The Spirit Of Zora: Duntov’s Legacy Lives On With This 1957 Corvette Fuelie Racer

The Spirit of Zora is what happens when passionate, like-minded men get together to pay homage to the racing roots of the grandfather of the Corvette. While Zora Arkus-Duntov needs little introduction, did you know about this little gem of a race car? The men who birthed the Spirit of Zora and call themselves TEAM ZORA USA came together in 2024 to celebrate America’s Sports Car and honor the legacy of Zora Arkus-Duntov. Their creation and quest are quite remarkable. The original founders were Michael Moss and Martyn Schorr, with Ken Kayser and John Cutrone later joining the team. Today’s feature, along with most of CorvSport’s digital content, is FREE and not behind a paywall. When any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article.

Initially, the team had hoped to race the Spirit of Zora, a 1957 Corvette Fuelie, in various historic “Mille Miglia” racing events, starting with the 1000 Miglia Warm-Up event in the Washington D.C.-Virginia area last October. Unfortunately, those plans were delayed due to weather events and damages beyond their control. But there is a silver lining, because instead of racing around the track, the Spirit of Zora landed at the Saratoga Automobile Museum.

The museum’s Speed-Style-Legacy, The Corvette Story, highlights notable Corvettes from around the globe and runs until October 26. We’ll be doing a deeper dive into the whole exhibit soon, but now let’s get to know the Spirit of Zora a bit better. Then, we are going to take a journey, and I think you’ll enjoy it.

The Spirit of Zora Highlights:

• The Basics: 1957 Corvette Fuelie with a 283/283 HP V8, RPO-579C
• Transmission: Borg-Warner Close-Ratio T-10 Four-Speed, RPO-685
• Rear End: Positraction 3:70:1, RPO-677
• Induction: Rochester Ramjet Fuel-Injection
• Air Cleaner: 1957 “Sebring” dual filter-element
• Cylinder Heads: “539”
• Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
• Camshaft: Duntov “097” Solid-Lifter .393/.399-inch-lift, 287/287-degree-duration, lightweight valve train
• Crankshaft & Rods: Forged Steel
• Suspension, Brakes & Steering: HD Racing Components, 16.4:1 Fast Steering, RPO-684
• Wheels: 15×5.5-inch Wide Steel w/Small Hubcaps, RPO-276
• Tires: Dunlop CR65 Vintage Racing, 600L-15 w/#204 compound
• Interior: Column-Mounted 8,000-rpm AC Mechanical Tach (RPO-579D engine option), and Radio Delete Block-Off Plate

While there were many ways to walk you through this cool 1957 Corvette Fuelie and the men behind it, we thought it would be interesting to witness their journey as it unfolded on Facebook. And no worries if you are not on the platform, because we pulled the text and photos from each post, so you can enjoy the trip without having to click on the provided links. Now, let’s take a journey through Facebook and get to know “The Spirit of Zora” better, straight from the inspired men who created her.