March 17, 2001
Corvette Kits for Race Teams!
Not a month goes by without a question about how many "Bowling Green Built C5 Race Corvettes have been produced (referred internally as Corvette Kits for Independent Race Teams). The latest update from the Vette Gazette, edited by Jane Bowlin, tells us that . . .
A dozen race car kits assembled at the Bowling Green Plant left earlier this month and will eventually show up on race tracks around the country. Building the kits started in late February, taking place primarily in the plant’s Workplace Development Center. They were transported via closed truck to Detroit on March 2, 2001, by GM Motorsports.

According to planning administrator Tom Lohmann, the kits consist of a uniframe, braking system, chassis, engine, suspension components, wheels and steering wheel. Each hand-manufactured Corvette is stored at the GM Motorsports Warehouse where it remains until a race team contacts GM to buy the kit. The team, which races the cars under the Corvette name, will then make decisions on how the car should be modified for their particular race.

The last time the plant built the race car kits was in 1999 when they turned out a total of 30. And for those of you waiting for the GRAND TOTAL . . . as of March 17 there have been 42 C5 Race Car Kits produced in the Bowling Green plant! 

Photos at the Pratt & Miller shop – Probably 1999