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American LeMans
ALMS: Collard Joins Corvette Racing For Enduros
Veteran GT and endurance driver to co-drive No. 4 Corvette at Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans.
John Dagys  |  Posted February 09, 2010   Chicago, IL
Collard has been one of the quickest drivers behind the wheel of a Porsche. Now, he'll try his hand at a Corvette. (DPPI/FIA GT)
Corvette Racing announced Tuesday the addition of Emmanuel Collard to its stable of drivers for the season. The veteran GT and endurance racer will join Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta aboard the No. 4 Corvette C6.R for the long-distance races at Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans.

A longtime Porsche factory driver, Collard’s contract with the German marque was not renewed for 2010, opening the door for this new opportunity with the six-time Le Mans class winners. The 38-year-old Frenchman takes over the seat vacated by Marcel Fassler, who was recently hired by Audi Sport to co-drive one of its R15 ‘Plus’ TDIs at Le Mans.

"I'm very happy to join Corvette Racing for the 2010 endurance classics," Collard said. "Corvette has been the most successful car make and team in GT racing for over ten years now, so I'm obviously thrilled to be a part of this team. The Corvette C5-R and C6.R have been the absolute benchmarks in GT1 racing, and the new GT2 Corvette C6.R is already heading in that same successful direction. I hope my experience with GT2s from the past seasons can help Corvette secure class wins in the three endurance races."

Collard is no stranger to the GM brand, having driven for the now-defunct Cadillac LMP program in 2000-2002. Since then, Collard has racked up multiple victories in the Twelve Hours of Sebring, Rolex 24 at Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Spa 24 Hours. He’s also a two-time European-based Le Mans Series champion and a regular in the FIA GT Championship.

"We are pleased to welcome Emmanuel back to the GM Racing family," said Corvette Racing Program Manager Doug Fehan. "He has proven his ability at all levels of racing, and he understands the demands and discipline of endurance racing. He will be a valuable addition to our international lineup of championship-winning drivers."

The Pratt & Miller squad returns with a two-car team, with the No. 3 Compuware machine again being driven by Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen for the nine-round American Le Mans Series season and joined by Antonio Garcia for the three enduros.

Following a five-race development program in 2009, which included a win at Mosport for O’Connell and Magnussen, Corvette Racing sets its sights on its first full-season in the highly competitive GT(2) category. With all of the main contenders returning, including defending champions Flying Lizard Motorsports, endurance experts Risi Competizione and second-year squad BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team, plus the arrival of Extreme Speed Motorsports, competition will be as tough as it’s ever been.

The team has continued to develop its GT2-spec machines during the off-season, completing a test at Road Atlanta in November. A second private test is scheduled for later this month at Sebring, where Collard is expected to get his first laps behind the wheel of the Corvette, now powered by an all-new 5.5-liter V8 engine.

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