Corvette Courier The World s First Corvette Club Celebrating our 61 st Anniversary Year

Transcription

1 Corvette Courier The World s First Corvette Club Celebrating our 61 st Anniversary Year President - Bob Atwell July 2017 Corvette Club of America Celebrates 61 Years in July 2017 Sixty One years ago on July 17 th our founding members held the very first meeting of what was to become Corvette Club of America. There now have been 61 years of continuous meetings and gatherings to this day. This makes Corvette Club of America the First Corvette Club on the planet!!! We celebrated our annual Founders Day Picnic on Sunday July 16 th. The event was held at "Hidden Hills Farm & Vineyard" in Frederick, Maryland. Look for an article in this issue of the Corvette Courier. Twelve of your fellow CCA members, including yours truly, traveled to the NCM - LeMans 24Hrs Viewing Party. Jon Thorn, Parliamentarian, Corvette Courier editor, and all around great guy, was the organizer/tour guide. We all had a great time. On the way home I stopped by South Carolina to visit family, another good time! All in all a fun 1,855 miles on SCOOTS in a week. Great Road Trip!! On July 19 th I will head north to Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut for the IMSA - Weather Tech Sports Car Championship and the Corvette Coral. I have not been to Lime Rock since the mid 70's so I'm looking forward to the race as last year was Corvette Racing's 100 th Victory at this very same track. This is also Lime Rock Park's 60 th Anniversary Year! They are making a big deal out of it, as they should, which makes it all the better. More on my Road Trip to Lime Rock next month. I hope many of you are making plans for Corvettes at Carlisle. We need as many CCA members as we can get to purchase a Weekend Pass to help assure that we have our very central location as well as Tent and Tables provided by Carlisle Events. CaC runs from August 24th thru the 27th and is always a fun time. Discount tickets are available online until July 24th.

2 July 2017 Page 2 Our next Monthly Meeting will be July 11 th at the Greene Turtle in Burtonsville, MD from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. July 25 th, Tuesday, will be Shop Night at Sport Chevrolet. I wish everyone a Safe and Well Traveled summer and I look forward to seeing many of you at the many events and socials your CCA has planned. Safe Motoring and "Save the Wave", Bob Atwell 2017 President, Corvette Club of America

3 July 2017 Page 3 Membership Director - Jean Wade CCA Membership Update MEMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION Welcome our Newest Members: Sponsor: Joseph Borak II Ft. Myers Fl. 15 white C7 Conv. sting hear say Chris Lamesfield Rapid City Mi. 79 blk. C3 coupe Web Wayne Hatcher Hagerstown, Md. 76 white C3, 76 red, coupes NCM John Dotzman Warmister Pa. 09 red metallic tripcoat C6 Bryner Chevy Butch Hardy Irvine, KY 03 blk. anniv. Web Hunter/ Rosa Fanney Gaith. Md. 65 nassau C2, 14 laguna coupes Wade Kirk Ferguson Severna Pk. Md. 15 orange C Z06 Returning Rick & Darleen Elliott Damascus, Md, 02 red coupe Wade Jeffrey Pospy Canton MI 06 montery red C Facebook Lee Levine Olney, Md. 02 red C Z06 Gift Joseph has a secondary member, Nancy Anstell. Joseph recently moved from NJ and retired in Gulf Harbour Yacht & county club. Wayne with 2 C-3 s found us from the NCM. Interest in social events. John found us from Bryner Chevy mechanic Steve Spence. John donated $ 5 to CCA. Hunter bought Joe Vaeth s 65 Corvette. I met him at a cruise inn and the car looks great and gave Hunter my CCA card to join. He donated $5 to CCA. Kirk is a returning member. He loves the social part of CCA. Rick attended the Damascus cruise and I told him all abut CCA. He stopped by my house to look at my Corvette again. He was hooked. Jeffrey Is a manufacturing Engineer at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Lee membership was a birthday gift. Heartening to note: We have 314 Corvettes in CCA and 252 members, including spouses. Geographic member s locations: MD 119, D.C. 4, VA 11, WV 2, PA 6, NY 1, NJ 3, NC 2, GA 1, TN 1, FL 5, KY 1, RI 1, MI 3, OR 1, IA 1, MA 2, CA 3, Australia, 1. (Count without spouses.) We are looking to have this position filled: CCA License Plate Coordinator. Please contact Jean Wade, , if you can handle this job. It is a great way to help the club! Call if you have questions! Check the following pages for up coming events. Don t miss out on all the fun! Make sure you read all instructions on registering it s very important. The Murlarkey Spirits tour leaves early from the Sudley Cruise In. Want to sponsor an event for the club? Please contact me. If you know of any more cruise-in meet ups, please let me know. Jean Wade, Membership Director, vettehon@aol.com , 2000 Red Coupe 1 Red Hot

