downforce circuits, Westbrook says. Thats not to
Three teams took wins in the Corvette DPs debut season Spirit of Daytona (3), SunTrust Racing (3) and Action Express (2, both for the No. 9 entry).
8 2 3
CORVETTE
The Lime Rock finale, and win No. 3 for SunTrust.
BMW
FORD BMW
RACER.com 71
R. D. Ethan/LAT
Jamey Price/LAT
grand-am rolex sports car series
(LEFT) Corvettes to the fore as Grand-Am kicks up the spray on its Indianapolis Motor Speedway debut. Indy would be one of the races that eluded the Vettes in a strong debut year. (BELOW LEFT) Richard Westbrook and Antonio Garcia teamed up for two wins with Spirit of Daytona.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
say we werent competitive on the high drag circuits, where the Ford-Rileys were so strong. But I dont think we ever really got to show our hand at those tracks. Despite having a storybook-like first year on paper, not one of the five Corvette DP entries enjoyed a perfect run through the entire season. That included two-time series champions, and longtime GM supporters, GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, which saw its first winless season since 2006. It was just bizarre, team owner Bob Stallings says. We had a really great car all year and were on pole more than anybody else. We went into the season thinking we could win every single race. Half the races
[in 2012] were ours to win and something happened. Its pretty disappointing. Alex Gurney and Jon Fogartys Red Dragon oftentimes met with freak mechanical failures and on-track incidents, which saw the longest-running driver pairing in Grand-Am finish eighth in points, although salvaging five podium finishes. I was pretty exasperated and became sort of philosophical about it, Stallings says. When something happened, Id go, Of course that happened, were in the lead and going to win, so of course somethings going to happen! I almost became a fatalist. In the end, AXRs Law ended up the highest-paced driver out of the Chevy
contingent in third, seven points ahead of early season co-driver David Donohue. Despite a few disappointments along the way, such as the races at Daytona and Indianapolis, as well as the championship crown eluding the Vettes, the season ushered in a new era of excitement and opportunity within Grand-Ams premier class. According to Taylor, it shouldnt be forgotten that Chevy took the first step in embracing the new DP formula. Chevrolets support of the series is a huge boost, he said. When it agreed to do this, it put everything behind it. Chevys made such an impact that its certainly created a new platform for the future.
ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
NO FAIRYTALE START just valuable experience

The first battle was won: the Corvette Daytona Prototype was ready to race. So hopes were high as the roster of Vette-equipped teams rolled into Daytona International Speedway for the 50th Rolex 24, the cars competitive debut. Yet as it turned out, it was the one major race that slipped away from the Chevrolet brigade and its new weapon. The first blow came in qualifying, when Ryan Dalziel put the Starworks Ford-Riley on a surprise pole. Then, just 14 laps into the around-the-clock marathon, pre-race favorite SunTrust Racing retired its Corvette with engine failure. SunTrusts early exit put all of Corvettes
72 THE DREAM SEASON
hopes on the two Action Express entries, as as well as the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings and Spirit of Daytona cars, which both led in the early stages. However, overheating issues, together with a water pump failure and an early morning accident, resulted in GAINSCOs Red Dragon finishing nearly 100 laps behind, while an overnight axle failure delayed the SDR Corvette by 14 laps. In the end, the No. 5 Action Express entry of Donohue, Law and Christian Fittipaldi was the highest-placed Corvette, finishing fifth. The teams sister entry, led by Barbosa, came home ninth. The team did a great job just making
(LEFT) The Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP led briefly in the early stages, but was hampered by new car niggles.
R. D. Ethan/LAT
the race, Barbosa said. We had a reliable car. It wasnt as fast as we wanted, but we knew going into the race, coming from the old Rileys, there would be big improvements throughout the year.
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PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE
In the second season of its comeback campaign, Cadillac Racing duo Andy Pilgrim (No. 8) and Johnny OConnell (3) drove their CTS-Vs to first and second in the 2012 Drivers Championship OConnell edging Pilgrim and the Manufacturers Championship.
WATCH VIDEO
74
THE DREAM SEASON
CADDY IS THE DADDY
CTS-VICTORY
Cadillacs return to the competitive Pirelli World Challenge showcased the performance of its CTS-V Coupe in championship-winning style.
WORDS Tony DiZinno MAIN IMAGE Richard Prince/Cadillac Racing
Find out more at cadillac.com/racing
RACER.com 75
ohnny OConnell and Andy Pilgrim are, in a sense, General Motors lifers. For more than a decade apiece, each has contributed to the success of the Corvette and, more recently, Cadillac Racing programs. The latter is in its second iteration of Pirelli World Challenge competition and, in just two seasons, has established the CTS-V Coupe racecar as the benchmark in the closely-fought GT category. Weve gone from people saying, I cant believe Cadillac is racing when we first competed in 2004 through 07, to people now realizing Cadillac isnt just luxury, but has a performance and luxury identity because of racing, Pilgrim says. Its an astute observation from the Englishman, who finished second to OConnell in the 2012 World Challenge GT Drivers Championship, where Cadillac also captured the Manufacturers Championship. OConnell won three races, including a doubleheader sweep on the
Detroit Belle Isle street circuit, just down the road from Cadillacs headquarters, while Pilgrim added another win and the teams lone pole of the season. The success achieved in 2012 was down to a combination of factors. Surprisingly, outright speed wasnt anywhere near the top of the list. The CTS-V racecar isnt even close to being the fastest car in the field, says Dave Caldwell, Cadillacs World Challenge program manager. We delivered the championship on a combination of reliability, preparedness, setup and adapting to weather. Finishing had a lot to do with it. Combined, the two Cadillacs failed to complete only one lap all season, when OConnells car suffered a tire issue on the final lap at Mosport, Ont. For any manufacturer entering a championship or re-entering, in the case of Cadillacs World Challenge program the
Rated at 556hp and 551lb-ft of torque, the CTS-Vs supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 is the most powerful road car engine in Cadillacs history. In World Challenge spec, the supercharger comes off and an air restrictor goes on, taking the power down to 460hp still enough to earn a GT class Drivers and Manufacturers Championship double.
We delivered the championship through reliability, preparedness, setup and adapting to weather
Dave Caldwell initial learning curve is always steep, not only from a technical standpoint, but in understanding the mindset and mastering the nuances of what it takes to be competitive in a particular series. In World Challenge, where the emphasis is on keeping the cars as production-based as possible, the learning curve is as much about what you cant do as what you can. The v2.0 CTS-V designed and built by Cadillac Racing, its technical partner Pratt & Miller, and engine-builder Katech
76 THE DREAM SEASON
CADDY IS THE DADDY
PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE (MAIN and LEFT) After switching from Corvette Racing to Cadillacs back-for-2011 Pirelli World Challenge program, Johnny OConnell added yet another Drivers Championship to his rsum in 2012.
CTS-V DELIVERS
In the sophomore season of Cadillac Racings Pirelli World Challenge return, a Manufacturers Championship and a 1-2 finish in the Drivers Championship was just reward for a true team effort.
MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Taking on a fired-up Volvo team and sports car giants like Porsche was never going to be easy. But Caddy was up to the task.
CADILLAC
69 68
PORSCHE VOLVO
28
Points system: Highest-placed entry from each manufacturer earns points. First receives 9pts, then 7-5-3-2-1.
WINS
Three wins for Johnny OConnell and one for Andy Pilgrim built on the momentum Cadillac ended 2011 with, when OConnell won two of the final four races.
4
CADILLAC VOLVO
4 2
PORSCHE CORVETTE
With 9 top-5 finishes for OConnell and 11 for Pilgrim from 12 races, consistency was a major weapon in the Cadillac arsenal.
for the 2011 return carried over some parts and thinking from the v1.0 racecar of 2004-07 wheel bearings, axles, some of the powertrain and driveline systems, plus a similar suspension layout, for example but much else was new, including many of the people involved in the program. Pilgrim was a key link to the previous World Challenge campaign, and his experience was to prove an invaluable reference point. Most of the crew was new, except for a couple people from Corvette, says Steve Cole, Pratt & Miller program manager and technical leader at Cadillac Racing. We needed to learn all over again how World Challenge did things, how they responded to balance of performance changes, and things like that. As we learned more about
JOHNNY OCONNELL 1348 PTS (3 WINS) (CADILLAC CTS-V)
LAWSON ASCHENBACH 1112 (1) (PORSCHE 911 GT3)
RACER.com 77
(NISSAN GTR/CHEVROLET CORVETTE)
RANDY POBST 1137 (3) (VOLVO S60)
ANDY PILGRIM 1199 (1) (CADILLAC CTS-V)
(LEFT) A sweep of both races at Detroits Belle Isle track was key to OConnells title push. But in World Challenge, success is a double-edged sword, bringing ballast as well as points and glory...
MIKE SKEEN 887 (2)
ALEX FIGGE 1095 (1) (VOLVO S60)
CORVETTE
82
DONT BE SCARED OF LE MONSTRE Ever heard of Le Monstre? Thats what astonished French race fans called the stunningly rebodied Cadillac 61 Series coupe entered by entrepreneur and sportsman Briggs Cunningham in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans (BELOW). With Cunningham and Phil Walters driving, the aerodynamically audacious machine finished 11th, one spot behind a stockbodied 61 Series coupe also entered by Cunningham. Its good to know that bold styling has always been part of Cadillacs DNA.
the process, we knew what to prioritize and where we wanted to improve. Stripped of luxury, the racecar weighs 3,200lbs, some 1,000lbs less than the road car. But power is down, too, with the World Challenges emphasis on performance parity removing the CTS-V road cars supercharger from the racecars 6.2-liter V8 and adding a power-reducing air restrictor. Net result is a 460hp race engine, compared with 556hp from the road car. For Cadillac Racing and its drivers, learning to live with the restricted engine was all part of the learning curve. We entered the series so unbelievably restricted that getting close to a podium didnt enter our minds until four or five races in, says OConnell. We werent close, power-wise, but we gradually got more and more. It wasnt until the end of 2011, when the restrictions were eased enough, that we had a package that could be combined with everyones R.E.W.A.R.D.S. weight [successbased weight penalties designed to keep the field close] and be competitive. With the 2011 season in the books and OConnell taking second in points, winter work included developing a race-ready anti-lock braking system and tweaking the aerodynamic package in the wind tunnel all part of the ongoing process of getting to the front and, harder still, staying there. Over the winter it became clear that
all the other competitive cars had ABS or some kind of four-wheel drive, Cole says. It was clear we had a disadvantage, and it was then time to develop the ABS. GM and Pratt & Millers partnership allows the two to share resources, personnel, technology and information across the multiple race programs they work on together, which helps a fledgling program like Cadillac Racings reach its full potential. If one team has a problem with a car, information can be shared, says Caldwell. Working together elevates everyone, so you dont have to go and relearn every lesson every time. Thats a key strength. Early success in 2012 proved a
LAT archive
78 THE DREAM SEASON
(ABOVE) As the Manufacturers Championship battle heated up, Johnny OConnell and Andy Pilgrim were joined at Mid-Ohio by Corvette Racing enduro regular Jordan Taylor. (LEFT) Fans watch the Cadillac Racing crew prep the racecars at Long Beach.
caddy is the daddy
HERES JOHNNY!
Johnny OConnells Corvette Racing rsum includes three 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins and five ALMS championships, but the desire to compete and to win shows no sign of diminishing. Fact is, his switch to Cadillac Racing for its 2011 return to the Pirelli World Challenge seems only to have increased his motivation and his hunger. I love every single second of it, enthuses the 2012 World Challenge GT Drivers Champion. For me, being at a track, going racing, competing can never get boring or frustrating. Guys who lose the desire tend to slow down, but racing is still the prime motivating force in my life. Im still every bit as hungry to test, race and win now as I was aged 23 or 24. But, like all successful racers, OConnell knows that winning on a consistent basis isnt solely down to his desire or his prowess behind the wheel. I had 41 wins in 10 years at Corvette Racing, he says. That didnt happen because of the greatness of Johnny
After a decade of success with Corvette, Johnny OConnells Cadillac switch continues his winning ways.
involved wants to win as much as I do. The transition from Corvette Racing and the ALMS to Cadillacs World Challenge program meant a switch from multi-driver endurance racing to single-driver sprints, but it hasnt required that much of a change in OConnells approach. In the ALMS, there wasnt a real compromise on setup with my teammate Jan Magnussen, because we tended to like the same car, he explains. My mindset in World Challenge is actually very similar to ALMS: attack when you have a car to attack with, but make sure you come home with a good finish. When my team supplies me with a great car like the Cadillac, I just have to do some pretty simple things; dont hit anybody, dont break anything, and stay on the racetrack. The key to winning is always being there, and this season we made sure we were. There were a lot of competitive cars out there, but this championship was won with a combination of speed and wisdom.
Pic Cred/LAT Clive Rose/LAT
Attack when you have a car to attack with, but make sure you come home with a good finish
Johnny OConnell OConnell, but the greatness of everyone working together. We always had competitive stuff then, and thats continued with my move to Cadillac Racing. [Team director] Steve Cole has built an organization here at Cadillac thats second to none, and everybody
(ABOVE) Corvettes first Le Mans class win, in 2001, came with Johnny OConnell in the winning driver lineup. (RIGHT) His switch to Cadillac has added a World Challenge title to his rsum.
RACER.com 79
CADILLACS CORNERSTONE In every single race that Cadillac CTS-Vs have contested, Andy Pilgrim has been behind the wheel of one of them. During Cadillac Racings initial World Challenge program, from 2004 through 07, the Englishborn, U.S.-domiciled racer took three race victories, 10 podium finishes and, in 05, Cadillacs first Drivers Championship. During Cadillacs brief hiatus, Pilgrim remained a regular in the series, notching up three more wins. On Cadillacs return, Pilgrim was the natural choice to take up where hed left off.
(LEFT) Maximum focus for Andy Pilgrim. (BELOW) Johnny OConnell took a two-race victory sweep in GMs own backyard Detroits Belle Isle street track.
double-edged sword. OConnells win at the St. Petersburg season opener and Pilgrims win at Long Beach a couple races later meant both Cadillacs would be saddled with extra R.E.W.A.R.D.S. weight. By the fifth and six races of the year, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May, OConnell had 196lbs added to his car. Of course a driver doesnt like carrying
In this series, its like the last 10 laps of a NASCAR race on a permanent basis
Andy Pilgrim all that extra weight, but I understand the philosophy, OConnell says. At Miller this year, I got the jump on Patrick Long [Porsche] at the start, but he knew Id have to conserve my tires because Im carrying about 100lbs more weight than he is. It becomes a waiting game. But waiting game is definitely a relative term. In a 50-minute World Challenge sprint race, theres not a whole lot of laps to bide your time and choose your moment to make things happen as there would be in a regular or endurance length sports car race. OConnell and Pilgrim are both
80 THE DREAM SEASON
experienced endurance racers, but have adapted well to the sprint race mentality of knowing you have to charge hard early and make the most of every opportunity, or otherwise run anonymously. In this series, its like the last 10 laps of a NASCAR race on a permanent basis, says Pilgrim. Any hole, any opportunity, any half-decent or even slight chance that you see, you have to take it, because you may not get another one. In other words: Who dares, wins. Which could be a neat way of summing up how and why Cadillac goes racing. In todays luxury performance market you either lead, hibernate or migrate. Weve chosen to lead, says Don Butler, Cadillacs vice president of marketing. As a leader in this competitive market, were not afraid to put our product and reputation on the starting line to do battle with some of the worlds top brands in the race to the finish line. All in all, that battle worked out pretty well and, for OConnell and Cadillac Racing, its another mission accomplished. Winning the championship was my objective since the awards banquet last year, when we finished second in points, he says. We didnt make any mistakes this year, and its always great when you set a goal and meet it.
Richard Prince/Cadillac Racing Photo
caddy is the daddy
VS. THE WORLD

