Corvette vs Porsche + Others, 80 years & counting

The Corvette was not born to race.  It started life in 1953 as a stylish boulevard cruiser with a six-cylinder engine and a two-speed automatic hooked up to a solid axle drivetrain.  Since then, it has won Le Mans eleven times and one particular version now cranks out 1,250 hp.

The 1956 265 cu in V8 broke new ground.  After GM pulled the plug, privateers driving Corvettes that cost a fraction, simply outran the Mercedes and Jags.

Writers and experts, when recently asked, called the Corvette “a car that makes a lot of noise and is mass-produced by a big bureaucratic company where sports car racing is pretty much beside the point.”  

Losing is no fun

To boost sales, Porsche threw money at its biggest export market in the good old USA.  Some of that money landed in the pockets of John Bishop who needed to grow his IMSA series.  Development reached it peak with the fearsome twin turbocharged 935 that ruled the roost.

Bishop created the AAGT & GTX classes for American sports cars like the Corvette.  Despite “re-engineering” to squeeze more out of the long-in-the-tooth C3, our heroes Rich Sloma, Walt Bohrin, Joe Chambelain, Phil Currin and others were doomed from the get go.

Winning is a whole lot better

Soon after the all-new C4 Corvette arrived, SCCA Pro Racing launched the Escort Showroom Stock GT/Super Sports Series.

From 1985 thru 1987, the C4 Corvette racked up 29 straight wins in long-distance races against the Porsche 944 Turbo.  The lineup of teams and drivers ranged from fledgling writers like Csaba Cere, Don Sherman and Rich Ceppos of Car & Driver Magazine to pros like Ron Fellows, Andy Pilgrim and Tommy Kendall.

 The long losing streak for the Porsche 944 is why the SCCA banned the Corvette.  That led to the Corvette Challenge Series which is another story in itself.

Callaway Competition based in Leingarten Germany got the C6 ZO6 Corvette approved to race in Europe.  Under the tutelage of Ernst Woehr, it prevailed against Porsche in the ADAC GT Series starting in 2009. 

The Equalizers have arrived

When the time finally came to allow customers to race the Corvette, the ZO6 GT3.R was built just for that purpose.  A revived IMSA, under the wing of John Doonan, is the major battleground in the US.  An “army” of officials is deployed to enforce a Balance of Competition (BOP) set of rules to ensure a level playing field.

The same policy applies to the World Endurance Championship Series (WEC) including Le Mans under the guidance of Frédéric Lequien.

We are living in a “Golden Age” for Sports Car racing.  Let’s hope it has a long life.  Tell us what you think the odds are.

Photo credits: Brent Martin, Mark Windecker, Kim Baker, Stephane Lusteau, Victory Imagery

Dreams both Lived and Shattered, a Deep Dive in a Nutshell at the RM Monterey Auction 2026

This account reflects opinions and info from our Corvette Race Car Archive

1963 Corvette Grand Sport chassis 003 # 2, (Lot 341) sold on August 15 for $ 17mm (+ $ 1.7 buyer’s premium

This is the highest price ever paid for a Corvette.  The pre-sale estimate was $ 11-13mm.  Zora Arkus Duntov, Chief Engineer completed only five lightweight Corvettes when GM brass shut him down for violating a ban on racing.  We believe the bidding was inspired by the spirit of Zora to go all out for victory.

Zora wasted no time sending chassis 003 to Dick Doane, a flagship Chevrolet dealer. 

GM took it back and sold it to John Mecom, a Texas oilman who entered it in the Bahamas, followed on March 14, 1964 at Sebring where John Cannon & A.J. Foyt finished second in class after losing time to repair damage inflicted by a broken wheel.

Subsequent owners included Mike Golas, and Allen Foster, and vintage racers Bob Patterson (shown above), and Tom Armstrong who ran it at Goodwood in the UK.  Now the current owner and seller Larry Bowman has Lived the Dream.  Word is that the buyer is Dana Mecum, big-time auctioneer and Corvette expert.

