corvette courier newsletter · the corvette courier july 2017 page 5 tour & tasting at...

July 2017

The World’s First Corvette Club

President - Bob Atwell

Celebrating our 61st Anniversary Year

Corvette Club of America Celebrates 61 Years in

July 2017

Sixty One years ago on July 17th our founding members held the very first meeting of what was to be-

come 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 16th. The event was held at "Hidden Hills Farm & Vine-

yard" 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 fam-

ily, another good time! All in all a fun 1,855 miles on SCOOTS in a week. Great Road Trip!!

On July 19th 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 100th Victory at this very same track. This

is also Lime Rock Park's 60th 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.

Corvette Courier

The Corvette Courier July 2017

Our next Monthly Meeting will be July 11th at the Greene Turtle in Burtonsville, MD from 7:30 pm to

9:00 pm.

July 25th, 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


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, 301-253-6074, 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, [email protected] 301-253-6074, 2000 Red Coupe 1 Red Hot

mailto:[email protected]


Upcoming Events & Reminders Calendar - https://www.vette-club.org/events/

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 20904

https://www.vette-club.org/events/6/

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 20850

$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. Sev-

eral 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 pro-

vided by our club.

Saturday, August 5, 2017 – Sunday, August 6, 2017

Summit Point Motorsports Park – 201 Motorsports Park Circle, Summit Point, WV 25446

$20 per person for a wristband to do ride-alongs

RSVP: https://www.vette-club.org/events/185/

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 – 15660 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866


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. Ad-

mission 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 20109

$10 per Corvette, public is free









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 per-

son. 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 20136

$25 per person (paid on-site)


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 17013

Buy Tickets: http://www.carlisleevents.com/carlisle-events/corvettes-at-carlisle/


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 21046

$25 morning session only, $45 morning & afternoon sessions, $5 all-day helmet rental

Register: https://www.vette-club.org/events/182/

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 20889

$15 registration (to cover food)


RSVP: http://www.msreg.com/Corvettes-WWTB-17

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: http://www.freestatecorvette.com/





http://www.msreg.com/Corvettes-WWTB-17

http://www.freestatecorvette.com/



Cars & Coffee and Cruise-Ins

Meet other CCA members and share your love for the club!

Calendar - https://www.vette-club.org/events/carscoffee-cruise-ins/?latest

Laytonsville Cruise-In

9840 Olney-Laytonsville Rd., Laytonsville, MD 20882

Fridays, 5:00PM-8:00PM

Katie’s Cars & Coffee

760 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066

Saturdays, 6:00-9:00AM

http://katiescarsandcoffee.com/

Bethesda Cars ‘N’ Coffee (coupons for free coffee)

Corner Bakery – 10327 Westlake Dr., Bethesda, MD 20817

mid-March - late Oct., Saturdays, 8:00-10:00AM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BethesdaCarsnCoffee/

Jimmy Cone Cruise-In

Jimmy Cone Parking Lot – 1312 S Main St., Mount Airy, MD 21771

1st & 3rd Saturdays, 6:00PM-Dark

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jimmie-Cone/154573407887196

Church of the Holy Doughnut

Greene Turtle Parking Lot – 15650 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866

All Year, Sundays, 7:30-11:00AM

https://www.facebook.com/churchoftheholydoughnut/

Clarksburg Cars and Coffee

Clarksburg Village Center – 22700 Sweetshrub Dr., Clarksburg, MD 20871

Every other Sunday, 8:00AM-?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/448833328626683/

Annapolis Cars and Coffee

Annapolis City Dock – 69 Prince George St., Annapolis, MD 21401

Sundays, 9:00AM-12:00PM

https://www.facebook.com/pg/annapoliscarsandcoffee/

Shady Grove Cruise-In

McDonalds Parking Lot – 16701 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD 20855

All Year, Sundays, 9:00AM-1:00PM

Potomac Cafe Racers (free coffee - ask Mike, Walt, or Michael for a coupon)

Potomac Village Shopping Center – 10220 River Rd., Potomac, MD, 20854

All Year, Sundays, 9:00AM-12:00PM

https://www.facebook.com/Potomac-Cafe-Racers-373848716080626/

HMCCC Silver Diner Cruise-In

Silver Diner – 5120 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick, MD 21704

Sunday, September 3, 2017, 10:00AM-2:00PM

https://www.vette-club.org/events/carscoffee-cruise-ins/?latest

http://katiescarsandcoffee.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BethesdaCarsnCoffee/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jimmie-Cone/154573407887196

https://www.facebook.com/churchoftheholydoughnut/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/448833328626683/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/annapoliscarsandcoffee/

https://www.facebook.com/Potomac-Cafe-Racers-373848716080626/


Corvette rAMBLINGS

The Corvette Courier Editor – Jon Thorn

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 3rd 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


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!


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 9th for solo drivers. It was my 1st 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 3rd 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 awe-

some 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!


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 re-

sults page at https://www.vette-club.org/autocross/2017-06-11/. Check them all out. Our next 2 auto-

crosses are on September 10th and October 1st. We hope to see you out there!

