John Greenwood re-powered BFG’s #49 L88 ‘show car’ with a ZL1 all-alloy 427 and ran 215 mph at Le Mans!
The #49 BF Goodrich Team Corvette, built by Greenwood Racing, was one of a three Corvettes shod with BFG high-performance street radials competing against racecars running slicks in 1971-1973. Numbers 48 & 50 (convertibles) were designated as track cars, while #49 was reserved by BFG for PR, marketing and auto shows. When the #50 car was damaged in a 1972 crash, the #49 “show car,” a factory white/blue L88 T-top coupe, was converted to ZL1 racing specifications. Greenwood had little choice since the lucrative BFG contract (to promote its new line of street radials) specified running two Corvettes at major events.
Driven by John Greenwood, above, right, 1973, Bridgehampton, Dick Smothers, Bob Johnson and Don Yenko, the #49 Corvette ran in 12 & 24-hour enduro races at Daytona, Le Mans and Sebring. At Le Mans, the Traco-engined “show” Stingray was clocked at 215 mph!
After restoration by Kevin Mackay’s Corvette Repair, Valley Stream, NY, it was displayed at major shows and events between 2008-2010: The Quail (Best In Class - 2008), Petersen Museum, Amelia Island (Amelia Award - 2009) and at Bloomington (American Heritage Award - 2009). Owned in 1970-1973 by John Greenwood Racing, it has since passed through a number of high-profile collectors and is now scheduled to go across the block at the RM Auction in Monterey, CA on August 19-20.
All three BFG Stars & Stripes Corvettes were prepared by Greenwood Racing and fitted with signature suspension and brake components and blueprinted L88 & ZL1 big-blocks. John Greenwood’s brother, Bert, designed the patriotic livery that ended up having a life of its own. It should be noted that the other two BFG Corvettes are alive, well, restored and in the hands of collectors/racers. Harry Yeaggy owns #48 and John Goodman owns #50. The #49 Corvette is currently in a well-known California collection.
When it was originally converted, the #49 BFG Corvette received all the popular Greenwood innovations: adjustable suspension, above, notched rear arms, rapid replacement radiator, and quick camber adjustments. A blueprinted Chevrolet ZL1 all-aluminum 427-cubic-inch engine, producing over 750 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, was chosen to replace the factory L88. During the restoration process, the #49 car was fitted with a potent Traco 427 ZL1, below.
The car’s first major win was a Podium First (GT class) in 1972 at the Watkins Glen Six-Hour, driven by Greenwood and Smothers. In 1973 it was campaigned at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Daytona 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it set the GT speed record of 215 mph on the Mulsanne straight in qualifying!
In 1970, Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen and I visited John Greenwood at his Troy, MI facility while we were in town to spend time with A/Modified Production drag racer, Mike Fons. After photographing his record-setting, Motion Performance sponsored red 427 Camaro for CARS Magazine, we stopped by Greenwood’s shop. I’ll never forget being blown away by the floor-to-ceiling shelving packed with all-aluminum 427 big-blocks. One of his techs, right, showed us their specially prepared open-chamber racing heads and, with John, gave us a shop tour. Parked outside the building was a black ’69 COPO 427 Camaro. John Greenwood was a great Corvette racer, storyteller, and obviously had access to Chevrolet’s back door.
I next connected with John at New York’s legendary Bridgehampton Raceway (http://bridgehamptonraceway.com/) in 1973 at the International Motor Press Association’s (http://www.impa.org/) Flaunt Your Incompetency Day. It was an annual event created by friends and noted automotive editors, Fred Mackerodt and Joe Oldham, for automotive media and carmakers. Years later it was changed to IMPA Test Days.
John attended with his #48 Corvette, actually the re-numbered #49 T-Top coupe show car, above, and Chevrolet came to the party with Corvette Godfather, Zora Arkus-Duntov and a hauler full of 1973 Corvettes. Judy Stropus, an IMPA member, professional race timer and racing PR consultant to Chevrolet, was also on hand. I snapped the photo, below, of Zora talking with John (striped jacket) with Judy on Zora’s left (blocking out a Chevrolet PR guy).
Greenwood regaled us with tales from Le Mans and Daytona, then ran some hot laps. I’ll never forget being out on the track when John came thundering by. Nothing sounds like a big-block racing Corvette with open header outside exhausts. Nothing!
I interviewed John and photographed #48/#49 for cover stories in CARS Magazine and CORVETTE, From Six To Stingray, a Marque Series book, left, published by Phase III Publications. The real #48 car was photographed by Barry Tenin for the cover of the definitive Corvette history book: Karl Ludvigsen’s CORVETTE, America’s Star-Spangled Sports Car.
All three BFG Stars & Stripes Corvettes were fitted with Greenwood Racing signature suspension and brake components along with blueprinted aluminum big-blocks. It should be noted that the other two BFG Corvettes are also alive, well, restored and in the hands of prominent collectors/racers. Harry Yeaggy owns #48 and John Goodman owns #50. The #49 Corvette is currently in a well-known California collection.
For more information about the #49 Corvette and the RM Monterey, CA, Auction (August 19-20), please visit, http://www.rmauctions.com/
For more information about what the Greenwoods are up to now, http://greenwoodcorvettes.net/indexLAST.htm, and Corvette racing history, http://www.corvettelegends.com/
Check out the shop that restored the BFG #49 Corvette, http://corvetterepair.com/