Corvette Racing's driver lineup has been revised with the addition of Emmanuel Collard alongside Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta for three long-distance races (the Sebring 12 Hours, Le Mans 24 Hours, and Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans). Antonio Garcia will return as the third driver with Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen in endurance events. The two Compuware Corvette C6.R racecars are among the 17 entries in the GT2 class invited by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).
Frenchman Collard, 38, replaces Audi-bound Marcel Fassler. He has scored multiple victories at Sebring, the Daytona 24-hour, Le Mans and Spa 24-hour races. He is a two-time Le Mans Series champion, and drove for the Cadillac LMP team in 2000-'02.
"We are pleased to welcome Emmanuel back to the GM Racing family," said 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."
"I'm very happy to join Corvette Racing for the 2010 endurance classics," said Collard. "Corvette has been the most successful car make and team in GT racing for over 10 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."
Corvette Racing will also compete with two cars in the full nine-race ALMS schedule in 2010, starting at Sebring on March 20.
"While Corvette is truly a global brand, our most important market is North America," said program manager Doug Fehan. "Our participation in the American Le Mans Series is both a proving ground for our technology and a showcase to demonstrate Corvette's capabilities for our customers and fans."