4 July 2017 Page 4 Upcoming Events & Reminders Calendar - July Shop Night Bring your Corvette in to Sport Chevrolet in Silver Spring for a do-it-yourself shop night. Sport Chevrolet allows us to use their vehicle lifts; however, you must bring your own tools, fluids, etc. Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:30PM 9:00PM Sport Chevrolet 3101 Automobile Blvd., Silver Spring, MD Washington-Rockville Elks Lodge Car & Motorcycle Show Car and motorcycle show & trophies, $50 cash drawing, 50/50 raffle, music, and food. Sunday, July 30, 2017, 2:00PM 7:00PM Washington-Rockville Elks Lodge 5 Taft Court, Rockville, MD $10 per car/motorcycle Chin HPDE at Summit Point Main Cruise-In Have you ever wondered what a High Performance Driver Education event is all about? Well here is your chance. Chin Track Days is coming to Summit Point Motorsports Park in WV and you are invited to come check it out. Several of our members will be participating at this event. Parade laps and hot laps (ride-alongs) will be offered to CCA members who RSVP. Parade Laps - You will be invited to drive your car on the course at highway speeds. Hot laps you can ride with our members on track at speed in their cars. Chin Trackdays charges $20 for a wrist band that allows you to ride along as many times as you want with qualified drivers. Helmets will be provided by our club. Saturday, August 5, 2017 Sunday, August 6, 2017 Summit Point Motorsports Park 201 Motorsports Park Circle, Summit Point, WV $20 per person for a wristband to do ride-alongs RSVP: August Business Meeting This is the club's monthly business and membership meeting with the Board and is open to all club members. Arrive by 6:30PM for dinner & discussion. Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 7:30PM 9:00PM The Greene Turtle Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD ODCC 28th All-Corvette Cruise-In Join fellow members in proudly representing the Corvette Club of America at ODCC's 28th All-Corvette Cruise-In in Manassas, VA. Registration is $10/Corvette paid in person or online through the link on the ODCC website. Admission is free to the public. This event can be combined with the MurLarkey Distillery Tour and Tasting Event. Saturday, August 12, 2017, 11:00AM 4:00PM Sudley Town Plaza 7787 Sudley Rd., Manassas, VA $10 per Corvette, public is free

5 July 2017 Page 5 Tour & Tasting at MurLarkey Distilled Spirits Towards the end of the ODCC All-Corvette Cruise-In in Manassas, CCA members will gather at 3:15-3:30PM and cruise on over to MurLarkey Distilled Spirits in Bristow to enjoy a tour, spirit tasting, and light food for $25 a person. You can also just meet us at MurLarkey s at 4:00PM. Saturday, August 12, 2017, 4:00PM 6:00PM MurLarkey Distilled Spirits 7961 Gainsford Court, Bristow, VA $25 per person (paid on-site) RSVP: CCA at Corvettes at Carlisle The CCA has reserved a spot with a tent on the Fun Field and needs at least 25 Corvettes to represent the club. You must buy tickets for the "2017 Corvettes at Carlisle Fun Field" and select "CORV CLUB OF AMERICA" in the Corvette Club drop-down box when you register. Each ticket includes weekend admission for two people and a chance to win a celebrity pick award. Pre-register before July 24 at midnight EST to get the 10% discount and have your entry window sticker mailed to you. Follow the calendar webpage for details and updates to CCA activities. Thursday, August 24, 2017 Sunday, August 27, 2017 Carlisle Events 1000 Bryn Mawr Rd., Carlisle, PA Buy Tickets: RSVP: September Double Autocross Open to Corvette and non-corvette participants of all experience levels and ages 18 and over. CCA membership is not required. See the calendar webpage or the flyer on page 7 for more details.. Sunday, September 10, 2017, 8:00AM 4:00PM Lincoln Tech 9325 Snowden River Parkway, Columbia, MD $25 morning session only, $45 morning & afternoon sessions, $5 all-day helmet rental Register: CCA & NVCC Walter Reed Corvette Car Show Corvette Car show for the Warrior Transition Brigade soldiers, their families, and the staff. See the flyer on page 8 for more details. Saturday, September 23, 2017, 11:00AM 3:30PM Walter Reed National Military Medical Center 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD $15 registration (to cover food) RSVP: FSCC Ocean City Weekend Registration Online Registration for the Free State Corvette Club OC Weekend (October 13-14) is open. Follow the calendar webpage for details and updates to CCA activities. Friday, October 13, 2017 Saturday, October 14, 2017 Ocean City, MD Buy Tickets: RSVP:

