In racing, we sometimes get to cheer wins that come first-time-out. At the other end of the scale lies the sad saga of the Grand Sport Corvettes, racers conceived amid dreams of competing at Le Mans. It took nearly 40 years for that story to find a happy ending.
Today, the Corvette seems safely enshrined as an American icon, complete with its own museum, and at last, proud owner of a class victory at Le Mans, in 2001. It’s hard to remember the early days, when Chevrolet’s jaunty 2-seater often had to fight shortsighted corporate spoilsports for its very right to live in General Motors’ insipid sedan world. The opposition was even fiercer whenever enthusiasts within the giant company tried to show their car’s prowess on the race track.
