[PICS] Former 1966 Corvette Racer Earns Keith’s Choice Award at Corvette Invasion

As one of special guests at this year’s Corvette Invasion show held in Bastrop, Texas, I had the privilege of being able to give an award for my favorite Corvette at the show. Despite 350 Corvettes in attendance, I quickly zeroed in my choice early Saturday morning, and it goes to this Black 1966 Corvette Convertible now owned by Eddie Burt Jr.

Eddie’s father ordered the Black ’66 Corvette Convertible with the Bright Blue interior in October 1965 with the intent to go racing. It came equipped with the 427 V8 which was rated at 450-hp at the time, and it featured the close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission and 4.56:1 gears. Once Eddie Sr had the car, he hardened up the engine even more with ported heads, roller rocker arms, a bigger camshaft, and a set of Doug Thorley headers. With a four-point rollbar and racing slicks installed, Eddie ran the car in A-Sport Production (A/SP) where it won many races at Shreveport Dragway and surrounding tracks.

Eddie Jr says the car was already put away by the time he came along, but he remembers playing all over it when it was first stored on a trailer and then moved to the garage in 1993.

When it came time to start the process of getting the car back on the road, Eddie says his dad kept just about everything that was originally on the car, sans the hubcaps which got used for decorations at a shop and are now long gone. The Corvette still wears its initial 1966 inspection sticker as his dad never put it back on the road once he started racing it. The odometer currently reads approximately 25,400 original miles, which Eddie Jr explains that most of those miles were put on the car from it being towed from track to track.

Today the car still retains the many battle scars from its racing career, including the big block hood that once had openings in its bulge and then was glassed over. The rear wheel wells were enlarged for larger tires as the car was turned into a gasser for a few years. Eddie Jr says he kept the front bumpers off the car as that’s how his dad raced with it. The car still retains some of the stickers from its racing days including the doors which say “Eddie Burt – Shreveport, LA.

I am pretty sure that Eddie told me this was his very first show with the Corvette, and he had his spot decorated with a display board featuring some of the newspaper clippings from his father’s drag racing days. The family even had some of the original trophies won by his dad which were displayed in front of car.

While talking with Eddie, he refers to the Black 1966 Corvette as being “his dad’s Corvette,” which is something I can totally relate to as I have my dad’s Black 1966 Corvette in my garage. I have now owned it longer than he did, but it will always be “my dad’s Corvette.”

It was a pleasure and honor to give my Keith’s Choice Award for the 2025 Corvette Invasion show to Eddie Burt Jr and his dad’s 1966 Corvette. He was also supported by his sister and another family member which I sadly forget their names. But again, congrats and well done in celebrating this legacy of your dad with you.

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