Corvette Racing Milestones: Cars That Made the Marque

MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 16, 2002 - Motorsports has played a key role in defining Corvette as America's performance icon. When legendary racer/engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov mapped out his strategy to put Corvette in the racing spotlight, he launched Corvette on a motorsports odyssey that has taken the marque to racetracks around the world. It is a plan that continues to inspire those who follow in Duntov's footsteps.

The roster of drivers who have raced for glory in Corvettes could fill a motorsports hall of fame:John Fitch, Roger Penske, Walt Hansgen, A.J. Foyt, Jim Hall, Dr. Dick Thompson, Dick Guldstrand, Bob Bondurant, Johnny Rutherford, John Greenwood and dozens more. The Corvette C5-R program has added names like Ron Fellows, Chris Kneifel, Franck Freon, Kelly Collins, Johnny O'Connell, Andy Pilgrim, Oliver Gavin, Justin Bell, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the pantheon of Corvette stars.

A chronicle of Corvette's success in motorsports could fill a book - several record books, in fact. Competition has been a part of Chevrolet's heritage since racecar driver Louis Chevrolet and financier William Durant founded the fledging car company in 1911. Forty-four years later, the debut of the small-block V8 heralded the dawn of the"Chevrolet Era" in auto racing. Chevy's versatile small-block has powered more winning race cars and won more championships that any other production motor.

Corvette played a crucial role in recasting Chevrolet's image from a producer of conservative automobiles to a company that appealed to youthful, performance-minded customers. Ed Cole, Chevrolet's visionary chief engineer in 1955, persuaded GM's leadership that the terms "affordable" and "high-performance" weren't mutually exclusive.

The press and public responded to Chevrolet's new image. Writing in the January, 1955 issue of Hot Rod Magazine, technical editor Racer Brown commented on the reasons behind Chevrolet's transformation: "Perhaps the continued popularity of Chevrolets lies in the fact that it is an 'average' car for an 'average' buyer," he wrote. "But the average American driver is becoming more performance minded. He expects things to happen when he punches the throttle."

Corvette was the vehicle that drove the small-block's development in the early days. Duntov continually pushed the performance envelope with his beloved two-seater. Dual quads, fuel injection and Holley four-barrel carburetors turned the Corvette into a bona fide performance car.

Duntov was frequently at odds with the ban on corporate racing enacted by the Automobile Manufacturers Association in 1957. He launched a number of unofficial racing programs, including a stillborn plan to race the Corvette SS at Le Mans. There was talk of entering the mid-engined CERV I Vehicle in the Indianapolis 500, and the five lightweight Grand Sport Corvettes constructed in 1962-63 bore the unmistakable mark of Zora.

At last count, more than one million Corvettes have been produced. No car in America - perhaps in the world - has created more excitement and fostered more lasting memories than these million-plus Corvettes. While every Corvette is a very special automobile in the eyes of those who own them, a chosen few were destined for greatness. On the occasion of Corvette's 50th anniversary, it is an appropriate time to look back at some of the Corvette racers that made the marque.

SEBRING CORVETTES The Sebring road course was the crucible where Corvette's racing reputation was forged. Once a training field for bomber pilots, the converted airport circuit became a proving ground for legendary road racers. It was on this flat and featureless track that Chevrolet's fiberglass roadster first seriously challenged the European makes in March 1956.

Fresh from a record-setting session on the sands of Daytona Beach (where Zora Arkus-Duntov set the flying mile speed record at 150.583 mph), the Corvette crew hastily prepared a trio of Corvettes for the 12-hour Sebring endurance race. The untested Corvettes encountered numerous problems, but drivers John Fitch and Walt Hansgen soldiered to a ninth-place finish overall and first in Class B. Although the results were hardly spectacular, the Sebring experience became the cornerstone of the Corvette legend.

CORVETTE SR-2 The Sebring Corvettes sired a trio of SR Corvettes - the acronym standing for "Sebring Racer" or alternatively "Sports Racing." According to Corvette folklore, when Jerry Earl, the son of GM Styling chief Harley Earl, announced that he wanted a Ferrari, his father commissioned a racing Corvette for him instead. The result was the SR-2.

Starting with a Sebring Corvette chassis, the SR-2 sprouted a rear fin, two small racing windscreens, air scoops on the side coves and an extended front end with driving lights that gave the machine a purposeful appearance. Corvette repeated as the GT class champion at the 1957 Sebring enduro - although it was a production model, not one of the sleek SR-2s, that took the honors. The SR-2 redeemed itself by winning the Sports Car Club of America's B-Production championship in 1958.

