GAME

CHANGER
2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype

Kyle Chura

Chris Ladouceur

Philip Muscat

Foreword By Jim France

Robin Pratt

The Corvette name goes back to 1953.

Since its birth, Corvette has stood for performance both on the street and on the track.

GAME CHANGER
2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype
Foreword By Jim France

Kyle Chura

Chris Ladouceur

Philip Muscat

Robin Pratt

Contents

Contact
Copyright 2012 by Pratt & Miller Engineering and Fabrication Inc.
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be sold, reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, xerography, and videography recording without
written permission from the publisher, Pratt & Miller Engineering
and Fabrication Inc.

Foreword

Introduction

History

11

Inception

17

Styling

23

3D Development

29

Manufacturing

41

Assembly

49

The Unveil

63

The Teams

73

Testing

79

The Fans

99

Rolex 24 Hour

105

The First Win

143

Summary

147

Special Thanks

151

All illustrations and photos in this book are copyright 2012 by

Pratt & Miller Engineering and Fabrication Inc.
29600 W.K. Smith Drive
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http://www.prattmiller.com
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FOReWoRD

Only two years after we started GRAND-AM, I witnessed one

of the most spectacular races of my life, the 2001 Rolex 24
Hour At Daytona.
What made that race stand out was that a Corvette won the
race overall, as a GT entry. What made it extra special was
that my longtime friend Dale Earnhardt and, at the time, his
young son Dale Jr. were a part of the team that year. Their
car finished fourth overall, but by the grin on his face you
would have thought he won the 500. Put two names like that
together on the same track and that just lends to the legend
of the Corvette brand as well as the Rolex 24-hour race.

It was just two years ago that I met with the Chevrolet brass
about getting Corvette back into the GRAND-AM Series. I
am happy to say that our vision for the third generation of
Daytona Prototype cars is shared by GMs Mark Reuss, Jim
Campbell, Mark Kent and Terry Dolan. The 2012 Chevrolet
Corvette Daytona Prototype, five of them, competed in the
50th running of the Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona, Jan. 28-29.
The Corvette name goes back to 1953. Since its birth,
Corvette has stood for performance both on the street and on
the track. The work done by Chevrolet, Pratt & Miller, Spirit
of Daytona, Action Express, Bob Stallings Racing and Wayne
Taylor Racing to bring Corvette back to Daytona and the
GRAND-AM Series is a special undertaking - this is the story.
See you at the track,

Jim France

Vice Chairman NASCAR

Founder GRAND-AM

Introduction
The development of a race car is often taken on by one company
to fit into a specific set of rules to run in a specific formula as a
customer or factory program. The Corvette Daytona Prototype is
the result of a passing phrase by Jim France some two years ago
to the General Motors brass, we would really like to have the
Corvette back in GRAND-AM racing.
The sun, moon and stars aligned for France and Chevrolet in April
of 2011 when, under the direction of Chevrolet, the development
of the 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype began at Pratt & Miller
Engineering. Chevrolet worked closely with GMs Designers,
Frances technical staff and Pratt & Millers designers, engineers
and craftsmen to bring to life a race car that would represent the
future of the GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype category well into
the future.
The development began with the updating of the Coyote chassis
that has run in the series since 2007, originally developed by
Fabcar with Eddie Cheever. Pratt & Miller, together with the
GRAND-AM technical team, redesigned the Coyote chassis while
simultaneously working with GM designers to shape the Corvette
Daytona Prototype body, a body that would have to ride on the
Coyote, Riley and Dallara chassis.
The timeline was tight, April 1, 2011 was the kick-off date, giving
the team just eight months from the first mouse click on the
computer to the first test, November 16-17, 2011 at Daytona
International Speedway. The collaboration between Chevrolet,
GRAND-AM and Pratt & Miller to design and build the car, with
input from the teams that would race them - SunTrust Racing,
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, Spirit of Daytona Racing and
Action Express all combined to render the all new for 2012
Corvette Daytona Prototype.

History

Looking Back

GRAND-AM Road Racing History

GRAND-AM Road Racing was founded in 1999 as a revolutionary
major league sports car road racing series in North America. The
organization is embarking on its 13th season of competition in
2012, and GRAND-AM is universally regarded as one of the worlds
most competitive road racing organizations.
Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, GRAND-AM shares the same
corporate campus that is also home to NASCAR, International
Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Daytona International Speedway.
GRAND-AM was acquired by NASCAR Holdings in late 2008
and operates now as one organization, with resources such as
marketing, research and public relations fully integrated into the
NASCAR framework. GRAND-AM offers a product that features

extremely competitive sports car racing on historic road and

street circuits and in major market speedways throughout North
America.
GRAND-AMs top-tier Rolex Sports Car Series has established itself
as the most competitive professional road racing championship
in North America. The Rolex Series Daytona Prototype category
has attracted the attention of superstar drivers and universally
recognized teams through its extremely raceable and relatively
affordable format, and has revolutionized sports car racing with
plentiful battles at the front of the field and close finishes in
virtually every race.
Like the Daytona Prototype class that has redefined prototype
sports car racing, the Rolex Series GT class has done the same for
high-performance, production-based sports car racing.
11

Rick Hendrick

Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Automotive Group
In the mid-1980s, General Motors approached me about running
a sports car in the IMSA Series. Chevrolet arranged a meeting with
Ken Howes who, at the time, was running a small sports car team
in Indianapolis and has stayed with me at Hendrick Motorsports
ever since. We started doing some testing with the Corvette GTP
that General Motors had built. It turned out to be competitive,
and we put a plan in place to run the car starting in 1986. We did
that for the next three years (1986-88) and managed to win two
races at Road Atlanta and through the streets of Miami Beach.
I was happy to hear GM was bringing the Corvette back into
prototype racing. As a Chevy dealer, enthusiast and collector, I
understand the following that Corvette has as a true performance
brand, and those loyal owners are also race fans.
With an eye toward the cost-containment and close competition
that has propelled the popularity of the Daytona Prototype class,
the GT category provides a stable battleground for the worlds top
automobile manufacturers. Perhaps best of all, the Rolex Series
two-class format allows race fans watching from the grandstands
or on television and the media covering the sport to follow the
action with just two easy-to-distinguish classes of race cars Daytona Prototypes and GT.
The GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, featuring
straight-from-the-showroom American muscle cars and the
hottest imports, is also back in 2012 for its 12th season of
competition under the GRAND-AM umbrella.
GRAND-AM races at some of the worlds most prestigious venues
- Daytona, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Road America, and
Watkins Glen - and has taken the role of a top annual attraction at
key venues in the industry such as the Barber Motorsports Park,
Detroits Belle Isle circuit and Montreals Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Evolution of the GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype

Daytona Prototypes compete in the premier class of the
GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. These are exotic, mid-engine
machines that are purpose-built for competition. They are low
to the ground and are capable of speeds in excess of 185 mph.
They also feature the latest in safety technology, including carbonfiber side-impact panels and a multi-point roll cage with a unique
center post at mid-windshield.
The rules were designed by GRAND-AM with the intention of
containing costs while promoting close competition and driver
safety. The class was introduced on the eve of the 2002 Rolex
24 At Daytona, and debuted at that event one year later. Fabcar,
Multimatic, Doran and Picchio fielded Daytona Prototypes in
the inaugural 2003 season, with Riley, Crawford and Chase
Competition Engineering introducing models the following year.
After five years with only minor rule changes, Daytona Prototype
constructors were allowed to update their designs or transfer
their licenses for the 2008 season, ensuring the stability of the
class, with no significant rule changes expected through the
2012 season. Lola (which purchased the Multimatic franchise),

