69 Corvette Road Race Build

[Spiffav8]

Oh yeah....this is going to be fun.

[Neil B]

During some brainstorming for the rendering, I did some research on C3 Corvette racing history as well as other types of road racing from that Era. I also read (prior car owner) Chris DcDonald’s novel The Key to My Heart which is a story based on his first black ’69 Corvette. Corny as it may be, I was inspired to create a fictitious (but plausible) back story for my project, similar to what Steve Strope does for some of his creations. So here goes…

[Neil B]

The year was 1970 and Formula 1 rookie Emerson Fittipaldi had captured the U.S. Grand Prix victory at Watkins Glenn for Team Lotus. While in the U.S., Lotus Engineering Chief Colin Chapman met with Tony DeLorenzo along with top GM executives. Chapman was impressed with the success of the Owens Corning L88 Corvettes in FIA World Sportscar competition. Wanting to get young Emerson additional exposure and seat time in the U.S., Chapman commissioned DeLorenzo and team to build and campaign a third Corvette with Emerson as lead driver for selected races in the ’71 season. As a marketing experiment with his sponsor, Chapman requested that the car wear the now famous black-and-gold JPS (John Player Special) livery a full year prior to it’s introduction on the Lotus F1 cars. However, early in the ’71 season, the Owens Corning Corvette team disbanded before the JPS/Fittipaldi car was completed. A few months ago, a partially completed race car with lineage back to DeLorenzo was recently discovered in an Illinois corn field. The story of the car unfolded but, unfortunately, there are no records to ensure completion of the car with historical accuracy other than what is known about the Owens Corning cars. Therefore, the plan is to complete the car with a retro-modern feel with visual clues to it’s heritage.

This car incorporates all of my favorite things from the car hobby and my old racing days. I hope you guys like the direction it’s headed….

[vstol]

very good looking car

[Sonar Chief]

Very nice, I'll be watching this one fer sure!

[OLDFLM]

Love it! Subscribed! Thanks for the new wallpaper!

[Corey R.]

Don't leave out the interesting tid-bit that during the 1970's, while the rising popularity of clear drinks such as vodka and gin controlled the disco nightclubs, the Vette was used as a whiskey runner from the Illinois corn silos into the underbelly of dark and seedy neighborhoods in South Chicago to avoid tax stamps.

[awr68]

Love it! Great job on the rendering!

[Neil B]

Originally Posted by Corey R.

Don't leave out the interesting tid-bit that during the 1970's, while the rising popularity of clear drinks such as vodka and gin controlled the disco nightclubs, the Vette was used as a whiskey runner from the Illinois corn silos into the underbelly of dark and seedy neighborhoods in South Chicago to avoid tax stamps.

LOL. Yes, the car traded hands several times during the 70's but stayed in the Midwest. The car was fortified with steel floor pans and heavy duty suspension components to handle the added weight of the whiskey running payload. The car was also extensively street raced in Southside Chicago back in the day. The car still wears decades-old slicks that have been screwed into the original Rallye wheels. LOL.

[Neil B]

It's been fun learning about the history of these cars. This was Tony DeLorenzo's personal black '69 L88 back in the day. He added the L88 flares and several other items from the Owens Corning parts bins. The car received a Nabor Bros. restoration and sold for $680,000 at auction last year.