6 July 2017 Page 6 Cars & Coffee and Cruise-Ins Meet other CCA members and share your love for the club! Calendar - Laytonsville Cruise-In 9840 Olney-Laytonsville Rd., Laytonsville, MD Fridays, 5:00PM-8:00PM Katie s Cars & Coffee 760 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA Saturdays, 6:00-9:00AM Bethesda Cars N Coffee (coupons for free coffee) Corner Bakery Westlake Dr., Bethesda, MD mid-march - late Oct., Saturdays, 8:00-10:00AM Jimmy Cone Cruise-In Jimmy Cone Parking Lot 1312 S Main St., Mount Airy, MD st & 3rd Saturdays, 6:00PM-Dark Church of the Holy Doughnut Greene Turtle Parking Lot Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD All Year, Sundays, 7:30-11:00AM Clarksburg Cars and Coffee Clarksburg Village Center Sweetshrub Dr., Clarksburg, MD Every other Sunday, 8:00AM-? Annapolis Cars and Coffee Annapolis City Dock 69 Prince George St., Annapolis, MD Sundays, 9:00AM-12:00PM Shady Grove Cruise-In McDonalds Parking Lot Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD All Year, Sundays, 9:00AM-1:00PM Potomac Cafe Racers (free coffee - ask Mike, Walt, or Michael for a coupon) Potomac Village Shopping Center River Rd., Potomac, MD, All Year, Sundays, 9:00AM-12:00PM HMCCC Silver Diner Cruise-In Silver Diner 5120 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick, MD Sunday, September 3, 2017, 10:00AM-2:00PM

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9 July 2017 Page 9 The Corvette Courier Editor Jon Thorn Corvette ramblings Later in this edition is an article on the NCM 24 Hours of Le Mans Viewing Party. This month s Corvette Courier is already larger than normal but I want to use my spot here to add a little information about this event. The article was written by NCM staff and appears in the 3 rd quarter edition of America s Sports Car. Van added some of his photos and comments to the article but the original short version is in the NCM magazine. The CCA had a dozen members attend the event at the NCM. This was the third time for holding the Le Mans Viewing Event and the second time for me to attend. Last year (the second year of the event) is the one I missed but our President, Bob Atwell, was there to represent the club. So the CCA has been at all three Le Mans Viewing Events. I ve been fortunate to be able to attend Le Mans in person in 2011 and now two of the NCM Viewing Events. I think I will be back to this event at the NCM again. It is a great way to watch the race. If I am able to do it again in 2018, I ll be sure to provide early notice for signing up. If you are interested you ll need to plan on a week or more for the trip. At a minimum it requires two days to get to the Museum, three days there, and two more days to get back. This allowed for an easy pace. Driving time was limited to about five hours per day and it allowed for some sight seeing (and shopping) along the way along with enjoyable meals together. I think everyone had a good time on the trip this year. Several even extended their trip by heading off to other places after the Museum visit. Here are a couple of items that did not appear in Van s article. The CCA turned out to have the largest group at the NCM event and we were presented with a poster from Le Mans that had been signed by the Corvette drivers during the race at the track. The NCM also handed out about a half dozen of the posters as raffle prizes. We were told that the posters would show up as soon as the slow boat arrived from France. And ours did show up, many thanks to Bob Bubnis at the NCM. There is a scan of a certificate that came with the poster and my poor, rushed, photo of the poster on the next couple of pages. The poster is good quality and we should plan on getting it framed and on display at Sport Chevrolet. The second item is that following the Viewing Event we presented Wendell Strode with a CCA blanket to add to his growing collection of CCA memorabilia. Following the event, he told me that he has the blanket at home in his family room. Save the Wave! Jon Thorn, CCA Corvette Courier Editor R8C Delivery of my 07 C6 Z06, on 8/23/2006

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11 July 2017 Page 11 Following the event we had an opportunity to present Wendell Strode, NCM Director, with a CCA blanket which he told me he now has at home. Missing from this photo is CCA President, Bob Atwell who had to leave right after the race. Special thanks to Van for bringing the blanket to the event!

12 July 2017 Page 12 Competition Director - Stephen Catlin Corvette Competition Competition Report - July 2017 Summit Point SEAT HPDE June 9, 2017 I attended a BSR HPDE event on Summit Point Main on June 9 th for solo drivers. It was my 1 st track day of the year, with focus on: (1) shaking down the car; (2) getting a couple decent hot laps in; (3) having some fun; and (4) bringing the car home in one piece. Although the day was cut short due to flaming brakes and corded tires, the day was productive and fun and I set a new PB of 1:20.8! Chasing down (and later passing) some quick GT3 Porsche 911s CCA Autocross June 11, 2017 We held our 3 rd autocross event of the year on June 11th at Lincoln College. It was another nice event! Thanks to everyone who came out, and a special shout out to Neil P. for loaning us some awesome large cones for the event! With my brakes not yet replaced I spent the day organizing and doing ride alongs with some of the new autocrossers. It was nice, but I really wanted to give national autocross contender Rusty E. and his cool yellow/black C5Z a run for his money!

