Mitch Makes His Final Four Picks in our Mythical “Corvette Madness” Tournament

Back in my younger days, I watched a lot of high school basketball games as sports editor of our local paper. You’ve probably never heard of the schools, small places like Red Bud, Fairmount, and Cave Spring, among others, but those games were just as entertaining in their own way as the college competition of today.

One of those teams, the Fairmount High School girls of 1985-86, ran off a streak of 26 consecutive wins to open the season – making it to the state tournament before being upset in an early round. That Lady Bulldogs season sticks in my mind as perhaps the most memorable of my decade-long career as a sports writer, and it also ties in to Corvettes since it brings back memories of my red 1980 Corvette being parked outside the FHS gym one cold winter night, where someone backed into the front end of my first-ever Corvette and scraped the nose.

Fast forward more than 35 years, we’re in the midst of March Madness, and my cohorts at CorvetteBlogger – inspired by Alex Sommers – have decided to come up with our own versions of the Final Four, but using all-star Corvette models instead of basketball players.

While there were temptations to include obvious choices like the 2019 ZR1 and the 2023 Z06, I decided to bring things down to earth a little since the vast majority of Corvette enthusiasts will likely never get to sit in one of these high-powered supercars, let alone drive one. Here’s my lineup of underdogs – after all, when you’re No. 2, you try harder.

That’s why my first choice is an Arctic White 2017 Grand Sport, with a blue stinger hood and red hash marks. This car’s combination of performance and looks, along with its relatively easy availability, makes it a champion in our book.

Going back nearly 50 years, I’d invite a silver L82 1975 convertible, with dark red interior, since I can remember drooling over a similar car in a magazine while I was sitting in high school chemistry class. It may not have been the most powerful performer in Corvette history, but as is the case for so many of my fellow enthusiasts, it was one of the humble, yet very cool Stingrays that nevertheless have ignited my life-long passion for the car.


Taking the third seed would be a red 1969 convertible, with the fire-breathing L71 427/435 horsepower engine. What’s not to like about a chrome bumper with a big block under the hood? You gotta have a big man to win, after all.

And speaking of winning, that last sentence reminded me of one of my favorite lines from the Ron Burgundy movie – “if you ain’t first, you’re last!”
That’s why in the end, I just couldn’t leave out the new Z06 coupe, in Hypersonic Gray over Dipped Adrenaline Red, with the Z07 package, of course. After all, the name of the game is to win, and while nostalgia is all well and good, coming out as the champion is the ultimate goal. We like our chances with the new Z06! Nothing but net!

Related:
In a “Corvette Madness” Tournament, Which Years/Models Would Earn Your Four #1 Seeds?
BLOGGER BUILDS: Mitch’s Hypersonic Gray Z06 Mean Machine
Question of the Week: How Did You Get Interested in the Corvette Hobby?