|
John Lingenfelter’s legacy began to grow when the ink was barely dry on his first Pennsylvania driver’s license. John developed a true passion for racing behind the wheel of his first car, a 1940 Ford. After high school, he attended Penn State University and studied mechanical engineering and drafting, then worked in the engine lab at International Harvester until 1973. John became an NHRA Sportsman competitor in the 1970s, racing in the Super Stock, Stock, and Competition Eliminator classes. He won 13 national events along the way and became the first ever Comp Eliminator driver to break the six-second quarter-mile barrier.
As John continued racing, his knowledge of small block Chevy performance grew. He used the research and development efforts he and his racing team were making to found Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. Located in Decatur, Indiana, the shop has since become renowned for getting maximum performance out of small block Chevy engines, and he became known as the “Godfather” of the Chevrolet small block. Corvettes became his focus and his innovations brought him to the attention of Reeves Callaway, who asked him to build the engine for the legendary Sledgehammer, the car Lingenfelter himself drove to a record 254.76 MPH. With the release of the C5, Lingenfelter achieved superstar status with some of the fastest, yet drivable and reliable Corvettes ever made.
In 1997, Lingenfelter returned to NHRA drag racing, competing in exhibition races in NHRA's fledgling Pro Stock Truck class. He finished second in the Pro Stock Truck points standings in 1998—the first official year of competition for the new class.
In 2002, John took on a new challenge: sport compact racing. He fielded a GM ECOTEC four-cylinder-powered GMC Sonoma and Chevy Cavalier in the NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series. In his first year racing with a four-cylinder powerplant, he won, one national event and had two runner-up finishes.
In October 2002, John sustained serious injuries in an accident at the Mazda NHRA World Finals in Pomona and passed away as a result of complications from subsequent surgeries. His legacy includes 15 NHRA national event wins, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, and his family—wife, Cindy, and two daughters. “I just want everyone to know how much John loved what he did,” Cindy said. “He had a real passion for cars, and he truly loved being around the people at the track.” John Lingenfelter passed away December 25, 2003, but his legacy will live on. In 2006 John was inducted into the National Corvette Museum - Hall of Fame
|