Corvette Technology: The Right Stuff for Racing

MONTEREY, Calif. As America's premier sports car, Corvette has been a launching pad for new technology for nearly 50 years. Many of the technical features that enhanced performance and enriched the driving experience first appeared in Chevrolet's two-seat flagship. The catalog of Corvette advancements within the Chevrolet product line includes fiberglass and composite body components, four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, serpentine accessory drive belts, concealed headlights, aluminum suspension components, composite springs, anti-lock brakes, traction control, run-flat tires, and driver-adjustable shock absorbers - to name just a few. Many of these high-performance components were developed and tested in the racing arena.

As Corvette began its transition from boulevard cruiser to serious contender, Chevrolet engineers made sure that Corvette racers had the right stuff. In an era of drum brakes and three-speed gearboxes, Corvette drivers enjoyed the advantages of factory-designed performance packages.

The Corvette heavy-duty parts program was the result of Zora Arkus-Duntov's plan to position Chevrolet as the performance leader. On December 16, 1953, Duntov composed a memorandum to Maurice Olley at Chevrolet Research & Development. His memo, which he titled "Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders, and Chevrolet," became the manifesto of Chevrolet's performance program.

Duntov reasoned that enthusiasts could be persuaded to race Chevy's upcoming small-block V8 if the factory offered proven heavy-duty engine and chassis parts. "Since we cannot prevent the hot rodders from racing Corvettes or Chevys," Duntov wrote, "maybe it's better to help them do a good job at it." With these words, Duntov outlined the strategy that ultimately made the Chevrolet small-block V8 the most successful production-based engine in motorsports.

One of the first manifestations of Duntov's plan was Regular Production Option (RPO) 684, a competition suspension package for Corvettes. RPO 684 included stiffer front and rear springs, a larger front stabilizer bar, firmer shocks, a fast-ratio steering linkage, a limited-slip differential and ceramic-metallic brake linings. In combination with a fuel-injected 283ci small-block V8 and a four-speed Borg-Warner transmission, the RPO 684 package turned a 1957 Corvette into a factory-built racecar.

Duntov's group developed a similar package for the second-generation Corvette in 1963. RPO Z06 included a fuel-injected 327ci small-block V8, a four-speed manual transmission, a limited-slip differential, finned brake drums, a heavy-duty suspension and a huge 36.5-gallon gas tank for endurance racing - in short, everything a Corvette owner needed for a day (and night) at the races. A total of 199 ZO6-equipped coupes were produced.

Corvette's domination of showroom stock road racing in the '80s was a continuation of Chevrolet's philosophy to provide Corvette racers with the tools they needed to win. Competition also improved the breed by accelerating the development of high-performance parts for the street.

"A 24-hour race is the equivalent of 100,000 road miles on a suspension," said Kim Baker, owner of the Bakeracing Corvettes that won back-to-back driver and team championships in the SCCA Escort Endurance Championship in 1986 and 1987. "Corvette's lightweight aluminum cylinder heads, low-drag pistons, disc brakes, power steering cooler, and heavy-duty suspension bushings are examples of racing's contribution to production models."

The 1996 Corvette's Z51 Performance Handling Package option was another expression of Chevrolet's commitment to grassroots racers. Available exclusively on Corvette coupes, the Z51 package was tuned for autocross and gymkhana competition with heavy-duty shock absorbers, stiffer springs, a 30mm front and 24mm rear stabilizer bar, high-rate suspension bushings, P275/40ZR-17 tires and a heavy-duty power steering cooler.

Corvette's rich racing heritage also inspired special editions such as the Grand Sport model offered in 1996, the final year of production for the fourth-generation Corvette. The 1996 Grand Sport evoked memories of its predecessors with metallic blue paint, white racing stripes and red hash marks on the left front fender. Grand Sport emblems, five-spoke black aluminum wheels, black brake calipers with contrasting Corvette lettering and embroidered seats distinguished the Grand Sport from a standard model. Grand Sport coupes were outfitted with special fender flares to cover extra-wide P285/40ZR17 rear tires.

The current production C5 Corvette provides a solid foundation for the championship-winning C5-R Corvette racecars. While the Corvette C5-R is a purpose-built racing machine, it employs several production components - as well as the engineering and technology that are required to craft a world-class automobile.

"Corvette has always been at the cutting edge of sports car performance," said Performance Cars Vehicle Line Executive and Corvette Chief Engineer Dave Hill. "The general architecture of the road car contributes to its success at the track. The low center of gravity and long wheelbase that make the Corvette a very stable vehicle at speed also contribute to making it a comfortable street car."

Production hydroformed frame rails provide a strong foundation for the Corvette C5-R's roll cage. The power steering pump and steering rack are standard C5 parts. The race car's body design is based on the production car CAD data. The windshield, taillights, and marker lamps are the same parts installed on civilian Corvettes.

The production Corvette's full-length perimeter frame rails are hydroformed, a process that produces complex shapes using high-pressure hydraulics. Hydroforming replaces conventional multi-piece welded frames with seamless one-piece rails that have exceptional strength.

"The hydroformed frame rails and the stiff underbody structure combine to make a very stable platform that contribute to more consistent lap times for the C5-R," said Hill.

GM engineer Ken Brown took a sabbatical from his work with the Corvette development team to contribute to the Corvette Racing project. His familiarity with the advanced technology and technical resources of the world's largest automobile manufacturer directly benefited the C5-R program.

"We used many common processes in developing the C5-R," Brown said. "Engineering programs such as finite element analysis and other CAD/CAM data tools were used extensively."

The race-prepared engines that power Corvette Racing's C5-R coupes are based on the production LS1. The heavy-duty blocks and cylinder heads designed by GM Racing for the Corvette factory racing team are available to independent racers through GM Performance Parts - just as Duntov envisioned.

"We designed the competition engine using as many production parts and processes as possible," said GM Racing engine specialist Ron Sperry. "GM Powertrain engineers had some prototype block configurations they were studying for future products, and they made some of these available to us for the C5-R engine development program."

"Few people realize the long-term effect that the LS1 engine is going to have on the performance industry," said GM Racing Group Manager Joe Negri. "It was Zora Duntov's vision in 1953 that Corvette should lead the way with race-ready parts and designs. I think he would be proud of what has been achieved."

Auto racing develops people as well as hardware. The discipline to meet deadlines, the ability to resolve problems quickly and the mental agility to outwit the competition are prerequisites for winning on the racetrack and in the showroom. For nearly 50 years, a formidable combination of horsepower and brainpower has made Corvette a winner on and off the track.