12

Dallara (Doran) and Coyote (Fabcar) purchased existing licenses

and debuted cars, while Riley and Crawford presented updated
versions.
In 2012 the Daytona Prototype category is undergoing a design
change, meant to bring the series closer to a manufacturer road
car look. Pratt & Miller has assumed the development of the
Coyote with a new-to-the-series Corvette body draped over an
improved chassis. Riley Technologies is producing an updated
body to go on their chassis. For 2012 the Spirit of Daytona and
Action Express will run new Coyote-based Corvette cars with Bob
Stallings Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing running the Corvette
body on their Riley Technologies and Dallara chassis respectively.
Although each chassis is designed and manufactured
independently, competitor modifications are highly limited by
GRAND-AM rules. Certain parts, like rear wings, are mandated
by the series. A Daytona Prototype chassis costs about $400,000,
but the cars can be raced in their current configuration for several
years within GRAND-AMs rules package. The updated version
of the Riley chassis that debuted in 2004 continues to race
competitively in the Rolex Series and won races as recently as
2009.
All engines are tuned to produce about 530 horsepower and
each is capable of being mated to any of the approved Daytona
Prototype chassis, which creates an interesting variety of chassis/
engine combinations. Five or six-speed sequential gearboxes from
EMCO and XTrac are the series standard in Daytona Prototypes.
Smaller, under 4.5 liters, engine Daytona Prototypes are allowed
the advantage of the six-speed gear boxes, while all race cars with
larger engines must run the five-speeds.
In addition to official and approved chassis designs and engines
tuned to GRAND-AM specifications, Daytona Prototype
competition is equalized further through minimum car weight.
Daytona Prototypes with smaller engines can run at lighter
minimum weights than their counterparts with more power. Cars
fitted with engines less than 4 liters can weigh 2,200 pounds
or more. Daytona Prototypes running engines 4 liters and up
to the maximum 5 liters must weigh in at a minimum 2,250
pounds. Daytona Prototype car statistics: Top Speed: 195 mph;
Horsepower: 500; Maximum Race Length: 24 hours; Wheelbase:

The new Corvette Daytona Prototype looks great. I see some of

the DNA of the Corvette GTP we ran in the 80s in the new car and
a lot of design elements from the road car. With the tried-and-true
LS engine, I know the car will be sprayed with a lot of champagne
in victory lane.

using the newest Corvette GTP chassis. Peerless would take a

fourth place at Columbus, followed closely behind by Hendrick in
fifth. The Hendrick team closed the season with a fifth at Del Mar,
giving Chevrolet fourth in the manufacturers championship.
General Motors elected to cancel its funding for the Corvette GTP
project following the 1989 season, and Hendrick Motorsports did
not return to IMSA GT. Peerless Racing did attempt to continue in
1989 but a series of accidents led to the team failing to finish any
of the races it entered, (although the Peerless Corvette did run
as high as fourth at Watkins Glen with only four laps to go when
a tire failed). The team withdrew from IMSA GTP competition by
midseason.

108-110 inches; Weight (min.): 2225-2275 pounds; Roof Height

(min): 41 inches (measured from flat floor reference plane);
Wing Height (max): 41 inches (measured from flat floor reference
plane); Width (max.): 79 inches; Engines: 5.0L V-8; Porsche, Ford,
BMW, Lexus, Chevrolet 3.99L, Flat 6 Porsche; 3.8L V-6 Honda;
4.3L V-8 Infiniti; Fuel: Sunoco; Gearbox: Six-speed sequential
shift (five-speed for 5.0L V-8); Tires: Continental; Brakes: Up to
6-piston calipers, steel rotors; Chassis: Steel tube integrated roll
cage; Suspension: Pushrod with multilink; Traction Control: Not
permitted.

History of Corvette in Prototype Racing

Prior to 1984, Chevrolet naturally aspirated V8s and Buick

turbocharged V6s were popular engines in the GTP class for
privateer teams. However General Motors (GM) saw the
opportunity to enter the IMSA GT Championship in the 1984
season in an attempt to bolster their image by fighting against
Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan, and Mazda.
General Motors turned to Lola Cars International of the United
Kingdom - which had previous experience building cars for
Mazda - to build its own chassis, termed the Corvette GTP.
Following testing on an older Lola T600 with a Chevrolet V8, an
all new car was built, termed the T710. The first chassis were
delivered to General Motors in 1984 and outfitted with a 3.4-liter,
turbocharged V6, a destroked version of the 4.3-liter Chevrolet
V6, built by Ryan Falconer. A second chassis, known as T711 used
the alternative 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8, and arrived at GM
before the close of 1984. This would allow GM to be able to keep
on pace with at least one car, dependent on which engine better
suited a track.
The cars featured bodywork similar to a Chevrolet Corvette C4
at the front, with a long pontoon-style tail featuring Corvette
taillights. Large side intakes would feed the radiators while the
turbocharged chassis had a snorkel built into the top of the fender
to feed the turbocharger. HU8811 became the basis of the design
for the tail section of late (19921996) C4 Corvettes.

14

Debuting in 1984 at the Grand Prix of Miami, the first Corvette GTP
was run under the Racing Systems team name in a mostly white
paint scheme. The car managed to finish 13th overall after starting
29th. However the car would only appear two more times in 1984,
failing to finish at Riverside and taking another 13th place finish at
Sears Point.
For 1985, the second Corvette GTP chassis was initially given to
Lee Racing for its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona but would
suffer gearbox problems and did not finish. This was followed by a
seventh place finish at Miami, then another failure to finish at the
12 Hours of Sebring. This would be followed by a string of failures
at Charlotte, Mid-Ohio, and Watkins Glen.

The Hendrick team started 1987 the same as it did in 1986, failing
to finish the first three races of the season, including a fire during
the Miami event. The team finally managed to finish a race at
Laguna Seca, the sixth round of the season, with a second place
result. The team followed that performance with a third and 11thplace run for the two car team at Mid-Ohio. The pair would finish
fourth and seventh at Portland, followed quickly by a lone third
at Sears Point. One final third came in the streets of San Antonio
before Hendrick would close out the season with another series
of problems. Nevertheless, problems at Jaguar helped Chevrolet
secure second in the manufacturers championship behind
Porsche.
By 1988, the Corvette GTPs were becoming slightly more
consistent and the team managed to overcome its mechanical
woes, helped by a switch to naturally aspirated V8s. The season
once again began slow, as an eighth-place finish at Road Atlanta
was the first finish by a Corvette GTP that season. A seventh at
Lime Rock and Mid-Ohio would be followed by a third at Watkins
Glen, 10th at Road America, and finally, ninth at Sears Point before
the Hendrick team was joined by the new Peerless Racing squad,

The Peerless car would later be used by Eagle Performance as an

experiment with its large 10.2-liter (4 Cam-32 valve) V8 engine,
entering it in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the car would
suffer electrical problems during the qualifying sessions and would
not be able to make the race, marking the end of the Corvette
GTP.
The last time an official Corvette entry ran in GRAND-AM was
2001. A Corvette C5.R GT class car built and raced by
Pratt & Miller/Corvette Racing won the Rolex 24 at Daytona
overall. The C5.R GT was driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny OConnell,
Chris Kneifel and Franck Freon. In addition, a second Pratt &
Miller/Corvette Racing car finished second in class and fourth
overall with Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Andy Pilgrim
and Kelly Collins.

By Road America, NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports would take

over the former Racing Systems car, becoming the factory-backed
team with GM Goodwrench sponsorship and lead driver David
Hobbs. Unfortunately, the team did not manage to finish any races
by the end of the season, although Lee Racing did rebound to score
an eighth place finish at the second race at Watkins Glen and then
10th at the Daytona season finale.
Moving into 1986, Hendrick Motorsports and Lee Racing would
continue their campaigns with mixed results. Although both teams
failed to finish the first three races of the season, Hendrick would
manage to take the first victory for the Corvette GTP at Road
Atlanta with drivers Doc Bundy and Sarel van der Merwe. While
Lee Racing abandoned its effort, Hendrick would continue on and
manage a fourth place finish at Charlotte, seventh at Lime Rock,
and third at Mid-Ohio. The Corvette GTP followed those results
with its second victory on the streets of Palm Beach, defeating a
Porsche 962 by four tenths of a second.
Unfortunately, the car would fail to finish at Watkins Glen, but
return for an eighth place finish at Portland. By Sears Point,
Hendrick purchased Lee Racings former chassis to start a twocar campaign, but Hendrick would not be able to see the same
success by the end of the season. Chevrolet wound up third in the
constructors championship behind Porsche and Jaguar.

15

Inception

A New Vision
Daytona Prototypes were introduced in 2003 by GRAND-AM
and have raced 117 events. The first generation of the Daytona
Prototypes raced through the end of the 2007 season; the second
generation began in 2008, and the third generation took their first
green and checkered flags at the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 Hour
At Daytona on January 28-29, 2012.
In 2010 GRAND-AM communicated its plan to move forward
with a new generation of Daytona Prototypes. Cars built to the
new regulations are called DPG3 a reference to what will be
the third generation for the Daytona Prototypes, which debuted
in 2003 as GRAND-AMs premier Rolex Series class. DPG3s are
distinguished by an all-new body with a smaller greenhouse
for better proportion, with new regulations also offering more
potential for brand character and design innovation throughout
the rest of the bodywork.

