Here’s How GM’s Motorsports Push Saved the Corvette as We Know It
There was a time in the 1980s when the Corvette seemed destined for the chopping block, at least until America’s sports car headed back to the track.
Today, 70 years after it originally graced this earth, it’s hard to imagine a world without the Corvette. But as most fans of the fiberglass sports car already know, the Corvette faced a ton of adversity in its early years, barely avoiding the chopping block before GM ultimately righted the ship and cemented its place in history as one of the most iconic vehicles ever conceived. However, it wasn’t just the arrival of V8 power or some styling changes that ultimately saved the Corvette, but rather, the car’s participation in motorsports, as our sister site, CorvetteForum, recently explored in detail.
The story of the Corvette and its illustrious history in the world of racing is on full display right now at the Petersen Automotive Museum thanks to a new exhibit dubbed “Corvettes in Competition: Racing America’s Sports Car.” It documents the model’s exploits in a variety of series and events, ranging from the IMSA SportsCar Championship to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and perhaps more importantly, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) – which was instrumental in keeping the Corvette alive.
Early in its life, the Corvette was a popular entity for privateer racing teams thanks to its performance potential and light weight. This wasn’t a coincidence, however, as the “Father of the Corvette,” Zora Arkus-Duntov, knew that he could use these racing efforts to help develop and improve the car. However, after surviving the 1950s relatively unscathed, the car once again faced extinction in the 1980s, when stricter emissions requirements and soaring fuel costs were killing off performance cars in general.
Enter the SCCA. In 1988, the motorsports body created the Corvette Challenge, a one-make series designed to show off the capability of the C4, which GM supported by developing the first factory-backed race option codes for the Corvette since its inception – BP9 and R9G. The plan worked, and the Corvette Challenge was a huge success, rekindling a passion for the Corvette among its fanbase and making countless new fans across the globe.
GM ultimately moved on from the Corvette Challenge in 1990 as it developed the new ZR1, but that momentum continued to keep the beloved sports car in favor among enthusiasts across the globe. In the late 1990s, the Corvette Racing Team was created to capitalize on this and organize GM’s efforts to make the model a true force to be reckoned with on the track, which is precisely what happened following the C5’s debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1999.
Since then, Corvette Racing has racked up countless victories at numerous historic events, cementing the car’s status in motorsports history. Today, it’s hard to imagine the alternative history that might have taken place if the SCCA hadn’t stepped in and saved the car, nor if GM had opted to continue to eschew any factory racing efforts. Now, however, anyone is free to relive this fascinating history lesson live and in person, as “Corvettes in Competition: Racing America’s Sports Car” is now open to the public at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
Photos for LS1Tech by Derin Richardson
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