In the 1950s, with the American economy booming, sports cars became increasingly popular. Americans with disposable income were buying quick and nimble cars from foreign manufacturers like MG, Ferrari, and Porsche. Many were campaigned in amateur road races, a fast-growing pastime. In 1953 Chevrolet released the first sports car from a large American manufacturer: the Corvette. It would become an icon both on the street and the track, earning the nickname “America’s Sports Car.” However, the first Corvettes did not have the performance to match their looks. It would take a Russian engineer named Zora Arkus-Duntov to give the car the speed and handling to rival its European counterparts. To increase sales, Arkus-Duntov knew it needed to race, and it needed to win. Starting on a beach in Daytona in 1956, where it set a new American speed mark, it did just that.

After an Automobile Manufacturers Association racing ban in 1957 in response to a tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, Chevrolet could not officially support any racing efforts. But, Arkus-Duntov and his engineering team found backdoor ways to assist private owners who wanted to race Corvettes. And many did. The Corvette found success in America and overseas, where it was often the sole entrant from an American manufacturer racing in major events. In 1999 a new factory-backed racing team, Corvette Racing, was founded. It has gone on to win at Le Mans nine times and Daytona four times, in addition to producing ten championships in the American Le Mans series and five in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. America’s Sports Car has become America’s Race Car.