GRAND-AM instituted a design approval process for current

licensed constructors. The process comprised multiple phases,
similar to past processes. Early in 2011 GRAND-AM received
submissions, including detailed CAD models from all three current
and active constructors: Coyote, Dallara and Riley.
GRAND-AM worked with these partners to enable an OEM
body design applicable to more than one chassis and also,
constructor-branded body designs.
Chevrolet was the first to step up with a proposal that included
branding their Daytona Prototype with their halo Corvette brand.
The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype made its ontrack debut at the November 16-17, 2011 test at the Daytona
International Speedway to wide acclaim and anticipation.

17

The Corvette Daytona Prototype began its eight-month

development at Pratt & Miller with the goal of hitting the track
on November 16-17, 2011 in a GRAND-AM sanctioned test in
preparation for the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona on
January 28-29, 2012.
Aside from burning up the phone and data lines, at several stages
throughout the Corvette Daytona Prototypes development,
GRAND-AM officials, shown above on far right Jim France and far
left David Spitzer, joined Chevrolets Mark Kent, second from right,
and Pratt & Millers Doug Louth, second from left, along with Gary
Pratt, center, to review and assure that the Corvette was being
built to meet the stringent GRAND-AM rulebook, but also was
living up to the spirit of the new GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype
vision spec.

18

Race cars have to fit specifications. The same basic materials that
make up the Corvette Daytona Prototype make up the road-going
Corvette. A Corvette has a much more rigid template to fill and
that is to build upon a legacy of performance and uniqueness that
has been a part of the cars history since the first one rolled off
the line in Flint, Michigan in 1953. The brand has a cult following
and worldwide pride in ownership. Everything that carries the
Corvette logo must live up to expectation.
The major players at GRAND-AM, Chevrolet, and Pratt & Miller
all focused on the goal of creating a car that would help take the
series and the Corvette brand to the next step in sports car racing.
The tale would be told January 28-29 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona
on the speedway road course at Daytona International Speedway,
also known as the World Center of Racing.

19

Gary Pratt

Vice President
Pratt & Miller Engineering
What a great project! On April 1, 2011, we received the
new GRAND-AM 2012 Daytona Prototype regulations.
Chevrolet and team Pratt & Miller set into motion a
comprehensive development plan to have cars on the
track within eight months. A combined team, under the
direction of Mark Kent of Chevrolet as project leader and
Dave Spitzer of the GRAND-AM competition department,
were brought together with Pratt & Millers Doug Louth,
Andrew Attardo, Gary Latham and Bill DeLong to work on
bringing the Corvette back to prototype sports car racing.
Attardo, taking inspiration from the IMSA Corvette of
the 80s, our build knowledge of the Chevrolet Intrepid
from the 90s, and direction from Chevrolet designers,
combined all that inventiveness and know-how to create
the overall Corvette Daytona Prototype look. At the
same time, a competition build sheet assembled by Louth
included the specific components that make the car go as
fast on the track as it looks standing still.
As Attardo finalized the overall appearance, Latham and
his team were putting the engineering detail together
electronically in preparation of handing the project to
DeLong to start the build process. In addition to building
the components, Louth, Latham and DeLong also had
to translate the Corvette body to the new Coyote, Riley
Technologies and Dallara chassis.
The result is a true team effort led by Chevrolet to design,
develop and build the all-new Corvette sports car which
represents the future of GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype
racing.

20

21

STyling

The Beginning
Chevrolet has accepted the challenge to reintroduce the Corvette
brand into the top level of GRAND-AM Road Racing.
Pratt & Miller, known for its development of winning sports cars,
has assumed the development of the Coyote chassis as well as the
design and development of the Corvette body.
With the rebirth of the famed Corvette name in prototype racing,
Pratt & Miller also used the majority of 2011 to improve on the
Coyote chassis. The New Hudson, Michigan-based company
reengineered the critical suspension pick-up points and paid
particular attention to the birdcage which is specifically
designed to accept the new, sleeker Corvette body.
Design resources, an aero team, representatives from the
Chevrolet GRAND-AM program, and additional members of
GRAND-AMs technical staff were added and engaged to define
the 2012 concepts and create the development plan. Reviewing

the existing Daytona Prototype chassis to determine structural

modifications required for the new body concept, and the
regulations to govern these, were key steps in the process and
were supported by the Pratt & Miller design department led
by Gary Latham. The wide array of possible aero configurations
and many performance defining parameters were sorted and
analyzed to meet GRAND-AM on-track objectives for safety and
balanced competition. As the regulations stabilized, Corvette
Daytona Prototype design concepts were traded between the
Pratt & Miller design department and aero team as well as the
GM Corvette Design studio.
The Corvette Daytona Prototype picks up design cues from six
generations of Corvette road cars. The historic round taillights,
the split rear window, lines on the hood and small side windows
all pay homage to the marque known for cutting-edge styling,
handling and speed. With the next generation of Corvette,
23

the C7, waiting in the production wings, the Corvette Daytona

Prototype is also a part of the 100 Year Anniversary of Chevrolet.
With the Corvette look in place, the team had to make some
performance design elements work in concert with the overall
appearance. Designing in components that assure proper cooling
of the LS V8 engine, the placement of the fuel cell, ducts that
channel air to cool the front and rear brakes, easy access and
egress for the driver, air louvers over the front wheels to keep the
car on the track as well as the fitting of a series spec rear wing
completes the look of the Corvette Daytona Prototype.

24

With all of these performance elements in place the team turned

to getting the Corvette to cut through the wind. Again, referencing
everything from street course hairpins to going flat-out around
the banking at Daytona, the design engineers took every turn into
account. Armed with real race data, engineers were focused on
using the air over the car to produce maximum downforce for
handling the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca and then, one-turn later
manage the drag to get up to 195 mph down the front straight at
Road America. Pratt & Miller put its vast racing know-how and
design expertise to work.

25

Tadge Juechter

Corvette Chief Engineer

I am very excited that we have been able to bring the Corvette
brand back into the top level of prototype racing. This is only
the second time in the brands 59-year history that a Corvette
prototype will race at Daytona and in the GRAND-AM Series.
We wanted to translate some very visible design cues from the
road car to the Corvette Daytona Prototype. Visible are the four
round taillights, side windows, lines down the front hood, large
side vents, split rear window, and the low slung cockpit on the
fuselage look, all of which are design themes that make this
very much a Corvette. There was a delicate balance between
maintaining a true Corvette theme with the aerodynamic and
functional properties of a prototype race car; as always we have
pushed that balance. Where you see things that are maybe a
little different than the production cars, its because the rules
require a particular line. This will allow us to connect what were
racing with what were selling.
The Corvette owner is very loyal to the brand, both on and off
the track. There is a little bit of DNA that runs from the C6 street
car through the fuel line of the Corvette Daytona Prototype.

26

27

3d development

Taking Shape
The team of designers, operating under a short development
timeline of only 240 days, began the task of shaping the Corvette
Daytona Prototype. Utilizing many factors, like the differing
layouts of modified oval tracks like Daytona International
Speedway, to street courses like Detroits Belle Isle closed street
course layout, were deciding elements that played into the
development of the Corvette Daytona Prototype.
The Computer Aided Design (CAD) department got down to
business with the overall theme, paying close attention to
maintaining the Corvette look, while factoring in structure, the
effects of aerodynamic loads that influence handling and overall
speed. Much of the preliminary development work had to be
done with Vehicle Engineering System Software. This approach
allowed for the majority of the analysis, simulation and
decision-making of the development work being completed in

a virtual environment, which translates to faster development,

prototyping and testing.
Another important tool in the Corvette Daytona Prototype
development is the Adams Multibody Dynamics Simulation
software. Adams helps engineers to study the dynamics of
moving parts, how loads and forces are distributed throughout
mechanical systems, and how to improve and optimize the
performance of how each component will work together.

