Photo : Nicolas COUSSEAU - ACO/Nikon

In 2011, the Corvette Racing team welcomes two new drivers to compensate for the departure of Emmanuel Collard to Pescarolo and long time GM driver Johnny O'Connell who is also off to new pastures.

In the middle of last season, the Corvette Racing team, whose cars are developed and operated by Pratt & Miller, played a game of musical chairs with drivers; the "two Ollies" (Beretta and Gavin) and the Magnussen-O'Connell duo became Gavin - Magnussen and Beretta-O'Connell.

With Johnny O'Connell's departure, Olivier Beretta will now share the wheel of the #3 Corvette C6.R with Tommy Milner for the entire season of American Le Mans Series. The duo will be joined by Antonio Garcia for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2011 if the American team gets an invitation. Garcia, a defector from Aston Martin Racing has already managed the feat of winning two consecutive years LM GT1 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with two different cars (2008 and 2009 with a DBR9 with a Corvette C6.R). In 2010, no official Corvette crossed the finish line for their first participation in the LM GT2 category.

Tommy Milner is no newcomer to endurance racing as the 24 year old American comes directly from Rahal BMW - he took 3rd place American Le Mans Series in 2010 GT drivers' standings, having made his debut in a Panoz.. According to the Floridian ,"When you look at sports car racing over the last 10 years, the biggest name in GT racing has to be Corvette. With all of the team's victories in Le Mans and the success they've had here in America, Corvette Racing has a history of winning. To have the opportunity to be a part of the Corvette program at this point in my career is very exciting. I'm looking forward to working with the engineers, the crew, and the other drivers to make Corvette the powerhouse in endurance racing."

Richard Westbrook, will join Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen for the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team if their entry is successful. The 35 year old Englishman won the FIA GT2 Championship in 2009, finished on the podium the last 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Porsche LM GT2 BMS Scuderia for its first participation."I've raced against the Corvette enough times to know it's better to be driving one than racing against one. I'm absolutely delighted to be joining the Corvette Racing program for 2011. The Corvette C6.R is an amazing piece of machinery, very well engineered, and it's just an honor to drive one. Everyone on the team is hungry for success and expectations are high, so we have to deliver."

Cecile Bonardel (according to the statement of the team)

Photo: ATLANTA (USA), PETIT LE MANS, October 2, 2010.