Johnny OConnell likes the ATS, Cadillacs all-new compact sport sedan. Actually, its more accurate to say that the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge champ is nuts about the ATS. Its insane how good the ATS is, he says. Its the best car Ive ever driven as a GM vehicle. That comparison is not even close. They are truly living up to their motto of Standard of the World, and using racing as a platform to achieve that. With the end-of-year awards and accolades beginning to flood in, including the Motor Press Guilds prestigious 2013 Car of the Year title, it seems hes not alone in thinking that. It doesnt take a great leap of the imagination to see the ATS joining its big brother, the CTS-V, on the racetrack sometime soon. Meanwhile, its performance credentials have been showcased in a series of stunning ads and online videos that saw it put through its paces by pro racer Derek Hill, son of 1961 Formula 1 World Champion Phil, over some
Cadillacs all-new ATS gets put through its paces on some extreme roads.
places on earth, Patagonia, took on the teeth-loosening bumps of Chinas Guoliang Tunnel, and gave the brakes and handling an extreme workout by taking on 100 hairpin turns in Moroccos Atlas Mountains. As a professional driver, I think that Cadillac got it right with the ATS, says Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring class winner Hill. Whether it was the Magnetic Ride Control adjusting the suspension in the bumpy Guoliang Tunnel, or the performance of the Brembo brakes as we took on the hairpins in the Atlas Mountains, it really responded when I pushed it to its limits. The series, called ATS vs. the World, was directed by Academy Awardnominated documentary maker Joe Berlinger and acclaimed film maker and multiple PIkes Peak Hillclimb class winner Jeff Zwart. As well as showcasing the ATSs performance, the segments also highlight the cultures of the regions visited in the series. Find out more at ats-vs-world.cadillac.com
of the most extreme roads on the planet. Accompanied by actor Ross Thomas, Hill let loose the ATSs outright performance on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, tested its advanced aero chops in one of the windiest
(MAIN) The ATS vs. the World documentary crew gets windblown in Patagonia. (ABOVE TOP) Derek Hill gives it the gun on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. (ABOVE) Hill (right) was joined by actor Ross Thomas on the Cadillac ATSs international tour.
Cadillac
Cadillac
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Cadillac
RACER ON THE ROAD
ROAD TEST Cadillac CTS-V Coupe JR Hildebrand
WORDS & IMAGES Richard S. James
CADDY SHOCK
82 THE DREAM SEASON
ndyCar star JR Hildebrand put Cadillacs CTS-V Coupe through its paces in the January 2012 issue of RACER. Its fair to say he was impressed... I was sitting at the stoplight and I plunked it into second gear, got on it, kicked the clutch to get the revs up and had this thing on full opposite lock, totally crossed up, pouring smoke off the tires, a massive drift coming out of Sonoma Raceway. It was shocking! That, to me, is the epitome of what a true-blue American hot rod should be able to do. Thats Panther Racing IndyCar driver
With its distinctive shape, extreme performance and luxury, the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe proved a hit with Chevy IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand.
CADILLAC CTS-V COUPE
Hildebrand couldnt be more impressed with the Caddy. Its such a well-balanced car in so many ways, he says. And, yes, he loves having 556hp...
JR Hildebrand describing a recent automotive experience. He must be talking about the 66 Chevelle that Panther CEO John Barnes presented him for his second-place finish at the 2011 Indianapolis 500. Or maybe a Corvette. No, its a Cadillac. A CTS-V coupe with 556hp from a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 wrapped in a wedge-shaped luxurious package. And Hildebrand loves it. Its the first new car that Ive thought, after driving it for a couple of days, if I had the money Id buy this car, he says. Its everything that a modern-day muscle car should be but its much nicer.
Hildebrand drove from Southern California to his old stomping grounds near San Francisco and the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Sonoma. On the route, he experienced the Interstate-devouring capabilities and backroads-carving proclivities of Caddys performance flagship. There are so many cars that look fast and sound fast, but there arent that many that are fast, that have the raw power youd be looking for in a muscle car or even a sports sedan, he says. In my mind, until I drove this car, the sports sedan category was reserved for [BMW] M5s and [Mercedes-Benz] AMGs. I have a
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RACER ON THE ROAD
Back roads in Northern California revealed to JR that the CTS-V had the electronic brain to go with the mechanical brawn, feeling deft and nimble despite its 4,200lb weight.
fairly high standard for what I feel an American sports car should be all about, and this car absolutely exceeded every expectation I had. There may be a little bit of a stigma as a luxury car, but I could certainly get past that based on the driving experience. And the fact that it is such a nice car lends itself to having that sleeper feel. Its such a well-balanced car in so many ways. Its got good brakes, the suspension is really nice, it cruises well. But on top of that, youve got an immaculate interior, its very comfortable to drive and it fulfills your normal daily driver needs. It does that with a combination of luxury and performance matched by few cars today usually those with slanted M badges or AMG badges, as Hildebrand noted. The luxury appointments are hard to argue with and include most of the refinements found in other luxury cars, such as fine leather interiors, keyless entry and ignition, heated and ventilated
84 THE DREAM SEASON
seats, Bluetooth, navigation and various other examples of electronic wizardry. Its all wrapped in a very distinctive, angular body that, looking a bit like the worlds fastest computer cursor, will be mistaken for nothing else on the road. But in between the front seats of this particular car sits a bit of old technology considered pass by many manufacturers
and downright archaic by most U.S. drivers: a 6-speed manual transmission gearshift. Of course, a 6-speed electronically controlled automatic with paddle shifters is offered, but the mere existence of a manual option these days tingles the senses of serious drivers. You wont find one of those on any AMG or Lexus F-model. It hints that the V on the trunklid and fenders truly signifies serious performance, as opposed to just being a powerful luxury car, and its that performance that gets Hildebrands not-so-inner racecar driver stoked. Aside from the 556hp produced by a 6.2-liter V8 with an Eaton dual-scroll supercharger on top, the CTS-V features magneto-rheological controlled shocks with Tour and Sport modes, big Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers up front and a limited-slip differential. It reacts quickly and you know exactly what its going to do, comments
Cadillac Cts- v coupe
THICK END OF THE WEDGE
CADILLAC CTS-V COUPE TECHNICAL SPECS

