The Riley-built GT2 Corvette could be the first casualty of GM's factory program. Riley is known to be shopping a program of his own in 2009 before GM's car becomes the sole chassis homologated for GT2 competition. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

It’s undeniable that manufacturer participation in GT2 is at an all-time high, but purebred manufacturer programs have been somewhat off limits to date. Of the serious threats, Ferrari has close links with Risi and Tafel, Porsche has the same with Flying Lizard and Farnbacher-Loles, and BMW is on its way with Rahal Letterman, but all of those programs involve an outsourced effort.

With Corvette Racing, a clear path from General Motors to the race track could find the exiting entrants on edge until they can evaluate the GT2 Corvette in the heat of battle. Neiman also sees the ACO and IMSA as integral in keeping this 800lb gorilla under control; a GT2 team run with a GT1 budget and resources is a very real concern.

“We’ll have to rely on the technical groups to make sure the competition is fair, regardless of who’s fielding an entry. I think IMSA will do a good job; I’ve been impressed with how they’ve managed the Porsche and Ferrari regulations over the past few years. I’m sure they’ll do the same for Corvette. The costs of GT2 racing are already high – if things are kept in check going forward, I think a factory Corvette GT2 program is a good thing. It puts a lot of pressure on our team and the rest of the paddock, but that’s what racing is all about.”

If there’s a casualty to Corvette Racing’s GT2 move it’s the privately built Riley Technologies Corvette C6. LG Motorsports invested all of their financial resources to secure and enter the first Riley C6, but a lack of funding and results brought a premature end to their season after just four rounds. The team is expected to return for Petit Le Mans in October, but with Corvette Racing fielding their own factory version of the C6 in 2009, teams like LG find themselves on the outside looking in.

Markland Racing's self-built GT2 C6 could be forced to run outside of ACO and FIA sanctioned GT events unless they purchase a Pratt & Miller car in 2010. (Photo: UltimateCarPage.com/Wouter Melissen)

Including the Riley and Pratt & Miller GT2 Corvette’s, we’ll now have the third version of the C6 in the category -- the relatively unknown Markland Racing operation from Denmark built their own C6 and campaigned it in the LMS last year. With three different GT2 C6’s in play, expect the privateer variants to be dropped in favor of the factory C6 when its homologation is compete.

“As it exists right now, in the eyes of the FIA, there isn't a Corvette homologated,” said Corvette Program Manager Doug Fehan. “Ours will be the first and the only homologated car.”

With seven manufacturers expected next year in GT2, we’re likely to witness a GT championship that previews what the new 2010 formula will offer. Whether Aston Martin commits their current GT1 program to the new look GT category remains to be seen, but with Corvette’s bold move to take the first step forward, expect Porsche, Ferrari, and BMW to amplify their involvements in global GT racing. This could see the establishment of new teams to run these GT2-based cars, but only if costs are kept within reason.

GT2 has exploded in popularity because of the lower operating costs for the all-privateer base, and because manufacturers can build and sell cars that owners can afford. In these tenuous financial times, asking the current GT2 marques to build new, faster and more expensive cars to comply with the 2010 rules is a tad risky. Expecting new teams to come in at a higher buy-in price is also presumptuous.

Will Porsche, Ferrari, and BMW start writing checks to help privateers campaign their cars? Not likely. Will those three ditch their partner teams in favor of running full manufacturer programs akin to what Corvette Racing has announced? Not likely.

GT2 teams like Neiman’s Flying Lizard outfit don’t want to see the future of GT racing head down the same path that led to GT1’s demise. In an arms race of dollars and development, a direct factory campaign like Corvette Racing’s will always win. To maintain the spirit and competitiveness that GT2 has become known for, the ACO needs to do more than establish a new set of rules to build cars with—they need to outline how GT racing from 2010 onwards will be spared the same fate GT1 is about to meet.

If teams fear the impact Corvette Racing could have on GT2 in the short-term, those fears are better placed in worrying about how the ACO and IMSA will handle other major factory efforts when they’re announced. Merging GT1 teams with GT1 resources into a single class with GT2 teams and their respective resources and ending up with a fair and level playing field is an immense task.

The richest GT2 team operates at a fraction of what a factory GT1 program has at its disposal; how parity is achieved to give the privateer GT2 teams a fair chance will require some rather inventive legislation from the governing bodies, and we’ll have to wait until November for those plans to be revealed.

In the meantime, one thing is certain: the prospect of racing and beating factory Corvette’s will inspire the likes of Seth Neiman and his team like never before.

“What a great story—the full Pratt & Miller team with their factory drivers fighting us in the same GT class. How fun would it be to stand on the top step of the podium and look down at our friends at Corvette Racing and say ‘Hey, great race…better luck next time…’”


Marshall Pruett is Automotive and Sportscar Racing Editor for SPEEDtv.com. Pruett grew up at "Pruett's Olde English Garage," his father's shelter for abused foreign cars, and spent his childhood being dragged across the West Coast to help with his dad's amateur racing exploits. Pruett spent twenty years working in various open-wheel and sportscar series, retiring from active duty in 2001. And in case you were wondering, no, he isn’t related to Scott Pruett.

He can be reached at

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.




The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED