Chevrolet made a statement at the 2000 Le Mans raceChevrolet wouldn't become a regular fixture at 24 Hours of Le Mans again until the year 2000, although the manufacturer has competed in every single Le Mans race that's been run in the two-decades-plus since. Over that span, their Corvettes have racked up an impressive nine GT class wins at the race, many of which were earned by the Corvette C5-R.To be clear, a C5-R did not take home one of those class wins in 2000. Rather, the souped-up vehicle from Corvette Racing hit the track with arguably as many questions as the 1960 model did 40 years prior. Like its predecessor, the C5-R more than left its mark on the race, and that's not just because it debuted what would become Corvette Racing's iconic yellow racing livery. No, the C5.R also held its own against the faster Ferraris and Porsches it competed against in its class, with Corvettes earning a more than respectable third and fourth place finish in the race.Though Chevrolet would no doubt have preferred a first and second place finish for its Corvettes, the third and fourth place showing surely got the attention of their competitors. Such a solid performance announced to one and all that the Chevrolet Racing team was ready to take on all comers at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2001 race put Corvette on the Le Mans podiumLittle did they know it after the 2000 race, but Chevrolet's 24 Hours of Le Mans competitors were about to get more than they could handle from the company's C5-R Corvettes and their intimidating yellow facade. In fact, Chevy's competitors were about to find themselves looking up at Corvette Racing, with the team becoming a regular presence on the Le Mans podium in its class over the ensuing years.Chevrolet's dominant run in the GTS class at Le Mans began the year after the C5-R debuted on The Circuit de la Sarthe, with the road-hugging Corvette handing the manufacturer its first-ever class win in the 2001 running of the famed race. Perhaps more impressive than merely winning its class at the '01 Le Mans is that the C5-R finished the race a whopping 34 laps ahead of the second-place car! To the delight of Chevrolet bosses, the second place car in the '01 running of Le Mans was also a Corvette, further cementing the automaker's superior showing in the race. Chevrolet would continue to dominate Le Mans in 2002 by finishing first and second in their class for a second straight year.2004 cemented the legacy of Chevy's Corvette C5-RAs dominant as Chevrolet Corvettes were in the 2001 and 2002 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, 2003 brought with it a new back livery, and an unexpected fall-off in performance from the C5-Rs, which did not take the top podium spot in their class that year. They did, however, finish in the second and third spots behind only a Ferrari 550 Maranello, so there was still plenty to celebrate for the Corvette Racing team.Still, Chevy's Corvette Racing team didn't want to see another racing team finish ahead of them at the 2004 running of 24 Hours of Le Mans. Perhaps in a move to reclaim its former glory, Chevrolet's C5-R Corvettes arrived at their race adorned in the glorious yellow livery they'd donned in the '00, '01, and '02 races. Chevy bosses were undoubtedly proud to see those yellow C5-Rs burning up the track as well, with the Corvette Team returning to the podium behind yet another first and second place finish in their class. The C5-R's big day helped cement the vehicle's legacy as one of the most dominant racing vehicles of the early 21st Century. As the '04 race served as the last C5-Rs would run at Le Mans, that legacy will remain intact for all eternity.