Engine: Supercharged, 6.2-liter V8; aluminum block and heads; two valves per cylinder; sequential fuel injection; 556hp @ 6100rpm; 551lb.-ft @3800rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic Suspension: Unequal-length A-arm front, multi-link rear with magneto-rheological dampers. Brakes f/r: 6-piston aluminum Brembo calipers, 15in. rotors/ 4-piston calipers, 14.7in. rotors Wheels, f/r: 19x9 / 19x10 Tires, f/r: 255/40R19 / 285/35R19 Length: 188.5in. Width: 74.1in. Height: 56in. Wheelbase: 113.4in. Weight: 4,217lbs (manual version)
Even ignoring its amazing horsepower-per-dollar ratio, Id pick the CTS-V 10 times out of 10
JR Hildebrand Hildebrand. One thing that really stood out to me was the steering. It had a great feel to it. Just that in itself is kind of confidence-inspiring. I took it on some back roads in Northern California and it handles its weight very well. It shows that Cadillacs doing an excellent job taking its cars over to Germany, to the Nurburgring, and really putting them through their paces to tune the suspension. You could tell right away that it was capable of taking a pretty serious amount of effort. Indeed. Hildebrand may not have found it while exploring the car, but the CTS-V carries a G-meter that records the maximum lateral acceleration. After he had it a few days, it read 1.2. Thats a
large number for a big luxury car, and even the most basic of luxuries these days weigh cars down. This CTS-V tips the scale at more than 4,200lbs., though notably with a 51/49 weight distribution. In a lot of heavy cars, you really feel the weight and notice the pitch and roll of the car. There was definitely a little bit of that its unavoidable but it didnt feel nearly as big as it is. It has a stiff, but sort of hooked-up feel to it, and it would dig in and carve through a corner, rather than feeling that sort of floaty, lazy way in tight corners that a lot of sedans do. If Hildebrand has any quibbles about the car, it would be that, in the pursuit of comfort, there are almost too many adjustments in the cockpit. Plus, it took him a bit of time before he really became one with the car. With the coupe, you have the looks and the added rigidity, but it does create some blind spots. It took a few days to really settle in, to get to the point where I was comfortable in the seat
A DRIVING FORCE IN INDYCARS JR Hildebrand might have lost the Indy 500 to a last-lap crash in 2011, but hes been winning fans ever since. The driver of Panther Racings Chevrolet-powered IZOD IndyCar Series car is a fan favorite for his hard-charging style and friendly, yet forthcoming demeanor.
and had the mirrors where they needed to be in order to have good visibility. Those, however, are small arguments with a car that Hildebrand feels hits the mark in every other way hot rod, freeway cruiser, sports sedan. He says if Cadillac was aiming for the luxury performance sedan segment dominated by the Germans, not only did the designers meet that goal, they exceeded it with the CTS-V. This car has all you need, especially if youre a RACER reader! As far as Im concerned and ignoring its amazing horsepower-per-dollar ratio I would choose this car 10 times out of 10. Cadillac is a classic brand and its managed to get the most out of the car. Theres nothing that says this is your granddaddys Cadillac, he concludes. Its a whole new brand image, and theyve done a heck of a job creating a car that can compete with the best luxury sport sedans out there.
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Maria W. Grady/LAT
NHRA PRO STOCK
86 THE DREAM SEASON
NEW BEGINNING FOR ENDERS
Erica Enderss historic first NHRA Pro Stock victory was the catalyst for a big season.
WORDS Todd Veney MAIN IMAGE Marc Gewertz
llen Johnson finally claimed an overdue first NHRA championship in 2012, but Pro Stocks real breakout star was Chevy driver Erica Enders, who entered the season winless in her stop-start career and ended it a four-time event champ and legitimate title contender. After dropping her first six NHRA finals, Enders went the distance at Chicagos Route 66 Raceway, upsetting nemesis Greg Anderson in a classic final, leaving within .002sec of him and running doorhandle to doorhandle to the lights. Im glad it was him, Enders says. It was perfect, the best day of my life. Chicago is where I was in my first final, in 2005, against the same driver, the one I wanted to beat the most. The 29-year-old Texan scored again a few races later in Seattle, then again at the very next race, Brainerd. On a roll, she runner-upped at two of the following three events and won the next one, St. Louis. All of a sudden, the driver who just months earlier couldnt quite win found herself in a car that couldnt lose. For a while there, we had the quickest car in Pro Stock, and thats something Ive never had before, says Enders of her GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt. The KB
After coming frustratingly close several times in 2011, Enders reversed those results by sweeping to four Pro Stock wins with her Cagnazzi-run Cobalt in 2012. In the process, she became the first female to win in the category. RACER.com 87
NHRA PRO STOCK
National Dragster/NHRA
A PRECOCIOUS PATH TO THE PROS A star in NHRAs Jr. Dragsters from age 8, Erica Enders scored 37 wins and was the subject of a popular Disney Channel movie about her exploits. Moving to Pro Stock in 2005, she drove for Don Schumacher and Jim Cunningham, before joining Cagnazzi in 2011.
guys [Anderson and Jason Line] knew they were the ones to beat for years until they gave it up to figure out the new Camaros, and Allen Johnson had that for most of the year. But for six or eight races, we had it. To know your car can win and that its all on your shouldersthats how I want to race all the time. And she wants it to be at Cagnazzi Racing. Everybody here has my back, she says. Were friends. With a lot of teams, you cant wait to get away from the track so you can get away from everybody, but not here. Crew chief Dave Connolly, who also happens to be a 23-time winner as a Pro Stock driver, has watched it all unfold. She finally got the monkey off her back with that first win and ended up having an exceptional year, he enthuses about Enders. She did great, and bringing Tommy Utt on board was crucial. Thats what made this car so consistent for so long, and thats why we won so many rounds.
Were friends. With a lot of teams, you cant wait to get away from the track...but not here
Erica Enders Enders went 39-19 for the year, with those four victories (Chicago, Seattle, Brainerd, and St. Louis) and three more final-round appearances (Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Dallas). About the only thing that could have been better is if one of the four had come at drag racings most prestigious event, the U.S. Nationals at Indy. Instead, she lost the final by a fender to, of all people, Connolly, who made one of his infrequent appearances behind the wheel that weekend. Low e.t. was 6.55, and Enders ran 6.55s in all three of the preliminary rounds. But she slipped to a 6.58 in the final and lost to Connollys best run all day, another 6.58, and a slightly quicker reaction time.
I didnt think he could beat me, she recalls. We blew the tires off on the launch for the only time all day, and I remember thinking, Really, Dave? Now this has to happen? It was so close down there. I know one thing: If I ever run him in another final, Im not letting him touch my car. Enders seven finals and four wins represent a quantum leap forward from 2011, which had been the best year of her Pro Stock career to that point if a bit of a frustrating one. My whole 2011 season was one big Hard Luck Award, says Enders, who came up empty in three final elimination rounds. This past year, though, she won more final rounds than anyone except Johnson, who won seven. (Anderson also had four.) She really slapped it to the guys this year, says Chevrolet NHRA program manager Roger Allen. Four wins and its not like she backed into any of them. That car just seems to go down the
88 THE DREAM SEASON
new beginning for enders
Once Enders had claimed her first Wally trophy with the tight-knit Cagnazzi Racing squad (OPPOSITE), three more followed in quick succession as the team honed the GK Cobalt into a regular win contender.
COPO CAMARO
A NEW STOCK OPTION

Evoking memories of the muscle cars 1960s glory days, when gearheads ordered their own factory-built race cars from dealerships, Dave Connolly entered the U.S. Nationals at Indy (BELOW) with a brand-new COPO Camaro painted to honor Chevy godfather and Pro Stock pioneer Bill Grumpy Jenkins. Facing the nations top Stock drivers at the biggest race of the year, all Connolly did was win the CC/SA class title in the cars debut. That was the first time Ive ever footbraked a car, says Connolly, crew chief for Chevy Pro Stock star Erica Enders. Chevy really did its homework, and we had a chassis that worked immediately. The Stocker didnt get the attention it deserved. It just sat there for the first week we had it because we were at Brainerd [where Enders won Pro Stock ] and we only had time to make a few minor changes, change some ratios around, and test it once before Indy. In addition to tuning Enders Pro Stocker, Connolly raced Pro Stock at seven events in 2012 including Indy, where, after winning CC/SA, he won Pro Stock, edging Enders in a storybook final. He also made it down to 10 cars in the 166-car Stock field before dropping a close match to his former idol, Jeg Coughlin, and lasted until the semifinals in his other appearance at Charlotte. We worked hard to have cars for the people we knew would get them to Indy, says Chevrolet NHRA program manager Roger Allen. It was crucial to have success immediately, and Dave and the Cagnazzi team did without having much time to develop the car. Well have roller chassis available for racers who want one of these cars, but already have a huge investment in engines and transmissions. These cars are for people who want to race them, not just own them as an investment.
Marc Gewertz
Marc Gewertz
track better than other cars. The Cagnazzi team was as fast or faster than anyone through the middle part of the year, and she held up her end by driving well all season. If that kind of success had been spread over a different stretch of the season say, two months later, right at the start of the NHRAs Countdown to the Championship playoff run what already was a career year could have been a championship season.
Dave and I talked about that a little, Enders says. We keep stats, and had that streak come a couple of races later, who knows? [Team owner] Victor [Cagnazzi] said that when you compare how we were doing earlier in 2012 with how Jeg Coughlin did when he was on the team and won championships [in 2007 and 08], we were ahead of that pace. It was, without a doubt, my best year ever, says Enders, who topped it off Dec. 7 by marrying her longtime boyfriend, driver Richie Stevens, a six-time winner in NHRA Pro Stock competition and multiple-event champ in both IHRA and the ADRL. A lot of people have been asking me, now that the year is over, how it could be any better, like theres nothing left, she says. Theres plenty left, trust me. Im super hungry. I thought 2011 was good sixth place in the points and a bunch of finals. Well, look what happened last season fourth place in the points and four wins. Were for real.
Crew chief Dave Connolly (with Enders, LEFT) was both a vital asset and occasionally an unwelcome rival in 2012, but their joint efforts point the way to a title push in 13,
Marc Gewertz
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NHRA PRO STOCK
WORDS Todd Veney MAIN IMAGE Marc Gewertz
KB: BLUE CHIPS OF PRO STOCK KB Racings sacrificial 2012 season would look pretty solid to any team but the long-time heavyweight of the NHRAs Pro Stock category. Greg Anderson (ABOVE) not only has taken four Pro Stock crowns and 77 race victories with KB, but finished in the top three in points 10 straight years until 2012s challenges saw him slip to fifth. Yet his four victories extended his streak of seasons with at least one win to 12. Teammate Jason Line (BELOW) stretched a similar streak to eight years with his two 2012 victories. Hes been one of Andersons most reliable opponents since joining KB in 2004, taking two championship titles (2006, 11) and 33 victories in his nine seasons with the squad.
Marc Gewertz
MUSCLE BUILDERS
A pre-emptive move to Camaros puts KB Racings Greg Anderson and Jason Line ahead of the Pro Stock pack.
ro Stocks unofficial team of the century faced a difficult dilemma last year: Keep running the Pontiac GXPs that had taken it to the pinnacle of the sport, or scrap perfectly good cars to sort out brand-new Chevrolet Camaros right in the middle of a championship hunt. Youre always trying to go forward, says four-time Pro Stock world champ Greg Anderson, who won Englishtown in the Camaros midseason debut, stopping KB Racing teammate Jason Line in the final. You cant just show up with the same thing you had at the last race and expect it to run better, and whenever you try stuff, theres risk. Sometimes youre going to go backward, and for a while we did. It didnt cost us the championship theres no guarantee that either one of us would have
won it with the old cars but Jasons Pontiac was deadly when he parked it. So was Andersons identical Summit Racing Pontiac. Not only did Anderson win Englishtown in the new Camaro, he had won three of the four races before that Charlotte, Atlanta, and Topeka all with the old GXP. We need muscle cars in Pro Stock, cars that people associate with performance, Anderson says. Thats what fans want to see us drive, and thats why we did this. Something had to be done, and Im not sorry we made this switch. The Camaro is going to be a great car, and were in much better shape now than wed be in if wed waited until the off-season to do it. Thats what most people would have
90 THE DREAM SEASON
Marc Gewertz
THE CAMARO COMETH
LONGEST TO FASTEST
CAMAROS PRO STOCK SLOW-BURN

