CONCORD, N.C. - The NASCAR Cup Series makes its triumphant return to Bowman Gray Stadium this weekend for the Clash with the main event set for 8 p.m. on Sunday.
It will mark the first race in the sport's premier series at the quarter-mile track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, since 1971.
But there will be another reunion even longer in the making. One facilitated by a purchase and ensuing restoration job by Hendrick Motorsports and in particular, company owner, Rick Hendrick.
Four times from 1961-1963, Bill Whitley competed in Cup Series events at Bowman Gray Stadium in a 1954 Corvette. It is the only Corvette to ever qualify, start and finish a NASCAR race. The car adorned the number 17X.
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Whitley's final race in 1963 ended with a 19th-place finish after a crash. And with that, the Corvette was lost to time.
But that all changed with a phone call.
Shortly after Whitley passed away in 2016, Dale Ledbetter, general manager of Hendrick Performance, was at a classic car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Whitley's son Pat called and said the car had been stashed in a garage for over 50 years and that the family would be willing to sell it as were his father's wishes. The conversation put the wheels in motion for a purchase and detailed rebuilding project spearheaded by Hendrick, a Corvette enthusiast and collector.
Now, it is a historical standout in Hendrick's collection, which includes 20 first production version VIN 001 Corvettes including the purchase of the 2025 Corvette ZR1 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction last week. The winning bid of $3.7 million benefitted the American Red Cross and its disaster relief efforts.