We first thought the buyer was Rob Walton, Walmart heir and Corvette racing enthusiast extraordinaire.  We believe that Rob owns the # 1 1957 XP 64 Corvette SS Prototype (shown above) that sold for a reported $ 7mm at the Moda Miami auction late last year.  About 25 years ago, Rob also owned # 10 GS 001, the ex-Roger Penske big block roadster.  The late Doug Hooper sorted it out and taught Rob the finer points on driving.

 1960 Corvette, # 1 (Lot 353) failed to sell at the top bid of $ 1.7mm

Bidding fell short of $ 2.0-2.5mm sought by the seller, a descendent of the wealthy sportsman and racer Briggs Cunningham.

Entered at Le Mans in 1960 at Le Mans, co-driver Bill Kimberley crashed and rolled the car in a heavy downpour at the Maison Blanche turn, ending their attempt after only 32 laps.  The resurrection of the # 1 Corvette is owed to the resourcefulness and persistence of one man in particular, Kevin Mackay. 

This odd-looking creation was briefly spotted in 1972 in Florida.  Locals discovered in a St. Petersburg warehouse forty years later.  Mackay researched its serial number s/n 3535; and prevailed over law suits, claims for possessing stolen property, fending off creditors, and overcoming a litany of other issues in his quest to restore it exactly as he had done for the # 3 Corvette s/n 2538 for his close friend the late Chip Miller.

In 2021, Mackay guided the Cunningham descendent to buy the car for $ 785K, no reserve at the Amelia Island auction, and has dutifully looked after it ever since.  This dream was Shattered because the market for solid axle Corvettes has stagnated, even for a pricy example like this.

1968 Corvette, # 4 (Lot 350) changed hands at the top bid of $ 750K

This bid fell short of $ 900K-$1.1mm sought by the seller. The story goes that Larry Trusdale, manager of Goodyear convinced Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari distributor for North America to relinquish one of his slots at Le Mans so this 1968 Corvette owned by Toye English could race there in 1972.

The look of this beautiful restoration, also by Kevin Mackay can be deceiving.  The North American Racing Team (NART) Corvette was painted in Ferrari red, accented by a blue stripe and dazzling Prancing Stallion logos.  Marietta Bob Johnson and Dave Heinz finished 7th in class.

Nicknamed "Old Scrappy”, the NART Corvette in fact was built from a wrecked 1968 convertible, bought for a mere $ 600 from a junkyard on a salvage title as a way to circumvent the strict rules for Le Mans.  Historians and experts have never reached a consensus on its originality such as matching-numbers, factory-built examples sought by collectors.  The buyer Pierce Marshall, is a racer and collector par excellence who endowed a gallery of race cars at the National Corvette Museum.

1969 Corvette # 80 (Lot 344) was sold for $ 650K

This offer compares with a pre-sale estimate of $ 600-800K.

V.V. Cook Chevrolet in Louisville KY sponsored this car, prepared by the late Don Barker and driven by his brother Allan Barker, followed by Bill Jobe.

Doug Bergen from Marietta Ohio originally built it as a big block L88 for his friend Bob Johnson (who also drove the NART Corvette) to race at Sebring and Daytona.  The swap to a small block is quite unusual but made perfect sense and paid off in spades for the V.V. Cook dealership with 29 wins and 4 SCCA B Production national championships.

Kevin Mackay also restored this car and sold it to Larry Bowman.  The fact is that Corvettes in SCCA club racing, (vs international racing) have lesser cachet which limits their value.

So, we ask our dear readers, do these epic Corvette race cars bring a smile; or are they just another entry in the ledger of the new owner?

 Photo credits: RM Auctions, Doug Morton ARCF, Jim Loushin, Pete Brock, Kenneth C Visser, Walt Thurn

RCRC ending module

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The Racing Ruman (family) and what we might expect to come

This report is drawn from sources available to the public at large.  Viewpoints expressed herein are solely those of the writer, in part assisted by AI.

For those who have followed the sport, there is plenty to like about the Racing Ruman family, make no mistake about it.

