A handful of Corvettes stand out in the 2021 HSR Classic 24 and Sprint Races at Daytona
Now for the 2nd year in a row, the clampdown on travel to the US from abroad has red flagged entries from some 19 countries overseas. That said, a handful of Corvettes put up some great results, outlined below in both the Classic 24 and Sprint races by fighting off Porsches that were literally everywhere you turned.
Classic 24 Group F was won by veteran HSR racer William Hubbell in his ex-Whelen Hudson Historics C6 styled 2012 # 230 Corvette Daytona Prototype Chassis 0001 now nearly a decade old.
Tim Rivers joined the lineup after losing his primary ride in the # 9 Action Express of his brother-in-law JC France who escaped uninjured from an accident earlier in the week that destroyed the car.
Robert Tornello in his 2014 C7 styled # 90 ex Troy Flis Spirit of Daytona DPI practiced but was not listed.
In the Classic 24 Group E final stint, Pierce Marshall & Pro driver Eric Foss in their IMSA GTLM C7.R 2016 # 63 beat all the production class cars and were 2nd overall behind a Pescarolo Judd prototype. Thomas Mueller in his IMSA GTLM C7.R 2014 # 31 was 8 th.
In Classic 24 Group A for the earlier cars, Dave Roberts 1971 C3 # 12 Corvette and Chris Ronson 1970 C3 # 94 Corvette were 1-2 in the Qualifying race ahead of twelve Porsches. Roberts was out after the second stint while Ronson completed all four and finished 2nd amongst his Porsche peers.
In the Sprint Group 8, 9 & 10 races for big bore cars, Bobby Kennedy was sensational in his 1968 # 11 IMSA Camel GTO tribute 327 cu in Corvette finishing 6 th in a field of 60 cars. He beat all the Porsches, older TA & NASCAR entries and Ferraris. Car owner & builder Rob Logsden said it was his most satisfying weekend in 30 years of racing.
In Sprint Group 2-3, Bill Treffert in his 1960 # 24 C1 Corvette was 5th in a field of 20 cars.
Photos thanks to Larry VanScoy
Travel should be lifted by next year for the return of racers and fans touring from abroad that impart a magic quality found at no other historic racing event in the USA.
