Gigliotti and LG Motorsports join ALMS Series in GT2 Corvettes

[Chef]

http://www.trackbytes.com/main/2007/...2-corvett.html

Gigliotti and LG Motorsports join ALMS Series in GT2 Corvettes
Posted on 10.5.2007 in Team News • ALMS

Photo by John Thawley Braselton Georgia (October 5, 2007): Lou Gigliotti, 3 time World Challenge Champion, and LGM Motorsports of Dallas Texas announced that they will be fielding a two car team of Chevrolet Corvette C6s in the GT2 Classification in the American Le Mans Series beginning in 2008.

“This is an exciting time for our team as we are anxious to step up and compete with the best road racing has to offer in the American LeMans Series,” said Lou Gigliotti. “We realize that it will take a great effort to compete against the great teams that run Ferraris, Porsches and Panoz cars in GT2 but I feel that we are up to the challenge.”

The Corvettes are being built by Riley Technologies and will be powered by CRD built Chevrolet engines. The cars are in the process of gaining ACO homologation in GT2.

“Riley Technologies has been involved in successful efforts in many types of cars and Riley cars are the current champions in the Daytona Prototype class,” Gigliotti said. “We feel honored to be associated with Riley Technologies as we move forward into the ALMS GT2 series.”

The engine program will be handled by CRD engines in Concord, NC which is also the engine supplier for the current Daytona Prototype champions. CRD built the engines for Gigliotti’s Trans Am Series race wins as well as many other racing successes that Gigliotti and LG Motorsports has enjoyed.

At this juncture Lou Gigliotti and Doug Peterson, of 3 Dimensional Services (a Michigan based Rapid Prototyping Firm using 3 dimensional design technology) have been named as drivers. Negotiations are underway to fill the other available seats and the driver line up should be announced soon. The effort will include 4 regular drivers and two more world class drivers for the longer races.

“I believe that GM and Chevrolet have developed an interest in seeing the Corvette compete in the very tough GT2 competition and I believe that our team can make Corvette a competitive package!”

From Gigliotti’s point of view, “Corvettes are our business and our passion. We have been racing Corvettes since the 1988 Corvette Challenge series with only a couple of years out of Chevrolet race cars. So we plan on continuing the tradition of Corvette racing and we hope to carry the banner with pride.”

LG Motorsports is one of America’s leading Corvette performance tuners and aftermarket parts suppliers, shipping world wide. Go to www.LGMotorsports.com for more information about their parts or racing. And go to www.lgmracing.com to download in car video footage of many LG Motorsports races.

[trukk]

WOW, does this really mean that the SCCA World Challenge Series truely is going BOOM?

That's a pretty big step up to ALMS. Aren't they all tubeframe chasis, etc? That's big bucks. WOW.

Also, I thought the Corvette's were GT1 along with the Aston Martins, and that GT1 was basically dead, because the corvette's were kicking so much @ss?

-Chris

[50 4Ever]

Originally Posted by trukk

WOW, does this really mean that the SCCA World Challenge Series truely is going BOOM?

That's a pretty big step up to ALMS. Aren't they all tubeframe chasis, etc? That's big bucks. WOW.

Also, I thought the Corvette's were GT1 along with the Aston Martins, and that GT1 was basically dead, because the corvette's were kicking so much @ss?

-Chris

Yes there is no real competition in GT1 for the Corvettes, Austin Martin was not even there. The GT1 class consisted of 2 Corvettes and a Maserati. One Corvette was bumped by an Acura and exited the track at about 140 mph and hit a wall with tires in front of it, the Corvette was a total loss. What I heard at the Peiti LeMans at Road Atlanta last Saturday was the only GT1 race the Corvettes & Chevrolet will compete in is the 24 hours of LeMans. In the American Lemans Series (ALMS) the Corvettes & Chevrolet will not compete. Lou will race Corvettes in the GT2 class.

I don't think this will have any effect on the SCCA Speed World Challenge. Lou was racing last Friday in the Speed Challenge GT race and was wrecked before the 1st turn (he wrecked at the start). The only effect I can see is that maybe Lou will not race anymore in the Speed Challenge since most of his time and money will be put toward this new venture in the GT2 class of the ALMS.

[The Tony Show]

Lou has had his WC cars up for sale for some time now, and he recently posted on the SCCA forums about how he was "Speechless" about how the SCCA has handled WC this year. Tommy Archer is also selling his WC Viper, and chances are Cadillac will not be able to compete next year without a CTS-V in showrooms due to class rules.

The SCCA has done an amazing job at not promoting the series AT ALL, pissing the drivers off with mid-race rule changes, not broadcasting the races live on SPEED and goofy sideshow events like the "Wheel of Inversion" at the Charlotte race .

If there even is a WCGT next year, it will be incredibly boring watching the Porsches drive around the track alone.

[Chef]

That Wheel of Inversion "conversion" was a complete crock of shiiiat and you're right about your remaining comments - This is where PR or the lack of has failed the would be viewers and loyal patrons.

Lack of a corporate need or want will at the end of the day ruin a good plan or in this case WC.

Sad but undoubtedly true that we are at the hands of corporate leadership to make the right decisions but hell, if you don't throw dollars into the PR campaign your're screwed in any business or organization. Not to mention live broadcasting to bring the viewers "in" and make them feel as if they were sniffin' the burnt rubber with the pit crew...

Sucks!