29

30

31

Mark Kent

Director
Chevrolet Racing
A couple of years back, Jim France came and met with our leadership in Detroit,
and he had a vision to change the look of the Daytona Prototype. He wanted to
bring more relevance to the cars, try to connect them more with street cars. We
embraced that because thats what we do at Chevrolet, we want our race cars to
look like what we sell at our dealerships. We want to have that technology transfer
connection, either with styling cues or actual product knowledge gleaned from
racing miles on the countrys top racing circuits, so we embraced it. The team went
to work on an amazingly aggressive schedule to get the Corvette to Daytona for the
50th Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour. When we unveiled it at Daytona in November of
last year, it was really a game-changing moment for GRAND-AM and it really goes
back to Jim Frances vision.
The foundation for this new car was the IMSA GTP Hendrick Corvette Prototype of
the late 80s. If you look through the history of road racing, that is an iconic car, even
20-some years after it ran. So we took that car as the building blocks and made a
much more contemporary version of an 80s GTP classic. Im sure that when the fans
see the car, theyll agree it is absolutely a stunning, game-changing vehicle.
The 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype was developed by a multi-faceted effort
involving Chevrolet, Corvette Designers, Pratt & Miller, GRAND-AM, as well as
working closely with chassis builders Riley, Coyote and Dallara. Each member of the
team was instrumental in taking the Corvette Daytona Prototype from a vision to
reality in an amazingly short period of time.

32

33

Engine Air Box Plenum

Tail Frame Assembly

High Flow Dry Brake Assembly

Chimney Duct Assembly

Chrome moly chassis

EMCO/X-TRAC 6 Speed Gear Box

Modified Production LS

Front Sway Bar

Carbon Fiber Crash Box

BBS Wheels

Under Wing Assembly

COYOTE EXPLODED VIEW

Rear Spoiler

Dash skin
Greenhouse Skin

Mirror Housing

Hood Louver

headlight cap

rear Deck

Rear Fascia

Front Fascia

Side pod

Side pod Gill Vent

Inner headlight bezel

Corvette DP Exploded View

Once all of the technical elements are in place, one of the most
powerful tools in the engineering arsenal is Corvid Technology.
Corvid uses high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
a virtual wind tunnel that mathematically simulates airflow
around a vehicle. This was a vital process when styling and
engineering the Corvette body to perform on nearly every kind of
road racing circuit in the country.
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Manufacturing

The Build
Like the C6 production model, the Corvette Daytona Prototype,
by the rules, is made up of steel, aluminum and carbon fiber.
The Coyote driver cell is constructed of steel offering maximum
protection while also being the structural backbone for the car.
The Chevrolet LS V8 engine mated to the back is also a structural
member that carries a sequential or paddle shift transmission
putting the power to the series spec Continental tires.

Once the pieces are completed, assembly is the key final step.
Endurance racing requires that cars are easy to work on, as teams
are constantly making adjustments to run at the front. Panel fit,
easy access to key components or simply the ease of removing the
front or the rear body work are all important notes on the build
sheet.

The Corvette body is constructed of carbon fiber. Carbon fibers

high strength-to-weight ratio and good rigidity are a must in the
endurance racing environment.

41

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44

45

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Assembly

Putting it all together

Once the design process is complete and parts begin to flow out
of fabrication, it is time to get the Corvette Daytona Prototype on
four Continental racing tires.

The fuel cell, which is protected between the driver cell and
the Chevrolet V8 engine came next. Plumbing of fuel and fire
suppression lines completed the installation.

Ray Gongla and the Pratt & Miller assembly team mounted the
first Coyote chassis on their nine-ton, steel-surface plate to assure
strict adherence to all key measuring points. Looking much like a
white birdcage, the team began by putting in the electrical wiring
harness that carries information to the key operating components
and returns valuable data that the race teams will use at the track
to get maximum speed from the Corvette Daytona Prototype.

With the wiring in place and the fuel cell ready to pump Sunoco
Racing Fuel to the Chevrolet V8, the team began to attach the key
suspension assemblies on all four corners. In the rear, the ECR
Engines prepared Chevrolet motor delivers its 530 horsepower to
the track via an EMCO or X-trac gearbox.

49

Gary Latham hands the development baton to Bill DeLong to

start the builds. Lathams computer bits and bytes are translated
by DeLongs team and turned into carbon fiber, steel and
aluminum. From what was a computer image brought to life
by manipulating a mouse and keyboard now must be put in the
hands of the Pratt & Miller craftsmen who will mold with carbon
fiber and wield welding rods to bring the images of a GRAND-AM
Corvette Daytona Prototype to racing reality. In a compressed
development schedule there are no time-outs or do-overs. The
team had one shot to get it right.

Chevrolet LS Engine and ECR Engines

The new Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype will be powered
by a five-liter Chevy V8 engine based on the LS family small
block and Chevy LSX CNC ported cylinder heads with individual
runner intake manifold. The production-based fuel-injected
engine employs a dry sump oiling system and produces 530 peak
horsepower at 6,900 rpm, 450 ft.-lbs. of torque at 5500 rpm.
The GRAND-AM spec Chevrolet racing engines are built and
maintained by Earnhardt-Childress Racing in Welcome, North
Carolina. The builders, known for making power in stock car
racing and road racing, amassed 11 pole positions and five wins in
GRAND-AM since 2011.
The GM LS engine family is the only V-8 powerplant used in
General Motors line of rear-wheel-drive cars and trucks. The LS
series was a clean sheet design, having little in common with
the classic Chevrolet small block V8. Some LS engines are allaluminum, especially the performance oriented engines, while
others are cast iron, and all LS engines have 6-bolt main bearing
caps.
The LS engine has been the sole powerplant of the Chevrolet
Corvette since 1997 and has seen use in a wide variety of other
General Motors vehicles, ranging from sport coupes to full-size
trucks. Due to the engines relatively compact external dimensions
compared to its displacement and power output, the LS engine is
also a popular choice for kit cars, hot rods, buggies, and even light
aircraft.
Impressive on the street as well as on the track, the LS engine
has an impressive racing pedigree. In its production form, the
current LS engine produces 638 bhp. The version that powers the
Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype is restricted to 530 bhp,
per GRAND-AM rules. Corvette Racings C5-Rs have earned 31
class victories in the American Le Mans Series, three class wins
at Le Mans, and one overall victory at Daytona. So far the C6-R
has garnered a Le Mans class win and two other class wins in the
American Le Mans Series in only its second season.

Richard Childress

President
RCR Motorsports/ECR Engines
Richard Childress Racing has deep roots with the
Chevrolet brand on the race track. Through our
involvement building race engines for the NASCAR
touring series we translate that knowledge to the
LS engine for the new Chevrolet Corvette Daytona
Prototype for 2012.
Our team builds, maintains and supplies at-thetrack support for the GM LS GRAND-AM engines
that will power all of the Corvette Daytona
Prototype cars. It is fitting that the first time the
car will run in competition will be at the Daytona
International Speedway. Our team has worked
hard to keep pace with the series to assure that
our customers have the best and most reliable GM
LS engines we can build.
It is going to be an exciting year as the Chevrolet
Corvette Daytona Prototype returns to
competition.

Both the production LS and the GRAND-AM spec race engines use
dry-sump oiling systems designed to keep the engines properly
lubricated during high-speed cornering. In the production Corvette
Z06, an eight-quart reservoir delivers oil to the engine oil pump
under the demanding conditions of cornering loads in excess of
1g. While common in racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a
handful of production vehicles - and the only production Corvette
- to incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.
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The interior begins to resemble a race car. The dash panel

containing driver information as well as the console that holds
all of the controls and adjustments the driver will need for
performance and a modicum of comfort. The interior also
receives the drivers seat, which is designed for maximum support
and safety.
With the drive and suspension elements assembled, the carbon
Corvette body meets the chassis for final panel fit. Finally the
Corvette skin adorns the Coyote chassis completing the process of
assembling a Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype.

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Not all of the Corvettes share the same chassis. Spirit of Daytonas
Corvette Daytona Prototype runs a Coyote chassis, GAINSCO a
Riley, SunTrust a Dallara, and Action Express a pair of Coyotes.
These varied chassis combinations all had to be accommodated by
the team developing the new Corvette Daytona Prototype.
Eric Hartwigs composite department worked flat-out so all of
the teams could have their body components ready to mount on
their chosen chassis in time for the Roar test. There is no rest for
the guys who lay up the fiber and resin, the inevitable spare body
parts were in the works to be delivered in time to be painted and
prepped for the Rolex 24.

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Corvette Daytona Prototype teams begin to work at the Pratt &

Miller facility to get familiar with their Corvettes and complete the
build with custom team components. This part of the build also
helps to familiarize the teams with their new car. This approach
paid dividends in reducing the learning curve that would typically
happen over the course of several test sessions not on the
timeline of an eight-month development chart.
The side-by-side finish build proved its value at the Roar test in
January. This allowed the teams to work on set-up, driver comfort
and going fast, which they did - taking the top five places on the
time sheet at the end of the weekend.

