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A POSITIVE DAY FOR THE OLLIES AND MAX
Corvette Racing found the silver lining in the dark clouds that soaked the Circuit de la Sarthe in yesterday's one day of official testing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Intermittent downpours, sporadic showers, and frequent red-flag periods punctuated the day as the Corvette Racing team tested a range of Michelin tyres and evaluated chassis and gearbox setups. With the changeable weather in the Loire Valley, the knowledge gained today could prove valuable in the upcoming 24-hour endurance race.
The long day on the immense 8.481-mile circuit was virtually trouble-free for the Corvette Racing team. Max Papis set the fastest time between the two factory Corvettes at 3:55.520, turning his quick lap in the No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R in dry conditions at the start of the four-hour afternoon session. The Corvettes ended up third and fourth among the 10 entries in the GT1 class behind the No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9 (3:53.531) and the No. 50 Saleen S7R (3:55.383).
Oliver, together with his team mates in the #64 C6.R, Olivier Beretta and Max Papis, was buoyed by the results of the day's running, despite the interruptions caused by the weather. “It was a bit frustrating because conditions were so changeable but we managed to get through a reasonable amount of the planned programme so it definitely wasn't a wasted day.
“The weather made it very challenging on track and to do a quick time you had to be out at the right time on the right tyres and with the right set up. We were definitely in the hunt all the time; the car is easy to drive in all conditions - and we certainly had a few to try.
“Normally after this test day we come away scratching our heads about something or other that hasn't worked or gone as planned, but not yesterday. Yes, we wanted to get more done and have a better understanding of our potential race strategy, but everyone is in the same boat as far as the conditions were concerned. You have to make the best of what you've got.
“I have to say though that I'm delighted to be back at Le Mans, exorcising some of the demons that we had last year when we had that driveshaft failure. It's nice to be back out there, doing laps and getting back into it. It's a wonderful circuit, and Max, Olivier and I love driving here. We're focused and really want to get on with things.”
Oliver returns to France at the beginning of next week in time for the Corvette team's scrutineering checks of both cars and drivers in the Place des Jacobins, central Le Mans. It's a huge event, with thousands of people turning out to watch and marks the start of the long week leading up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14/15th June.
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