Last Lap Tragedy for Chevrolet at Le Mans
The #63 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R crossing the finish line, bruised and battered
After a difficult start to the race, Chevrolet was looking on course for its ninth class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001.
The #63 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R had come back from an early-race puncture to fight its way to the lead, with Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor all taking turns at the wheel.
It was a near-perfect performance by the drivers, crew, and engineers, but even as Taylor took the lead through strategy with just 46 minutes to go, the competing #97 Aston Martin, driven by Jonathan Adam, was closing in.
After 24 hours of racing, it all came down to the last few laps. Adam locked up and ran wide trying to pass Taylor, momentarily taking the lead before losing it again.
Street Version: 2017 Chevrolet Corvette overview
But on the penultimate lap, Adam was able to come back on Taylor and pressure him into cutting across the Mulsanne chicanes, damaging the front of the car as the low-slung Corvette ran over the gravel.
Even then, Taylor kept Adam behind him, until the front-right tire began to show signs of a puncture. Adam took the lead at the start of the final lap and Taylor was forced to slow down dramatically as he lost grip and the tire carcass began to disintegrate the car (as had occurred with the #9 Toyota in the LMP1 class).
That allowed the #67 Ford GT of Harry Tincknell to squeeze through on the very last lap. Fortunately, Taylor was still able to nurse the car back home, bruised and battered, to claim the final spot on the LM GTE Pro podium.
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