13 July 2017 Page 13 Rusty E. s FTD car with neat Jake graphics tearing up the course! We had 24 total cars in the AM session in 6 classes and a few less cars in the PM session. A battle brewed between Rusty E. and Henry S. in class CZ with both running C5Zs and quick times. Other battles began to brew in the open classes as well between buddies Neil P. in his RWD Chevy SS and Ben D. in his AWD Subaru, and later joined by Ryan B. in his AWD Subaru and Brian G. in his FWD BRZ. In the end, Rusty won out for overall FTD, Ben bested Neil, Ryan got open class OA, and Brian won class OR. Congratulations to these guys for putting on a fun show and to all of our class winners and drivers who came out to compete and have fun! Times for all the drivers and pictures of various cars and drivers at this event can be found on our results page at Check them all out. Our next 2 autocrosses are on September 10 th and October 1 st. We hope to see you out there! NCM HPDE Virginia International Raceway (VIR) June 26 th -27 th, 2017 Myself and seven other CCA club members (many w/ their spouse) headed out to beautiful VIR near Danville, VA to attend NCM s annual pilgrimage to VIR to host a 2 day HPDE event. A special thanks to Pat R. for organizing a great photo op and providing a great write up of this special event later in this section! Here are my observations from my 1 st track day on the VIR Full Course. First, the car ran flawless both days after sourcing new brake calipers, pads, stainless lines, fresh fluids, and a set of slightly tall Continental slicks. Second, I loved the flowing, challenging and beautiful 3.27 mile course! Third, even with 40 or so cars in some sessions it beats I-95 rush hour because: (a) the drivers are better; (b) they are more predictable; (c) they are more courteous (i.e., give generous point by signals); and (d) there are NO speed limits (i.e., 160MPH top speeds and 100+MPH average/lap). Fourth, there are great people working and attending this event. Fifth, don t show up to a new track with a checklist

14 July 2017 Page 14 of best laps set by your friends to beat (like I did) and instead back it down to 80-90% and keep the car happy and on track (but I did get down to a PB of 2:04.6 w/ several low 2:05s even in traffic and learned the grass lines through Turn 1 and 8-9). Finally, follow the rules and everyone will be happy! My car cruising around the famous VIR esses. If you have never been to VIR, it should be on your short list of tracks to drive on. Here is a short clip of my car on track from Monday. This course is fun! Until next month Stephen Catlin CCA Competition Director catlin3@verizon.net HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING EVENTS by Pat Roney Seeing Jon and Keith together at the car show I had to get a picture as it was these two that I first drove to VIR to watch on track with the National Corvette Museum in 2008.

15 July 2017 Page 15 FATT AT SUMMIT POINT MAIN June 2, 2017 Another great track day with fellow CCA members Art B, myself, Nick C and Bill S. Here we are standing in front of Nick s new Grand Sport and Bill s GTO in the back.

16 July 2017 Page 16 My student Dean T with his BMW M3 with the factory ZCP Competition package delivering 444hp. I was impressed with the cars power and track performance as well as Dean s ability to drive this beautiful car. I had worked with Dean last October at a FATT and was happy to hook up with him again. I wanted to move Dean up to Group 3 and pass him for solo and fellow CCA instructor Nick C verified my evaluation. Congratulations Dean and I hope to see a lot more of you at the track. CHIN TRACKDAYS AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY June 5 & 6 th, 2017 Bob C and I enjoyed a leisurely trip to Virginia International Raceway. With a forecast of rain for our first day on track here Bob rented a garage. This really helped as the sky s opened for our first couple of sessions on track.

17 July 2017 Page 17 I have told the story many times about how my older brother would take me to the drag races at Manassas and the road races at Marlboro. I first saw Dr. Dick Thompson racing Corvettes at one of these events. This peaked my interest in performance cars and road racing. My brother ED, and his son, both had 911 Porsches and talked about taking them out on track. However, life got in the way and they never got their cars on track. I have been trying to get my brother to come to the track for several years now. A couple of years ago my nephew came to VIR for a few sessions on track riding with me and now my brother has made it to VIR and I took him out on track for a couple of sessions. By the smile on his face below I think he is ready to go home and get his Porsche and bring it back. Conor K with his Caterham 7. The Caterham 7 (or Caterham Seven) is a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom. It is based on the Lotus Seven which I enjoyed watching on racetracks back in the 60 s. Whereas I was happy to be working in this Caterham with Conor, I was not quite so enthusiastic when we went out on track Monday in heavy rain with no top. Not only did we get soaked but we could just barely see with all of the water/spray on the inside of the windshield. It was much more pleasant in the afternoon and Tuesday when the weather was more cooperative. All in all, it was a blast working with Conor and the Caterham was amazing.

18 July 2017 Page 18 NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM AT VIR June 26 & 27, 2017 By Pat Roney and Steve Catlin Another great NCM event with lots of old friends and very interesting people. As you can see below, CCA had another good turnout for this event. Front left to right: David C & David S with the Remington Sanford Racing #444 Corvette, Art B with his #10 Corvette and Michael & Mary E with their #409 Corvette. Rear left to right: Nick & Katie C with their C7 Corvette Grand Sport, Tom A with his C5 Corvette, my C6 Corvette, Jim & Wendy W with their C7 Corvette Z06 and our CCA Competition Chair with his C6 Corvette Z06. Jim, Wendy and I caravanned down early Sunday morning and made it in time for me to help with Tech In. Steve ran into Tom A and Pat S on the way down and caravanned with them. Below we have our Tech Chief Pat S sitting at his desk letting Mike N, Chief Instructor, know that we have everything under control. Tech crew Andy and Tom A are getting a break in the action. CCA members Tom A, Steve C, Nick C and myself helped with Tech in. Notice our own CCA Competition Chair Steve C smiling and waiting for the next tech customer to pull up.