CORVETTE SS The 1957 Corvette SS was Duntov's technical tour de force. Originally conceived to take on Jaguar and Mercedes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the SS was a stunning machine, both visually and mechanically.

A featherweight magnesium body enveloped a tubular steel space frame that featured coil-over-shock front suspension, a de Dion rear axle and inboard-mounted aluminum drum brakes. A fuel-injected small-block V8 resided under its long, sloping hood.

The SS made its maiden voyage at Sebring, where suspension problems forced its retirement after only 23 laps. But there was worse news in store: the Automobile Manufacturers Association announced its opposition to factory involvement in motorsports. The SS project was shelved - although the SS was resurrected long enough to lap Daytona International Speedway at 155 mph during opening-day ceremonies in 1959.

STING RAY CORVETTE After the Corvette SS program was dismantled, one of the remnants was the chassis for the "mule" car that had been used to test various components. GM Styling Vice President William Mitchell obtained the chassis, asked Larry Shinoda to design a new body, and created the Sting Ray.

Dr. Dick Thompson, a.k.a. "The Flying Dentist," drove the handsome Sting Ray to a SCCA C-Modified championship in 1960. After its racing career ended, the car was refurbished for car show duty - and ultimately driven by its proud owner on the streets of Detroit. The original Sting Ray previewed key styling elements of the second-generation Corvette.

LE MANS CORVETTES It fell to sportsman Briggs Cunningham to fulfill Duntov's dream of competing at Le Mans. Cunningham fielded a trio of Corvettes at the French classic in 1960, and was rewarded with an eighth-place finish overall and first in the big-bore GT class by drivers John Fitch and Bob Grossman.

The lure of Le Mans has proven irresistible for Corvette racers. Dick Guldstrand and Bob Bondurant topped 171 mph on the infamous Mulsanne Straight with their L88 Corvette in 1967, but dropped out with mechanical problems before the halfway mark. Another generation of Americans returned to France in 1972 when John Greenwood and TV comedian Dick Smothers brought a Corvette painted in stars and stripes; it lasted 10 hours. Greenwood went back four years later to celebrate America's bicentennial with an outrageous wide-bodied, tri-colored Corvette, but a leaking fuel cell sidelined the American effort after five hours.

In 1994 a Corvette prepared by specialist Reeves Callaway was the fastest qualifier in the GT2 class, but was disqualified after 11 hours when it was refueled on the course. Callaway's second and third-place finishes in the GT class in 1995 foreshadowed the arrival of the all-conquering C5-R Corvettes.

CERV Although not related to production Corvettes, four cars wearing the CERV designation - Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle - influenced the marque's development. In the beginning, Duntov's first CERV was actually conceived as a purpose-built racing vehicle - a single-seat, open-wheeled, mid-engined bullet. Its successor, the two-seat CERV II, was the first mid-engined car with full-time four-wheel drive.

CERV III continued the mid-engined theme - this time in a fully functional Corvette show car that debuted at the 1990 Detroit Auto Show. During the development of the fifth-generation Corvette, a fourth CERV was created - the only CERV with a front-mounted engine.

GRAND SPORT CORVETTES The significance of the original five Grand Sport Corvettes cannot be measured in racing victories and championships won. Built by Duntov to compete with Carroll Shelby's lightweight Cobras at a time when racing was officially discouraged at GM, the handful of featherweight '63 Grand Sports keep the flame of performance alive for the Corvette faithful.

Ambitious plans for a limited production run of Grand Sports were dashed when the program was canceled. Consigned to the modified classes because the 100 cars required for production status were never built, the Grand Sports were outclassed by the rear-engined specials that were taking over road racing. Two coupes were eventually converted to roadsters.

ROAD RACING CORVETTES The availability of race-proven heavy-duty parts has made Corvette the first choice of grassroots racers. For example, checking the Z06 option on the order blank turned a '63 Corvette into a factory-built race car outfitted with a fuel-injected 327ci small-block, metallic brakes, heavy-duty suspension, limited-slip rear axle and a 36.5-gallon fuel tank for long-distance events.

Independent racers also recognized the potential of the Corvette's small-block powertrain. Chevrolet V8s became the preferred power source for Lister-Corvettes, Scarabs, Cheetahs and other road racing specials. Corvettes have figured prominently in the SCCA Trans-Am road racing series, propelling four drivers to Trans-Am titles: John Greenwood (1975), Greg Pickett (1978), Gene Bothello (1979) and Eppie Wietzes (1981).

DRAG RACING CORVETTES Corvette also found favor with drag racers. With a relatively short wheelbase and an engine that was mounted well back in the chassis, Corvette racers enjoyed a traction advantage at the starting line. The Corvette's small frontal area and aerodynamic shape also boosted top-end performance on the quarter-mile.

