Best Muscle Cars
1956 Chevrolet Corvette SR-2 Sebring Racer
1956 Chevrolet Corvette SR-2 Sebring Racer
331 HP Fuel Injected Engine
4-Speed Transmission
1956 Corvette SR-2 Racer
Sebring Racer / Special Racer / Sport Racing
VIN E56F002522
Shop Order (SO) 90090
The Very First General Motors Sponsored Purpose-Built Corvette Racer
The Nickey Chevrolet SR-2 “Purple People Eater”
1987 Monterey Cup / Phil Hill Trophy Winner
Sebring Corvette Chassis
Sebring Heavy Duty Brakes & Suspension
Lengthened Front-end
Stainless Side Coves
Rear High-Fin
Special Windscreens
Halibrand Racing Wheels
This was the first General Motors “purpose-built” American Sports Racing Car from the Golden Era of Racing.
This special racing inspired SR-2 had “2” Fathers. The Father of the Corvette, Harley Earl and the Father of Corvette Performance, Zora Arkus-Duntov. There were three SR-2’s built, the second for Bill Mitchell, then Assistant to Harley Earl and Harlow “Red” Curtice, President of GM who had a show car version built.
Jerry Earl’s SR-2 started out life as a production 1956 Corvette #2522 from the St. Louis Plant and went straight to the GM Styling Studio in Warren, Michigan for race modifications and cosmetic additions, under work Shop Order 90090.
Work began in early May 1956 modifying the body and adding Sebring Racing (the SR) brakes and suspension. Special windscreens were fabricated for each driver and passenger, and a low fin adapted down the middle of the trunk. The front was lengthened, and special side cove stainless steel was installed as well as unique parking lamps that had screens in them for cool air to enter the screened backing plates of the front brakes.
ver 17 engineers worked around the clock and by June 13th the painted new body had its trim installed complete with its SCCA race number 144 attached to the doors. (30)
On June 23-24, 1956 the car was entered in the June Sprints at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Jerry Earl drove the car in practice and not being familiar with its handling, spun it out fortunately with no damage. Dr. Dick Thompson took over the controls and completed the six hour race in a respectable position.
Jerry Earl continued to race it in the Central Region SCCA throughout 1956 and 57. Over the winter, the new special 331 cubic inch fuel injection engine was installed along with an all new 1957 four speed transmission.
In 2002, when Corvette celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the Monterey Historic, the SR-2 was one of the featured race cars in Group 4A, “1955-59 Sports Racing Cars over 2500cc” The car ran well against the likes of a 58 Lister Jag, 57 Maserati 300S, and a 58 Ferrari 355.
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