Take caution! Take care! Do not get too close to the raucous beast that is this 1976 IMSA-spec Greenwood-built C3 Corvette race car. With giant bulging fender flares, tires like steam rollers, and a roar that could wake the dead, this slice of 1970s Americana is not for the easily queasy. And definitely don’t let it anywhere near small children.
If you think you’ve got the constitution to lay eyes upon such a savage beast, step right up and gaze in wonder. Listen to those 7,000 RPM gear runs shatter your ossicles, and flutter your heart. See the giant fender tops looming through the windscreen. Gaze in awe as a professional wrangler saws at the steering wheel to keep the damned beast in line.
This old IMSA GT class racer was entrusted to modern day Cadillac prototype racer Jordan Taylor during the Monterey Motorsports Reunion last weekend at Laguna Seca. The Le Mans and Daytona-winning all-American has raced modern beasts with big V8s, but none quite so unruly as the old-school Greenwood ‘Vette. This thing has none of the docile sensibilities you’d find in a modern racer. It’s all crossed up and inches from serious harm at all times.
You can see in the video below that even a pro racer like Taylor can have issues with a vintage racer like this. What appears to have been a missed downshift on the long slide down into the turn 2 hairpin caused him to miss marks and run wide, losing touch with the leaders on lap 1. From there, it’s a masterclass in playing catch-up.
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While Taylor never quite catches back up with the pack he started the race aiming to take down, he does negotiate traffic quite deftly. Considering the value of not only the car he’s driving, but those around him, he chooses lines and the appropriate gear quite well. It’s a true joy to watch from beginning to end.
But it’s a damn good thing they keep those race cars on the other side of the fence from normal people. They’re liable to get their heads bitten off by this rare and dangerous creature.
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