Chronology of Chevrolet Corvettes

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References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.


1978

July 4
  • At the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, an IMSA 250-mile race is held.
    • Finishing 4th in GTX class and 9th overall is the #14 Corvette driven by Javier Garcia.
    • Finishing 5th in GTO class and 14th overall is the #04 Corvette driven by Rick Thompkins and Herb Jones, Jr.
    • Placing 6th in GTX class and 16th overall is the #68 Corvette driven by Rick Hay.
    • Finishing 7th in GTO class and 27th overall is the Al Levenson #0.5 Corvette driven by Al Levenson and Tom Brown.
    • Placing 10th in GTO class and 34th overall is the #11 Corvette driven by Carmen Lista.
    • Placing 12th in GTO class and 38th overall is the #40 Corvette driven by Emory Donaldson and Joe Cotrone.
    • Placing 13th in GTO class and 39th overall is the Autodyne Inc. #48 Corvette driven by Lyn St. James and John Carusso.
    • Placing 17th in GTO class and 45th overall is the RJV Enterprises #65 Corvette driven by Richard Valentine.
    • Placing 10th in GTX class and 46th overall is the #99 Corvette driven by Phil Currin.
    • Placing 12th in GTX class and 51st overall is the J.L.P. Racing #18 Corvette driven by John Paul and Michael Keyser.
    • Placing 20th in GTO class and 54th overall is the #12 Corvette driven by Ford Smith.
    [423] (1977 [329.66])
July 8
  • At the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Circuit in Watkins Glen, New York, the Watkins Glen Six Hours / SCCA Trans-Am Championship - Round 5 race is held.
    • Finishing 3rd in Trans-Am class I and 14th overall is The Big Apple #9 Corvette 427, driven by John Huber and Babe Headley.
    • Finishing 4th in Trans-Am class I and 17th overall is the Phantom Racing #43 Corvette 427, driven by Frank Joyce and Gene Bothello.
    • Finishing 5th in Trans-Am class I and 19th overall is the Schulte-Roberts #91 Corvette 350, driven by Paul Schulte and Tom Roberts.
    • Finishing 6th in Trans-Am class I and 20th overall is the Rynone Industries #98 Corvette 427, driven by Tom Rynone and Michael Oleyar.
    • In 8th place in Trans-Am class I and 23rd place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Brandt Moving & Storage #60 Corvette 350, driven by John Brandt, Jr. and Chuck Callas.
    • Finishing 12th in Trans-Am class II and 24th overall is the Pickett Racing #6 Corvette 427, driven by Greg Pickett and Tom Gloy.
    • Finishing 9th in Trans-Am class I and 29th overall is the Aquilante Racing #51 Corvette 350, driven by Thomas Aquilante, Wade White, and David Wolpert.
    • In 10th place in Trans-Am class I and 32nd place overall, but not finishing the race, is the E.F. Miller & Co. #92 Corvette 454, driven by John Orr, Bill Jobe, and Kenper Miller.
    • In 12th place in Trans-Am class I and 36th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Free Spirit #18 Corvette 360, driven by David Kicak and Robert Young.
    • In 13th place in Trans-Am class I and 37th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Metamorphic #80 Corvette 454, driven by Nick Engels and Bob Nagel.
    • In 14th place in Trans-Am class I and 38th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Auto Barn #64 Corvette 427, driven by Robert Baechle and Craig Carter.
    • In 49th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Motion Marketing #15 Corvette, driven by James Mancuso and William Coykendall.
    • In 50th plave overall, but not finishing the race is the Old Gold Racing #69 Corvette, driven by Thomas Fiscus and Jerry Lancaster.
    [248] [423]
July
  • Chevy Three's studio chief Jerry Palmer produces a sketch of a next-generation front-engined Corvette. [42.104] [86.45]
July 21
  • In Zandvoort, Holland, the Corvette Euro-Meet II is held, over three days, hosted by the Swiss Corvette Club International. About 60 Corvettes from all over Europe attend. [321.50] [332.16]
July
  • A clay model of the next-generation Corvette is completed. [1] [7] (late 1978 [5.179]) (October [104.100])
July 28
  • Universal Pictures releases the film Animal House to theaters in the USA. A 1958-61 red Corvette with white coves appears. [780]
(month unknown)
  • At the NCRS Board of Directors meeting, the board officially changes status of 1963-67 Corvettes from associate to full recognition. [321.76]
August 13
  • At the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota, the Pepsi/7-Up SCCA Trans-Am Championship - Round 8 race is held.