19 July 2017 Page 19 Here Nick C is doing a Tech check on fellow CCA member Michael E.

20 July 2017 Page 20 First aid specialist Mike N had to break out his first aid kit to fix up some scrapes on one of our buddies on a Segway. Monday s instructor meeting with Chuck H, Ted D, Matt B, Mike N, and Pat S preparing us for a couple of days of fun.

21 July 2017 Page 21 Chuck H showing us a new line through turn 4. A selfie with 3 CCA instructors.

22 July 2017 Page 22 Photo courtesy of AVI Photo. If you are wondering why I have a picture of someones back, it is because this is Nick C and the event tee shirt for this event was based on a picture of Nick s car from the April NCM event at NCM MSP. One of our CCA camps with Tom A s modified C5, Steve C s modified C6 and Jim W s C7 Z06.

23 July 2017 Page 23 Here is Nick and Katie s camp with Nick s C7 Grand Sport with their camper in the back. This car is just beautiful but it is hard to capture the true color in this picture. This is the second time one of my students won the ride with John Heinricy. Check out the smile on Kevin s face and John giving a thumbs up.

24 July 2017 Page 24 John Heinricy and Kevin C getting ready to head out on track in Kevin s Z28 Hennessey Camaro. It is great to see Roc L at more of these events as Roc was the one that started the NCM HPDE program. Thanks Roc. Roc has promised to give me some more good info on how the GM engineers involvement with the NCM HPDE program has helped to make the C7 Corvette so awesome. I am looking forward to the NCM MSP HPDE in August to spend some time with Roc.

25 July 2017 Page 25 Grid Marshal Ted and Myra D make a perfect couple. Check out the smile on Ted s face. Those of us that watched Ted mope around at NCM MSP in April are really happy that Myra made this trip and hope she doesn t miss any more events. Laura Klauser, GM Racing Program Manager for Cadillac Racing, gave us a very interesting presentation including a video of Johnny O Connell putting down a lap at VIR.

26 July 2017 Page 26 Matt Busby (NCM) and Laura Klauser also lead a 3.27 mi. course walk Monday evening. Here are the diehards celebrating another great event. It is nice to hang around at the end and reminisce about how great this event was. You can always count on Mike N and Jeff M to have some shenanigans going on.

27 July 2017 Page 27 Here are a couple of GM engineers to thank for how awesome our Corvettes have become. I was lucky enough to be able to spend a little time with Eric and Laura Klauser at this NCM at VIR event talking about how their involvement in the NCM HPDE s has helped in their job. Eric is the Global Technical Lead Engineer for Thermal Management and Laura has moved from being an Integration Engineer to now the GM Racing Program Manager for Cadillac Racing. Eric and Laura with their Corvette C6 Grand Sport. Eric and Laura Klauser are GM engineers that are part of the team that has been coming to the NCM HPDE s since the beginning. During their many events on track with the NCM they have incorporated many things into the Corvette development program that have helped to make the Corvette so awesome. As you can imagine, driving a car on track at its limits opens your mind to many possibilities that you wouldn t see at highway speeds. Diagnosing track problems and relating them to how it would affect customers on the road has been very helpful in their thinking. One early thought was that they had to test the door handles at higher limits due to how the passenger would hang on to them in the corners. Anyone that has done a hot lap surely understands that issue. Another thought was that they had to raise the temperature and stress levels that they tested for in plant. They also raised the bar on testing for unexpected power or power steering loss.

28 July 2017 Page 28 Their goal was to make the Corvette experience better for the customers. Modifications to your Corvette can void your warranty but they have been working on if a problem is not related to the modification, then they will still honor the warranty. All in all, we owe these two a lot of gratitude for their efforts in making the Corvette as good as it is. Initially, GM supported this program but in recent years these young engineers have had to do this on their own. Thanks for your dedication to this great icon. FATT AT SUMMIT POINT MAIN June 30, 2017 Tommy A and I were there representing CCA and instructing for this FATT event. I had 2 students for this event, CCA s autocross buddy Lawrence L in his 2015 red Subaru STI, and Adam in his hp maroon Camaro. Lawrence had track experience and had all of the basics down. He was pushing the car good and we moved him up to group 3 which is the second fastest group. He did well and was at the front of that group also. Adam spent the morning learning the basics and was at the front of the novice group by the end of the day. Very good for his first day on track. NEW CCA HPDE PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE Our Website team led by April has been working their magic on our CCA website and has upgraded the HPDE page. She has added a schedule of events our members are planning to attend as well as a list of tracks and videos that our members have done. I am really impressed with the great job she has done. Thanks for all of your hard work and creativity April. Here is a link to the new page:

