Corvette Museum Featuring Two New Corvette Racers in the Corvette Performance Display

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Corvette Museum Featuring Two New Corvette Racersin the Corvette Performance Display


Visitors to the National Corvette Museum can see two new Corvette racers with a fascinating history in the Performance Area, thanks to the owners loaning their Corvettes for display.

Wouldn’t it be great if these Corvettes could talk about their experiences? At least we can click here to hear the fabulous sounds of their engines.

Be sure to check out an original 1969 Big Block, 4-speed coupe race car that was very successful on the track in the 1970s. In fact, one owner, Dr. Richard (Doc) Bostyan, added a ZL1 engine and won the SCCA AP class in the SE Division in 1974.

Corvette Museum Featuring Two New Corvette Racers to the Corvette Performance Display


Bostyan also co-drove the car with Don Yenko and Jerry Thompson in the 1976 IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring, holding the lead in the first lap, prompting famous announcer Chris Economacky to visit the pits to find out how a low-budget, unknown team could be in first place. Mechanical problems eventually caused the car to finish 31st. Later that year, Doc drove the car to a win in the Bilstein SCCA National race at Palm Beach. It also competed in 1977 at 12 Hours of Sebring and again at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1978.

In 2009, when Jerry Thompson was being inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame, his son Chris wound up buying the car from Doc. In November, Jerry drove the car once again around Daytona’s high banks in the two-hour HRS enduro.

Since then, the car has been restored for new owner Kent Hussey by the legendary Kevin Mackay, and it was shown at the 2014 NCRS National Convention and the 2015 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.


The second racer now on display at the NCM is a 1963 Grand Sport II Replica that was first completed in 2002 at Mid America Industries for original owner Jim Prather of Vette Vues fame.

The car has a real 1963 Sting Ray body and chassis, titled with serial number 308375120339, and had a 1996 GM LT-4 engine and 6-speed transmission. Current owner Michael Bell has since installed a 427 stroker Dart Block with a 10.7:1 compression ratio that runs on 93 octane.

The car also has a four-inch tube frame with a 1989 Z51 Corvette heavy-duty suspension, except for Alden coil-overs up front and VBP monoleaf rear suspension; Z26 Warrior slotted and drilled rotors and an 18-point roll cage, along with a custom, one-of-a-kind Holley induction system, a side-draft EFI with a MSD Digital 6-Plus computer system that plugs into a Dominator V2 vehicle management system.

Not surprisingly, the car is popular on the show circuit, including Mid America Motorworks Celebrity Choice Winner in 2012 and 2014; Best of Show 500 World of Wheels in 2013 and 2015; Bloomington Gold Best of Show in 2015; NCCC 2015 Convention Concours Best of Show National Champion.


Source:
National Corvette Museum

Related:
Corvette Museum Receives First Donation of a 1956 Corvette
NCM Collector Car Insurance Agency Gets New Home Inside the Corvette Museum
Holley Control Tower and Winding Road Race Store Officially Opened at NCM Motorsports Park

 



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