1940
Driving a '40 Chevrolet, Juan M. Fangio, a General Motors dealer from Argentina, won the Race El Gran Premio Internacional Del Norte. Fangio began the 6,000-mile race in Buenos Aires and tracked through the 15,000-foot-high Andean peaks in 109 hours, 36 minutes.
1954
Chevrolet set out to offer the most efficient and affordable V-8 engine possible. Ford and many other manufacturers had been offering V-8s for years, but Chevrolet was the first to offer an incredibly simple, compact, light, and affordable V-8 with a base rating of 162 hp (180 hp with the addition of an optional four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust).
1955
On September 9, 1955, a production-class Chevrolet driven by Zora Arkus-Duntov climbed Pikes Peak in 17 minutes and 24 seconds, setting a new record. Since there was a disagreement over timing authority, Chevrolet entered three factory-equipped cars in the hillclimb the following year. Jerry Unser and another driver drove two of them to first and second place finishes, and Duntov's previous record was lowered by an "official" 1 minute, 16 seconds-a record that would stand for 13 years.
1956
This year's NASCAR season saw Chevrolet post three wins in the Grand National, 10 in Convertibles, and an astounding 25 wins in Short Track racing! Zora Arkus-Duntov began developing fuel-injected Corvettes, with a goal of reaching 150 mph in a production car. He broke the "flying mile" record in a '56 Corvette at Daytona Beach with a speed of 150.583 miles per hour. The SR-2 Corvette was aerodynamically improved with the addition of a full-length belly pan, and the removal of the windshield. The cockpit was enclosed with a flush fiberglass tonneau, and a headrest/fin was also added.
In the late '50s, Chevrolet wasn't building race cars-merely offering production sedans equipped with optional heavy-duty parts. As wheels, axles, and steering arms broke, Chevrolet produced heavier-duty ones to replace them at affordable prices.
1957
Zora Duntov and John Dolza added fuel injection to a bored-out 283 that produced more than 290 hp, (and advertised as one horse per cubic inch). It was sold as a 283-horse engine in the '57 Corvette.
In June 1957, direct factory involvement in racing was banned. Despite this blow, production Corvettes came of age when Dr. Dick Thompson, a Washington, D.C., dentist-turned-racer, and one of the most memorable names in early Corvette racing, finished 12th overall and first in the GT class, 20 laps ahead of the nearest competitor.
1962
Chevrolet unveiled the Corvette Sting Ray in the summer of '62. At the same time, Zora Arkus-Duntov was building a radically designed Corvette known as the Grand Sport, which boasted thinner body panels and lighter components, to compete in international racing.GM management soon announced an end to the Grand Sport program due to a redirection of corporate policy. The five Grand Sports that were built or under construction were to be scrapped, sold, or used as test vehicles, ending the possibility of factory-backed racing success, except for privateer efforts.
1971
A new series was born, and with it a new Chevrolet milestone. A Corvette, driven by Dave Heinz, won the GTO class in the inaugural International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Camel GT race at Virginia International Raceway in Danville. Corvette took Grand Touring Over 3.0 liters (GTO) honors in five of the six 1971 Camel GT events and won three overall, including the GT class (fourth overall) at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the GT class at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the GT class at the Watkins Glen 6 Hours of Endurance, the SCCA A and B Production National Championships, and the IMSA GT Manufacturers Championship.