Corvette Racing's final warm-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans was run in near-record temperatures as a heatwave in Utah's high desert tested America's premier production sportscar team to the limit, but Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen kept their cool to record a third straight GT1 success.
The #3 Compuware-backed Corvette came home 1min 4.9secs clear of the #4 sister entry crewed by Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin in the American Le Mans Series' Larry H Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix, but only moved to the front after a problem delayed the 'Ollies' in their first pit-stop.
Beretta led the first 52 minutes of the race in the pole-winning Corvette, but saw O'Connell inherit the advantage when a problem with the refuelling system cost the #4 car precious time. The O'Connell/Magnussen car then increased its margin on the two subsequent pit-stops and, although both finished on the same lap, the result was all but sealed.
"Luck is a big part of it, and the luck is going our way now," O'Connell admitted, "Jan is driving well, I feel that I'm driving well, so this is a great way to go into Le Mans. Hopefully, we can continue with a lot of momentum.
"We had the luxury of being able to run a Le Mans set-up with low downforce. It makes the car more difficult to drive, but that's what we'll run in Le Mans. One of the great things about our association with Michelin is that we're always challenging them to improve and they're constantly challenging us to get better."
Beretta and Gavin accepted defeat in typically magnanimous fashion, before setting their sights on redressing the balance at the biggest event of the year.
"Congratulations to the #3 Corvette for the win," said Beretta. "but the most important thing is that both cars are in good shape for Le Mans."
The Corvettes will begin their transatlantic journey on Wednesday as the team prepares for its annual assault on the 24 Hours.