    • In 4th place in category II and 4th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Pickett Racing #6 Corvette 427, driven by Greg Pickett.
    • Finishing 5th in category II and 6th overall is the Automotive Enterprise #27 Corvette 427, driven by Rich Sloma.
    • Finishing 2nd in category I and 8th overall is the LSI-Corvettes Unlimited #37 Corvette 454, driven by Doug Rippie.
    • Finishing 3rd in category I and 9th overall is the Phantom Racing #43 Corvette 427, driven by Frank Joyce.
    • Finishing 4th in category I and 10th overall is the Babe's Garage #78 Corvette 427, driven by Babe Headley.
    • Finishing 5th in category I and 11th overall is the FEMSA-Kennedy #91 Corvette 427, driven by Gene Bothello.
    • Finishing 6th in category I and 12th overall is the Apple Valley Racing #9 Corvette 427, driven by John Huber.
    • Finishing 7th in category I and 14th overall is the Vettemotion Racing #83 Corvette 350, driven by Vernon Brown.
    • Finishing 11th in category I and 19th overall is the Sanborn Racing #34 Corvette 355, driven by Jim Sanborn.
    • Finishing 12th in category I and 20th overall is the Midwest Corvettes Inc. #23 Corvette 454, driven by Steve Strandemo.
    • Finishing 9th in category II and 21st overall is the Corvettes Unlimited #64 Corvette, driven by Rusty Schmidt.
    • Finishing 13th in category I and 22nd overall is the Gross Racing #36 Corvette 454, driven by Larry Gross.
    • Finishing 15th in category I and 24th overall is the Briggs & Stratton #81 Corvette 350, driven by Dick Danielson.
    • Finishing 16th in category I and 25th overall is the Bekins Van Lines #60 Corvette 350, driven by John J. Brandt, Jr.
    • Finishing 17th in category I and 29th overall is the Rosenmerkel Racing #84 Corvette 350, driven by Richard Rosenmerkel.
    • In 18th place in category I and 31st place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Automotive Interests #17 Corvette 454, driven by Charles West.
    • In 19th place in category I and 33rd place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Hager Racing #99 Corvette 427, driven by Don Hager.
    • In 20th place in category I and 35th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Metamorphic #80 Corvette 454, driven by Nick Engels.
    • In 23rd place in category I and 39th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Blue Sky Special #70 Corvette 350, driven by Steve Kline.
    • In 24th place in category I and 40th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Barwell #71 Corvette 454, driven by Jim Barnett.
    • Placing 42nd overall is the Pro-Motor Engineering #73 Corvette driven by Paul DePirro.
    [248] [423]
August
  • J.C. Ellis sells Corvette EX-87/5951 to John Allen Hayes. [522.27]
  • The last 1978 Corvette rolls off the Assembly line. [191.74]
August 27
  • At the Mid-Ohio raceway in Lexington, Ohio, an IMSA 250-mile race is held.
    • Finishing 5th in GTX class and 5th overall is the #99 Corvette driven by Phil Currin.
    • Finishing 9th in GTX class and 13th overall is the #68 Corvette driven by Rick Hay and Mike Brockman.
    • Placing 8th in GTO class and 26th overall is the #14 Corvette driven by Jerry Lancaster and John Luczyk.
    • Placing 12th in GTO class and 42nd overall is the #39 Corvette driven by Skip DeAscentis and Larry Trotter.
    [329.66] [423]
(month unknown)
  • At the Bonneville Speed Week on the Utah Salt Flats, Duane McKinney's 1968 Corvette takes D/GT Class with a record 183.407 mph two way average, with a 300-ci engine. [129.100]
September 4
  • At the Road America raceway in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the SCCA Trans-Am Championship - Round 8 race is held.
    • Finishing 1st in category II and 1st overall is the Pickett Racing #6 Corvette 427, driven by Greg Pickett.
    • Finishing 2nd in category I and 6th overall is the Babe's Garage #78 Corvette 427, driven by Babe Headley.
    • Finishing 5th in category II and 7th overall is the Rich Sloma Enterprises #27 Corvette 427, driven by Rich Sloma.
    • Finishing 4th in category I and 10th overall is the Sanborn Racing #34 Corvette 350, driven by Jim Sanborn.
    • Finishing 5th in category I and 11th overall is the Western Automotive #17 Corvette 427, driven by Bill Morrison.
    • Finishing 6th in category I and 12th overall is the Bekins Van Lines #60 Corvette 350, driven by John J. Brandt, Jr.
    • Finishing 8th in category I and 16th overall is the Phantom Racing #43 Corvette 454, driven by Frank Joyce.