When Greg Anderson unveiled the new Chevy Camaro Pro Stocker with a victory at Englishtown last June, it was the culmination of months of work by countless engineers and fabricators not just Chevrolet. It took a long time, says Anderson, who had three final-round appearances with the Camaro while conducting R&D on it on the fly during the 23-race NHRA season. Chevys hands were tied a little in the development of the body, and racers and chassis builders were heavily involved in this deal. The NHRA Camaro Pro Stock body was developed by Five Star and Jerry Haas with some aero help from Don Ness, says Chevy NHRA program manager Roger Allen. Theres also another version of the Camaro thats not legal for Pro Stock thats being used in Pro Mod and in the ADRL. In NHRA competition, Anderson and teammate Jason Lines switch to the Camaro may have opened the floodgates. At Pomona in November, former championship runner-up Greg Stanfield had one, top-10 contender Roger Brogdon had another, and several more are slated to debut in 2013. Theyll love em, Anderson says. You just have to figure out what the car wants. We got a little lost after Englishtown, when we went to different tracks with it for the first time, but it keeps getting better. I mean, a Camaro [Lines 214.35mph car ]is already the fastest Pro Stocker of all time.
Four consecutive No. 1 qualifying runs for Anderson (ABOVE) and Line (LEFT), as well as Pro Stocks first run to exceed 214mph, testified to the Camaros potential.
done. Greg and Jason gave up their year, as it turns out, to develop the Camaro for Pro Stock, says Chevy NHRA program manager Roger Allen. Pro Stock is as big as it gets in drag racing for Chevrolet were not really involved in Top Fuel or Funny Car and Greg and Jason are the best there is in Pro Stock. They put aside their own success to help us get the Camaro out there, and if they hadnt done it, no one else would have considered making the switch. The new car took longer to develop than the KB team anticipated. This is a different chassis-body-balance-aero package, with completely different characteristics, says Anderson who, in the 2000s, has two third-place finishes in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, four
We have no regrets. It was the right thing to do. Muscle cars belong in Pro Stock
Jason Line second-place finishes, and four championships (2003-05 and 2010). We knew there would be a little lull and a big learning process, but we figured there would be plenty of time for us to get back up to full speed before the Countdown [to the Championship playoffs, the last six races of the NHRA season]. I guess we really underestimated how big of a challenge this was. Anderson still went on to rack up two more final-round appearances with the
Camaro, in Chicago and Sonoma. Line got his car one race after Anderson did and scored at Norwalk and Chicago, backed up his 2011 championship with a second-place finish to Allen Johnson, and made the fastest run in NHRA Pro Stock history, 214.35mph, in the second round of eliminations at Maple Grove. I think its important to have this car in Pro Stock, says Line, who heads up all dyno work for the team. We struggled at first, but youll have that. The Camaro is a sporty muscle car the best-looking one out there, in my opinion. This wasnt easy, but we have no regrets. It was the right thing to do. Muscle cars belong in Pro Stock, and hopefully Dodge will get a Challenger out there at some point. Thats drag racing. Thats Pro Stock.
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FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Chevrolets eight-year World Touring Car Championship adventure ended on another high, with a manufacturers and drivers title double.
WORDS Gary Watkins MAIN IMAGE Jakob Ebrey/LAT
94 THE DREAM SEASON
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
In the Chevy Cruzes final appearance as a factory WTCC racer, Rob Huff heads to the 2012 drivers title around the unforgiving streets of Macau.
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Ebrey/LAT
A GUY THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO BEAT... First glance, 2012 might look like a Cruze cruise, but nothings easy when youre up against one of the all-time great sedan racers, Gabriele Tarquini (BELOW left). Racing a privateer SEAT in 2012, the Italian was always there if the trio of Cruzes should stumble.
here can be no better way for a manufacturer to step down from a series than to win the championship three times in succession, take the top three positions in its final season and block out the podium in its very final race. Newly crowned World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff hit the spot when he summed up the events of this years series finale on the streets of Macau in Southeast Asia. Chevrolet undoubtedly went out in style. Chevrolet Europe announced its decision in the summer to call time on a long-standing program in the WTCC, which spanned a wildly successful eight seasons and two different car models. Along the way, Chevy claimed those three drivers titles (two for Frenchman Yvan Muller and one for Huff from Great Britain), another trio of manufacturers crowns and a grand total of 68 race wins. It was an amazing final season for Chevrolet in the WTCC. It won all but four of the 24 races and the three factory drivers at the wheel of the latest Cruze sedan racer developed by RML in the UK were separated by just 20 points in the
(LEFT) Not a bad effort... During Chevys eight WTCC seasons, RMLs engineers and mechanics oversaw three manufacturers and three drivers titles, along with some 68 race victories.
Nate Napierala
96 THE DREAM SEASON
Nate Napierala
(MAIN) Alain Menu finished runner-up in the final standings. (LEFT) Yvan Muller brought Chevy two WTCC drivers titles. (BELOW) Mission accomplished, Rob Huff celebrates clinching the 2012 WTCC title in the Macau finale.
FIA World Touring Car Championship
Chevy DOES THE TRIPLE DOUBLE

After eight years, Chevrolet signed off from the WTCC with its third consecutive Drivers and Manufacturers Championship double in 2012. Its first race win came in 2006, with 67 more following.
Manufacturers Championship
Nate Napierala
In 2012, Chevy became the first manufacturer to earn more than 1000 points in a season under the current points system.
Chevrolet BMW Customer Racing Teams SEAT Customer Technology
1025 650 617
Points system: 1st 25pts, then 18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. Top 5 in Q2 earn 5-4-3-2-1. Manufs Chship counts top 2 cars per make.
WINS
Of Chevrolets 20 race wins in 2012, the consistent Rob Huff earned 5. His teammates Alain Menu and Yvan Muller won 6 and 9 races, respectively.
Drivers Championship
20 3
Chevrolet
BMW
Ebrey/LAT
SEAT
final classification, veteran Swiss Alain Menu splitting champ Huff and Muller. The factory teams from BMW and SEAT may have departed the WTCC, but RML boss Ray Mallock, a 20-year veteran of General Motors motorsport programs, takes great satisfaction from 2012.
There were no team orders, except that you dont run into one of your teammates
Ray Mallock We squeezed further performance out of the Cruze and let our three drivers battle it out between them, he says. Having the three title contenders under one roof brings its own challenges. There were no team orders, except that you dont run into one of your teammates. And if you do, you give him back the position straight away. Huffs rise to World Champion is also of significance to Mallock, who has run the Brit since he graduated to top-line sedan racing in the British Touring Car
Championship with SEAT back in 2004. Weve invested a lot in Rob, so his success is particularly satisfying, he says. There was a time in our second year when he struggled, but between us we got on top of the problem and put him back on track. Huff cant hide his gratitude toward Chevrolet and RML, saying: To pay them back with the title after everything theyve done for me means a lot. I hope they are proud that they made a World Champion out of me. Huff was on his own, though, in the second of the finales two races on the punishing Guia circuit in Macau. An accident when leading the opening race put his championship in doubt. I said some things under my breath that cant be printed, he recalls. I was upset and angry with myself, but I knew that Id gone into the weekend with a healthy 37-point lead and had put the car on pole by more than half a second. I knew I could dig deep and bang some fast laps in, but I also knew that it was important to monitor where I was and assess what I had to do to clinch the title.
After finishing third overall in 2008 and 10 and second in 2011, Great Britains Rob Huff finally earned his first WTCC title in 2012.
1 Rob Huff (Chevrolet) 2 Alain Menu (Chevrolet) 3 Yvan Muller (Chevrolet) 4 Gabriele Tarquini (SEAT) 5 Tom Coronel (BMW) 6 Norbert Michelisz (BMW)
413 pts 401 393 252 207 155
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Ebrey/LAT
A SPRINT AROUND THE WORLD The WTCC grew out of a successful European Touring Car Championship. Series boss Marcello Lotti had global aspirations for the series and met the FIA criteria for a World Championship by securing four manufacturers and devising a calendar that visited three different continents. The WTCC revived the series of the same name that ran for one season in 1987, but has little in common. The original series was based on multi-class endurance races. The calling card of the new-look WTCC has been short, sharp sprint races and one class of car. The WTCC raced outside Europe in Mexico, Turkey and Macau in its 2005 debut season. Since then its visited Brazil, Japan, China and, in 2012, the USA at Californias Sonoma Raceway. Chevys on hiatus for now, but waiting in the wings are manufacturers such as Citroen, which would run its rally superstar Sebastien Loeb (BELOW).
Second place behind Menu, the man hoping to deprive him of the title, was more than enough for Huff to become the second British WTCC title winner after Andy Priaulx, three times a champion with BMW. Huff had come along way from the sophomore touring car driver who pitched up in the WTCC in 2005. But so, too, had Chevrolet and RML. They joined with modest goals for an initial three-year program with the Lacetti model. In year one, the aim was to make it onto the podium, no mean feat when there was established factory opposition from BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT, not to mention a works entry from Ford. Menu hit the mark at the final time of asking in race two at Macau, but the result was lost on a technicality in post-race inspection. Victories were the target in year two, and this was achieved in the wet courtesy of Menu at Brands Hatch in Britain and in the dry with Huff behind the wheel at the Czech Brno track. The aim for year three was then to be in the mix in the championship, and again it was mission accomplished according to Mallock. Menu finished sixth
in the points with five wins and Nicola Larini, a Chevy regular from 2005-09, ended up fifth without scoring a victory. This progression continued into 2008, when Huff missed out on the runner-up spot by a solitary point. The first year of the new Cruze model in 09 coincided with the dominance of the SEAT turbodiesels. To my mind there wasnt a level playing field under the regulations at that time, says Mallock. It seemed to me that the diesels had a clear advantage. Spanish manufacturer SEAT had officially pulled out of the WTCC by the start of 2010, but its previously dominant Leon 2.0 TDI was now run by a satellite team with a roster of drivers taken from its factory program. The one exception was 2008 WTCC title winner Yvan Muller, who had moved over to Chevy. The Frenchman won the title in what Mallock regards as the high watermark of RMLs eight years with Chevrolet. SEAT didnt have a works team, but the performance of the cars was still there and BMW did have a works team, he explains. We had to do everything possible to
Red Bull
98 THE DREAM SEASON
Nate Napierala
WTCC SHOWCASES GLOBAL RACE ENGINE

The WTCC runs to the Super 2000 rulebook, which was conceived as a lower-cost replacement for the increasingly expensive Super Touring category. A Super 2000 car is built up around a shell off the production line and suspension parts can be remanufactured, but they must be able to fit on the production car. The rules were tweaked for 2011 with the arrival of a new breed of 1.6-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection Global Race Engines suitable for multiple race and rally series. There will be further revisions for 2014, which will result in lighter, more powerful, less aerodynamically restricted S2000 racers.
Ebrey/LAT
Nate Napierala
(MAIN) The tools of Rob Huffs trade await his arrival. (ABOVE) The RML team prepares its trio of Cruzes at Sonoma, the WTCCs U.S. debut. (LEFT) Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... (BELOW LEFT) The man himself, Huffy, leads a train at Sonoma.
WTCC CHEVROLET CRUZE TECHNICAL SPECS

Engine & transmission 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder, turbocharged, direct injection. Approx. 310hp 6-speed sequential shift w/ mechanical linkage Body, suspension & brakes Steel/composite body with aero kit defined by WTCC regulations MacPherson Strut front suspension and trailing twist axle rear suspension Front brakes: 4-pot aluminum caliper w/steel rotors; rear: 2-pot aluminum caliper w/steel rotors. Dimensions & weight L: 182.3in.; W: 73.2in.; H: 55.1in. 1160kg/2557lb (WTCC minimum)
squeeze every last ounce of performance out of the car, the drivers and the team. Yet Chevys WTCC program didnt just hit its targets on the racetrack; it achieved the marketing aims set for it, too. Chevrolet joined the WTCC in its inaugural year in 2005, although the
Nate Napierala
[In Europe ]we had to change a perception of Chevrolets as American gas-guzzlers