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The Unveil

2012 Chevrolet Corvette DP

The new 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype breaks cover.
The Corvette Daytona Prototype picks up where the Corvette
GTP car from 1988 left off. On November 15, 2011, with a
host of local, NASCAR and GRAND-AM luminaries on hand
including mayor of Daytona, Glenn Richey; Jim France;
Brian France; Lesa France-Kennedy; Mike Helton; Tom
Bledsoe; and Joie Chitwood all helped with the unveiling at
the Daytona 500 Club adjacent to the Speedways Victory
Circle. Chevrolet representatives Jim Campbell and Jim
Lutz presented the electric blue Spirit of Daytona Corvette
Daytona Prototype. The room was filled with journalists as
well as special guests from the local Corvette owners club.
Flanking the excited crowd were representatives from all
of the Corvette Daytona Prototype teams including Spirit

of Daytonas Troy Flis and drivers Antonio Garcia and Oliver

Gavin; Bob Stallings Racings Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty;
Wayne Taylor Racings Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and
Ricky Taylor; Action Express Racing owner Bob Johnson and
several drivers from the teams star-studded lineup.
The Corvette Daytona Prototype was unveiled to a capacity
crowd at the 500 Club. In addition, Chevrolet was beaming
the event over the Internet. More than 12,000 enthusiasts
watched the Corvette Daytona Prototype be revealed on-line
making it a worldwide spectacle.

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Jim Campbell
General Motors U.S. Vice President
Performance Vehicles and Motorsports

Chevrolet and Daytona share a very special history in both stock

car racing and road racing. Our first styling chief, Harley Earl,
was a strong supporter of stock car racing. He and Bill France,
Sr. became good friends. These guys had a lot of mutual respect
for one another.
In addition, the Corvette and Daytona have almost grown up
together. In 1956, Zora Arkus Duntov set the flying mile speed
record at Daytona Beach in a Corvette, the average two way
speed of 150.538 miles per hour. At the official opening of the
Daytona International Speedway in 1959, Zora came back and
turned the fastest lap in a Corvette SS at 155 miles per hour.
Betty Skelton, the first lady of firsts, set her first land speed
record at Daytona in a Corvette. She came back many times
after that.
In the inaugural Daytona Continental race in 1962, Dick
Thompson, the flying dentist, finished first in the GT 5000 class
in a Corvette. Then in 1966, in the 24 Hour race, the No. 6
Corvette, owned by Roger Penske, completed 575 laps to win
the GT 3000 class in a Corvette.
Fast forward to 1986, the IMSA Corvette GTP prototype took
the pole. Unfortunately, the car fell victim to vibrations during
the warm-ups and was scratched from the race. It went on to
compete in many other races and won in Atlanta.
The 24 Hours of Daytona is a tough race. Anything can happen.
I will never forget in 1999, right here, the first year we ran
the fifth generation Corvette. It was our first race for that
car. There were fans and supporters all over the grandstands,
and many watching on television. We got out to a quick lead
and led for 18 hours. The enthusiasm was high. But then you
realize what it takes to win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. It takes
an incredible effort. Every minute, every lap, the car, drivers.
We did not win that race. We ended up with a podium finish,
which in retrospect was an incredible accomplishment. We
went home, did our homework, and came back strong.
In 2001 the No. 2 Millennium Yellow Corvette C5 R not only
won the GT class but also the overall victory at the Rolex 24 At
Daytona. What a special race that was.
We are back for 2012 with a brand new Corvette Daytona
Prototype that is ready to compete at the front of the
GRAND-AM pack!

SebTest2012

Tom Bledsoe
President
GRAND-AM

GRAND-AMs new Daytona Prototype concept is aimed at

allowing manufacturers to showcase their brand in an exciting,
cutting-edge fashion. Chevrolet, with its new Corvette Daytona
Prototype, has done just that. The anticipation of seeing this new
Daytona Prototype compete is building each and every day. This
announcement has immediate and far-reaching implications, with
the potential to change the face of sports car racing.

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Jim France

Vice Chairman NASCAR

Corvette Enthusiast
I have a real appreciation of the Corvette. I grew up with my dad
on the beach racing cars. I have a picture of myself with one of
the 56 Corvettes they had down here at the speed trials on the
beach before the Speedway was ever built. I was exposed to
Corvettes at an early age and having the Corvette back running at
Daytona is really special to me, personally. I think its one of the
coolest Corvettes that Ive seen and I couldnt be more thrilled.
We took a fresh approach a couple of years ago and spent a lot of
focused time thinking about what it would take to get to this day.
I think that what were most proud of is that Chevrolet trusted the
GRAND-AM organization to build a team consensus and execute
on a project that I think everybody around the world agrees, is a
very beautiful race car. The design, the development is done, we
are ready to turn them loose and let them go race.

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The Teams

The Teams
There comes a point in the development of every race car when
it is time to hit the track. The first outing is always a trying time.
The Corvette Daytona Prototype didnt have the luxury of a year
of testing and development; most of that was done by processing
terabytes of information through simulation programs on the
computer.
Deliveries to teams began in November of 2011, with the first
car put in the hands of the Spirit of Daytona team. The team,
appropriately named, was the first to make Corvette Daytona
Prototype tracks on the high-banks of Daytona International
Speedway. It was also the first team to fill laptops full of real-time,
on-track data that would be the basis for the other four teams to
follow.
The next two Corvette Coyotes went to Action Express, with

Wayne Taylor taking delivery of his Corvette Daytona Prototype

body, which carries SunTrust sponsorship. At the same time,
pieces went to Texas for Bob Stallings GAINSCO team. With
delivery made on time, as promised, the teams began to make
them their own. Individualizing their Corvettes, fitting drivers,
all in preparation for the Roar Before The Rolex 24 test, January
7-9, 2012. The data footprint from the first outing was analyzed,
improvements were made by the Pratt & Miller engineers and the
teams put down the five fastest times in the Daytona Prototype
class at the Roar test.
As is Roar tradition, the Corvette teams turned on the
high-beams for the first time on Saturday, January 8 for night
practice. Punching a hole in the Daytona night air, the SunTrust
Racing Corvette turned out the lights on the competition posting
the fastest time.
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Spirit of Daytona Racing

Action Express Racing

Spirit of Daytona was founded in 1987 when Troy Flis and

his brother began competing in club-racing events with their
Volkswagen. Troys love for turning cars into speeding, streamlined
racing machines soon became a small business and, after
numerous wins on the club-racing circuit, he turned professional
in 1999 with the beginning of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car
Series. Spirit of Daytona has grown tremendously since Troys
club-racing days and now encompasses a Daytona Prototype
effort and an 8,000 square foot preparation and race shop facility.

Long-time Brumos associate Bob Johnson created Action Express

Racing in 2010 and formed a technical alliance with Brumos
Racing. Johnson leased a Riley Daytona Prototype - a car last
raced by Pacific Coast Motorsports a few years ago - and had it
paired with a Lozano Brothers-built Cayenne-based Porsche V-8
powerplant, similar to the engines used in the Spirit of Daytona
Porsche Coyote. In that first year of operation as a new team,
Action Express won the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona. For 2012,
Action Express will run two new Chevrolet Corvette Daytona
Prototypes on the Coyote Chassis.

Spirit of Daytona has run the Coyote chassis in GRAND-AM

competition since 2009. Spirit of Daytona also carried out the
track validation of the new Chevrolet Corvette Coyote at the
three tests leading up to the 50th running of the Rolex 24 Hour At
Daytona.

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GAINSCO Bob Stallings Racing

SunTrust Wayne Taylor Racing

Bob Stallings founded the team after he won the 2004 SCCA
Formula Atlantic National Championship. His dream was to field
a top-level Daytona Prototype and, to make his dream a reality,
he hired top personnel from around the world of motorsports,
including driver Alex Gurney and engineer Kyle Brannan - both
of whom honed their skills in the hotly contested Toyota Atlantic
Championship. Gurney set fast lap in the teams first-ever Rolex
Series practice day at Laguna Seca - putting the GRAND-AM world
on notice that the No. 99 was for real.

Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR), was founded in November 2006

and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wayne Taylor is a
three-time sports car champion and two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona
winner.

In 2006, the teams first full season, Gurney and another Toyota
Atlantic standout, Jon Fogarty, showed repeated strength with
more podiums, a pole and a sixth-place finish in the season
championship.
At the 2007 Rolex 24, Gurney took his fourth career pole position,
before suffering from bad luck early on that eventually forced the
teams retirement. But just one race later, Gurney and Fogarty
wrote the GAINSCO team into the recordbooks in Mexico City,
recording the teams first-ever Rolex Sports Car Series victory in
thrilling fashion. Now, the team is setting its sights on another
championship trophy.

