Re-live Corvette’s early years at the drag strip!
Famously known as “America’s sports car, ” the Chevrolet Corvette came to market in 1953. That same year, the newly established National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) hosted its first event. The Corvette was never intended for quarter-mile drag racing, and it appeared to be completely at odds with the sport. Early equipment included an underpowered Blue Flame 6-cylinder motor and automatic transmission. But somehow, the two have become forever entwined.
The Corvette brought an element of class and style to drag racing. On the showroom and on the street, it has always been unique. It is truly American. Likewise, the uniqueness that sets it apart from everything else also meant that it had no natural competition on the drag strip. However, that fact didn’t dampen enthusiasm. Indeed, the NHRA and other governing bodies introduced Sports Car divisions in the late 1950s, catering to both stock and modified vehicles. Naturally, these classes were packed with Corvettes.
Racing historian Steve Holmes breaks new ground by unearthing the complete early history of the Corvette in drag racing. Quarter-Mile Corvettes focuses on the period from 1955 to 1975, which spans the first 20 years of Corvette V-8 production. Fittingly, this was also the era considered by many to be the greatest in drag racing’s history, and Corvettes encapsulated the vibrancy of the period in a way that will never be repeated.
Certainly, Chevrolet never intended for the Corvette to become a quarter-mile terror, but today, its nameplate has become one of the longest running in all of drag racing.
Table of Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Creating America’s Sports Car
Chapter 2: 1953–1954: The Corvette Goes into Production
Chapter 3: 1955: Arrival of the V-8
Chapter 4: 1956–1957: The Corvette Gets a New Appearance
Chapter 5: 1958–1960: The Corvette Becomes Upscale
Chapter 6: 1961–1962: Hinting at a Future Look
Chapter 7: 1963–1964: Arrival of the Sting Ray
Chapter 8: 1965–1967: The Big-Block
Chapter 9: 1968–1969: Arrival of the C3 Stingray
Chapter 10: 1970–1972: Optimism Changes to Pessimism
Chapter 11: 1973: The Final Big-Block
Chapter 12: 1974–1975: The Softening Effect
Epilogue: 1976 and Beyond: Corvette Performance Makes a Comeback
About the author
New Zealand–born Steve Holmes has spent his life studying automotive history. An author of more than a dozen books and countless magazine feature articles, his primary focus is on American muscle cars and pony cars as well as motor racing history. He has been fascinated with these topics and spent much of his career studying them. In 2011, Steve founded theroaringseason.com, which is an online forum where he shares historical stories and vintage racing photo collections. Steve previously wrote <i>Mopar Factory Drag Cars: Dodge & Plymouth’s Quarter-Mile Domination 1962–1972</i> for Car Tech.
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