Eric Neve decision was made to enter the touring car arena before the go-ahead for the WTCC. When the Chevy program was signed off, the WTCC was still the European Touring Car Championship which tells you a lot about the original marketing aims. Chevrolets eight-year touring car adventure was part of a strategy to relaunch the brand in Europe. Speaking prior to his departure from Chevrolet at the end of last summer, European motorsport manager Eric Neve
said: Chevrolet was nominated by GM to be one of two global brands alongside Cadillac, and the focus was to be Europe. We were a completely unknown quantity in what was a mature market with educated buyers, but we had to change a perception of Chevrolets as American gas-guzzlers. The WTCC race program played a significant part in that, according to Neve. We know that the WTCC was pivotal in revitalizing the dealer network, he said. Motivated dealers sell cars. All its targets met, the current Chevrolet WTCC factory program came to an end at the conclusion of 2012 against the backdrop of Europes continuing economic challenges. But, rest assured, the Bowtie wont be disappearing from the WTCC just yet. As in previous seasons, there should be Cruzes in the hands of independent teams in 2013, while RML has stated its intention to try to be on the grid to defend its titles as a privateer. And who knows whats next? Mallock doesnt know if it can happen just yet, but hes optimistic that RML will very soon be working for General Motors again.
GLOBAL FOOTPRINT FOR CHEVYS BEST SELLER

Cruze is a globally developed and manufactured four-door compact sedan and five-door hatchback. It is Chevrolets best-selling passenger car around the world. U.S. and Canadian Cruzes are built in Lordstown, Ohio, including the gas-sipping Eco model.
An available RS package (ABOVE) gives a sporty look to Cruze LT and LTZ models. RACER.com 99
GM
Nate Napierala
AUSTRALIAS V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
WORDS Mark Glendenning MAIN IMAGE Paul Gilham/Getty Images
Jamie Whincup, Triple Eight and the Holden Commodore are the combo to beat in Australias V8 Supercars. In 2012, nobody could...
100 THE DREAM SEASON
WHINCUPS HOLDEN THE TROPHY AGAIN
Jamie Whincup on his way to a sweep of V8 Supercars Abu Dhabi triple-header. The 2012 champ notched up 12 wins from the series 31 races.
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australiaS v8 supercars championship
ack in 2004, this writer went indoor rock climbing in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, with Jamie Whincup for a magazine feature. The idea of the story was based around a metaphor for where Whincups career was at the time, although to be honest it was more about the fact that wed simply decided it would be fun to go climbing for a couple of hours. At that point, Whincup was in a slump. Having won the Australian Formula Ford title in 2002, hed skipped several steps of the development ladder and went straight into V8 Supercars with the GRM team the following year. Thats roughly the equivalent of leaping from USF2000 into the NASCAR Sprint Cup. His inexperience left him vulnerable in such a strong field and, after a largely disappointing season, he was dropped. Unable to find a new home, he was without a full-time ride for 2004, emerging only as a co-driver for the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst. Hence the premise for our rock climbing. Whincup was hanging by his fingertips, but there was a way to the top if only he could figure out the next couple of moves. A quick bit of background. Tin-tops, as racing sedans are known in Australia, have long been the centerpiece of the
Drivers Championship
Each event has a maximum 300 points on offer, but theyre split according to race formats, e.g., winning the Bathurst 1000 earns all 300, and a sprint race triple-header would award 100 per win.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
JAMIE WHINCUP (HOLDEN) CRAIG LOWNDES (HOLDEN) WILL DAVISON (FORD) TIM SLADE (FORD) GARTH TANDER (HOLDEN) LEE HOLDSWORTH (FORD) DAVID REYNOLDS (FORD)
3861 pts 3522 3049 2790 2462 2189 2187
MARK WINTERBOTTOM (FORD) 3457
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (FORD) 2554
10 JAMES COURTNEY (HOLDEN) 2153
countrys motorsports culture, and the over-juiced, fire-breathing, V8 Supercars are the pinnacle. The series is built around a rich heritage of powerful cars, heroic drivers, the blue versus red rivalry of Holdens Commodore and the Ford Falcon, and, above them all, The Mountain: Bathursts Mount Panorama, which hosts a 1000km endurance race every October. If you ask an IndyCar driver whether theyd rather win a championship or the Indy 500, they usually have to think hard before they answer. For the guys in V8 Supercars, its the same with Bathurst. Fast-forward to the present day, and Championship or Bathurst? is not a question that Whincup has to worry about. Hes won both. Four times each. Safe to assume that when he was dangling from that metaphoric rock wall all those years ago, he found the next handhold. During the intervening years hes moved across the divide from GMs Holden brand to Ford and back, although he managed to avoid the backlash that other drivers have faced from brand-loyal fans. I dont think a lot of people remember that I started my career with Holden, he says. But when I moved back to Holden [in 2010] I felt like the silent majority
Paul Kane/Getty Images
(MAIN) Not to be messed with... Jamie Whincup gets his race face on. (BELOW) After Triple Eight, Garth Tander was Holdens best of the rest in 2012, taking seventh in the points.
whincups holden the trophy again
Gordon, Earnhardt and the Beatles

Imagine what you might get if you created a driver who combined Jeff Gordons elder statesman status with Dale Earnhardt Jr.s cult of personality. Then go to Google and look up Craig Lowndes (BELOW), because V8 Supercars have already done it. A protg of Holden icon Peter Brock, Lowndes took on the mantle of the countrys best-known driver after Brocks death in a road rally in 2006. His recognition levels among the public are probably higher than those of Formula 1 star Mark Webber. Since linking up with Greg Murphy as a 22-year-old to become the youngest-ever Bathurst winner in 1996, Lowndes has added an additional four wins at the Mountain, as well as three championships. Hes one of those guys with immense innate ability, even if he struggles to explain where the speed came from; the kind who rejoins after a pit stop seemingly unaware that his tires are still cold. Once nicknamed The Kid, hes now 38 and showing flecks of gray, but still quick enough to take six wins in 2012, finishing just behind teammate Jamie Whincup in the points. His real value, though, is his open approach to his fans. In the V8 Supercars paddock, Lowndes is like a one-man Beatles, but hell sign autographs and pose for photos for as long as time allows. A colleague joked that his signature is the least valuable of all high-profile Australian athletes because everyone in the country already has it. Twice.
When I moved back to Holden, I felt like the silent majority were supporting me. So that was great
Jamie Whincup were supporting me. So that was great. At the time he switched, he was already a two-time champion, and from the outside, the move back to the Holden camp (also called The General by fans as a nod to GM) was pretty seamless. He finished runner-up in 2010 behind James Courtney, won in 11, and went back to back this year. But while the cars of the two manufacturers have some similarities, switching from one to the other isnt just a matter of changing the badge.
It was a massive task, says Triple Eight team principal Roland Dane. We were 30hp down on optimum when we first dynoed our Holden engines. By the first race of 2010, in Abu Dhabi, we were about 15hp off. We caught up by mid-year. So it wasnt seamless inside the team. In part, the transition was made easier by the teams relationship with its new manufacturer partner. Holden Motorsport is actually a division of GM Holdens marketing arm, with links to Holdens engineering department, as well as Chevy Racing in the U.S. All Holden-affiliated teams get some degree of assistance from The General, as Holden Motorsport manager Simon McNamara explains. We have two primary teams the factory Holden Racing Team, and Triple
big day at bathurst
(TOP) In the battle of Holdens factorysupported squads, Jamie Whincups Triple Eight Commodore goes door to door with Garth Tanders HRT machine. (ABOVE LEFT) Clichd, but true: Behind every great racecar driver is a great team. (ABOVE) Another win, another bottle of bubbly wasted for V8 Supercars top dog Whincup.
The Bathurst 1000 is right up there with Australias biggest sporting events, such as the Australian Football Leagues Grand Final, or Melbournes F1 Grand Prix. Situated 120 miles west of Sydney, Bathurst is a sleepy place for 51 weeks of the year. But in early October, its Mount Panorama scenic drive transforms into one of the most demanding tracks in racing, and 50,000 Ford and Holden fans descend.
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australiaS v8 supercars championship
Sometimes, neat and tidy isnt the fastest way... Even when his Holden Commodore gets this much air over the curbs, Jamie Whincup knows its the fastest way around the Surfers Paradise street track.
CAR OF THE FUTURE
RETAINING THE DNA

