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Who drove the #16 '55 Corvette at Daytona Beach in 1956 ?


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#1 arttidesco

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 18:22

I've been trying to identify the driver and chassis number of the #16 '55 Corvette at Daytona Beach in 1956.

 

I have only seen the one photo of the car bearing the #16, in the first instance it is credited as being chassis #399 as in this link.

 

and in the second as X87/5951 as in this link.

 

frustratingly no mention is made as to who the driver was.

 

I'm fairly sure the #16 is not X87/5951 as this link show's the car with '56 style rear wings / fenders without tailfins, on the other hand the exhaust is in the vertical centre of the rear wing / fender ends as in '56 despite the tail fins for the rear lights, rather than inside the rear wing fender as per usual '55 set up @-) Could that be a Blue Flame Straight 6 vs small block V8 thing ?

 

I've seen mention of Frances Bill Snr and Jr having driven 1st generation C1's at Daytona along with Joe (Jack) Hawkins the only pic I could find show's Bill Jnr wearing a dark helmet driving a '55 car without stripes as in this link.

 

Are there any other candidates ?

 

Relevant answers maybe credited and used in a forthcoming blog.

 

Thanking you in anticipation of your responses.



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#2 Loren Lundberg

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 19:41

Bill Sr., Bill Jr. and Jack Hawkins made EXHIBITION RUNS ONLY in these TWO  vehicles ('55 #1399 & '53 #21l) that were being PRESENTED by chevy Engineering to NASCAR for use in their forthcoming SCORAD (Sports Car Owners and Racers) series involving sports cars on dirt track ovals.  Short-lived but interesting, but now VIRTUALLY ignored by NASCAR..NO official timed runs at the Beach.

Cars were both full-life Chevy Engineering test vehicles, updated to V8s, 3 spds and rebodied for appearances sake.'55 now owned by Lingenfelter and '53 now owned by Terry Michaelis.


Edited by Loren Lundberg, 06 September 2013 - 20:08.


#3 arttidesco

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 20:35

Thanks Loren, does that mean the #16 was 1399 ?



#4 arttidesco

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Posted 05 September 2013 - 12:09

Thanks for your help with today's blog, linked here, Loren. If there are any mistakes remaining please do not hestiate to let me know :up:



#5 Loren Lundberg

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Posted 06 September 2013 - 20:17

Off the top of my head, I do not recall if #16 =d #399?  Does it matter?  Noel Park was unaware that the "real" car still lived when he was assemblong his "tribute" car.



#6 Loren Lundberg

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Posted 08 September 2013 - 03:57

With respect to #399 and your comment #4, there are more mistakes in recent descriptions than there are accurate descriptions.  When the '54 body was transferred to #399's frame, the fin and the bellypan were NOT included; engines were NOT identified by grease pencil markings but by Work Order #s that contained the specs that the engine was built to; it was not EX 87; it was the body only from Engineering #5951, etc.