29 July 2017 Page 29 CHIN TRACKDAYS RETURNS TO SUMMIT POINT AUGUST 5 TH AND 6 TH. Come join us and get a ride on track! Have you ever wondered what it is like to be on a race course at speed? Well here is your chance to find out. For a $20 Chin registration fee you can get as many rides as you want with drivers on track. Scheduling your rides with me will help assure success. Helmets are available if you don t have a current rated helmet. This is an event that I helped convince Chin Trackdays to do at Summit Point so I am very interested in getting drivers/instructors out for this event. If you are free this weekend please sign up and join us for this great event. Chin, with 95 track days a year, is the top USA HPDE event single team in the business and puts on a great event. WANT TO TRY YOUR CAR OUT ON TRACK? Please remember to keep it to the speed limit and stay alert on the street as, in my opinion, it is much more dangerous at the speed limit on the street than on the track at speed. If you would like to hear more about the tracking experience, please feel free to ask myself, or any one of our tracking group about how easy it is to give it a shot. Tracking Schedule July 15 & 16 July 29 & 30 August 5 & 6 th August 19 August 26 & 27 August 26 & 27 September 4 & 5 September 8 October October 14 & 15 October 22 & 23 SCCA PDX at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit HOD at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit Chin at Summit Point (A MUST DO EVENT) SATT at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit NCM at NCM MSP SCCA at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit Chin at Watkins Glen FATT at Summit Point Circuit HOD at Watkins Glen Chin at NCM MSP Chin at VIR Pat Roney - Corvette Club of America Runner?? It was a victory lap.

30 July 2017 Page 30 NCM Ambassador - Terry Popkin National Corvette Museum Report If you are not an NCM member, have you considered joining? There are several options for types of membership. You will find full information on joining the National Corvette Museum here: The Corvette Club of America encourages all of our members to join the NCM. Think about doing it today! Editor s note, by Jon Thorn: The National Corvette Museum s 23 rd Annual Corvette Celebration is set for Labor Day weekend. As part of the celebration long term members are being recognized for their exceptional support for the museum. CCA member and NCM Ambassador, Terry Popkin, has been invited to attend. Terry and Renee were Founding Members of the National Corvette Museum in 1994 and shortly later became Life Members. Their support and dedication to the NCM are a credit to both themselves and the CCA. My association with the NCM and all things Corvette began much later in 2006 with the purchase, build tour, and museum delivery of my 2007 Z06. Since that time I have followed around in Terry s shadow and have really been impressed with his level of dedication to the NCM. The CCA owes a lot to Terry for the strong relationship that we have with the NCM. If you are not a member of the NCM you really should join at any level. Terry Popkin, NCM Ambassador, tjpopkin@mac.com,

31 July 2017 Page 31 MUSEUM EVENTS The Official Le Mans Viewing Party Only at the National Corvette Museum Article by the National Corvette Museum in the Quarterly America's Sports Car Magazine, July/Aug/ Sept 2017 Issue - Photos by Van When it comes to sporting events, regardless of what it is, there is one immutable fact: The most people you watch them with, the greater the experience is. When an arena full of people jumps to their feet and screams with fists in the air, it reminds us that it is okay to cheer, to shout, and to get caught up in the moment ourselves. Whether it happens at a stadium when the quarterback decides to take it in for a touchdown, or at a sports bar when the ball is fired half-court at the buzzer, everyone who is cheering, groaning, clapping or carrying on for your team is a part of your crew, and a part of your memory. True, you could stay home and watch the game in your pajamas, and you might make it to the edge of your seat or even to your feet, but you can't join in the victorious roar of the crowd with no crowd. With motor sports in America, particularly in IMSA, each race is put together with the idea of making the collective experience as interactive as possible. Team garages are open so you can watch the cars being worked on drivers are available for autographs.. you can even go on a grid walk just moments before a race without a special pass, where there are no barriers to keep you from cars or the team members around them. After the grid is cleared, and the engines start, the show begins.

32 July 2017 Page 32 So what of the race that national Geographic called "the world's largest sporting event"? Corvette Racing Program Manager, Doug Fehan, knows that going to Le Mans is a goal on most race fans bucket list, so he had an idea that would bring the Le Mans group viewing experience to some of the fans back home. The Le Mans Viewing Party was his idea of the ultimate fan experience at the National Corvette Museum. The mission was to make it awesome enough to become an event itself. The entire race would be shown commercial-free on the big screen of the Chevrolet theater; a giant monitor would also be dedicated to live timing and scoring so fans could keep up with the running order; autographs would be sent for givaways; live in-car video would be shown on additional big screens (if available0; and then, to put the experience over the top, regular Skypes with members of the team would direct fan to team interaction. Throw in snacks, a breakfast buffet, a pasta bar for dinner, and a theater full of Corvette fans, and you have a party.

