Overview

"Re-live Corvette's early years at the drag strip! Famously known as ""America's sports car,"" the Chevrolet Corvette came to market in 1953. That same year, the newly established National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) hosted its first event. The Corvette was not intended for quarter-mile drag racing, and it appeared to be completely at odds with the sport. Early equipment included an underpowered Blue Flame 6-cylinder motor and automatic transmission. However, the two have become forever entwined. The Corvette brought an element of class and style to drag racing. In the showroom and on the street, it has always been unique. It is truly American. Likewise, the uniqueness that sets it apart from everything else also meant that it had no natural competition on the drag strip. However, that fact didn't dampen enthusiasm. Indeed, the NHRA and other governing bodies introduced Sports Car divisions in the late 1950s, catering to both stock and modified vehicles. Naturally, these classes were packed with Corvettes. Racing historian Steve Holmes breaks new ground by unearthing the complete early history of the Corvette in drag racing. Quarter-Mile Corvettes focuses on the period from 1953 to 1975, which spans the first two decades of Corvette V-8 production. Fittingly, this was also the era considered by many to be the greatest in drag racing's history, and Corvettes encapsulated the vibrancy of the period in a way that will never be repeated. Certainly, Chevrolet never intended for the Corvette to become a quarter-mile terror, but today, its nameplate has become one of the longest running in all of drag racing."

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9781613258040

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New Zealand-born Steve Holmes has spent his life studying automotive history. As the author of more than a dozen books and many magazine feature articles, his primary focus is on American muscle cars and pony cars as well as motor racing history. In 2011, Steve founded theroaringseason.com, which is an online forum where he shares historical stories and vintage racing photo collections. Steve previously wrote Mopar Factory Drag Cars: Dodge & Plymouth's Quarter-Mile Domination 1962-1972 for CarTech.

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