Quarter-Mile Corvettes 1953– 1975
The History of Chevrolet’s Sports Car at the Drag Strip
by Steve Holmes
When people first saw the little white car at auto shows in 1953, no one really knew what its future might be. All that was known was it generated excitement and speculation and, yes, sometimes disappointment too.
It is of interest to writers, publishers, and their reader/buyers to explore Corvette history for it, as virtually all know, survives to this day in ever-evolving versions—still and always a two-seater. As this book’s title suggests, it explores a very specific aspect of this American sports car’s history from 1953 to 1974—competing on drag strips.
As the title implies, the story unfolds chronologically noting “the sport of drag racing and Chevrolet’s new sports car were about as incompatible as oil and water.” Yet find one another they did with one of, if not the, earliest competitions taking place at Morrow Drag Strip in Colton, California with the wife of a Chevrolet dealership behind the wheel winning both of the two runs in two identical stock Corvettes.
Left, a 1956 Corvette competes against a Kaiser Darrin during the 1960 NHRA Nationals. Facing page shows a variety of cars in the pits at Palmetto Raceway in South Carolina.
Zora Arkus-Duntov, the “Father of the Corvette,” was forever tweaking and tuning to increase horsepower, most notable with the arrival of V8 power under Corvette hoods. “The year 1956 saw early iterations of more heavily modified Corvettes on the drag strip” and “by the late 1950s, Corvettes were a common site [sic] at most drag racing tracks” as author Steve Holmes details interspersing drag activity with results of other Corvette racing ventures such as Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and others.
Left is Russ Narzinki’s Corvette. One magazine did a feature on it but with an apparently short career few photos of it exist. Image on facing page has no information.
With the sixth of the twelve chapters (plus an epilogue), fittingly the 1960s begin and so too in this chapter is the first of what will end up being nearly 30 sidebars going into greater detail of some special drag ‘Vettes and/or their drivers. Names include the likes of Dave MacDonald whose car had been built by Max Balchowsky, Bob Nordskog whose car was a George Barris creation, the Joel Rosen Ko-Motion Sting Ray campaigned by Charlie Snyder, and included too is Hot Rod Magazine’s Project Jr. ‘Vette. However, with no index and these sidebars not mentioned in the table of contents, you’ll need to make notes as you read if later you want to be able to quickly turn to a particular one without endless page flipping.
Sidebar featuring Dave Strickler’s Old Reliable V, an altered-wheelbase car predating funny cars.
It’s impossible not to notice and mention that this book focused on an aspect of the history of what has often been referred to as America’s Star-Spangled Sports Car is written by a New Zealander. The few words publisher CarTech writes about Steve Holmes refer to him as a racing historian who has written “more than a dozen books and many magazine feature articles” with a “primary focus on American muscle and pony cars.” A quick internet search reveals that his books cover a wide variety of topics as not all are on automotive topics. Then, visiting Holmes’ website at www.TheRoaringSeason.com indicates he’s not just New Zealander by birth but that’s where he resides as well. That said, from his acknowledgments it’s obvious his contacts and experiences have breadth and depth so a Kiwi writing about America’s Star-Spangled Sports Car participating in American drag racing should be taken as merely a wry observation for the words and photographs will appeal to diehard Corvette enthusiasts and collectors.
Right, Dick Moroso sidebar. Facing page, upper left a stock class competitor. To its right an Altered C1, and below a full-on Funny Car.
Copyright 2024 Helen V Hutchings (speedreaders.info)
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