Amy Ruman is a role model in the true spirit of the Corvette, earned by doing a lot more with a lot less.

Her best was winning the Trans Am Series championship 2 years in a row in 2015 and 2016.

She did it with grace and humility, out of a modest shop located in rust belt Ohio with loving family support more than anyone could dream of.

And by keeping her cool, in one instance a target of road rage that was ultimately followed by an apology.

So, what might we expect to come in these fast times.

Let’s look into the current state of Trans Am Series, the arena chosen by Ruman Racing.

Dinosaurs” still rule the roost in the top-level TA class.  Amy Ruman’s re-bodied 2017 C7 is the only Corvette still out there.  It has an 850+ hp RO6 NASCAR engine fed by a massive carburetor bolted into a tube frame chassis enveloped with a silhouette body. 

Newer Mustangs and Camaros fielded by owners with deeper pockets are faster by about 2 seconds per lap. Grids of 20 cars were once common.  Now we are lucky to see six cars and maybe half with a clear shot to win.

The Trans Am series has weathered many storms over time.  The series exists today because of TA2 class cars that are a lot easier on the budget, namely Camaros, Mustangs and Toyotas built on a spec chassis.  Grids have reached 50 TA2 cars, racing door-to-door, some piloted by teenagers entering the ranks of pro racing.

 To make things worse, Amy is still feeling the effects after two surgeries from a freak accident 6 months ago that happened of all places, at home.  Now a wreck at Road America and a DNS at Watkins Glen leaves her in a quandary.   

These setbacks have not stopped her from managing team logistics, corporate sponsorships, marketing strategies, driver development and more as told to Allen Bestwick, the “voice of Trans Am”. 

If you look at the big picture, Amy Ruman has what it takes to make an impact beyond the racetrack.

You don’t need to be a Roger Penske or a Rick Hendrick to be a great leader.

Adversity can be a wonderful time to get on with her life’s work.  As we said, there is plenty to like.

Photos courtesy of Chris Clark.

Call for action vs call it quits, part 3

This account expresses observations and viewpoints of the author who welcomes discussion, opinions, criticism of a constructive nature.

For me, the Solid Axle Corvette Club has been a godsend.  I have owned a 1960 Corvette s/n 2642 going on 63 years.  Today I am its active caretaker so count me in vs call it quits.

I owe a lot to honest experts who helped me along the way.  I also owe the club that got owners like me out there for the fun of it.

Chassis, steering, brakes, ignition and stuff wear out.  Bear in mind the first Corvettes came out when Eisenhower sat in the oval office.

The good thing is these are simple cars.  Fixes are quicker, easier to do and cost a fraction of a modern resto-mod.  There are plenty of folks who know how to work on them and there is no shortage of parts for most of us.

Setting egos aside, folks can get a decent running, good looking C1 for let’s say $60k and up.

And let’s leave the resto-mods to folks who love the curves and the chrome, but want the comfort, reliability, and performance of a modern engine, ie not drum brakes or “will it start” anxiety. 

Not counting the CF1 built by Dave Kinging that bring $750k, a resto-mod will set you back $125k to $300k.

It pays to keep an open mind because the future is in our hands.  

Photo 3h Button: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4504942393119417&set=p.4504942393119417&type=3

Several Facebook group pages now make sharing information and stories much easier and can help us avoid the perils of blind allies.  Check out this thread for example.

Carlisle is a Mecca where throngs of enthusiasts and fans entering Corvettes at Carlisle are greeted by solid axle Corvettes.

First impressions are lasting impressions. Todd Stiles and Buzz Murdoch of the Route 66 TV show proved that point to an audience of millions.

Just recently, this 1957 fuelie was a crowd favorite in a bucket list event, the prestigious five-day 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race in Italy.

You can refer to parts 1 & 2 here:

Button: https://conta.cc/3QJAm5R

Button: https://conta.cc/4o87T69

We hope you care.  To do our part, we want to know what’s on your mind. 