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In its first three seasons of existence, WTR extended SunTrusts

streak of top-three finishes in the Rolex Series championship
standings to five out of the last six years. WTR scored five wins in
its first three seasons, in addition to 19 pole positions, 23 top-five
and 31 top-10 finishes in 40 races. SunTrusts only season finish
outside the top-three in the championship was 2008, when WTR
introduced an all-new Dallara chassis to Rolex Series competition,
and midway through the season suffered a devastating transporter
fire that destroyed its racecar, spare parts, race equipment and
tools. SunTrust finished sixth that season, but did score a lateseason race win followed by a pair of runner-up finishes to close
the campaign. In its very first race, the team was joined by none
other than four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, who helped
co-drive to third-place finish at the 2007 season-opening Rolex 24.
In the 2008 Rolex 24, WTR collaborated with Penske Racing to run
a sister entry - the No. 9 Toshiba Pontiac Riley for Penske Taylor
Racing, featuring drivers Helio Castroneves, Kurt Busch and Ryan
Briscoe - that finished third.

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Testing

Testing
The No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype broke
cover on November 15 to a distinguished crowd of team owners,
GRAND-AM and NASCAR brass, Chevrolet representatives, the
media and even a select number of Corvette owners all assembled
at the Daytona 500 Club adjacent to Daytonas Victory Lane. In
addition, there were 12,000 viewers following the unveil on the
Internet. Now it was time to put some miles on the
much-anticipated sports car.
The next day the No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype would take
to the track for the first time. Not just any track, but the Daytona
International Speedway, the World Center of Racing. All of the
work by the build team would be put on display in front of the
competition, media and world without the luxury of an initial
shakedown at some far-flung circuit on a private test day.

With Flis Spirit of Daytona team taking the lead, Chevrolet,

Pratt & Miller as well as ECR Engines team members all worked
together to put maximum miles on the new Corvette Daytona
Prototype. Starting slowly by doing installation laps and gathering
basic important vehicle temperatures and measurements, the
team could no longer hold back. What everyone thought would
be a roll-out of a new race car, soon turned into suspension and
wing adjustments in the search for speed. The Corvette Daytona
Prototype ran without a problem allowing the team to accelerate
their learning curve gathering valuable data for the future - a
result that surpassed everyones expectations.

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Troy Flis

Owner/team manager
No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype
Its a big challenge to bring a car that has the enthusiast
following that Corvette has to the track and do the initial
shakedown in front of everybody. There was a lot of
pressure on my guys that this first outing go smoothly and everything was perfect. We ran a ton of laps. Id say
we ran through five or six sets of tires, and the car did
everything that we asked it to do. The car ran so well
that we actually had the opportunity to tune on it a little
bit, which we never expected to do in the first test in
November. We got a lot further ahead this week than we
were anticipating. Were really excited to be a part of this
because we believe this car is a game changer.

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December Test
The second on-track outing for the Corvette Daytona Prototype
came December 6-7, 2011 at Daytona International Speedway.
Once again, the Spirit of Daytona team with their Corvette Coyote
hit the high banks of the World Center of Racing. Joining the
locally based Sprit of Daytona team were two more Corvette
84

Prototype teams, SunTrust Racing with their No. 10 Corvette

Dallara and Action Express with its No. 9 Corvette Coyote. The
Corvette Daytona Prototype, for the first time, sees track time
riding on two different chassis.

85

Wayne Taylor

Darren Law

Obviously, Im excited that we are one of the lead teams

representing the Corvette brand in GRAND-AM. I can remember
back in my day as an Intrepid driver there was always talk about a
Corvette prototype that never materialized. Now, Chevy has come
back and worked with Pratt & Miller to develop this Corvette
prototype that we are going to race and we feel this is a new
era for sports cars, and for GRAND-AM in particular. Im very
excited to represent them. Obviously, Max and Ricky will drive
it for us. I never won the six-hour race at Watkins Glen, Ricky
did. I never drove the Corvette prototype, but Ricky will. So Im
living vicariously through my son, once again! Ive been with GM
for over 20 years and Im excited. The amount of interest and
excitement about this car, I dont ever remember it being of this
magnitude for a new car, anywhere. GM and Pratt & Miller have
done such an excellent job with the styling and the design, its
clear everybody loves the car. And the greatest thing is, it looks
great in blue, it looks great in white, its going to look great in red,
every color you can imagine. Im looking forward to winning races
with it.

Were very excited to be joining Chevy Racing. Its great to have

manufacturer support behind us, Law said. This is the first car
for the generation-three Daytona Prototype. I commend Chevy
for stepping up to the plate and putting out the effort to produce
the first car out of all the manufacturers. Im very impressed with
the car. It looks fast just sitting there! You can really distinguish
that its a manufacturers prototype it looks like a Corvette, but
in prototype form. Theyve done a great job incorporating things
like the Corvette nose and front end. And its the nicest body fit
Ive seen on a Daytona Prototype. We cant wait to get on the
track with the new car. Weve got a very, very aggressive testing
program set up for the winter leading up to the 24 hour.

No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette team owner

Max Angelelli

Driver, No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet Corvette

A Corvette, for me, has always been my dream car since I was
a kid, for the simple reason that the look was really nice, very
aggressive. And with the sensation of having a big V8 under the
hood, for me as an Italian and the small engines everywhere
around me, it has always been a big deal. Especially, the Corvette
with the four pipes behind, the ZR1, it was the car to have a
dream car. I always, always hoped to have the money to buy
one. Then, I had a friend of mine who bought one, and I couldnt
believe I could actually sit in one. But I never had a chance to
drive it. For me, this is now a long time dream come true. When
I was with Cadillac, I was at least close to the Corvette brand. I
was always hoping to be picked by the Corvette team to drive
for them. Its a dream that took over 30 years to come true. Ive
seen so many Corvettes over the years, shape changes, styling
changes, and it always gets better. They did a wonderful job with
this Corvette Daytona Prototype. There is no doubt that this is a
Corvette. Im driving a Corvette! Its as simple as that.

Ricky Taylor

Driver, No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet Corvette

For me, its special because my dad has been with GM pretty
much since I was born, so Ive spent a lot of my life around GM.
Now, theyre putting a lot of effort into the Corvette prototype
and that means a lot. To finally be part of a real GM Racing
program and representing their biggest brand and their highestperformance brand, which is Corvette, is pretty cool. Making the
Daytona Prototype look more like a car on the street is hard to do,
I would have thought, but they did such a good job with all the
styling cues that it looks like a Corvette. I didnt know if they were
going to be able to do it, but they did a great job with the look.
Plus, its been a pretty fast car right out of the box.

86

Driver, No. 5 Action Express Chevrolet Corvette

David Donohue

No. 5 Action Express Chevrolet Corvette

Its wonderful to have this new Chevy Corvette out here. The
series needed sort of a breath of fresh air and I think this new car
looks great. Its working great out here on the track. Being part of
something so new and being branded as a Corvette, its a thrill for
all of us.
The only thing that really took getting used to is going around the
bottom of the banking. You touch the apron a little bit earlier than
you think you would, just because youre sitting on the other side
of the car. Its quite a bit different ergonomically and learning the
typical new car stuff, where all the darn switches are and what the
adjustments are. It adjusts a bit differently from the Riley. There
has been quite an adjustment.
Were really hopeful, obviously, otherwise we wouldnt have made
this switch. Its kind of like were throwing some dust in the air
to see which way itll go because theres just so many things up in
the air as far as the regulations and as far as what the competition
is going to do. Who is going to get ahead of the proverbial 8-ball,
if you will? Who is going to be first to get ahead of the ball and
ahead of the game and be able to maintain that? It really resets
the deck. Hopefully, were the first ones to get it figured out and
we take that momentum not just from Daytona but for the rest of
the year.

Joao Barbosa

No. 9 Action Express Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette has been going great. Its a great car. The car not
only looks good, but it runs really good. Im definitely looking
forward to the race. Its going to be a long month for the crew
to adapt to this new car and to know this new car as we should
before a 24-hour race, but we have a great team of guys. Im sure
well have a winning car and well be in great shape for the 24hour race.
Its a great responsibility. When you drive a Corvette here in the
U.S., its a big thing. For me, its such a great pleasure to be with
such a great team, having the opportunity to drive a Corvette in
their first Daytona Prototype. I think they did a great job. The car
is really good out of the box. We still need to work, but its a great
car and were really looking forward to coming back in January
and feel all the fan base that the Corvette has and all the fans.
Hopefully, were going to have a good showing here.

