1960 Corvette #3 Adventure at Le Mans
June 9-12, 2010


An Insider Account of the 50th Anniversary tribute to the 1960 Corvette #3

Slide Show
Click photo for slide show and text

In 1960 American Sportsman Briggs Cunningham entered a team of 3 Corvettes in the 24 hours of Le Mans. John Fitch and the late Bob Grossman won the GT class and finished 8th overall in the #3 car.

Lance Miller with help from friends arranged and paid for the 50th Anniversary tribute to honor the occasion and fulfill the dream of his father Chip Miller whose life was cut short by Amlydosis, a rare disease without a cure at present.

The #3 was entrusted to Fabrice Bernollin of Still Racing, an historic race car specialist in France that transported the car from the port of LeHavre to the Le Mans Museum where it awaited us on June 9.

Earlier in the week pro photographer Richard Prince posed the #3 with the Pratt & Miller crew and drivers of their 2010 C6R GT2 Corvettes # 63 and #64.

The #3 remained in the museum the while Chevrolet hosted an introduction and press conference the next day in a suite above the Corvette pits on the main straight. Driver John Fitch recounted his experience and was honored by Doug Fehan, GM Corvette Program Racing Manager.

Early Friday morning Lance spirited the #3 from the museum and drove it unescorted over public roads to the Classic British Welcome in Saint Saturnin where it was the star of the show.

On Friday afternoon Lance drove the #3 now escorted by police to the Place des Jacobins towered over by the ancient Cathedrale St-Julien in the center of Le Mans.

Early that evening Lance and John Fitch were at the head of the Parade des Pilotes, a ritual celebration complete with marching bands over a 2.5 mile course lined with throngs of people.

Then it was Lance and the #3 on public roads again to the Corvette Corral remotely located within the Le Mans circuit not far from the Arnage turn. A Pig Roast hosted by the Corvette Club of France was in full swing by the time Lance rolled in. Action and entertainment went into the night, organized by Gerard Planche, GM Europe Fuel Cell Vehicle Test Manager.

On Saturday morning pro videographer and Corvette aficionado Michael Brown and his crew rigged the #3 with cameras for a pace lap of the 8.5 mile circuit – the ultimate tribute marking the 50th anniversary of the Corvette’s first win at Le Mans. John Fitch piloted the #3 in front of 200,000 appreciative fans prior to the 78th running of the greatest road race in the world.

Corvette fanatics and owners from more than a dozen countries, the folks at Chevrolet, the Pratt & Miller team and the ACO race organizers were 100% behind the tribute.

Savor the moment.

The Pratt & Miller boys were strong in the race but took some hits over the long grind. They showed great courage and are a shining example of an exceptional racing team we can point to with admiration and pride.


 

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