While GM was technically out of racing, Vice-President of Styling William Mitchell created (with help from Pete Brock, Larry Shinoda, and Tony Lapine) the striking "Stingray" prototype and campaigned it in SCCA Nationals and pro events in 1959-60.

The chassis of the car came from the Corvette SS "Mule" used for testing at Sebring in March, 1957.

(Read John Lamm's excellent "Salon" article on this car in the July, 2001 issue of "Road and Track".)
 

Dr. Dick Thompson raced the "Sting Ray" at Laguna Seca in the first Pacific Grand Prix, held in October, 1960. He DNF'd after ramming the back of Walt Hansgen's Cunningham-entered Maserati Type 60 in Turn 9. General Motors brought the "Sting Ray" to the Monterey Historics in 1987.

This photo shows the beautifully sculpted form of the car.  The aerodynamics, though, were questionable and the car tended to "lift".

The body design of the production "Stingrays" of 1963-67 owed much to this car. Not a pampered showcar, Dr. Dick Thompson drove the "Sting Ray"  hard against top competition. His evenly-matched battles with Augie Pabst in the "Meister Brauser" Scarab are legendary. The two faced off at SCCA Nationals in the midwest and on the east coast in 1960.

Corvette was featured again at the "2002 Monterey Historics".  Again, the original Sting Ray ran demonstration laps at Laguna Seca.