33 July 2017 Page 33 To make it even more special, each year something new is added. This year, Chevrolet marketing came up with a great way to honor the team and to keep them sharp for the entire 24 hours of the race. They commissioned a special blend of coffee, that was bold but not bitter, that went down smooth and left a great aftertaste. They called it Corvette Coffee, and had 200 flat bags of it made with Jake in yellow on the front. Part of the limited edition coffee was sent to Le Mans, part to GM Headquarters, and part of it went to the National Corvette museum, for the Le Mans fans. So, when Jim Campbell, VOP of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports skyped our group, we were able to toast each other overseas, drinking the same coffee. Then, championship winning Johnny O'Connell, one of the Heroes of le Mans and the only American to ever win it four times in its 87 year history, skyped in to share his Le Mans memories with the group and take questions as well. Fehan and the drivers gave reports that they wouldn't have shared on TV, and we got to watch a 72 second long complete brake change in the garage. David Tsurusaki of Mobil 1 even got in on the action while in the pit, showing us how the oil performance is monitored live. It's no wonder why Mobil 1 has been such an important part of the Corvette Racing's legacy of success. Aston Martin Passes 1st Time Corvette Retaliates and They Touch

34 July 2017 Page 34 Corvette Takes a Shortcut Corvette Tire Blows Aston Martins Win Corvette Comes In Third This year was also special as we all got to see a great race. With the competition so close the battles were fierce, and there at the end when the #63 Corvette driven by Jordan Taylor was in the lead and fending off an Aston martin the crowd came to their feet and cheered, only to gasp when they made contact. Collectively we watched with mouths open as the crippled Corvette continued to fight to the finish line with smoke coming from beneath it. As it passed the checkered flag, and then stopped before turning to go to inspection, the applause erupted. "That," the MC of the event said, "is what 'never give up' looks like."

35 July 2017 Page 35 None of us will ever forget this 24 Hours of Le Mans, or the group that we shared it with.

36 July 2017 Page 36 Brightview Assisted Living at Fallsgrove Event June 24 th 2017 On Saturday June 24th the CCA participated in a Corvette Invitational Show at Brightview Assisted Living at Fallsgrove. The weather turned out to be perfect so we did not have to use our rain date for June 25th. Brightview provided five trophies including Best of Show, coffee and doughnuts, and a lunch special. We had a good turnout and the residents of the assisted living home had a chance to see a lot of Corvettes as well as pick their favorites for trophies.

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38 July 2017 Page 38 IMSA Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix July 7th to July 9th Bowmanville, Ontario by Jon Thorn Evelyn and I spent a week on a trip to the IMSA races at Mosport. This is always a great event. Mosport is a fast track and the Corvette Corral is strategically located where lots of action is easily visible. In addition it is in driving distance of Detroit so there are always GM representatives at the corral. Finally, it is Ron Fellow s track so the Corvette crowd always gets cared for very well. We travelled alone this time but the Corvette Corral had a good turnout as usual. This was my sixth trip to the IMSA (and ALMS) races at Mosport, if my count is correct. We are still newbies by local standards but the always friendly Canadians continue to put up with us. Since this is already a long newsletter this month, I ll keep this very short. My important comment is that the CCA was once again represented at the race and below is the proof. Unfortunately we did not have the crowd that won the CCA the corral attendance award a couple of years ago, but the CCA was still there! If we run short of items for August I will write up some comments on the race. Our trip to Mosport is the primary reason that the newsletter is a little late being released this month.

39 July 2017 Page 39 Rally Appalachia 2 - July 11-14, 2017 by Bill Sandusky Let s start with the fact that 76 teams raised almost $150,000 for this year s charity, Hope For The Warriors. Over 80% of the money came from individual contributors to the various teams. This is the most money raised in the eight year history of Rally North America. I am proud to be a part of this amazing group of car people. This year we started in Blacksburg, Va and finished in Lincoln, Al. Thanks to donations to our team, we started in the 8th position for three days of scavenger style road rally. In addition to checkpoints, we could get bonus points for spotting certain items along the route each day. Day one we finished in fifth place. The day started with a visit to a very unusual collection of rare Japanese cars and the plantation birthplace of two Virginia governors. The fun parts included a run through the Back of the Dragon and the Crooked Road and ending the day at VIR raceway for some hot laps on the south course. One of the rules for the rally is if you get a ticket you are disqualified from winning for the entire event. I got stopped twice for exceeding the speed limit, but only received a warning. So why would I tell you this. The first officer told me that he was thankful I stopped because he said he would not have been able to catch me and that there probably was not a vehicle in his county that would have caught me. How cool is that!! Day two, we decided to take it a little easy and enjoy the sites. That day we visited Mt. Airy, NC affectingly known as Mayberry RFD. Next on the list was the famous coal town of Bramwell, WV. After that we headed to Grandfather Mountain and the mile high swinging bridge for a gorgeous view. Next up was the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. This is a must see for anyone if you are in the area. It took us three hours and worth every minute. The estate is almost 200 acres and the mansion is 175,000 square feet. There are four entertainment rooms, eight family rooms, ten guest retreats, twelve recreation rooms including pool and bowling alley, thirteen servants rooms, fifteen bachelor wings and 43 bathrooms. That night we stayed in Waynesville, NC for a good night s sleep to get ready for a hard run at finishing in the awards for day three. With a nice sendoff from the mayor, we were for our final stop in Rome, Ga. First was a stop to the Cherokee reservation in western North Carolina where we picked up huge bonus points. This day we also picked up bonus points along the Blue Ridge Parkway for sightings of a snake and wild pigs. However the best part included driving the Tail of the Dragon which has over 300 turns covering 11 miles. Once at the end we turned around and went back so both of us could enjoy the this great road. As the day progressed, it looked like we were in good position to place. With the bonus points we had accumulated and hitting every checkpoint, we ended up in a tie for first place. Both teams were 1500 points ahead of the third place team. This is the first time we had placed in the five years doing this event, so the celebration was long and hard that evening.