Corvettes found success in the Super Stock, Modified Production and Gas classes in the '70s as drivers such as Paul Blevins, Don Coonce, Tony Christian, John Lingenfelter and Bernie Agaman all notched national event victories on the NHRA drag racing circuit. Lee Shepherd rose to national prominence in Reher-Morrison's wheelstanding Modified Production Stingray Corvette before he went on to win seven Pro Stock championships with the team's Chevrolet race cars.

Corvette's aerodynamic shape also inspired one-piece replicas that competed in the Funny Car class. Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen put his nitro-burning Corvette Funny Car in the winner's circle at the 1978 U.S. Nationals, the most prestigious event on the NHRA drag racing tour.

SHOWROOM STOCK CORVETTES The burgeoning popularity of showroom stock racing provided a new world for Corvette to conquer in the '80s. Like the Z06 package of the previous generation, the Z51 option had the right stuff for racing.

In the three-year run of the SCCA Escort Endurance Championship for showroom stock road racers, Corvettes won every race. Chevrolet teams and drivers dominated, winning every championship the series offered. Morrison-Cook swept the titles in 1985, and Kim Baker's Bakeracing Corvettes won consecutive driver and team championships in 1986 and 1987.

After witnessing this devastating display, SCCA officials concluded that the only competition for a Corvette was another Corvette. The Corvette Challenge was born in 1988. Organized by John Powell and supported by Chevrolet, the Corvette Challenge pitted 50 drivers in identically prepared Corvettes racing for a $1 million purse. Bill Cooper won the inaugural Challenge championship in 1988 and Stu Hayner took the prize in 1989.

In 1990, the SCCA World Challenge arrived, but the results didn't change: Corvettes swept the Manufacturers' Championship two straight years, and won three consecutive driver and team titles.

WORLD RECORD CORVETTES In March 1990, a pair of Corvettes prepared by Morrison Engineering and Development - one a standard production model powered by an L98 small-block and the other a ZR-1 equipped with a DOHC LT5 - broke three world endurance records and established 12 international class standards on a 7.7-mile oval in Fort Stockton, Texas.

The ZR-1 set the mark for the most prestigious endurance record on the books: 24 hours at 175.885 mph. Not to be outdone, the L98 set the 6-hour record at 170.877 mph.

The Corvette record runs were organized by endurance racing specialist Tommy Morrison. The team of eight drivers included Corvette engineers John Heinricy, Jim Minneker and Scott Allman.

CORVETTE GTP A Corvette in name only, the Corvette GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) was one of the fastest and most exotic race cars ever to wear a red Bowtie. Based on an English Lola T600 chassis and powered by an all-American turbocharged Chevy V6, the mid-engined racer was a rocketship. At full boost, the Corvette GTP's 3.4-liter (209ci) V6 pumped out more than 1,000 horsepower. This amazing machine claimed seven poles in the IMSA Camel GT series in 1986 and won two races. In 1987, the Corvette GTP captured four more poles.

The Corvette GTP became a testbed for even more exotic technology when it was outfitted with an active suspension system and carbon brakes. In the twilight years of the program, a naturally aspirated all-aluminum small-block V8 replaced the turbo V6.

CORVETTE C5-R Corvette Racing's brilliant Millennium Yellow C5-R coupes are the heirs to this rich racing tradition. The success of Team Corvette has put America's premier sports car at the pinnacle of international endurance racing with victories at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans. Corvette Racing completed a banner year in the 2001 American Le Mans Series, capturing six victories in the eight-race series and adding the 2001 ALMS Manufacturer's Championship to Corvette's burgeoning trophy collection.

The Corvette C5-R relies on production hydroformed frame rails. This rigid structure allows engineers to tune the suspension for maximum grip. The race car's aerodynamic shape is based on production car CAD data, and a race-prepared LS1 engine provides championship-winning performance.

"The racing program we have created reinforces and underscores our commitment to the Corvette and its magnificent heritage," explained Corvette Marketing Director Rick Baldick. "All of us feel a responsibility to preserve and enhance the car's image. The racing program is designed to help us fulfill that responsibility."The Corvette C5-R race program continues Chevrolet's tradition of racing production-based vehicles to improve the breed. It is a commitment that has taken Chevy's two-seater from the runways of Sebring to the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. The exchange of information and the transfer of technology between the racing and production programs ensure that lessons learned on the track ultimately benefit Corvette drivers on the highway.

Reputations in racing are earned the hard way - with records, victories and championships. No marque in American motorsports has been more prominent in racing for more years than Corvette. Chevrolet and millions of Corvette enthusiasts will commemorate Corvette's 50th anniversary in 2003, but the celebration of a half-century of success has already begun.