Corvette historic racer Jake Angel blogs about sharing a common interest when GM’S MARK REUSS CHECKS OUT TEAM ZORA USA CORVETTE!
On the last day of racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, I had a well-dressed visitor in the paddocks. While I have been racing two Corvettes – ’60 Fuelie & a Corvette Challenge car – for years and follow GM Corvette Racing, I was not aware of who he was.
He was wearing a white button-down shirt with a Corvette Racing logo, looking at cars pitting around mine. We shook hands and when I asked him if he was working for Chevrolet, he responded, “Yes, I’m Mark Reuss and actually the president of GM.”
I’m embarrassed to admit the name had not immediately rang a bell, I was just excited and I wanted to show him my racecar. Then my brain fog lifted and I realized I was talking to the president of General Motors! “If you’re into Corvette Racing, can I show you my ’60 Fuelie?”
We talked about C1 Corvette racecars for a few minutes, and I explained that my car – nicknamed “Baby Shark” – was wrenched by TEAM ZORA USA teammate and legendary Corvette racer and tuner, Larry Webb. And, Chevrolet had originally shipped it from St. Louis to Los Angeles for road racer, Dave MacDonald. MacDonald and Bill Thomas prepared it for its first race – the Rose Cup in Portland, Oregon on July 4th. Since then, it has been a racecar and never registered for the road. I also told him story behind the TEAM ZORA USA and Spirit of Zora livery.
We spent about 15 minutes together, yelling over the scalded-cat- like sound of the Jackie Stewart Tyrrell warming up in our paddock. When Mark was leaving, he realized that he was out of business cards, so he took one of mine and photographed it next to my racecar’s livery so he could connect the dots when he got back to his office. He wished me well on the next round on the track, and I was still in shock that GM President Mark Reuss, a vintage Corvette owner, and Corvette Racing’s Chief Cheerleader, was interested in “Baby Shark” and our connection with TEAM ZORA USA.
In the words of Jerry Garcia in the Grateful Dead hit single, HE’S GONE, “nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.”
PHOTOS: Bill Dolph.
For more information about GM’S MARK REUSS CHECKS OUT TEAM ZORA USA CORVETTE! and TEAM ZORA USA, please contact Martyn L. Schorr: MLSchorr@Verizon.Net
TEAM ZORA USA will be competing in 2024 & 2025 1000 Miglia events in a ’57 Corvette Fuelie. For the 1000 Miglia calendar of events worldwide and the history of the Mille Miglia, please visit https://1000miglia.it/en/history-of-1000-miglia/brescia-city-of-the-1000-miglia/