    • Finishing 9th in category I and 17th overall is the Briggs & Stratton #21 Corvette 350, driven by James Durovy.
    • Finishing 10th in category I and 19th overall is the Schott Racing #20 Corvette 460, driven by Dan Schott.
    • Finishing 13th in category I and 23rd overall is the Gross Racing #36 Corvette 454, driven by Larry Gross.
    • In 14th place in category I and 24th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the LSI-Corvettes Unlimited #37 Corvette 454, driven by Doug Rippie.
    • Finishing 15th in category I and 25th overall is the Midwestern Council #26 Corvette 350, driven by Rick Dittman.
    • Finishing 16th in category I and 27th overall is the Flying Tiger #3 Corvette 350, driven by A. Bard Boand.
    • In 17th place in category I and 28th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Metamorphic #80 Corvette 454, driven by Nick Engels.
    • Finishing 18th in category I and 30th overall is the Rosenmerkel Racing #84 Corvette 350, driven by Ron Rosenmerkel.
    • In 20th place in category I and 32nd place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Bob Kerns Racing #35 Corvette 350, driven by Bob Kerns.
    • In 14th place in category II and 34th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Schmidt Construction #64 Corvette 350, driven by Rusty Schmidt.
    • In 21st place in category I and 35th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Dead Bear Racing #5 Corvette 427, driven by Bill Adam.
    • In 22nd place in category I and 36th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Wink-DeLorenzo Racing #40 Corvette 454, driven by Tony DeLorenzo.
    • In 23rd place in category I and 37th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Hager Racing #99 Corvette 427, driven by Don Hager.
    [248] [423]
September
  • The first full-size clay model of Jerry Palmer's proposed new Corvette design is completed. [86.45]
September 25
  • Chevrolet introduces the 1979 model Corvette. [453.108] [871.90]
October 8
  • At the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, the Shasta Monterey Grand Prix Trans-Am Championship - Round 9 race is held.
    • Finishing 1st in category II and 1st overall is the Pickett Racing #6 Corvette 427, driven by Greg Pickett.
    • Finishing 4th in category II and 4th overall is the Sloma Enterprises - Automotive Enterprises #27 Corvette 427, driven by Rich Sloma.
    • Finishing 2nd in category I and 9th overall is the Larimer Racing #37 Corvette 350, driven by Lew Larimer.
    • Finishing 5th in category I and 12th overall is the Carlen Racing #11 Corvette 350, driven by Gary Carlen.
    • Finishing 7th in category I and 14th overall is the Brandt Moving & Storage #60 Corvette 350, driven by John J. Brandt.
    • Finishing 9th in category I and 16th overall is the Babe's Garage #78 Corvette 427, driven by Babe Headley.
    • Finishing 10th in category I and 17th overall is the Rick Stark Enterprises #17 Corvette 427, driven by Rick Stark.
    • Finishing 12th in category I and 19th overall is the Search Racing #28 Corvette 454, driven by Frank Search.
    • Finishing 14th in category I and 21st overall is the Phantom Racing #43 Corvette 454, driven by Frank Joyce.
    • Finishing 15th in category I and 22nd overall is the Sanborn Racing #34 Corvette 350, driven by Jim Sanborn.
    • Finishing 16th in category I and 23rd overall is the Round Table Racing #04 Corvette 427, driven by Peter Brallier.
    • Finishing 8th in category II and 24th overall is the Stephens Accounting Corp. / Greenwood #33 Corvette, driven by Larry Stephens.
    • In 20th place in category I and 33rd place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Schwafel-Torco Racing Oil #41 Corvette 454, driven by Paul Schwafel.
    • In 21st place in category I and 34th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the BC Autobody #71 Corvette 427, driven by Bill Craine.
    • In 22nd place in category I and 36th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Vic Hubbard-Mocko #3 Corvette, driven by David Mock.
    • In 23rd place in category I and 37th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the FEMSA-Kennedy #91 Corvette, driven by Gene Bothello.
    • In 24th place in category I and 38th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the El Camino Auto Parts #12 Corvette, driven by Bob Matkovich.
    • In 25th place in category I and 39th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the Metamorphic #80 Corvette 427, driven by Nick Engels.
    [248] [423]