Safer, cheaper, better spectacle. The same buzzwords ripple through the press releases every time a series reveals a new-generation car. Its ironic, then, that the bit where V8 Supercars Car of the Future (COTF, BELOW), set to debut next year, departs from convention is that it aims to achieve all of this while remaining visually unchanged. In other words, the COTF will still look, sound and act like a V8 Supercar. It will just do it better. The most significant departure is the adoption of a control chassis, although the current chassis are already very similar. But retaining a manufacturers DNA in the COTF is essential in a series where the fans cheer for their favorite brand as much as for their favorite driver, so the bodywork of each racecar will remain identical to its road-going equivalent, save perhaps for minor parity-based tweaks. Vehicle costs will be reduced by around 25 percent, both for the initial build, and for the inevitable repairs when someone overcooks it at Bathursts Dipper and clouts the barrier. Safety improvements include moving the fuel tank from the trunk to a spot inside the main chassis, making it less vulnerable to rear impacts (look up Karl Reindler Barbagallo on YouTube to see what happens when that goes wrong). A collapsible steering column and improved side protection have been added, windscreens will be made from polycarbonate, and the engine will be shifted 100mm rearward. The car will be 100kg (220lbs) lighter than the current-spec, and the wheel size will increase from 17 to 18 inches. For our teams, COTF presents a new engineering challenge, said Holden Motorsports Simon McNamara. Were working hard with them behind the scenes to make sure were ready. And its not just a new challenge for Holden and long-time rival Ford. The new rules have lured in Nissan for a four-car factory program, while a privateer Mercedes effort has the blessing, if not the backing, of AMG.
Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Eight Race Engineering, he says. HRT runs two cars for James Courtney and Garth Tander, and T8 runs two for Whincup and Craig Lowndes. Thats four [fully supported] Holdens, but in 2013 there will be 15 Commodores on the grid and all will receive some level of assistance from us. We offer whatever support we can, whether it is financial, technical, engineering advice, parts supply, and even media and marketing support. Whatever theyre doing, its working. In what for now is a two-horse race (the series is opening the door to additional manufacturers for the first time in 2013, with a factory-backed Nissan effort and a privately funded Mercedes AMG preparing to join the field), Holden has been greedy with the trophies. During the V8 Supercar era of the long-running Australian Touring Car Championship, Holden has outgunned Ford 350 to 218 in race wins, 11 to nine in championships, and 15 to five in Bathurst wins. The current VE Series Commodore has amassed a record 103 race victories and four consecutive Bathurst wins records that will probably never be broken. I think Holden just serves the teams and drivers better, says Whincup. Not only in tangible ways, but in terms of respect. Manufacturer alliances are one thing, but Whincup has also needed to do the job in the car. As with any series, being with the right team helps the early 2000s belonged to HRT (thats Holden Racing Team, not the F1 backmarkers), but the last few years have been Triple Eights domain. Its well organized, well funded (its primary backer in recent years has been Vodafone,
AN AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOTIVE ICON First built in 1978, the rear-wheeldrive Commodore is now in its fourth generation and is still the base model for Holdens V8 Supercar racers. The Commodore and its competition pedigree help define the character of GM in Australia. Since the late 1990s, the car has been exported and sold abroad under various names.
Holden
although its switching to Red Bull next season), and technically strong. Having the Aussie equivalent of Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon as its driver lineup also doesnt hurt in a series deep with talent. Its hard to objectively rate a series relative to others due to the lack of useful
In 2013, therell be 15 Commodores on the grid, and all will receive some level of assistance from us
Simon McNamara points of comparison, but V8 Supercars is helpful on this front by offering drivers from other series opportunities to join in. The rise of the international element to the Gold Coast event has opened the door. And the overwhelming message is that even the international stars who manage to figure out how to make 3,000lb of overpowered, under-gripped bodyroll go fast still have to work hard to match the locals. The U.S. has so far experienced V8 Supercars only through TV, but that will change in May when the series makes its first visit to Circuit of the Americas. And what can they expect to see? Imagine a NASCAR racecar with similar noise and speed, but equipped, perversely, with rear passenger doors and designed purely for road/street tracks. Its no coincidence that two-time V8 champ Marcos Ambrose has succeeded in NASCAR where many other quick crossover drivers have failed. If you can, go see V8 Supercars in Texas. We guarantee youll have a gday, mate...
HRT
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STOCK CARS BRASIL
WORDS Mark Glendenning IMAGES Bruno Terena/Red Bull Content Pool
Chevys popular subcompact Sonic is the weapon of choice in South Americas biggest motorsports series.
f ever you need to be convinced of the perils of trusting statistics, take a look at Stock Cars Brasil, the Brazilian-based series thats arguably South Americas biggest motorsports championship. On one hand, it looks to be as lopsided a series as youll find: Caca Bueno wrapped up his fifth championship in the early December finale, and Chevroletaligned squads claimed the top five places in the teams standings. On the flipside, the 12 rounds contested this year delivered seven different winners, and Bueno went into the last race as one of five drivers with a shot at the title. But if the numbers are quirky, the facts are not. Stock Cars Brasil does not have a huge international profile, but in motorsport-mad Brazil, its a very big deal.
Its a car that has a lot of secrets. It is the most difficult car I have ever driven
Caca Bueno In a country where many of the 200 million-strong population cant afford cable TV, the series free-to-air television deal has allowed it to develop a massive following, and races tend to be sell-outs. Top drivers have a domestic profile to rival their more internationally renowned compatriots. Some drivers become celebrities, Bueno says. I dont know if this happens to everyone, but I have pretty much everything I do, down to my personal life, being tracked by a large audience. Once TV gets fans intrigued, the quality of the racing does the rest. The cars are mechanically identical, with the manufacturers technical involvement limited largely to the bodyshells, although the entire series carries a lot of Chevrolet DNA. The engines are 5.7-liter V8s based
on the Chevy small block, but built by local company JL Racing (owned by the family of former IndyCar racer Felipe Giaffone). The series was itself created by Chevrolet in 1979 for its Opala model, which at the time was the most powerful car available in the country. Opalas gave way to a custom bodyshell on an Opala chassis in the 1980s, powered by the same 4.1-liter, 6-cylinder units seen in the Opala, with the current V8-powered, tube-framed chassis appearing in 2000. In 2012 guise, Chevy does battle with its newly-introduced Sonic body against Peugeots 408, and the modern cars are loaded with idiosyncrasies that Bueno says make it challenging to find the limit. Its a car that has a lot of secrets, he explains. It is the most difficult car I have driven. Its heavy, with a lot of horsepower, and no electronics. Tire wears high, and its up to the driver to be the traction control and ABS. Theres plenty of grip, but its all mechanical. Downforce is very low, so you feel every irregularity in the track. Over the curbs, the cars balance depends
For the first 11 races, points are awarded 1st 22pts, then 20-18-17, etc., down to 1pt for 20th place. In the 12th and final race, points awarded are doubled. Chevy drivers took the top six places in the final points.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CACA BUENO (CHEVY) RICARDO MAURICIO (CHEVY) ATILA ABREU (CHEVY) DANIEL SERRA (CHEVY) THIAGO CAMILO (CHEVY) MAX WILSON (CHEVY) VALDENO BRITO (PEUGEOT) JULIO CAMPOS (PEUGEOT) NONO FIGUEIREDO (CHEVY) ALLAM KHODAIR (CHEVY)
195 PTS 189 175 169 158 138 137 136 130 118
SUPER SONIC
INHERITING SONICS GOOD LOOKS Same as in the U.S., the versatile, subcompact Chevy Sonic is available as a hatchback and sedan in Brazil. Its the latter version that the silhouette body of the 2012 Sonic racecar is based upon. Similar to NASCAR or the NHRA, the racecar retains key styling cues from the road car, including the Sonics distinctive front grille openings, headlight cluster and of course the Chevy bowtie. The overall shape of the nose is tuned by the series tech team to ensure aerodynamic parity between rival manufacturers. Under the body is a tubular chassis thats identical for all cars in the series. Safety is paramount, so the steel chassis structure is augmented with impact-absorbing foam structures, and the drivers sit in NASCAR-style wraparound seats. The V8 engines in Stock Cars Brasil produce 480hp, feeding to the rear wheels through an Xtrac transmission. RACER.com 107
(MAIN and LEFT) Five-time Stock Car Brasil champ Caca Bueno secured the 2012 title after a five-way shootout in the finale. (BELOW) His teammate Daniel Serra heads a squabbling pack of Sonics and Peugeots.
on the tires contact, rather than downforce. The trick is to know when it will understeer or oversteer and learning that takes years. Understanding these quirks is the secret weapon that allows the regulars to hold their own against star interlopers like Rubens Barrichello, Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan, whove all sampled the series. Its hard to fight guys with F1 or IndyCar experience, Bueno says. But its also hard to fight against guys like me, whove built their career in Brazil. The locals sometimes have the same ability as the international ones, but they also have more knowledge of the tracks and cars. Its a tough series. Brazilians have been a powerhouse in international motorsport for decades. Sounds like they have the situation pretty well locked-down domestically, too.
GM
ROAD TEST
Cruising across L.A.s 6th Street Bridge, the Chevrolet Volt seems in its element in the urban cycle. It was a car that grew on Grand-Am racer Alex Gurney.
CHEVROLET VOLT
ROAD TEST Chevrolet Volt Alex Gurney
WORDS Alex Gurney PICTURES Sean Klingelhoefer
The Chevrolet Volt is one of the most technically fascinating cars on sale in the U.S. today, but we wanted a proper driver to tell us what it was like to drive and live with. Cue Alex Gurney.
ne of the guys on the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team owns a Chevrolet Volt and he raves about it, goes to Volt owner get-togethers and always wears a Volt hat. So when RACER asked if Id like to try one out, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. When I picked up the Volt at RACER HQ, it had all of three miles of electric charge left in it before it would switch to gas mode. (Thanks, guys!) If you havent driven an electric car before, its a bit strange, as if youve been transported to some point in the future. Tapping the glowing blue power button to start the engine, all you hear is a little electric wheezing noise, very subtle, but enough to let you know youre in something very new and very different. One of the first things I needed to use was the sat-nav and it was a little tricky, especially hitting the buttons at the bottom of the screen, as they are blocked somewhat by the frame of the screen. But not a big deal, and I eventually got used to it. You notice right away how quiet this car is regarding interior noise almost Lexus-esque. Ive owned an IS 250 for a while and, from my perspective, the Volt seems to compare nicely on that front. It feels very well built and sturdy: I had the radio off most of the time, and I didnt hear any of the rattling or creaking you might get in a lower-quality car. And I think the interior looks zoomy, polished, and elegant at the same time. However, although reversing in complete silence is strange but cool, our car didnt come with a rear-view camera and I feel thats a must-have option these days, especially once youve gotten used to them in other cars. I gave the Volt full throttle just after leaving and the response was not bad at all, the torque of the electric motor very evident. Headed for L.A., I got onto the I-405 freeway just as the electric motor was being kicked into life by the gas engine, but it was only while looking at the dashboard that I noticed: honestly, the transition from electric to gas was impressively seamless,
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ROAD TEST
CURRENT SPECIFICATION
CHEVROLET VOLT TECHNICAL SPECS

Engine: Electric motor of 111kW (149hp), 273lb-ft torque. When battery is depleted, power is inverted from a 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder, 84hp gasoline-powered engine to the electric drive unit. All-electric range: 38 miles; additional range: 344 miles Battery: 5.5ft-long T-shaped rechargable lithium-ion (RIGHT), weighing 435lbs Transmission: Variable ratio Suspension: Independent MacPherson struts front, torsion beam rear Brakes: four-wheel vented discs with ABS; fully regenerative; 11.8in. rotors front, 11.5in rotors rear Wheels: 17x7in. lightweight alloy Tires: Goodyear Fuel Max 215/55R/17 Length/Width/Ht. (in.): 177.1/70.4/56.6 Wheelbase: 105.7in. Weight: 3,781lbs Max. speed: 100mph
and the noise inside the car only increased slightly. That was impressive, as was the ability to accelerate to a rapid cruise, before backing it down for traffic. I noted that I really liked the steering. Although it doesnt give a lot of feel (does any modern car with power steering?), it does have appropriate weighting as speed increases and was also very precise, making the car feel stable and the driver feel confident. After some more time with the car, I did notice that the throttle response doesnt always follow your foot sometimes it seemed to give you less than what you asked, sometimes a little more, and sometimes theres a little delay
and sometimes not. It wasnt off-putting, but its something a new Volt driver would want to get used to. Same applies to the brakes, which work well, but sometimes seemed to hang a fraction of a second just at the moment of releasing the pedal. I tried a few freeway off-ramps to check the grip levels; in order to maximize fuel economy, the Volt runs low rollingresistance tires. I bent that car in pretty quick a few times and it was actually quite nice and didnt have as much understeer as Id expect. Those battery packs under the flap in the trunk seem to have made the weight distribution just about right. If you wanted the car to turn more, you just turned it more, and it would respond in a
240V current charges battery in four hours. (ABOVE LEFT) Gurney describes Volts lines as borderline racy.
predictable way. As a racecar driver, I know its hard to get a car to turn nicely or aggressively, yet still give you the feeling that the rear is securely underneath you. This car definitely passed that test. When I brought the car home, I wanted to plug it in. Unfortunately, my garage is a mini-gym/racing simulator/net-surfing man cave/kids toy dump my point being that I dont have room for cars in there! I opened the garage door and plugged into the normal wall outlet with the Volt parked in the driveway, the electric cord being just long enough to make it to the outlet. I came out about three hours later to go to dinner and the little dial on the dash informed me I now had nine miles of
CHEVROLET VOLT
Silent, but swift progress in an urban environment. You still have to pay to park, though... BELOW: Gurney was a fan of the Volts interior quality.
VOLTS LITTLE BRO IS COMING SOON Within the next 12 months, the Volt will be joined in the Chevrolet range by the Spark EV (Electric Vehicle). The Spark has already entered the mini-car market with a perky 83hp 1.2-liter engine that produces an estimated EPA fuel consumption rating of 38mpg highway. But, in late summer 2013, first deliveries of the Spark EV (BELOW) will take place in California and Oregon. This remarkable car, GMs first allelectric vehicle for a decade, is said to be capable of 0-60mph in less than eight seconds, yet also able to fully charge within seven hours. And, using the first SAE combo DC fastcharging stations, it will be able to charge the battery to 80 percent in just 20 minutes. Like the Volt, the Spark EV features regenerative braking to recapture energy that would otherwise be lost while its braking or coasting.
GM
The traction control is well tuned and doesnt have the stutter or lag Ive noticed on some other cars
Alex Gurney pure electric range. If if I were to own a Volt, Id probably upgrade my home from 120 to 240v that would take the Volt from zero to fully-charged in just four hours. I was able to drive the Volt in the wet in the days following and the car continued to perform well, and I found another aspect I appreciated: the traction control is very well tuned and doesnt have the stutter or lag Ive noticed on some other cars.
Its fair to say that the Volt was really growing on me by the time I had to return it, and I especially like its aesthetics. With the new fuel standards coming in a few years, mandated by our wise overlords in government, most manufacturers have necessarily dipped their toes into the electric/hybrid segment. Yet the Volt is maybe the only car of its type that doesnt resemble something from a Hello Kitty cartoon. It has great, aggressive lines and is borderline racy. The limited electric range isnt ideal, but considering the argument that most people drive under 30 miles to and from work then, along with its other positives, I think the Volt tells a pretty compelling story.
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John Wilmoth
Chevys late-model Cobalt sedan is no slouch on the track: At this years SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America, Kevin Fandozzi rolled to his second consecutive Touring 3 class title with his Cobalt SS.
A PRACTICAL PERFORMER
John Buttermore brings a racers sensibilities to the job of GM engineer
Its always helpful for an automotive engineer to have a direct feel for the products he develops, but few take that more seriously than John Buttermore. At General Motors, Buttermore is the Lead Development Engineer for the Chevrolet Sonic, responsible for all performance aspects of Chevys new small sedan. But hes also an avid SCCA Club Racer, who won the Touring 1 championship at the National Championship Runoffs the last two years driving his own Corvette. Racecars and road cars are set up very similar we just turn down the stiffness quite a bit, he explains, adding that the process of modifying a racegoing vehicle within its class rule set is comparable to designing a car to suit a particular market or price level. The skills crossover is very real, he says. In a race class you have a car, youre given specifications and its the race engineers job to maximize
Buttermore is a star on the track with his upgraded SCCA T1 Corvette (ABOVE), but is just as enthusiastic about bringing practical and engaging performance to the road (LEFT).
Youre given specifications and its the engineers job to maximize performance within that rule set
John Buttermore performance within that rule set. Vehicle performance is very similar in that we have to deliver a world-class product to compete in the market at a specified size and price point.
After a couple of near-misses at the Runoffs with his Corvette, Buttermore worked on his own engine tune, dialed in the suspension and damper specs, and designed a brake system for the car for 2011, and theyve proved a winning combo the past two years. Whats he prouder of, his racing or engineering achievements? Its hard to tell after he starts talking about the Sonic: We built a cool car that not only gets great mileage but has a Top Safety Pick from the Institute for Highway Safety. With its turbocharged engine it has the best acceleration in its class. This car is built at the GM plant in Lake Orion, Mich. A local plant gives you even more pride that your product supports the local community and economy. So, if you have the opportunity to drive a Sonic and you like the way the little car handles, you can thank the fact that it was engineered from a racers viewpoint.
John F. Martin/Chevrolet
Learn to extract the full potential from current Corvette ZR1, ZO6 and Grand Sport models from a master of road racing, Ron Fellows, close to Las Vegas. Check out springmountainmotorsports.com.
WATCH VIDEO A VISCERAL FEAST FOR THE SENSES