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Roar Before the Rolex 24

The Corvette Daytona Prototype contingent led every session of
the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test, January 7-9, 2012 at Daytona
International Speedway. The Roar Before the Rolex 24 is the
official test in preparation for the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex
24. The No. 10 SunTrust Corvette topped the time chart with the
fastest lap of the 59 cars participating on the weekend posting a
1:41.142 lap with an average speed of 121 mph around the 3.5690

mile, 12-turn speedway road course. In the shadow of the orange

and white SunTrust car were the rest of the Corvette juggernaut:
No. 5 Action Express Corvette second (1:41.338), No. 9 Action
Express Corvette third (1:41.475), No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance
Corvette fourth (1:41.541), and the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona
Corvette fifth (1:41.849).

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Wayne Taylor

Bob Stallings

Im extremely happy by the speed at which everybody at GM and

Pratt & Miller and Wayne Taylor Racing has been able to turn this
car around in terms of making it solid for a 24-hour run. Weve
come here and had no problems all weekend while going through
all the changes we wanted to. Speaking to Max, Ricky and Ryan
independently, all three had the same feedback. Theyre all
happy. Ive got to be careful because its actually gone so well that
well be wondering what we might have missed. I think the guys
have done a good job. Theyve taken the time to make sure the
car is ready for the race. We did try to simulate a qualifying lap
with Max this morning and we did a really good lap. Im not sure
if we can go any faster than that. But the main thing, at this point,
is we have a car that all three drivers are really happy to drive. Im
really happy that we can take two good weeks to regroup and get
ready for the big one.

I feel really good about it. The car is way beyond where I thought
it would be at this point. I really thought it was going to take up
until the last practice right before the race to have a general idea
where we were, or a sense of comfort, but the drivers are pretty
happy and the car is certainly drivable. Its obviously not perfect,
they are never perfect, but all in all, it is pretty doggone good.
Were encouraged.

No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette team owner

Ryan Briscoe

No. 10 SunTrust Corvette driver

I love the new cockpit and the Corvette body-style. The car looks
great, it feels great. I really felt comfortable and confident driving
the car this weekend. Its great working with people at Chevy and
GM and Pratt & Miller, too. There is a lot of really useful overlay
as far as getting to know people and the same people I work with
on the IndyCar side. Its pretty exciting and good for me to be
racing here with Max and Ricky and the whole SunTrust team.

Ricky Taylor

No. 10 SunTrust Corvette driver

We knew we had a good base when we came to Daytona this
weekend. We knew where to start and everything. It was a
matter of getting up to speed and tweaking a few things from
a really good starting point. Max, Ryan and I all liked the same
things, so it was pretty constructive and we were able to get to
where we wanted to be pretty fast. I think Im happy with this car.
If we could race this car, Id be happy if nothing changed.
Twenty-four hours is a long time. There will be a lot of cars out
there and a lot of variables so, hopefully, we can make it to the
end and be part of the fight over those last couple of hours.

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GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette team owner

Alex Gurney

GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette driver

We ran the whole time without any show stoppers. We got
through a lot of laps, so we have a lot of information to draw
on. We are still learning about how the tires work with this car,
and that is kind of our one question mark at this point. We did
get to do a full fuel run, the whole stint, so I think we got a lot
accomplished. The car is pretty quick so we feel pretty good about
it.

Jon Fogarty

GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette driver

The team has done a tremendous job. They worked through the
holidays and we threw a lot of issues at them that you need to
sort out for a 24-hour race, and they did a good job. We still have
a few lingering ones, and the more we run, the more stuff seems
to come up. Our engineer said we are playing the game Whac-AMole a little bit. You get one down and another one pops back up.
There is a little bit of that going on, but we are definitely pleased
with the progress that the guys have made. We found a good
pace and we are definitely getting a handle on it. I am encouraged
that we used almost all of the track time this weekend, but its
never enough when you are working with a new car.

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The Fans

Record Attendance
Corvette fans are a special breed that celebrates the brand with
unwavering loyalty. Every race weekend they will make the
pilgrimage in their Corvettes, spanning nearly every one of the 59
years of the cars production, enthusiastically filling the Corvette
Corral. At the race track they exchange stories about their cars as
well as form the longest autograph lines in the paddock to secure
signatures on their hats and shirts from their favorite drivers.
Their passion for the brand, and racing, helps fuel the teams and
drivers and further promotes the lifestyle that is Corvette.

temperatures of 73-degrees Fahrenheit during the day and

45-degree temperatures at night.
Sports car fans around the world watched the race debut of
the Corvette Daytona Prototype on the SPEED channel and the
Internet. They confirmed the popularity of the new Corvette
Daytona Prototype when a GRAND-AM online survey asked which
new car are you most excited about. The overwhelming answer
was the Corvette, by nearly a two-to-one margin.

Along with an almost all new field of Daytona Prototype sports

cars, the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona also
witnessed a record race day crowd. The enthusiastic race fans
flooded the grid as the drivers and cars were presented on stage
in pit lane. The throngs enjoyed near perfect Daytona Beach
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TRAVIS RYZYNSKI
Corvette Fan
I think it was great that they brought the split window back. Its
got the Corvette logo on it, and its nice. Its different, which is
what I like. It has the split window and it brings back that vintage
Corvette look. So it looks very much like a Corvette race car, a
regular Corvette, into a race car.
ERIC HANEY
Corvette Fan
It's great that you can see the prototype car and see that it
actually has the Corvette lineage designed into the body. It was
easy to pick out which car is the Corvette when you see all the
prototype cars lined up out there. It is nice to be able to watch
them and follow them.
BILL MOSTAN
Corvette Fan
Oh, I love it! I love it! I was here when the factory C5Rs were
racing in 2001 and 2002. I just love Corvettes. They're a fantastic
American-made machine. I've had five of them. I'm glad to see
them back racing in the Daytona Prototype class. The little 302
engine, I mean, it really sounds awesome, just like a Corvette
should.
BRUCE VALENTIN
Corvette Fan
They have the gills from the Grand Sport, which ties it all in. They
got the little duct and the nose for the air. They have the emblem
in the tail and the round taillights. So it really ties it together with
what we're used to seeing on the street car, and like I said, they've
been screaming around the track. It's been great.
ROBERT VALENTIN
Corvette Fan
They look great. You can definitely look at it and tell it's a
Corvette. Some of the features on it, the front, the back, there's
the Chevy symbol, and the Corvette logo on the front and the
back. You can look at the taillights and tell it's a Corvette. They've
been really competitive, really awesome, and just great to see.
Seeing the cars flying around the track, being competitive with
everybody, it's awesome. The Corvette DP is a great-looking car
and is really competitive.

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Rolex 24 Hour

50th Anniversary

Qualifying
Coming off a strong Roar Before the Rolex 24 test January 6-8,
2012 the Corvette Daytona Prototypes unloaded for the 50th
Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona with hopes of being the
first Corvette Daytona Prototype to win a race and win the golden
anniversary Rolex watches that go to the winners.
The five Corvette Daytona Prototype teams began the race
weekend where they left off just three weeks earlier, leading
practice. Wayne Taylors No. 10 SunTrust team took top honors in
the first and fourth practice sessions with Bob Stallings GAINSCO
Red Dragon Corvette Daytona Prototype blazing the way in the
second and fifth practice sessions.

In qualifying, an all-out fight for the overall pole of the race had
the Corvette Daytona Prototype runners in the battle for the
top honors. SunTrust came away from the session on the front
row, starting the 50th Rolex 24 Hour from the second position
(1:41.240). The No. 99 GAINSCO was next in fourth (1:41.519),
right next to the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona in fifth (1:41.611); the
No. 9 Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype was seventh
(1:42.074), and the No. 5 Action Express car had to start from
the back of the field due to an engine issue, taking no time. This
would be an early sign of things to come for the Corvette Daytona
Prototype teams.

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The 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona

The overall mood of the Corvette teams was positive. The
Corvette Daytona Prototype was on pace at the front. The
new body and chassis combinations had the teams focused on
strategy and speed, not car-related issues. Little did they know
the element that was a key strength in the 2010 race season for
the Chevrolet teams would cause problems once the green flag
dropped on the race.