Corvette Club calls it quits, part 2: What’s at stake

This account expresses observations and viewpoints of the author who welcomes discussion, opinions, criticism of a constructive nature.

Hey Joe, whaddaya know?

To properly celebrate the Corvette’s 50th anniversary, Noland Adams, fearless leader of the Solid Axle Corvette Club, blazed the path to Flint Michigan where the first 300 Corvettes were assembled.  It didn’t matter that Flint, once a manufacturing mecca where WWII tanks and Buicks were made, had fallen on hard times.  Boarded up storefronts lined the main drag.  And the imposing 16-story Hyatt hotel, that once hosted GM big wigs, had fallen into the hands of a religious group that banned alcoholic beverages.   

Catch up with part 1 here (button) if you missed it: https://conta.cc/3QJAm5R

We purists believe that Flint was more rewarding than a big shindig in Nashville?? held by GM that weekend.   The SACC event began on June 30, 2003 with a re-enactment of the first Corvettes rolling off the line, a road tour and renewed friendships that rekindled our faith in solid axle Corvettes.    

The story goes that the late Elliott Chip Miller, proud owner of a 1953 Corvette, s/n 181 that he snagged for $ 5,000 at an estate sale, was turned away from the big Hershey Show and Swap meet by the steadfast Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA).  Chip went on to start up Corvettes at Carlisle and the rest is history.

Visitors to Corvettes at Carlisle can’t miss the Solid Axle Corvettes grouped just inside main gate 3.  The Carlisle area has hosted a number of national conventions.  In August 2008, Brad Bean, then SACC VP and Civil War buff led a lively tour to the Gettysburg Museum and battlefield.

Noland had the foresight to dovetail the 2002 national convention with the renowned Monterey Historic Races in August that honored the Corvette just before its fiftieth anniversary.  That event drew the all-time record for Corvette race cars.

In February 2013 the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) invited the SACC FL Chapter to Sebring International Raceway to celebrate the Corvette’s 60th birthday.

In August 2019, the Michigan chapter also hosted the SACC national convention, back in the state where the Corvette was born.  Attendees were treated as insiders by Gary Pratt at Pratt & Miller Engineering and by Ken Lingenfelter at his huge collection.

In the days that followed, we visited the GM Heritage center, the Henry Ford Museum, cruised the Detroit River and closed out the event at a dinner at which Josh Holder, (now Corvette chief engineer) gave us the low-down on the revolutionary new mid-engine C8 Corvette.

The NCRS reserved a spot for SACC Corvettes at the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise on Sunday, which in perspective seems like the best gathering ever.

Lucy Badenhoop who was at Noland Adams’ side from day one, has worked more than anyone could ask for, collecting dues, managing the budget, dealing with chapters, helping with conventions, hiring the editor, publishing On Solid Ground and more.

Thirty-three years have gone by in a flash.  These days, a convention every summer and a magazine every 3 months is simply not enough to keep up, let alone lead.

Does a final hurrah in St Louis spell the end vs staying alive?

Be on the lookout for part 3

We are doing our best to keep the SACC alive.  Please help the cause and contribute here. (button)

Corvette Club calls it quits, part 1: Origins

This account expresses observations and viewpoints of the author who welcomes discussion, opinions, criticism of a constructive nature.

Say it isn’t so, Joe!  Not just another Corvette Club, mind you but a club for the first 69,015 Corvettes made from 1953 through 1962.  

One look pretty much tells all.

The purpose of the Solid Axle Corvette Club, (founded in 1993 by the late Noland Adams), is to help folks keep them running and to enjoy them.  Now, the “Know How” and friendships struck among its aging members is at risk, slipping away and ultimately lost, the proverbial “needle in the haystack” so to speak.

Harley Earl, GM Vice President of Design, dreamed up a 2-seat Sports Car to take on foreign counterparts that impressed him while serving as Grand Marshal at Watkins Glen in October 1951.  It did not matter so much that racers lives were at stake, going all-out on the harrowing 6.6-mile circuit over public roads that were closed off, starting and finishing downtown on Franklin Street in the picturesque village.

