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[LUKE'57]

While the factories had been tap dancing around getting involved in big time stock car racing in the early fifties( OK, the Hudson effort was a full blown Vegas review), by the time 1957 rolled around the gloves were off and it seemed no holds were barred. Nowhere was it more evident than at the Chevrolet Division of General Motors where they not only encouraged the use of their product, but even came out with a 24 page guide to tell anyone who was interested just what to do to make the new '57 Chevy competitive on the racing circuit.

It had everything in it from which model to use on what type of track to engine and gear combos for different types of tracks all the way to how to modify a car for the hostile enviroment of bullrings and larger ovals. But one section, more than any other, let it be known that the "Bowtie Brigade" was dead serious about the racing thing.

It said, in effect, that the cars, engines, gears and other heavy duty parts were availible in short supply and that if you weren't "on the factory's 'short list' then you need not apply". But if there were any doubts as to how serious Chevy was about this new venture, this little rocket dispelled all doubts.




As purpose built as anything that rolled onto the Brickyard on Memorial Day, albeit built from the parts bins at Chevrolet instead of Curtis, Miller and Offy, the new Chevrolet "Black Widow" was intended to put everyone else on the trailer. With six lug truck hubs, a fuel injected Corvette engine and several other goodies, this Stovebolt caused Peter DePaolo and Bill Stroppe no end of headaches as the 1957 racing season opened up.