40 July 2017 Page 40 Bill and Jeff celebrating! Day four was pretty exciting as we traveled to Talladega Motor Speedway where in groups of twenty we did two sessions of five laps on the track. That evening we enjoyed the awards banquet and hotel parking lot party. It took two days to make it home and door to door mileage was 2,335 miles. Next year we will be starting in Pueblo, Co. and ending up in Sacramento, Ca. as we drive Route 50 West.

41 July 2017 Page 41 Corvette Club of America 61 st Annual Founder s Day Picnic at Hidden Hills Farm & Vineyard 7550 Green Valley Road Frederick, MD On Sunday July 16 th the CCA held our 61st annual Founder s Day Picnic celebrating the formation of the club on July 17, The day included a private picnic and wine tasting until 2:00 PM followed by a Corvette show with other invited clubs until 4:00 PM. Food was provided by Mission BBQ and included pulled pork, beef brisket, and a variety of BBQ sauces. The sides included baked beans, cole slaw, bread and more. Participants had an opportunity to have a tour of the grounds including the horse barn and indoor and outdoor arenas. And of course we had a chance to have a tasting of their four current wines, including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. It was obvious that everyone really enjoyed the picnic, the facility, and of course the wines. Several members joined the Wine Club and I have a feeling that CCA Corvettes will become a fixture in their parking lot on a regular basis. The weather was perfect and that always helps. Here are some photos from the event and there are many more on the CCA website in the member s area

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46 July 2017 Page 46 The Corvette Courier The Corvette Club of America is proud to be exclusively associated with Sport Chevrolet. Be a Sport fan too!! 3101 Automobile Blvd Silver Spring, Md Contact Gerry Ryan, General Sales manager at Sport Chevrolet for a new or used car - (240) The Corvette Club of America was founded by John Ralph and Charles Eyre who organized the first club meeting on July 17, 1956 at a Chevrolet dealership in Arlington, Virginia. By the end of 1957 the club changed its name from the Capital Corvette Club to the Corvette Club of America, since it was the intent of the members to make the club a national organization. Before the end of the following year the club had over one hundred members. In 1959, the Corvette Club of America held an organizational meeting of Corvette clubs at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The result was the formation of the National Council of Corvette Clubs which today has about 19,000 members and is the largest non-profit association of Corvette Clubs in the United States. For a variety of reasons, the CCA did not join the NCCC until July of 1966 and was awarded club #1 for its efforts in establishing the organization. In July 2016, the CCA notified the NCCC that it would terminate its 50 year membership at the end of the year. There were a number of factors but the CCA felt that focusing our limited resources on the National Corvette Museum would provide more benefit for the Corvette Community as a whole. The Corvette Club of America is a very active club today with a strong mix of competitive, social, and charitable activities. Through the years the CCA has seen many fine members come and go; however, one thing remains unchanged. The membership is composed of individuals both male and female, young and old, that share a common interest, America s Sports Car - The Corvette! President Bob Atwell (240) Vice President Kelly Ryan (240) Secretary Paul Vale (301) Treasurer Nita Armstrong (443) Membership Director Jean-Marie Wade (301) NCM Ambassador Terry Popkin (301) Competition Director Steve Catlin (703) Parliamentarian Jon Thorn (301) Vendor & Club Relations Van Vander Haar (410) Webmaster April Hussey Member-at-Large Jim Parisi (410) Non-Board Member Positions Courier Editor Jon Thorn (301) The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. P.O. Box 3355, Gaithersburg, Maryland Copyright 2017, Corvette Club of America, Inc.

47 July 2017 Page 47 Business & Membership Meeting Location: The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille Old Columbia Pike Burtonsville, MD (301) Second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM Next meeting: August 8 th CCA Monthly Meeting Locations (Note: With the closing of the Golden Bull we are looking for another meeting location. The Greene Turtle is one we will try but it may not be permanent. Stay tuned!) Shop Night Location: Sport Chevrolet 3101 Automobile Blvd. Silver Spring, Maryland Fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM** (** Shop Night is the THIRD Tuesday in November and December due to Holidays) Next Shop Night: July 25 th

48 July 2017 Page 48 Simply the Best Tony Avedisian, Owner 7500 Rickenbacker Drive Gaithersburg, MD Since 1976, Radial Tire Company has provided the Washington D.C. area with quality tires and the finest service. We have earned a reputation as the premier specialist in hard-to-find performance tire and wheel applications. We stock tires from all of the top manufacturers for whatever you drive, from small economy cars to SUVs and trucks. Our mission is to assist you in getting the most out of your tires and car Brookville Rd Silver Spring, MD Contact CCA Tag Leader Richard Roe