ZR1 Nurburgring test run is a thrilling tour of a cherished venue, as well as a great demo of the Corvettes chops. Next time, can we have 3D, please?
GM
What happens when a great road car meets one of the worlds most beloved enthusiast tracks in the hands of an expert? An epic video...
Producers of commercial videos for high-performance cars always face the challenge of how to illustrate speed and performance capabilities in a way that will come across effectively on the screen. When it comes to Chevrolets ultimate production Corvette, the ZR1, there was a natural choice: Take it to the NurburgringNordschleife. Sure its been done before, but if the resulting footage of Jim Mero, chassis development engineer for Team Corvette, hurling a 2012 ZR1 around the Nordschleife at up to 170mph doesnt inspire you, chances are you arent in the target demographic anyway.
The massive, original Nurburging (ABOVE) offers unrivaled potential for testing the performance parameters of a road car, and test driver Jim Mero pushed the ZR1 to the maximum.
BMW
RINGMEISTER
Validating Chevys chassis and aero upgrades, as well as stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, 2012s test run eclipsed the last ZR1 time at the Nurburgring by more than six seconds. What does that mean for customers? Plenty, says Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter. The feedback we get can be applied to the car as its driven on the street, he explains. Were always trying to balance the capability on the track with comfort and capability on the street, and Jims the perfect guy to do both those things. Check out 2012 Corvette ZR1 Takes on Nurburgring on YouTube.
Lots of numbers to keep track of as the scenery rolls by...
Map shows your fast-changing place on 14-mile circuit.
RAPID RISER IN AN EVOLVED VETTE Buttermore races a 2005 Corvette updated with a 2008 powertrain and a 2010 Grand Sport exterior. He earned the SCCA Detroit Region Driver of the Year award in 2008, and Great Lakes Divisional Championship in 11 ahead of his Runoffs glories.
Rick Corwine
Why you need an expert: circuit safety decidedly old-school.
All in a days work for test driver/Chevy engineer Jim Mero.
RACING TO A BETTER FUTURE

General Motors is an official partner of the Urban Youth Racing School (UYRS), which uses innovative educational techniques to teach urban students STEM science, technology, engineering and math. The UYRS has served 3,000 students in the past 15 years, with 85 percent from city areas that are below the poverty level. Students receive instruction with computers and other digital technology, via performance-based activities such as engine building and racing, project-based assignments, service learning, internships and mentoring, team building and field trips or site visits. For more information, visit urbanyouthracingschool.com.
RACER.com 113
Isaac Brekken/Chevrolet
At SEMA, Chevy unveiled a special edition Hot Wheels Camaro featuring Kinetic Blue paint, black 21-inch wheels with red accents and an exaggerated aero effects treatment. Its available in convertible and coupe forms.
where theres smoke

Tony Stewarts custom Camaro lights a fire at the SEMA Show
The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas, better known as the SEMA Show, is renowned for the trick one-off cars that make their debuts there, and Chevrolet had a fistful of one-off and limited-edition showpieces to display this year. Perhaps the most dramatic was the ZL1 shown here tailored to the specifications of NASCAR star Tony Stewart, who wanted some street cred to match his hard-charging style on the track. Chevy design manager Dave Ross worked with Stewart to develop the cars gray metallic exterior with tribal graphics in flat red and silver pinstripes, while tinted headlamp lenses featured red halo lighting. The sinister presence was further accented by custom wheels with a Piano Black finish and red accents. Inside, Stewarts ZL1 features Jet Black leather seats with suede inserts and scarlet accent stitching, as well as embroidered Tony Stewart signatures on the seats; suede leather door panel
LOCK, STOCK & SMOKING BARREL From the dirt of Eldora Speedway which he owns and operates to Daytona, Tony Stewart has been there and won that. After taking his second NASCAR Sprint Cup last year, Smoke added three more wins in 2012 driving his Stewart-Haas Chevrolet Impala.
GM
Tony Stewarts Camaro ZL1 strikes a pose through elaborate styling tweaks, but also has the performance to deliver on its formidable presence.
inserts and instrument panel wrapping with laser-etched details; Jet Black leather door armrests with French stitching and white piping; Jet Black suede leather-wrapped steering wheel with scarlet accent stitching; Piano Black trim plates and gauge cluster bezel. The car has the punch to match its looks, too, thanks to the supercharged 6.2-liter LSA engine under the hood that delivers 580hp. Smokes Camaro ZL1 is good for a 0-60 time of four seconds, 11-second quarter-mile ETs and a 184mph top speed.
Matthew T. Thacker/LAT
GM
Another SEMA star was this Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition prepared for celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Incorporating elements of the Z06 and ZR1, the 427 is the fastest Corvette convertible yet.
GM
pocket rocket launch

While massive power and cubic inches grab attention at SEMA, an increasing amount of auto industry focus is on the growing competition in the subcompact category. Chevrolet demonstrated its intentions there, too, in the form of a Sonic B-Spec racecar concept. Conforming to class regulations, the concepts mods are limited to safety features and chassis/suspension enhancements designed for the rigors of racing. Components of the production-
Chevy set to throw its hat into the B-Spec ring with a race-going version of the Sonic
Sonics great balance of power and responsive handling make it a natural on the track
Jim Campbell intended competition kit on the concept include chassis, suspension and other parts required to transform a production Sonic into a racecar. In line with other B-Spec vehicles, the Sonic concept retains a factory-spec 1.8-liter engine, although an air restrictor is employed to equalize its output with other competitors. The Sonic B-Spec concept demonstrates the cars capabilities in the increasingly popular B-Spec subcompact classes, explained Jim Campbell, Chevrolets vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. Sonics great balance of power and responsive handling make it a natural on the track.
The Sonic B-Spec competition kit (ABOVE) is anticipated to go on sale in the first quarter of 2013 through Chevrolet Performance retailers.
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Chevrolet introduced its 2013 performance catalog at the SEMA Show, which offers a variety of production-based parts for the Camaro. The roster of new go-fast bits includes components from the high-performance Camaro ZL1, a road racing-oriented Camaro SS 1LE package and a COPO Camaro aimed at the drag strip (See page 89). Production-based kits from the ZL1 include racing-style front two-piece, 14.6in. brake rotors and 6-piston Brembo calipers, and rear 14in. rotors paired with 4-piston calipers. An LE1 track pack kit includes large-diameter stabilizer bars, 3.91-ratio rear gear and a unique PCV valve that ensures oil separation and drain-back during high-load cornering. Camaro Performance V6 concept incorporates parts available from 2013 catalog.
RACER.com 115
GM
CHEVYS NEW SIZZLER FOR CUP
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES

March 24 April 7 April 21 May 5 May 26 June 1 June 2 June 8 June 15 June 23 July 7 July 13 July 14 Aug. 4 Aug. 25 Sept. 1 Oct. 5 Oct. 6 Oct. 19 St. Petersburg, Fla. Barber Park, Birmingham, Ala. Long Beach, Calif. Sao Paulo, Brazil Indianapolis, Ind. Belle Isle, Detroit, Mich. 1 Belle Isle 2 Fort Worth, Texas Milwaukee, Wis. Newton, Iowa Pocono, Pa. Toronto, Ontario 1 Toronto 2 Mid-Ohio, Lexington, Ohio Sonoma, Calif. Baltimore, Md. Houston, Texas 1 Houston 2 Fontana, Calif.
GM
Chevrolet will have a bold new look for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with its SS model racecar. Its built to suit the new NASCAR rules package that calls for closer ties between Cup stockers and their street-going counterparts of which Chevys will be a rear-drive model! The new cars are already out testing in preparation for their race debut in Daytonas 2013 Speedweeks. Read more about the SS on page 46.
May 4 May 10 May 25 June 1 June 8 June 15 June 22 June 28 July 5 July 13 July 21 July 27 Aug. 3 Aug. 10 Aug. 17 Aug. 23 Aug. 31 Sept. 6 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 11 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Talladega, Ala. Darlington, S.C. Charlotte, N.C. Dover, Del. Newton, Iowa Brooklyn, Mich. Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. Sparta, Ky. Daytona, Fla. Loudon, N.H. Chicagoland, Ill. Indianapolis, Ind. Newton, Iowa Watkins Glen, N.H. Mid-Ohio, Lexington, Ohio Bristol, Tenn. Atlanta, Ga. Richmond, Va. Chicagoland. Ill. Sparta, Ky. Dover, Del. Kansas City, Kan. Charlotte, N.C. Fort Worth, Texas Phoenix, Ariz. Homestead, Fla.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Feb. 24 March 3 March 10 March 17 March 24 April 7 April 13 April 21 April 27 May 5 May 11 May 26 June 2 June 9 June 16 June 23 June 29 July 6 July 14 July 28 Aug. 4 Aug. 11 Aug. 18 Aug. 24 Sept. 1 Sept. 7 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 12 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Daytona, Fla. Phoenix. Ariz Las Vegas, Nev. Bristol, Tenn. Fontana, Calif. Martinsville, Va. Fort Worth, Texas Kansas City, Kan. Richmond, Va. Talladega, Ala. Darlington, S.C. Charlotte, N.C. Dover, Del. Pocono, Pa. Brooklyn, Mich. Sonoma, Calif. Sparta, Ky. Daytona, Fla. Loudon, N.H. Indianapolis, Ind. Pocono, Pa. Watkins Glen, N.Y. Brooklyn, Mich. Bristol, Tenn. Atlanta, Ga. Richmond, Va. Chicagoland, Ill. Loudon, N.H. Dover, Del. Kansas City, Kan. Charlotte, N.C. Talladega, Ala. Martinsville, Va. Fort Worth, Texas Phoenix, Ariz. Homestead, Fla.
FEATURE RACE
DAYTONA 500 WHEN Feb. 24 WHERE Daytona Beach, Fla. Chevrolets new NASCAR racecars take the green at Speedweeks, culminating in stock car racings biggest day.
Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated/Getty
SPRINGING BACK
TICKET INFO
The IZOD IndyCar Series relaunches for 2013 on March 24 on the streets of St. Petersburg, where Chevrolet-powered teams will renew their manufacturers battle against those representing archrival Honda.
Order race tickets at daytona internationalspeedway.com

