On January 14, 1966, a prototype Corvette L88 destined for Penske Racing left the St. Louis assembly plant — the first true Team Penske race car. Prepared for endurance competition under Roger Penske’s direction and featuring the experimental 427 L88 and factory performance bits, it went on to win its GT class at the 24 Hours of Daytona and deliver an early milestone in Corvette performance history.
Explore the 1966 Penske sale of Corvette Grand Sport #002 to Wintersteen — a pivotal moment in Corvette racing history that reflects the provenance, rarity and enduring legacy of this lightweight Grand Sport.
Two old warriors slug it out at Sebring! To read the pdf version of the Corvette Quarterly, Spring 1990 cover story, “Time Machines”, CLICK HERE....
Before Corvette Racing became a global endurance-racing powerhouse, one determined American sportsman dared to challenge Europe’s best at Le Mans. In 1960, Briggs Cunningham brought three Corvettes to France and helped create the foundation of Corvette’s legendary racing legacy.
I’d like to introduce you to two “gasoline in the veins” kinds of guys. George Haddad from Fort Lauderdale, Florida has been a hot rod builder for over 45-years. Doug Whyte learned his modeling craft though his work for The Danberry Mint. The die-cast, articulated cars and trucks that Danberry Mint is well known for is extraordinary.
Discover the story of the rare 1963 aluminum 377 small-block Chevy engine — a lightweight racing powerplant that pushed Corvette performance boundaries. Built for competition and innovation, this experimental small-block highlighted Chevrolet’s engineering ambition and helped shape the future of high-performance Corvette engines.
Last week while finishing up a story about Bill Tower’s Grand Sport #005 Corvette for Vette Magazine, I came across two YouTube videos posted by GM Heritage Center. The videos are silent and were probably shot with an 8mm camera that someone brought along to the events. The film looks like hand-held and amateurish and not at all the same quality of the Jam Handy films from that era. But, you do get to see the Grand Sports in action.
Only five 1963 Corvette Grand Sport “Lightweight” race cars were ever built under the direction of Zora Arkus-Duntov. In this fascinating bench-racing conversation, Corvette engineer Bill Tower shares behind-the-scenes stories about Grand Sport #005 and the legendary Cobra-killer program that reshaped Corvette racing history.
