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Corvette History Represented Well for 43rd HSR Mitty at Road Atlanta

By on April 20, 2021

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Corvettes representing 60 years of competition success arrive at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this week where "America's Sports Car" will be celebrated as the Featured Marque of the 43rd Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Mitty, April 21 – 25.

From the CRP Racing 1956 No. 57 Chevrolet Corvette of Dave Roberts up to the recently retired 2016 Corvette C7.R of Pierce Marshall and Matador Motorsports, the entered Corvettes for The Mitty span exactly 60 years of on-track glory.

The oldest car entered for the 43rd HSR Mitty in any division, the Roberts Corvette spent its first few years as a street car before being converted for on-track competition way back in 1959. It has been raced nearly continuously for more than 60 years.

At the opposite end of the Corvette timeline at The Mitty is the 2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R owned and driven by Marshall and his coach and co-driver Eric Foss. One of the famous yellow race cars from Corvette Racing, which has built its own unmatched record of American sports car racing success for over 20 years, Marshall's C7.R was co-driven in its prime mainly by Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen.

While Marshall is bringing the C7.R for "go" in the weekend's on-track competition, he and Matador also bring three other notable Corvette Racing cars to The Mitty for "show."

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Marshall will have on display a 2001 Corvette C5-R, a 2012 Corvette C6.R GT2 and a 2006 No. 3 Corvette C6.R GT1, which he raced for the first time after a complete restoration last December at the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour and Sebring Historics. Marshall won both HSR WeatherTech Sprint races he entered in the No. 3 GT1 Corvette at Sebring.

Additional Corvettes from this century set for The Mitty include a 2004 No. 64 Corvette C6.R of Robert Blain, the 2014 Corvette C7.R of Tom Mueller and a pair of Corvette Daytona Prototypes.

Popular with HSR competitors, Corvette Daytona Prototypes were driven to victory in their contemporary prime at Petit Le Mans in 2014 and 2015. Similar cars prepared by Hudson Historics are entered at The Mitty for John Reisman in the 2014 No. 33 Corvette Daytona Prototype and the 2012 No. 230 Corvette Daytona Prototype of William Hubbell.

The Roberts entry is the only 1950s-era Corvette entered but 1960s versions of "America's Sports Car" will be well represented at The Mitty.

Similar in looks and style to Roberts' open-top roadster, Frank Morelli brings a 1961 Corvette roadster while Bill Treffert competes in his pristine black 1960 No. 24 Corvette roadster.

Early Corvette coupes entered include a 1963 model from Red Dragon Racing and Patrick Sessions and a 1964 Corvette coupe for James Heck.

Later 1960's Corvette entries include the 1969 No. 6 roadster of Brad Hoyt, the 1968 No. 37 Duntov Motor Company roadster for Clair Schwendeman and the big block LMI Landscapes 1969 No. 46 coupe that is always a threat to win at Road Atlanta with driver Jody O'Donnell.

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A Saturday schedule highlight at the 43rd HSR Mitty is the Corvette Feature Race at 12:20 p.m. EDT. Winners and top-three podium finishers will be awarded in divisions for both older and more modern Corvettes.

A variety of ticket options, from tent camping and daily admission on up to RV Parking and weekend admission, are available only for at-event sale starting this Thursday, April 22. Tickets can be purchased at the HSR Driver/Crew Registration office or at the gate at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta throughout the weekend.

Event information, including the official weekend schedule and entry list, can be found on the 43rd HSR Mitty event page at www.HSRRace.com.

Noteworthy

– Marshall and Matador will be joined at the HSR Mitty by recently retired Corvette Racing guru Dan Binks who was a key player in the 20-plus year success of Corvette Racing. Binks and Binks Motorsports put a new motor in Marshall's C6.R GT1 late 2020 prior to the successful HSR debut of the Corvette at Sebring in December.

– Corvettes were first raced in competition just a few years after the introduction of the groundbreaking two-seater in 1953. Appropriately timed for this weekend's celebration at the 43rd HSR Mitty, the 2021 season marks the 65th anniversary of Corvette's first professional race with a five-car factory effort in 1956 in the 12 Hours of Sebring.


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