Steve Wesoloski, GM's Road Racing Group Manager boasts his liking for the transformation of the Chevy Corvette from a gas-guzzling power ride to a more energy efficient, environmentally friendly sportscar.

A corvette, by definition, is a naval warship that is small, fast and maneuverable. These traits are also the defining characteristics of the Chevrolet Corvette, perhaps America's best sports car for the money.

Project Opel, an endeavor held in secrecy, was largely influenced by Harley Earl, who took his inspirations from European sports cars and thought GM needed one too. The automotive stylist and engineer convinced Chevrolet's general manager, Ed Cole, to take on the project and, in 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette was born. Credited for naming the American sportscar was The General's own Myron Scott.

Researching further into the corvette naval ship, you will see that there was a steam-wind hybrid ship that sailed the seas in the 19th century, so corvette and hybrid have been synonymous for over a century with the alternate use of energy.

Corvette will continue the symbolic co-existence with its namesake, and will race its new, cellulosic E85-powered car in the GT2 class of the 2009 American Le Mans Series. Perhaps Team Corvette is on to something good; they are the most successful team in the history of the American Le Mans Series.

Wesoloski admits there are no real answers but lots of ideas to create environmentally embracing racecars, and believes in the E85 fuel as one of those ideas, "...you don't have to be afraid of ethanol. It's good enough to race and good enough to drive to soccer practice. And we're not touching the food chain. We're trying to send that message, and using a cellulosic process is a big deal."

As with the Corvette naval warship, the Corvette car has tucked itself nicely into its appropriate place to play its part of the evolution of alternatively-fueled autos. The Corvette utilizes an aluminum frame which also makes for a lighter racecar, combining environmentally friendly and fuel efficiency with a racecar -Corvette's answer for the 2009 American Le Mans Series at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, on March 21st.

For further information, go to:
http://www.americanlemans.com/drivers_and_teams/Team.aspx?ID=7

--Sue Mead