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Corvette Racing transformed the #3 C6.R from Velocity Yellow to Arctic White before the start of today's 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in Florida. Ron Fellows, making his final Sebring appearance as one of the #3 car's co-drivers, has a similarly liveried limited-production Corvette Z06 named for him. The change to the race car is an obvious tie-in to the production machine, as it's identical in scheme right down to the red fender stripes.

GM points out that this is the first time since Le Mans 2003 that one of Corvette Racing's cars have run in a color other than yellow. Their press release does not point out that 2003 was the year that the Vettes, in their navy blue anniversary livery, were bested by Prodrive's 550 Maranello at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As of Sebring's 10-hour mark, it looked as if running in a non-yellow color might not the luckiest thing for the C6.R. The O'Connell/Magnussen/Fellows #3 car was running second in GT1 behind the still-yellow #4. The #3 led early in the race, however, and the cars were on the same lap as of the last posted standings, so there's still time left for it go out and bust that color jinx.

UPDATE: #4 car wins GT1 (7th overall), followed by the #3 (8th overall). Gap between the two was 17 seconds.

[Source: GM via ALMS]

Last summer, we told you about Paul Reed Smith Guitars' $4,700 Z06-inspired "Corvette Standard" electric guitar. Available in factory 'Vette paint colors and decorated with items like the car's flag logo and either a "Z06" or "427" inlay on the fretboard, the axe made for an interesting, if not inexpensive, collectible. More interesting -- and likely more valuable in the collectability sense -- is the custom version designed for Corvette Racing veteran Ron Fellows.

PRS has been a team sponsor since 2005, and when Chevy honored Ron Fellows with his own commemorative edition Z06 at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this month, PRS presented him with a matching one-of-a-kind Corvette Standard decorated to match his new namesake ride. The gesture was clearly appreciated by Fellows, who plays guitar and has a collection of the instruments himself. This red-and-white one-off designed to help celebrate his distinguished racing career should fit right in.

[Source: PRS Guitars]

click image above or images below to view new live shots of these exclusive Corvettes

General Motors unveiled a pair of special edition Corvettes at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday, both of which commemorate the Vette's involvement in motorsports. The Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 and Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car edition are both only trim packages with stock mechanicals, yet the visual impact of any Vette in Atomic Orange or the ultra exclusive Arctic White is breathtaking.

The Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 was developed to celebrate the first man to win an ALMS race in the C5.R back in 2000. The Fellows Z06 is even more exclusive than the Indy 500 Pace Car replica, with only 399 cars being built. In our eyes, it's the better looking of the two (that's why we took more pics of it), with an exclusive coating of Arctic White paint accented by subtle red and silver fender badging. The Z06 wheels are coated in chrome and the windshield's adorned with a full-width Corvette banner, just like the C5.R.

The Indy 500 Pace Car edition is a capable vehicle already by virtue of being a Corvette Convertible with the Z51 performance package. As such, the car will need hardly any modfications to pace the Indy 500 in May. Chevy will be offering 500 of these replica cars to the public, which, along with the radioactive color, includes many Indy 500 logos on the car's exterior and interior, new aluminum split-spoke wheels, and a rear spoiler from the Z06. To be honest, we'd be way more into this car without all the Indy 500 badging, but we're sure Chevy will find 500 people (collectors?) who won't mind it.

GM hasn't made a big deal about these cars at the show, and it's true they're just trim packages for a car we're already very familiar with. Nevertheless, there always seems to be a crowd of journalists hanging around these jewels.

click above image to view 15 for high-resolution images

Ron Fellows history with the current Corvette Racing team dates back to its beginnings, when he helped develop the original world-beating C5.R. Fellows drove the C5.R to its first race victory in 2000 and won the American Le Mans Series GTS-class championship in 2002 and has remained an instrumental part of the perennial-champion Corvette Racing team right through today.

To honor Fellows' important role in shaping Corvette Racing into the premier outfit it is, Chevy has created the Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 (that, my friends, is a mouthful of a name worthy of a JDM vehicle). Only 399 cars will be built, and they all get finished in Arctic White with Monterey Red and Victory Silver accent graphics on the front fenders. The red elements incorporate a maple leaf to acknowledge Fellows' Canadian heritage, and his name and the team's championship seasons are also also featured in Victory Red. A full-width race spoiler, "CORVETTE" windshield graphic and chrome rims complete the special edition's look.

[Source: GM]