Racing a classic sports car across Italy requires serious stamina. Drivers battle exhaustion and mechanical stress while pushing vintage machinery through winding European roads. Michael Moss and navigator John Cutrone took on this massive challenge behind the wheel of the Spirit of Zora during the ’26 Mille Miglia. The duo tackled a grueling five-day route stretching from Brescia to Rome and back, marking the first endurance rally for both the crew and their vintage ’57 Corvette powered by a Rochester fuel-injected small-block.
Moss and Vette magazine founding editor Martyn Schorr formed TEAM ZORA USA to honor the first Corvette Chief Engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov. They prepared a ’57 model packing a 283-horsepower V8 engine and a Rochester Ramjet fuel-injection system. During the 1,250-mile race, the crew completed 144 Time Trials and fought through extreme heat. Out of exactly 436 official competitors, 50 cars failed to finish or start. The American team successfully crossed the finish line in 371st place.
Moss stated, ”Just finishing the race, while operating on three hours of sleep per night and 15 hours of driving per day, was an accomplishment.”
Driving the Spirit of Zora required managing vintage racing components like the close-ratio four-speed transmission and Dunlop racing tires over rough European pavement. Navigating an older vehicle across foreign borders often brings mechanical headaches for even the most experienced drivers in the entire racing pack.
”While we did experience some brake and steering issues, the fuel-injected 283 never missed a beat,” Moss said. ”It was running as smoothly and powerfully at the end of the race as it did when we shipped the car to Italy!”
Fans who want to see this piece of racing history up close can check out the Spirit of Zora this fall inside a special exhibit at the National Corvette Museum. Watching a classic American sports car conquer one of the most punishing road races in Italy gives modern gear heads a fantastic reason to celebrate classic mechanical engineering. Bringing an old race car back from a grueling foreign tour proves that proper maintenance keeps these historic machines running hard on the pavement where they belong.
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