An experimental version, known as EX 122 drew raves at the GM Motorama show in January 1953 at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria hotel on Park Avenue in NYC.

The first 300 Corvettes were produced at a former truck plant on VanSlyke Avenue in Flint Michigan just 5 months later, starting on June 30, 1953, a calendar date that some of us still celebrate as National Corvette Day.

1954 and later model Corvettes were assembled in St. Louis, a city located on Route 66, the “mother road” that runs 2,448 miles from Navy Pier in Chicago to Santa Monica Pier in LA.

Officers of the SACC chose The Holiday Inn SW Rt 66 in St. Louis for a farewell convention on June 4-8, 2026 to call it quits after 33 years. 

On a brighter note, the 100th anniversary of Route 66 is celebrated with The Great Race, a tour that starts the following week.    

The earliest Corvettes were equipped with a hopped-up engine called the Blue Flame 6 that was mated to a sluggish 2-speed automatic transmission.  Soon after came a V-8 engine that was designed by Chevrolet Chief Engineer Ed Cole.  It packed a whole lot more punch, weighed less and was more compact.  This remarkable engine not only saved the Corvette but variants are still being developed and sold today.

The Corvette grew into an honest to gosh high-performance sports car under the tutelage of Russian-born engineer Zora Arkus Duntov.  To his credit, “All Corvettes are high-performance cars, the difference is in degrees.”  Did he say “the grease”?  You gotta love it.  Click to listen.

https://youtu.be/luQaBtoKJIo

The solid axle Corvette came out a winner in the 12-hour race at Sebring in March 1956, piloted by Walt Hansgen and John Fitch, considered to be America’s top driver at the time.

Fitch and Bob Grossman went on to win at Le Mans in June 1960.

The Corvette won FIA international endurance races at Sebring and Daytona in 1957 thru 1962.

The Corvette was the “choice of champions”, chosen by drivers who won SCCA races at the national level from 1956 through 1964.

Straight axle Corvettes were no slouch on the drag strip either.

Call us the energizer bunny or what you will.  We are charged up to keep the Solid Axle Corvette alive, literally and in spirit.   Please join us and contribute here: https://www.registryofcorvetteracecars.com/membership

Photos courtesy of Richard Earl, GM press.

April Comes: How Corvette Racers dodge the Taxman

Opening sound track (7 seconds): https://youtu.be/-Nefa1iJ3n8

A Big Corporate Owner writes off spending

The $ 10 BN Oshkosh Corporation spends what it takes on Pratt & Miller, acquired in 2022 and held as a wholly owned subsidiary.  Professional sports car racing provides this 100-year-old below-the-radar manufacturer with brand recognition that is hard to beat.

These monies spent in the pursuit of victory come virtually free of taxes.

Racer Entrepreneurs write off spending

John Greenwood, like most racer entrepreneurs in their day, also spent freely in the pursuit of victory.  That meant nothing was left to tax on income earned from selling Corvettes and parts to customers, after adding up the cost for tires, gas, travel, crew, lodgings, meals, entry fees, repairs (you name it) to go racing in IMSA, Trans Am and Le Mans. 

Lou Gigliotti, also a prolific builder and driver of Corvette race cars, serves as another good example.

Larry Bailey, an entrepreneur with a yen for racing, is the founder of LSI/logical systems that sells services which help customers adapt to automation.  Monies spent to support Kaylee Bryson to race in the Trans Am (and USAC Silver Crown) series bring attention to this behind-the-scenes enterprise would seem to be a legitimate write off.

Club racers write off as advertising & promotion

Jorg Nazario, an enthusiastic SCCA club racer from Puerto Rico literally practices what he preaches by offering services that cut taxes.

Another vintage racer friend built a thriving business that serves clients with their growing needs for security, both physical and online.  Touting his behind-the-scenes operation opens his spending in a way that takes a bite out of taxes in his ongoing quest for speed.

