GM ~ Chevrolet Category
2014 Induction
November9, 1947 –
Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee John Heinricy’s influence on the car and hobby can be seen by visitors of the National Corvette Museum in the 1989 Corvette ZR-1 “Record Run” display featuring not only the car, but also the statues of those involved – a display that pays homage to the team that set 12 international world time / distance speed records in a ZR-1 and L98 Corvette, averaging as high as 175.885mph over a 24-hour period. Heinricy has won 11 SCCA national championships driving a Corvette, was intimately involved in developing the Corvette showroom stock racing program that won 19 consecutive races between 1985 and 1987, and was a key member of the Corvette Racing C5R effort in 1999.
Heinricy worked for decades behind the scenes to create the kind of finely tuned driving dynamics that allowed modern Corvettes to compete with and beat the best sports cars in the world. He has also logged more racing miles and hot laps in Corvettes than any other. Heinricy served for many years as the manager of the Corvette Development Group at the GM Proving Grounds at Milford, Michigan and in 1990 was named Corvette Assistant Chief Engineer responsible for the C4 through 1996, including the 1995 Corvette Pace Car, 1996 Grand Sport and Collector’s Edition. Most recently, “Heinrocket” set multiple lap records in a Cadillac CTS-V at tracks in China and the Middle East and continues to do engineering, consulting and automotive work as president of his own company.
