24th Annual Event Sets Record With More Than 2,500 CorvettesThis year's Corvettes at Carlisle extravaganza brought a record 2,586 Corvettes and 54,932 guests to the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania over August 26-28. The 24th annual show saw 1,305 vendors selling all sorts of Corvette-related items.
"The entire Carlisle team gave it 100 percent to keep Corvettes at Carlisle the very best event of its kind," said Lance Miller, Corvettes at Carlisle event planner. "Carlisle is all about having fun, meeting new friends, buying hard-to-find parts, and enjoying the weekend with others who have the same interest. I never saw so many smiles in one weekend; those smiles put an enormous grin on my face-thank you!"
The Chip Miller Charitable Foundation raised an astounding $58,000 at Corvettes at Carlisle, with $25,000 of that coming from a very generous match from Bob Patrella of Guernsey Bank. Other significant items in the auction included an autographed fender from a C6.R Corvette race car from Pratt & Miller race team; an original Dana Forester Corvette painting from Kerbeck Chevrolet; a helmet worn by Reeves Callaway and John Lingenfelter when they captured the 254-mph speed record, donated by Callaway; a Sheryl Crow- autographed guitar, given by Mike Kaplan; and a gift certificate to the Spring Mountain Advanced Driving School.
Mecum Auction sold more than 100 Corvettes during the event, including a white '67 convertible for $102,500 and a silver and blue '58 convertible for $71,500. "I think our total dollar value was $3.4 million. It was encouraging to know that the Corvette market was really hot," said Dana Mecum, owner of Mecum Auction. "I think everyone who participated in or watched the auction had a great experience. People really had a lot of fun. The rain didn't seem to dampen the sales."
Special exhibits included a 50th anniversary celebration with select '55 Corvettes; a Corvette Race Reunion featuring C4, C5, and C6 race cars and drivers; as well as 10th and 15th anniversary ZR-1 reunions. The Chip Miller Memorial Parade to downtown Carlisle took place despite the drizzle, and many people watched and waved to the Corvettes driving through town.
On Saturday, thousands of enthusiasts revved their Corvette engines for 15 seconds, followed by a moment of silence in tribute to Chip Miller, co-founder of Carlisle Events. "Since my father's passing, I have accepted the torch to carry on Corvettes at Carlisle," Lance Miller said, "and I assure you it's in good hands. I'm dedicated to continuing my father's legacy and making Corvettes at Carlisle an event that people will go home and rave to their friends about."
Visitors were invited to meet GM executives including Dave Hill, Corvette chief engineer; Wil Cooksey, Corvette plant manager; Karen Rafferty, marketing manager; Harlan Charles, product manager; and Dave McLellan, retired engineer, and learn about what GM has to offer, including the new Z06. Lance Miller displayed his Carlisle Callaway Corvette, which now has 477 rear-wheel horsepower, up from the stock 347 hp it started with last year. It also won best in class at the Autocross, showing the handling and braking work just as well as the power.
The National Corvette Restorers Society presented its unique Corvette collection in a gallery. Sponsored by West Coast Corvettes, the NCCC-judged show field was hosted by York County Corvette Club. Many Corvettes participated in the autocross, sponsored by Cumberland Valley Corvette Club. Donna Miller of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, a member of the York County Corvette Club, won a low-mileage 1991 ZR-1 on Sunday.
Next year's Corvettes at Carlisle takes place August 25-27. Visit www.carsatcarlisle.com or call (717) 243-7855 for more information.
Jeff Gordon Drives The New Z06 At Road AtlantaFour-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon got behind the wheel of the ultimate Corvette, the new 505hp Chevrolet Corvette Z06, at Road Atlanta with SPEED Channel's popular program Test Drive and host Tommy Kendall on Saturday, October 22, 2005.
"I had never been to Road Atlanta, and I got the opportunity to drive one of the best Corvettes they've ever brought out," Gordon said. "The Z06 has a lot of power, handles fantastic, and looks great-I had a blast." The Corvette Z06 is the fastest car ever offered by Chevrolet or General Motors.
The Corvette Z06 was developed alongside the Corvette C6.R race car, and Corvette factory driver Johnny O'Connell, who joins Gordon and Kendall on the show, also did development driving for the Corvette Z06.
"This program brings together great Chevrolet champions: Jeff Gordon, Johnny O'Connell, and Corvette," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "There is no better example of the interaction between racing and production than the advanced technology that is shared by the championship-winning Corvette C6.R race car and the award-winning Corvette Z06-a supercar with a top speed of 198 and 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds that is so refined you can drive it every day."
Much of the Z06 story is unseen because the Z06 uses advanced lightweight materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium, and titanium typically found only in the most exotic supercars. "The new Z06 is the dividend from competing so successfully in endurance racing," said Dave Hill, Corvette's chief engineer. "It combines the strong attributes of the new, sixth-generation Corvette with the spirit, technology, and know-how from the race program to form an American supercar with outstanding credentials."
Corvettes Return To CorsaLike the swallows of Capistrano, the Corvettes have returned once again to Corsa Performance. This time was the third such return, and slightly rainy weather didn't seem to dampen the energy at all.
Why would they return to Corsa? "When CORSA opened its doors in 1997, Corvette was our first and flagship product," said Jim Browning, Sr., president and CEO of CORSA Performance in Berea, Ohio. Corsa decided to celebrate the car that started the company and enlisted the help of the Corvette Cleveland car club. With over 100 members, Corvette Cleveland, one of the oldest car clubs in Ohio, is in its 49th year of existence. The club was also a founding group in the National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC).
Open to Corvettes of all kinds, entrants voted on their favorite cars to win fifteen unique CORSA trophies, as well as CORSA Choice and Mayor's Choice awards. The Sunday show included food, music, door prizes, and was free to the general public with a $10 registration fee for entrants. Last year's event drew over 100 Corvettes, but rain affected the turnout this year.
Tours were available of Corsa's 58,000 sq.ft. state-of-the-art facility. Their shop was busy with many taking advantage of deals on Corsa exhaust systems and installation. A 50/50 raffle and other proceeds went to local children's charities, and in a new tradition, a Corvette pedal car was again donated for the kids to enjoy.
One car that generated quite a bit of interest was a '98 Corvette pace car on loan from Chevrolet. The purple and yellow version was one of the first to sport Corsa equipment in actual pace car duty and was instrumental in the quick acceptance of Corsa products for Corvette owners. CORSA Performance, manufacturer of stainless steel exhaust systems for fourth, fifth, and sixth generation Corvette models, is also the official exhaust of Corvette Racing, a competitor in the '05 American Le Mans Series.
Royal Purple-Corvette Fever Trivia QuizWe have our second winner in our Royal Purple-Corvette Fever Trivia Quiz. The January question was: What was the first model-year the AM/FM radio became standard equipment in the Corvette? The correct answer is 1979, and Charles Spraggon of Missouri City, Texas, answered correctly. Congratulations, Charles!
We had several incorrect responses of 1963, the first year the AM/FM radio was offered as an option.
This month's Royal Purple-Corvette Fever Trivia Quiz
Question Is:How many Corvettes were shipped to Belgium in 1994?
Send your written entry form to:Royal Purple Trivia QuizCorvette Fever Magazine 9036 Brittany WayTampa, FL 33619
Or answer online at:www.corvettefever.com