Pacenotes – June 2013

• The field for this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion—where Corvette is the featured marque on the occasion of its 60th anniversary—is taking shape as more than 500 historic racecars have already been accepted for the August 16-18 event. The Governing Committee has the option of accepting as many as 550 cars to fill the grids for the annual outing at Mazda Raceway Laquna Seca. As we closed for press, 58 authentic and race-proven Corvettes have been accepted, highlighted by three Corvette Grand Sports—the limited-production model celebrating its own 50th anniversary. Only five Grand Sports were ever constructed under the watchful eye of Zora Arkus-Duntov, widely hailed as the “father of the Corvette.”

• Art Malone, the first man to lap the Daytona International Speedway at more than 180 mph, has died at the age of 76 due to the after-effects of injuries received in an Airboat accident several years ago. Floridian Malone began his racing career on ovals, but switched to drag racing in 1959 when he took over for childhood friend Don Garlits in the Swamp Rat dragster after “Big Daddy” had been severely burned in an accident. He immediately began setting records and winning events to establish himself as a straight-line star. In 1961 he won Bill France’s $10,000 prize for Daytona’s first 180-mph lap, turning the trick with a bewinged Kurtis Indycar powered by a supercharged Chrysler Hemi engine. Malone also raced in NASCAR and twice contested the Indy 500 in cars powered by the legendary Novi supercharged V8s. Malone is survived by his wife Sandra, daughters Stephanie and Pam, and four grandchildren.