Dana Mecum’s thirty sixth Spring Traditional public sale on the Indiana State Fairgrounds is already in control providing greater than 3,000 autos all through the 9-day occasion. The Mecum Indy public sale is about to shut Saturday, Could 20 with its standard fireworks of car choices, together with some alternative classic racers.
Amongst them is a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88/ZL1 Greenwood Race Automobile – the quilt automobile and salon function of Classic Motorsport’s Nov/Dec 2011 difficulty.
Reflecting the rising energy and success of Chevrolet’s Corvette on the worldwide stage, John Greenwood’s devastatingly quick and boldly completed “Stars and Stripes” Corvettes of the Seventies stored America’s Sports activities Automobile on the forefront of highway racing. Whereas seemingly best-known for devising the outrageous “Greenwood Extensive-Physique” Corvettes, Greenwood was a grasp engine builder and tireless supporter of American racing. Amongst his many front-line achievements, Greenwood gained back-to-back SCCA A-Manufacturing championships in 1970-71, defeating the famed Owens-Corning sponsored Corvette staff of Tony DeLorenzo and Jerry Thompson. Powered by Chevrolet’s all-aluminum ZL1 427 engine, Greenwood led the Corvette cost on the 24 Hours of Le Mans beginning in 1973 with this automobile.
It’s one in every of three staff automobiles constructed by John Greenwood and sponsored by BF Goodrich through the 1971-73 racing seasons to showcase the brand new line of T/A radial tires. The “Stars and Stripes” graphics had been designed by John Greenwood’s brother, Bert Greenwood. Bearing No. 49, this automobile was initially designated for present and promotional use for BF Goodrich, nevertheless it was pressed into aggressive use by necessity, as its No. 50 sister automobile was broken in a crash.
This Corvette is presently geared up with a thundering, all-aluminum, race-spec ZL1 427/750 HP engine constructed by the Chevrolet racing consultants at Traco Engineering, paired with a Muncie close-ratio 4-speed guide transmission. Different highlights embody the particular Greenwood entrance and rear suspension methods with trailing arms and anti-sway bars, bodywork modified with manufacturing unit L88 flares and molded clear Plexiglas headlamp covers, and a set of period-correct BF Goodrich tires and Minilite wheels.
Additionally on the docket for Saturday, Could 20, is that this 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racer.
Steeped in racing historical past, this 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, Chassis No. 2272, is one in every of two allotted by Chevrolet underneath a particular “testing contract” to the Camoradi USA staff. Manufacturing unit-prepared for racing when new and powered by a particular racing powerplant designed to Arkus-Duntov’s exacting specs, this Corvette was delivered new to Camoradi USA through Don Allen Chevrolet in Miami.
True to goal, the Corvette earned a robust front-line competitors report, beginning in Cuba in 1960, the place Jim Jeffords gained the 1960 Havana GT race on the automobile’s maiden outing on February 24. Three days later, Jeffords and Chassis No. 2272 completed eighth Total and took the GT-Class win within the Cuban Grand Prix. Subsequent, Jeffords and Fred Gamble co-drove this Corvette at 12 Hours of Sebring, ending thirty second Total. Throughout the Atlantic, the Corvette began the Nürburgring 1000 Kms with Gamble and Lee Lilley assigned co-driving duties, however retired attributable to a defective wheel bearing.
On the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Lilley and Gamble accomplished the grueling contest and completed tenth Total and 2nd in GT 5.0. Nonetheless, they had been later knowledgeable they didn’t cowl a adequate distance and weren’t formally categorised. Nonetheless, Corvette historical past was established by this automobile, the primary and solely “straight-axle” Corvette to complete each Sebring and Le Mans. Subsequent, Gamble and Casner co-drove this Corvette to victory on the 1960 Swedish Grand Prix GT race, adopted by a post-race highway accident with future Lamborghini improvement driver and engineer Bob Wallace on the wheel.
Different race automobile choices slated for Saturday embody:
2005 Riley MK XI Daytona Prototype Race Automobiles
1996 Reynard 96I Indy Automobile
1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Race Automobile
1968 Gerhardt Chevrolet Indy Automobile
1959 Hillegass Chevrolet Dash Automobile
1996 Pontiac Firebird IROC Race Automobile
Extra data, together with docket and ticket data, might be discovered HERE.
