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The Sledgehammer Corvette

Michael Berenis' photo
Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Let's take a step back in history when John Lingenfelter drove his Corvette to 254.76 mph. His vehicle built by Callaway utilized a forced induction system and years of extensive research. Aerodynamics were also revised to allow air to flow through the car rather than against it, increasing high speed stability. To make a car stable, and capable of such speed while maintaining the low weight and Corvette shape is amazing to say the least. But they didn't stop there. They also made it reliable enough to be a daily driven vehicle. To be capable of such high speeds and be daily driven is very rare. To top things off, it accomplished this high speed and engineering marvel in 1988.

Specially designed air intake system to feed to two turbo chargers was a difficult task due to the chassis design. They had to take fresh air from the front bumper, and route it through the chassis using specialized parts. This intake system alone required rotating the starter! Amazing!

Wikipedia says, "The ultimate Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette is known as the Sledgehammer Corvette. Until 1999, the Callaway Sledgehammer Corvette held the World production car speed record of 254.76 mph (410.00 km/h). It is an emissions compliant, street legal vehicle, with all the creature comforts like Air Conditioning, Radio, etc that you would find in any production street Corvette. Built using production chassis 1988-051, it achieved its World Record Title in November 1988 at the Ohio Transportation Research Center (TRC). In addition to the engine performance improvements, the Sledgehammer Corvette used modified body panels to reduce drag and improve stability."

Who is John Lingenfelter?

"John Lingenfelter (October 6, 1945 in East Freedom, Pennsylvania – December 25, 2003 in Decatur, Indiana) was an NHRA driver, engineer and legendary tuner. He was the founder of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE for short) in Decatur, Indiana. LPE is a shop specializing in the modification of GM vehicles such as the F-Bodies (Camaro, Firebird), B Bodies (Impala SS, Caprice, Roadmaster, Fleetwood), Corvette, CTS-V, GTO, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Escalade, Denali, SSR, Hummer H2, and Sierra. The shop also worked with tuning packages for the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler." - wikipedia

Decatur, Indiana is just a small farm town. They have one good resturaunt, and it's called "The back 40". They used to have signs leading down the road tempting customers of the best beef east of heaven. The prime rib is outstanding and should be awarded the nobel peace prize for it's price. I'm sure the Lingenfelter Corvette's were heard plenty of times beating and rattling dishes at that steakhouse.

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, Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Full-time engineer turned writer, Michael brings knowledgeable articles about Tampa Bay's sports car scene. His experience in import, domestic, and exotic manufacturers ensures quality content for all readers. Michael is also a contributor at CarDomain.com and can be contacted via Streetfire.net...

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