Exoto MTB00073 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Competition #9 Sunoco/Roger Penske 'Wintersteen - Moore' 1st in GT+ 5.0L cl and 9th oa 12 hrs of Sebring 1966

Exoto / Motorbox MTB00073 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Competition #9 Sunoco Roger Penske 'George Wintersteen - Ben Moore' 1st in GT+ 5.0L cl and 9th oa 12 hrs of Sebring 1966, 1/18th scale diecast model car.

The car was released to Roger Penske, who had worked with Chevrolet Racing since the days of the grand Sport days. Penske prepared the car for the 24 Hour Endurance Race at Daytona, in January 1966 and hired Dick Guldstrand to race for the team. Dick raced with Ben Moore and George Wintersteen. Dick Guldstrand picked up the car at the St. Louis assembly plant in mid-January 1966 and drove it back to Pennsylvania in mid-January 1966. Since the car was a radio-heater delete, Guldstrand was given a blanket to keep him from Freezing. Penske’s Newton Square (PA) garage then prepared the car for Daytona. In practice, the factory L88 put in some of the fastest alps ever recorded. Chevrolet had sent a second engine to TRACO to be prepared. Just before the race, this new 540 HP engine was installed. During the race, Wintersteen was involved in an accident, damaging the front of the car, forcing Guldstrand to drive his portion of the race with two flashlights taped to the fenders. The damaged car also had its radiator replaced with parts taken from a spectator’s car in the parking lot. Guldstrand was able to continue in the race by following the tail lights of the Ferrari team cars and, in doing so, broke the GT record. The L-88 finished first in GT and 11th overall. After the next race, in Sebring, the car was painted in the sponsor’s Sunoco blue color. It finished 1st in class and 9th overall. This tied the record as the highest finish, ever, for a Corvette.