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After the pomp and circumstance of celebrating the 50th running

of the Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona was over and the teams lined-up
on the grid, the command was given by legendary Formula 1 driver
Sir Jackie Stewart, Gentlemen, start your engines. These four
words would prove prophetic in the story of the Corvette Daytona
Prototypes debut at the World Center of Racing.
At the drop of the green flag the cars were jostling for position on
the first lap around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn speedway road course.
On that first lap, the story of the Corvette Daytona Prototypes
was being penned as the No. 5 Action Express Corvette Daytona
Prototype with Darren Law at the wheel, dove for pit lane. Bob
Johnson had his team remove the engine cover on the redwhite-and-blue Corvette with an electrical problem affecting the
performance of the LS engine. The crew made repairs and was able
to get the car back out, going down precious laps at the outset.

The battle at the front was furious when, just 25-minutes later,
the 2005 Rolex 24 At Daytona winners, SunTrust Racing, came to
pit road with an engine issue. The team hustled the No. 10 to the
paddock for a full diagnosis by the ECR Engine team. The result
was a problem that would see one of the race favorites out of the
event with just 14 laps in the books.

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The first entry in the Corvette Daytona Prototype modern history

book was that Alex Gurney, son of Dan Gurney, the winner of the
first sports car race at Daytona in 1962, logged the first lap led by
the new Corvette Daytona Prototype race car. On lap 30 Gurney
headed the 59-car field and recorded the first lap led for the
Corvette brand in GRAND-AM prototype racing. The celebration
of the Red Dragon continued when co-driver Memo Gidley led
laps in hour two. As nighttime set in on Daytona Beach the water
temperature of the GAINSCO Red Dragon saw red. A puncture in
the radiator forced the car to the paddock. Gidley returned to the
race, but would soon be forced back to the garage when the water
pump pulley failed requiring the team to perform major repairs,
taking them out of contention and eventually finishing 33rd.

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The Spirit of Daytona Racing No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype

was running strong for the first half of the race with Oliver Gavin
taking the lead on lap 190. At the 12-hour mark an axle failure
sent the team down laps. Later in the evening, contact with a GT
car forced more repairs and resulted in additional lost track time
with the team coming across the finish line eighth.
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Meanwhile, the No. 5 Action Express team was making a

comeback from their lap one pit stop. The electrical problem still
lingered, but the home team from Daytona Beach would soldier
back from the early pit stops and post the top finishing position
for the new Corvette Daytona Prototype of fifth overall, just three
laps back to the winners.

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The No. 9 Action Express car ran a trouble-free first half of the
race. At the 12-hour mark the No. 9 Corvette had contact with a
GT car and damaged the suspension and body. The team made
quick work of the repair, but lost 20 laps. From that point the car
continued to the finish at a reduced pace finishing ninth.
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Corvette Daytona Prototype Results

No. 5 Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype, fifth, 758 laps
David Donohue, Christian Fittipaldi, Darren Law
No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype, eighth, 746
laps
Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Richard Westbrook
No. 9 Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype, ninth, 739 laps
Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, JC France, Max Papis
No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype,
13th, 672 laps
Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, Memo Gidley
No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype, 33rd, 14 laps
Max Angelelli, Ryan Briscoe, Ricky Taylor

The First Win

Barber Motorsports Park

Champagne
The Corvette faithful did not have to wait long for the newest
entry in the Daytona Prototype category to reach victory circle.
In only the second race for the Corvette Daytona Prototype,
fittingly, the Spirit of Daytona was the first to spray champagne in
celebration of a Corvette win in the second race of the season at
Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
The weekend started with another first for the Corvette
contingent with Spirit of Daytonas Richard Westbrook driving
the No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype to the marques first pole
position. Westbrook covered the 2.38-mile, 17-turn circuit in
1:21.420 at an average speed of 102 mph. The Corvette Daytona
Prototype is an absolute joy to drive, Westbrook said. The aero

on the car is absolutely unbelievable. Its still a very new car and
its going to get better.
Westbrooks Corvette was not alone on the front row, flanking
him on the point was Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto
Insurance Corvette with a lap of 1:21.494 and 102 mph. In fact,
the top three positions on the Barber grid were Corvettes, with
David Donohue putting the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette
on the second row in third with a best lap at 1:22.379 and 100
mph.

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Victory
A fitting first pole and victory for Troy Flis No. 90 Spirit of Daytona
team, the first team to get onboard with the new Corvette
Daytona Prototype, and also the first team to turn laps in the new
car. Westbrook and teammate Antonio Garcia delivered a win for
Flis and Corvette, the teams first after more than seven years of
competing in the GRAND-AM Rolex Series.
Westbrook got off to a fast start, relinquishing the lead only
during pit stops. Handing over to Garcia, the Spaniard kept the
pace, driving to a commanding 32 second lead, only to have a
late-race caution period erase the hard gained margin. The yellow
flag would set-up a three-lap sprint to the finish between two
Corvettes, Garcias Spirit of Daytona and the red No. 99 GAINSCO
Auto Insurance Corvette Daytona Prototype with Alex Gurney at
the wheel. Garcia was able to put the power down from the LS
engine and keep the lead, taking the checkered flag a mere 2.326
seconds ahead of Gurney.
It was an amazing race, Garcia said. An amazing weekend I
would say. Richard did a really good first stint. I just wanted to
get a really good gap on the second place car. I knew maybe a

144

yellow would come, and it did with three laps to go. A little bit of
panic everywhere I believe. But, it really paid off because as soon
as I was able to push again, the car was there. The Corvette was
amazing. The team was perfect. I am so very, very glad to give
Spirit of Daytona and Chevy their first victory with the Corvette in
GRAND-AM.
It was a near perfect weekend for the team from Daytona and
Corvette. Westbrook and Garcia combined to lead all but 19
of the 103 laps to win, with fellow Corvette Daytona Prototype
runners Fogarty and Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto
Insurance Daytona Prototype coming second, and the No.10
SunTrust Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype driven by Max
Angelelli and Ricky Taylor finishing fifth.
It is fantastic to finally see our new Corvette Daytona Prototype
in the winners circle, Mark Kent, director of Chevrolet Racing,
said. It has been a big effort by a lot of people. A lot of hard work;
it is good to see that hard work finally pay off with this win. I hope
it is the first of many to come for this beautiful new car. It surely is
a confidence builder as we go forward. Barber Motorsports Park is
a unique track layout that we have run very well on. Hopefully this
momentum will carry us forward through the rest of the season
and well have many wins to come.
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Summary

A Bright Future
Four years ago a casual mention by Jim France to GM
management that he would like to see the Corvette brand back in
the top level of GRAND-AM prototype racing has become a reality.
A comprehensive build plan set forth by Chevrolet to bring
the Corvette back to prototype competition just eight months
out from the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona was
accomplished with guidance from GRAND-AM. Putting to work all
of our collective resources, the development team hit all of their
timeline objectives and had five competitive Corvette Daytona
Prototype cars on the track January 28-29, 2012 for the 50th
Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona.
The highlight reel for the Corvette Daytona Prototype is just
starting. The teams put their new cars on the track for the
Super Bowl of the series, which is also the first race. Although
the results did not fill the teams trophy case, the speed of the
car, handling, and overall presence of the Corvette running on
the high-banks at the World Center of Racing in the top level of
prototype sports cars sent the teams, and competitors, home
with a sense of optimism and fear. We proved that the Corvette
Daytona Prototype will be a car to be reckoned with throughout
the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Series championship run.
I am looking forward to what the GRAND-AM season holds for the
Corvette. I hope to see you at the track soon.

Mark L. Reuss

GM Vice President and President, North America

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Production Team
Jim France - Editor-In-Chief
Robin Pratt - Editor
Kyle Chura - Writer
Chris Ladouceur - Designer, Artist, Photographer, Editorial Board
Philip Muscat - Industrial Design Engineer, Artist, Photographer, Editorial Board
Erin Henk - Graphics Assistant, Editorial Board
Austin Fodell - Industrial Design Engineer -3D Modeling, Artist
Alleyne Kelly - Copy Editor

Primary Photographers
Chris Ladouceur
Phil Muscat

Contributing Photographers
Brian Cleary
Bob Harmeyer
Richard Prince

Video Crew
Mike Ray - Video Producer, Cameraman
Evan Deneau - Video Assistant, Cameraman
Scott Waraniak - Cameraman

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Special Thanks
A very special thanks to everyone that helped make the 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype
a reality and to those who helped make this book possible.

The Legend Continues...