Corvette Racing — supported by Mobil 1 motor oil — earned its 100th sports car racing victory at Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on July 23, 2016. Since the inception of the factory team in 1996, ExxonMobil has proudly provided Corvette Racing with 20 years of Mobil 1 lubricant technology and engineering support.
The Corvette Racing team’s No. 4 team finished first and No. 3 team finished second at Saturday’s race. Reflecting 20 years of racing, Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing’s long-time program manager, recognized ExxonMobil and the maker of the world’s leading synthetic motor oil Mobil 1, for its contribution in helping Corvette reach these important milestones.
“In 1996 – three years before we began circuit racing officially – I was tasked by Herb Fishel to establish the Corvette Racing team and help select engine technology suppliers,” said Fehan. “The choice of motor oil was one I did not need to linger over. Mobil 1 motor oil has an unrivaled record with engine designers and tuners. The decision was simple and we have long valued our relationship with ExxonMobil and appreciate their commitment to Corvette and to racing in general.”
The Mobil 1 brand has been part of every win with Corvette Racing: Every engine rotation, every lap and every championship. During the last two decades, Mobil 1 engineers have worked closely with Pratt & Miller, General Motors (GM) Powertrain and Corvette Racing to develop and test new lubricant technologies that touch nearly every moving part of the race car – protecting against wear and increasing efficiency and performance. “This collaboration has contributed to the advancement of Mobil 1 motor oils, gear oils and greases found in many GM production vehicles and U.S. dealerships, as well as auto parts retailers, mechanic shops and oil change centers across the country,” said David Tsurusaki, GM strategic global alliance manager at ExxonMobil.
“Our whole organization is proud to have helped Corvette reach this milestone,” said Kai Decker, global motorsports manager at ExxonMobil. “We’re much more than a decal on a car; we are actually ‘in the car’ as a technology and innovation partner. Motorsports allows us to demonstrate the performance of our products under some of the harshest driving conditions, guaranteeing that we are pushing boundaries and producing the best products available for consumers. Partnering with Corvette Racing allows two of the world’s most recognized brands to visit victory lane together and we are delighted to be part of this very successful technical partnership supporting the truly iconic vehicles of Corvette Racing.”
Among those 100 wins with the Mobil 1 brand, eight class wins were claimed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, three in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship, six in the TUDOR Championship, 82 in the American Le Mans Series and one in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. In 2015, Corvette Racing became the first sports car team since 2000 to win endurance racing’s Triple Crown – victories at the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA®, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same season. The Corvette Racing record book also includes 10 team and manufacturer championships in the ALMS plus nine driver titles.
“Along with great driving, the technology in our race cars has helped us reach this level of continuous success,” said Mark Kent, director of motorsports and competition at Chevrolet. “Our trust in Mobil 1 ensures that Corvette Racing’s engines are always operating at their peak, helping us win races year after year.”
ExxonMobil’s relationship with Corvette goes well beyond racing with Mobil 1 motor oil serving as factory fill for the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray – Z51 Performance Package and 2016 C7.R Special Edition. Ultimately, ExxonMobil provides thousands of Corvettes with the lubricants needed to operate at peak performance on and off the track.
The LT1 6.2L V8 is the latest Corvette engine and is an evolution of the LS1 – a model synonymous with outright performance and style – and is the jewel in GM’s aspiration for worldwide motorsports recognition. While the engine has evolved, one constant during the teams’ two decades of unprecedented performance is the Mobil 1 motor oil the team uses to help develop and power their race cars.
The Corvette C7.R Special Edition is the closest link in modern times between Corvettes built for racing and those available to consumers. The road car and race car share a majority of elements; including engine technologies, body work and aerodynamics. Chevrolet’s small-block V-8 is America’s most successful and popular production-based racing engine – powering more winning race cars and championships than any other engine in American motorsports.
This article originally appeared on businesswire.com
