1960 Corvette “Race Rat” Coupe

1960 12hr of Sebring – The “Race Rat” Corvette

George Reed of Illinois was a gentleman racer in the traditional sense of the term – wealthy, commanding and fiercely competitive. By the late 1950s, he had already made a name for himself as a driver with strong finishes at Sebring, Nassau, Cumberland, Road America, Watkins Glen and Wilmot Hills. Reed also owned some of most sensational cars of the era, from a Ferrari 250 TR to a 375 MM. As the years passed, Reed became increasingly successful on track and, in 1958, won the C-Production National Championship behind the wheel of a 250 GT Tour de France.

In addition to his racing exploits, Reed was the owner of RRR Motors in Homewood, Illinois. RRR was not only a distributor for Ferraris, Alfa Romeos and Goodyear racing tires, it was the name of a racing club that George started in the 1950s. The acronym stood for “Reed’s Race Rats” and an artist was commissioned to create a shield that was featured on the members’ cars depicting a rat in full race regalia, angrily pointing at a pit board.

By the late 1950s, RRR Motors was competing in the premier American road racing events. Although George was typically behind the wheel of a Ferrari, he yearned for success in other categories. In 1960, he found a perfect contender in the Chevrolet Corvette.