ProTeam’s Daytona Beach NASCAR 1953 Doubles-up at Ault Park Concours

NAPOLEON, Ohio - June 13, 2014 - PRLog -- Napoleon, Ohio - - ProTeam’s Daytona Beach NASCAR 1953 Corvette recently took home two awards at the 37^th Annual Ault Park Concours d’Elegance held in Cincinnati on June 8^th. The historic car took home 1^st in class in the Racing division as well as the coveted Bill Rudd “Best Vette” Honorary Trophy.

The Ault Park Concours d’Elegance is a well-heeled annual affair that has quietly become one of the more impressive car events in the country. The show features eighteen classes of classic, vintage, and exotic cars. This year’s Concours celebrated the “Art of the Automobile-Great American Design”. Special displays featured fifty years of the Mustang and the 100th Anniversary of Maserati and Micro cars.

ProTeam had three Corvettes accepted into the field of competition. The 1953 Daytona Beach NASCAR Corvette, the 1954 low-mile Corvette with only 1,455 actual miles and captivating backstory, and the 1962 GM Styling Show Car.

All three cars stood picturesque on the show field but only the 1953 Daytona Beach NASCAR Corvette captured the imagination of the judges. The historic Corvette took 1^st place in the Racing Division and won the Bill Rudd Honorary Trophy named for one of the founding members of the Ault Park Concours who’s family keeps his spirit alive by honoring his favorite marque; the Corvette.

Terry Michaelis, ProTeam president, talked about the weekend, “Ault Park has become an annual event for ProTeam. It allows us to flex our muscle by showcasing the work our shop does and more importantly, the strength and significance of the world famous Corvette collection.” He added, “The Daytona Beach NASCAR ’53 fit this year’s celebration perfectly. It is very much rolling art and a true testament to great American design. Its accolades were well deserved.”

The Daytona Beach NASCAR 1953 Corvette Convertible, VIN #E53F001211, Chevrolet Engineering #3950, Race #27 is one of two, a 1953 and a 1955, that were reclaimed from the depths of Chevrolet Engineering. Work was done by Chevrolet Experimental Shop and Garage, subject title: “Rebuilding of NASCAR Corvettes for Stock Car Racing.” Delivered to NASCAR/Daytona Beach in time for the 7th Annual NASCAR Sanctioned Performance Trials and The Flying Mile competition in 1956. After Daytona Speed Week, the car raced at NASCAR's Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. This Dual Branding NASCAR/Chevrolet Engineering effort involved Briggs Cunningham, John Fitch, Z.A. Duntov, Ed Cole, and over 125 engineers and several 1953 to 1955 Corvettes that culminated with a win at Sebring in 1956 with John Fitch driving a 1955 Chevrolet Engineering Corvette VIN #1194 of which spared the Corvette from extinction. This is the earliest known Corvette to run NASCAR's sanctioned events... and maybe the earliest Corvette (VIN) to ever race thus "A Pioneer of Speed".

ProTeam’s world famous classic Corvette collection, Napoleon, OH. The inventory of 1953 to 2003 Corvettes is open to the public in climate controlled indoor showrooms. Many of these Corvettes have been beautifully restored to like-new condition and carry prestigious honors such as the Bloomington Gold Certification, NCRS Top Flight award, and the Triple Crown designation. ProTeam Corvette is recognized as the nation’s leader in classic Corvette sales, service & restoration selling an estimated 10,000+ Corvettes over the past four decades. Email: proteam@proteamcorvette.com or on the web: www.proteamcorvette.com

The Ault Park 38^th Annual Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for the first weekend in June 2015 with proceeds of the event going to the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation, Ohio River Valley Chapter. Email: info@ohioconcours.com or on the web: www.ohioconcours.com