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October
  • The film High Rolling in a Hot Corvette is released. [63.211] [528.21] [584]
November 5
  • At the Ricardo Rodriguez Autodrome in Mexico, the Copa Mexico SCCA Trans-Am Championship - Round 10 race is held.
    • Finishing 2nd in category II and 2nd overall is the Pickett Racing #6 Corvette 427, driven by Greg Pickett.
    • Finishing 5th in category II and 5th overall is the Sloma Enterprises #27 Corvette 427, driven by Rich Sloma.
    • In 12th place in category II and 24th place overall, but not finishing the race, is the BMB Racing #18 Corvette 427, driven by Juan Carlos Bolanos.
    • Finishing 3rd in category I and 8th overall is the Phantom Racing #43 Corvette 454, driven by Frank Joyce.
    • Finishing 4th in category I and 9th overall is the Belins Van Lines #60 Corvette 350, driven by John Brandt, Jr.
    • Finishing 5th in category I and 11th overall is the Babe's Garage #78 Corvette 427, driven by Babe Headley.
    • Finishing 10th in category I and 20th overall is the Apple Valley Racing #9 Corvette 454, driven by John Huber.
    • Finishing 11th in category I and 22nd overall is the Land Title Guarantee #77 Corvette 454, driven by Robert Young.
    • Finishing 12th in category I and 23rd overall is the Metamorphic #80 Corvette 427, driven by Nick Engels.
    • Placing 12th in category II and 24th overall is the BMB Racing #18 Corvette driven by Juan Carlos Bolanos.
    [248] [423]
  • In the SCCA's Trans-Am Championship Series, in Category II, Greg Pickett (Corvette 427) wins first place. In Category I, Babe Headley (Corvette 427) finishes in second place, with Frank Joyce (Corvette 454) in third place. [248] [313.28] [318.78] [359.6]
November 26
  • At the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, the Camel GT 250 race is held, round 14 of the Camel GT Challenge.
    • Finishing 1st in GTO class and 8th overall is the #04 Corvette driven by Rick Thompkins.
    • Finishing 8th in GTO class and 18th overall is the #72 Corvette driven by Murray Edwards.
    • Finishing 9th in GTO class and 19th overall is the #24 Corvette driven by Carmen Lista.
    • Finishing 11th in GTX class and 30th overall is the #99 Corvette driven by Phil Currin.
    • Finishing 14th in GTO class and 35th overall is the Al Levenson #05 Corvette driven by Al Levenson and Tom Brown.
    • Placing 15th in GTX class and 43rd overall is the #5 Corvette driven by Javier Garcia.
    • Placing 18th in GTO class and 48th overall is the RJV Enterprises #65 Corvette driven by Richard Valentine.
    • Placing 19th in GTO class and 55th overall is the #61 Corvette driven by Lamar Mann and Guido Levetto.
    • Placing 21st in GTO class and 60th overall is the #12 Corvette driven by Ford Smith.
    [329.66] [423]
(month unknown)
  • In the World Endurance Drivers Championships, Phil Currin finishes 9th. [320.30]
  • At the Road Atlanta raceway in Braselton, Georgia, the Champion Spark Plug Road Racing Classic final races of the SCCA Club Racing series are held.
    • Finishing 1st in A production class is E. Forbes-Robinson, driving a Corvette. This is Corvette's fifth consecutive class win, and ninth win in the past ten years. The class is discontinued after this year, returning as GT-1 class in 1980.
    • Finishing 1st in B Production class is Andy Porterfield, driving a Corvette.
    [3.125] [42.100] [313.29] [394.4,12]
  • The SCCA holds its Solo II national autocross championship races.
    • Finishing 1st in Class B Stock is David Wright in a Corvette.
    • Finishing 3rd in Class B Stock is Bruce Kalin in a 1967 427-ci Corvette convertible.
    • Finishing 1st in Class B Prepared is John Seiler in a Corvette.
    • Finishing 2nd in Class B Prepared is Claire Ball in a 1968 427-ci Corvette.
    • Finishing 1st in Ladies Class D is Sandra Schneider in a Corvette.
    • Finishing 3rd in Ladies Class D is Janice DeFosses in a Corvette.
    [3.125] [329.46] [335.54] [336.48]
  • Pat Furey's interior-design group joins development work on the next-generation Corvette. [86.48]
December 24
  • Dave Erwin sells Grand Sport #005 to Bill Tower of Plant City, Florida. [152.37] [511.41] [534.47]

End of 1978. Next: 1979.

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A list of references to all source material is available.


Last updated: 2023 December 20.
Copyright © 1995-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/vettehis/
Link to Ken P's home page.

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