WHERE & HOW
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Feb. 22 April 6 April 14 April 20 May 17 May 31 June 7 June 27 Daytona, Fla. Martinsville, Va. Rockingham, N.C. Kansas City, Kan. Charlotte, N.C. Dover, Del. Texas Kentucky
They used to race on the beach, but Daytonas speedway is even easier to reach via I-95 and US-1.
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

Feb. 23 March 2 March 9 March 16 March 23 April 12 April 26 Daytona, Fla. Phoenix, Ariz. Las Vegas, Nev. Bristol, Tenn. Fontana, Calif. Fort Worth, Texas Richmond, Va.
Michael Levitt/LAT
HELIO CASTRONEVES on speculation about Tony Stewart joining Team Penske at Indy
116
THE DREAM SEASON
Michael Levitt/LAT
I think he will do well, but I dont want him to win his first Indy he and Will [Power] can battle for second.
Michael Levitt/LAT
Ryan Hunter-Reay will be the first IndyCar Series champ since 2004 to trade his title-winning number for No. 1. But hes integrating his old No. 28 into the number as well, in deference to the 28 million people afflicted each year with cancer, against which RHR is a longtime activist.
R.D. Ethan/LAT
Nigel Kinrade/LAT
He just wrapped up another most-popular driver award from NASCAR fans his 10th straight, matching Bill Elliotts all-time record but Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still chasing the title that really matters Sprint Cup champion. Will this nally be the year?
WINTER 2012
MULTIMEDIA
REAR-DRIVE ARRIVES
YouTube: Chevrolet SS Unveil
FEATURE RACE
ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA WHEN Jan. 26-27 WHERE Daytona Beach, Fla. Coming to Daytona for NASCAR? Come early for the Rolex 24, where the Corvette Daytona Prototypes have some unnished business to attend to.
TICKET INFO
grand-am.com
WHERE & HOW
Yes, you could sit in your grandstand seat for 24 hours, but whats the fun in that? Take advantage of the plentiful time to soak in all the sights and sounds, and get up close to the cars and stars of Grand-Ams Rolex Sports Car Series.
July 13 July 24 Aug. 3 Aug. 17 Aug. 21 Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 13 Sept. 28 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Newton, Iowa Rossburg, Ohio Pocono, Pa. Brooklyn, Mich. Bristol, Tenn. Mosport, Ontario Newton, Iowa Chicagoland, Ill. Las Vegas, Nev. Talladega, Ala. Martinsville, Va. Fort Worth, Texas Phoenix, Ariz. Homestead, Fla. Sept. 21 Oct. 5 Oct. 19 Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX VIR, Alton, Va. Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.
Follow along as Chevrolets NASCAR stars and program bosses express their hopes and expectations for their brand-new Sprint Cup baby, and how it compares with the outgoing car.
MULTI - TEAM RECALL

YouTube: TeamHendrick
GRAND-AM ROLEX SERIES

Jan. 26-27 March 2 April 6 April 20 June 1 June 15 June 30 July 26 Aug. 10 Aug. 17 Sept. 7 Sept. 28 Daytona, Fla. Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX Barber Park, Birmingham, Ala. Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga. Belle Isle, Detroit, Mich. Mid-Ohio, Lexington, Ohio Watkins Glen, N.Y. Indianapolis, Ind. Road America, Elkhart Lake., Wis. Kansas City, Kan. Monterey, Calif. Lime Rock, Conn.
VEE HAVE VEYS
SURGE TO MERGE
Cadillac Racings CTS-V Coupe targets two straight Pirelli World Challenge drivers and manufacturers titles with champ Johnny OConnell and teammate Andy Pilgrim, starting at St. Petersburg, Fla.
NHRA MELLO YELLO SERIES

Feb. 17 Feb. 24 March 17 April 7 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 19 June 2 June 16 June 23 June 30 July 7 July 21 July 28 Aug. 4 Aug. 18 Sept. 2 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 27 Nov. 10 Pomona, Calif. Phoenix, Ariz. Gainesville, Fla. (PSM) Las Vegas, Nev. Charlotte, N.C. Houston, Texas (PSM) Atlanta, Ga. (PSM) Topeka, Kan. Englishtown, N.J. (PSM) Bristol, Tenn. Epping, N.H. Chicago, Ill. (PSM) Norwalk, Ohio (PSM) Denver, Colo. (PSM) Sonoma, Calif. (PSM) Seattle, Wash. Brainerd, Minn. (PSM) Indianapolis, Ind. (PSM) Charlotte, N.C. (PSM) Dallas, Texas (PSM) Madison, Ill. (PSM) Reading, Pa. (PSM) Las Vegas, Nev. (PSM) Pomona, Calif. (PSM)

March 22 April 19 May 17 May 31 July 4 July 12 Aug. 4 Aug. 23 Oct. 4 St. Petersburg, Fla. Long Beach, Calif. Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX Belle Isle, Detroit, Mich. Lime Rock, Conn. Toronto, Ontario Mid-Ohio, Lexington, Ohio Sonoma, Calif. Houston, Texas
GM
The American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Series will run their nal seasons as separate entities this year, with Corvette Racing beginning its 2012 ALMS GT adventure at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Rick Hendricks superteam might have fallen short in the chase for the Sprint Cup, but its still No. 1 when it comes to providing a length and breadth of fan-video info.
ON TWITTER
@HinchTown Andretti Autosports Go Daddy Guy is a hoot to follow whether the racing season is on or off, and provides plenty of insights as well as laughs during the IZOD IndyCar Series campaign. @stewarthaasrcng Tony Stewarts a busy man. Too busy to tweet, even, but you can follow him anyway via his race teams Twitter feed.
Dan Boyd/LAT

March 16 April 20 May 11 July 6 July 21 Aug. 11 Aug. 31 Sebring, Fla. Long Beach, Calif. Monterey, Calif. Lime Rock, Conn. Mosport, Ontario Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. Baltimore, Md.
Check out RACER.com for the latest racing news and views, blogs by the stars and up-and-comers, updated TV listings and more.
RACER.com
117
Nigel Kinrade/LAT
AND FINALLY...
CHEVROLETS AT INDY
WHAT A GREAT NAME AND A WINNING BRAND, BUT... The winning heritage of Chevrolet at the Indianapolis 500 can be traced back nearly a century, although the names and afliations have followed a complicated path.
LAT archive
1 Gaston
Chevrolet won the 1920 Indy 500 with his brother Louis car, but... 2 ...it wasnt a Chevrolet. It was a Frontenac, as was this car Louis drove to seventh in the 1919 race. 3 Chevy became a 500 winner for the rst time in 1988, courtesy of Rick Mears and Team Penske.
LAT archive
hevrolet engines are key to the story of the modern-era Indianapolis 500, but the companys heritage at Indy goes a lot farther back. In fact, its founder starred at the Speedway in its very early days, both as a driver and car builder but not, strangely enough, by racing Chevrolets! Louis Chevrolet emigrated to America from his native Switzerland in 1902, bringing his three brothers, Alfred, Arthur, and Gaston. Applying mechanical knowledge learned by racing bicycles, the brothers soon gained fame as racers, while Louis also co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company with the founder of General Motors, William C. Durant, in 1911. However, the two soon fell out over philosophy: Durants desire to offer a lower-priced model went against the grain for perfectionist Louis, who sold his Chevrolet shares in 1915. Within two years, the company was so protable that Durant was able to buy back a controlling interest in GM, and Louis name brand became a division of the General.
Louis returned to building racecars and, in 1915, made his race debut at Indianapolis in a car of his own design. Legally prohibited from using his own name on his cars, Louis called his rst Indy car a Cornelian. After that, he returned to the name he previously used on his racing bicycles, the Frontenac. Louis scored a career best nish of seventh at Indy in 1919, but the following year Gaston broke the dominance of European cars at the Speedway when he took the win in a Monroe-Frontenac, while becoming the rst driver to go the whole 500 miles without making a tire change. Yet that success was soon undercut by tragedy, when Gaston was killed in a crash at the Beverly Hills Speedway board track in Los Angeles later that year. Shattered by his brothers death, Louis retired from racing, although his Frontenac design won the 500 again in 1921 with Tommy Milton. It would be the company he left behind that would write the next chapters in the Chevrolet story at Indianapolis.
THE NEXT LINKS IN THE CHAIN After its success with Chevys turbo V8s at Indy in the 1980s and 90s, GM was back in Indy car racing with a normally aspirated V8 in 1997. When these engines became Chevrolets for 2002, Helio Castroneves secured a seventh Indy triumph for the bowtie brand.
F.Peirce Williams/LAT
LAT archive
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THE DREAM SEASON

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THE DREAM SEASON ISSUE

The inside story of Chevrolet and Cadillac Racings incredible 2012

RACE AGAINST TIME

Track tech thats building better street cars

JANUARY 2013 U.S. & CAN $8.95 RACER.com

THE DREAM SEASON ISSUE

RACE AGAINST TIME

Track tech thats building better street cars

JANUARY 2013 U.S. & CAN $8.95 RACER.com

46 MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

50 CROWD-PLEASER IN THE LAST ACT

WINNING THE WORLD OVER

86 BEGINNINGS AND ENDERS 93 GLOBE TROTTERS

108 CURRENT AFFAIRS

114 MAKING TRACKS 116 DIARY 118 REAR VIEW

4 THE DREAM SEASON

THE DREAM SEASON ISSUE

Latest racing news at chevrolet.com/racing

Latest racing news at cadillac.com/racing

THE DREAM SEASON

Contact Nick Iademarco at Wrights Media. Tel: (281) 419-5725 nlademarco@wrightsmedia.com

10 THE DREAM SEASON

Rick Dole/Getty Images

2013 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES SCHEDULE

SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY MARCH 16 Sebring, FL

LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT APRIL 20 Long Beach, CA

MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA

LIME ROCK PARK

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK JULY 21 Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT AUGUST 31 Baltimore, MD

CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY OCTOBER 5 Alton, VA

AUGUST 11 Elkhart Lake, WI

Feed Your Passion

The 61st Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida

Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Chevrolets and Cadillacs race programs are united by a common approach

John Harrelson/Getty Images

Championships in Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series

Engine Manufacturers Championship (Daytona Prototypes)

Brian Cleary/Getty Images

THE RANDOM FACTS COLUMN...

Bruno Terena/Red Bull

Richard Prince/Cadillac Racing

Manufacturers Championship Drivers Championship

SPRINTING OUT TO A FAST START

Nick Laham/Getty Images

ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images

FOUR STEPS TO VICTORY Nov. 12, 2010

WE CAME, WE SAW, WE WON

CHEVYS NEW CUP SS, NATIONWIDE CAMARO STIR EXCITEMENT

BIG NAMES, HIGH HOPES

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

The IndyCar champion has some unfinished business to attend to at Indianapolis.

THE THIN RED LINE

CHEVYS INDY 500 WINNERS

RICK MEARS Penske-Chevrolet EMERSON FITTIPALDI Penske-Chevrolet ARIE LUYENDYK Lola-Chevrolet

RICK MEARS Penske-Chevrolet

Find out more at chevrolet.com/racing

THE SIGN OF FOUR?

AL UNSER JR. Galmer-Chevrolet

EMERSON FITTIPALDI Penske-Chevrolet