A Corporation donates to a non-profit

Mike Yager, a marketing whiz and owner of Mid-America Motorworks donated 4 Corvettes from his collection the Pierce Arrow Museum, a non-profit in Buffalo, NY.  His donation, highly valued as unique assets in the mid-seven-figures has stood the test of time for a decade.  Portions carried 3 years against past income and portions carried 3 years against forward income are the heart of a novel strategy that reduced his taxes in a big way.

A dedicated collector at odds with the taxman

Ed Mueller had the vision to snag one of the two now legendary Big Block Grand Sport Corvettes that GM offloaded on the cheap to Roger Penske.  He stored GS 002 in Pennsylvania among other highly valued cars in his collection under the watchful eye of a trusted expert.  The cars became stuck in limbo because the DMV in New Jersey sought to tax these vehicles at face value where Ed lived.  Several years later Ed paid taxes based a mid-six-figure gain when he needed to sell GS 002.

Photo credits: Visors Down, Richard Martin, Mark Spaulding.  Music credit to the Beatles from 1966 album Rubber Soul. 

Disclaimer: None of the above, in whole or in part, is intended be relied upon in any way, shape or form for legal, accounting and/or other purposes.

My Times at Sebring, a personal POV

My first time at Sebring came on March 21, 1969.  I drove south from Jax and slept there that Friday night in a red pop tent.  I came to root for the # 3 Corvette, built by my mentor, Frank Dominianni, a pioneer racer.  It was specially ordered through Vince Piggins at GM.

If I had my wish, it would be Sebring with the “Real McCoy” in 1956.  Alas, I was a thousand miles away and just a teenager at the time.

Fast forward, the 2005 C6.R Corvette was a pretty big deal.  I owe a debt of gratitude to Robin Pratt, Gary Pratt and crew for their patience.  I did my best to listen carefully before opening my big yap, but take my word, it was not easy.

From my point of view, there is nothing quite like the spectacle at Sebring in March.  Folks from all walks of life descend upon a sleepy town in the middle of nowhere.  The best sports cars and the best drivers come from everywhere.  The place turns into a carnival, midway and all.  A ritual for fans, friends, families, college kids on break and other crazies.  Fueled by beer, booze, swimsuit contests and if you happen to stumble into the right spot, a bit of nudity. 

Those years were filled with wonder for another reason. For a couple of days in advance, drivers from the Sports Vintage Race Car Association (SVRA) could take to the track as things heated up.

My friends Ken Mennella hauled his beloved # 000 Grand Sport Replica from Armonk NY and Jeff Bernatovich hauled his fearsome # 90 SCCA tube frame C4 GT1 all the way from snowy Syracuse NY.

If you put on a fire-suit, you could roam the pits during practice and qualifying. The roar was ear shattering to say the least.

Like all good things, those magic times are gone.  The price tag for our shenanigans had shot through the roof.  It was a raw deal.  

Then, lo and behold, along comes Tony Parella, a Corvette guy with the bucks and the guts to grow vintage racing like never before.  

Soon after taking over the SVRA, Tony created a new stand-alone event in February.  He brought in the Trans Am series to ease the entry fees and add to the gate.

Tony asked my help to celebrate the Corvette’s 60th birthday in 2013.

We now had track time for racing, an HPDE, parade laps plus a car show.  How about these oldies from the Solid Axle Corvette Club. 

Our mutual friend Alan Sevadjian showcased the Grand Sport Corvette continuation cars that he built under license with GM.

This is me with HOF driver Jerry Thompson, strapped into a re-creation of the Corvette he raced in 1970, a/k/a “Junkyard Dog”.

Photo/image 15 (button for Phil Currin)

Here’s the lowdown from Fast Phil Currin, Corvette racing legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Az_R003iHU

Since 2022, I can’t say for sure when I next set foot at Sebring.  I can say for sure there are more races, shows, events and stuff to do than ever before.

It would be great to hear what others have to say.

Photos courtesy of Sports Car Digest, Larry VanScoy, Richard Prince, Vanessa Aponte, Walt & Tyler Thurn.