NCM HPDE – Virginia International Raceway (VIR) – June 26th-27th, 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 1st 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 bet-

ter; (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

https://www.vette-club.org/autocross/2017-06-11/


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!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUP2zSA7GEM.

Until next month…

Stephen Catlin

CCA Competition Director

[email protected]

703-220-1136

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUP2zSA7GEM


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.


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 & 6th, 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.


I have told the story many times about how my older brother would take me to the drag races at Ma-

nassas 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 sev-

eral 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 enthusi-

astic 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.


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 Competi-

tion Chair Steve C smiling and waiting for the next tech customer to pull up.


Here Nick C is doing a Tech check on fellow CCA member Michael E.


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.


Chuck H showing us a new line through turn 4.

A selfie with 3 CCA instructors.

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.



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.


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.

John Heinricy and

Kevin C getting ready

to head out on track in

Kevin’s Z28

Hennessey Camaro.


Laura Klauser, GM Racing Program Manager for Cadillac Racing, gave us a very interesting presenta-

tion including a video of Johnny O’Connell putting down a lap at VIR.

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.


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 remi-

nisce about how great this event was. You can always count on Mike N and Jeff M to have some she-

nanigans going on.


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 be-

ing 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 incorpo-

rated 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.


Their goal was to make the Corvette experience better for the customers. Modifications to your Cor-

vette can void your warranty but they have been working on if a problem is not related to the modifi-

cation, 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 2015 650hp 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: https://www.vette-club.org/hpde-track/

https://www.vette-club.org/hpde-track/


CHIN TRACKDAYS RETURNS TO SUMMIT POINT AUGUST 5TH AND 6TH.

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 cur-

rent 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 SCCA PDX at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit

July 29 & 30 HOD at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit

August 5 & 6th Chin at Summit Point (A MUST DO EVENT)

August 19 SATT at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit

August 26 & 27 NCM at NCM MSP

August 26 & 27 SCCA at Summit Point Shenandoah Circuit

September 4 & 5 Chin at Watkins Glen

September 8 FATT at Summit Point Circuit

October 13 – 15 HOD at Watkins Glen

October 14 & 15 Chin at NCM MSP

October 22 & 23 Chin at VIR

Pat Roney - Corvette Club of America

Runner?? It was a victory lap.


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: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/support/membership/

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 23rd 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, [email protected], 301-949-2464

http://www.corvettemuseum.org/support/membership/


http://www.corvettemuseum.org/


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 peo-

ple 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 mo-

ments 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.


So what of the race that national Geographic called "the world's largest sporting event"? Corvette Rac-

ing 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 dedi-

cated 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.


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 yel-

low 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 over-

seas, 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 ac-

tion 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


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."


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


Brightview Assisted Living at Fallsgrove Event

June 24th 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.


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.


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 be-

cause 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 af-

fectingly 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.


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.


Corvette Club of America 61st Annual Founder’s Day Picnic at Hidden Hills Farm & Vineyard

7550 Green Valley Road Frederick, MD 21701

On Sunday July 16th the CCA held our 61st annual Founder’s Day Picnic celebrating the formation of

the club on July 17, 1956. 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 https://www.vette-club.org/google-photos/ .

https://www.vette-club.org/google-photos/


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 20904

www.sportchevrolet.com

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 re-

mains 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!

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 20904

www.sportchevrolet.com

The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc.

P.O. Box 3355, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20885

Copyright 2017, Corvette Club of America, Inc.

Contact Gerry Ryan, General Sales manager at Sport Chevrolet for a new or used car - (240)560-5361

President Bob Atwell (240)375-3716

Vice President Kelly Ryan (240)601-6045

Secretary Paul Vale (301)570-9348

Treasurer Nita Armstrong (443)852-1922

Membership Director Jean-Marie Wade (301)253-6074

NCM Ambassador Terry Popkin (301)949-2464

Competition Director Steve Catlin (703)220-1136

Parliamentarian Jon Thorn (301)963-4864

Vendor & Club Relations Van Vander Haar (410)489-5002

Webmaster April Hussey

Member-at-Large Jim Parisi (410)292-8722

Non-Board Member Positions

Courier Editor Jon Thorn (301)963-4864

http://www.sportchevrolet.com

http://www.sportchevrolet.com

http://www.corvetteclubofamerica.org/














Business & Membership Meeting Location: The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille 15660 Old Columbia Pike Burtonsville, MD 20866 (301) 421-4012 Second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM Next meeting:

August 8th

(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 20904 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 25th

CCA Monthly Meeting Locations


Tony Avedisian, Owner 7500 Rickenbacker Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

301-987-0565

http://www.tonyscorvetteshop.com

Contact CCA Tag Leader Richard Roe

410-960-1368

Simply

the B

est

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 per-

formance 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.

9101 Brookville Rd

Silver Spring, MD 20910

301-585-2740

http://www.radialtirecompany.com

http://www.tonyscorvetteshop.com/index.aspx


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