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General Motors Media Press Release

FOR RELEASE:  June 13, 2001
CONTACT(S):  Wally Reese  wareese@earthlink.net

Corvettes Provisionally First And Second In GTS; Cadillac Well Into Top Ten

LE MANS - Corvette Racing and DAMS Team Cadillac put in fine performances in the first part of the first qualifying session. Both Corvettes provisionally lead the GTS class ahead of the Larbre Viper and the factory Saleen. Frenchman Emmanuel Collard managed a seventh fastest time overall in the #5 Cadillac Northstar LMP in the very last seconds of the session.

“Car No. 5 ran the way we planned this morning,” said DAMS Team Cadillac principal Jean-Paul Driot. “It had no trouble. We put a set of soft tires on it at the last minute, and Emmanuel started his flying lap just 30 seconds before qualifying ended, which worked very well, since it was the last car to roll before the checkered flag came out. It had quite a good time and cut three to four seconds off its previous fastest time, so we are quite happy.”

“We need to carry on with the No. 6 car, because we still have some brake-balance ajustments to make, but that will be done quickly.”

Corvette Racing had equally happy faces: “That was a pretty good session for us,” said Scott Pruett, driver of #63 Corvette C5-R. “Our focus right now is trying to get something that’s good and conservative for the race and that is the best average lap time for full fuel load instead of looking for what’s quickest for just one or two laps.”

“The handling is very good and the brakes are pretty good, as well,” said #64 Corvette driver, Kelly Collins. “We’re working on a communications problem, because the team couldn’t hear me. But that’s something that can get fixed during the break.”

QUALIFYING TIMES AT 9.00pm

Related Forum:  Corvette Racing