Rick Winchester’s 1971 H/SA Corvette was built to be a killer NHRA class racing machine. All of the car’s details were meticulously planned to ensure that it would be optimized to run in H/SA and be competitive no matter where Rick raced. The fact the Corvette turned into a show car is just a happy accident.
After spending a lot of time in his younger years at the drag strip with his father and uncles, Rick was ready to start racing himself. When he turned 16, Rick picked up a 1957 Chevy with a four-speed and started racing the car as much as he could.
“I got back from Vietnam in 1971 and that might have influenced my car choices from then on out. I have my 1971 Camaro and this Corvette. I decided to build this car to go Stock class racing because the engine combo has its advantages and it fits well in the class,” Rick explains.
Rick’s Corvette may look like a show winner now, but it certainly didn’t start that way. The Corvette was purchased to be a race car, so its condition didn’t bother Rick. When Rick got the car it was in rough shape, but with some hard work and help from some great shops, it now looks better than new. The chassis was built by the team at PK Race Cars, while Matt Saul took care of the bodywork before Ron’s Custom Auto laid down the paint.
Under the hood of the Corvette is a 350 cubic-inch small block Chevy that was built by Bruce Parsons. Behind the engine is a TH-200 transmission and ATI torque converter. In H/SA trim Rick and his Corvette have gone 10.86 at 120 mph. That’s plenty quick enough for Rick and this is after the car has been slowed down a bit to help with consistency.
The next time you’re at a NHRA national event or LODRS race make sure you take a long walk through the pits. You could be missing out on seeing some show-quality cars like Rick Winchester’s 1971 Corvette.