Celebrating our 64th Anniversary Year January 2020 - Corvette Club of America
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The World’s First Corvette Club
Celebrating our 64th Anniversary Year
January 2020
The sun sets on the National Corvette Museum’s famous dome and spire on the night of
August 29, 2019 during the NCM’s National Corvette Caravan and 25th Anniversary Celebration.
(Photo taken by CCA board member, Van Vander Haar)
The Corvette Courier January 2020 ToC
Table of Contents
President’s Perspective 1
Upcoming Events & Reminders 2
Corvette Ramblings 4
Welcome to our new look! 4
Dick Thompson and his Award 4
CCA Winter Awards Dinner Party, February 1st 7
Competition Report 8
High Performance Driving Events 10
11th Annual Winter Karting Event 10
Tracking Schedule 12
Want to try your car out on the track? 12
Membership Update 13
National Corvette Museum Report 14
A C6 Blast From the Past 17
How to follow the Rolex 24 at Daytona race - (maybe) 20
2019 in Photos 23
About the Corvette Club of America 28
Board of Directors 28
Non-Board Positions 28
Newsletter Mailing Address 28
History (1956-2020) 29
Charities 29
Sponsors 30
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 1
President’s Perspective
Jim Streight - President
president@vette-club.org
Happy new year to all!
I am honored to be your new President of the Corvette Club of America. I have been a member of
CCA since 1980, making this my 40th consecutive year. I currently have a 1969 Corvette which I
have owned since 1988. Previously, I have had the privilege of owning a 1971 and 1965. Through
Corvettes, I have met many incredible people, and have attended many great events. I am looking
forward to what 2020 has to offer and the many CCA events that are in various stages of planning.
Being an active member of CCA has certainly added to the experience of owning a Corvette!
Our first club event of the year is our Annual Awards dinner on February 1, 2020. This year we have
decided to move the ever popular event to Mrs. K’s restaurant. I am excited that we will have the
opportunity to recognize the contributions of our club members and sponsors to the club’s success as
well as present the coveted Dick Thompson Award to Paul Donohue for 2019. There will be gifts for
all attendees, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and silent auction. I encourage all of our members and
friends to come on out and join us for a very enjoyable evening.
The CCA board and numerous member volunteers are in the final stages of setting up the club’s 2020
events calendar. We are planning many events for the year, but could always use suggestions for
more! Please check our website events calendar for upcoming events.
And lastly, I want to congratulate Kelly on a what a phenomenal job he did as President of CCA over
the past two years. His leadership and guidance has greatly contributed to CCA’s continued success.
A shout-out must also go out to Bob Atwell who is vacating his board position as Past President. I
have a lot to live up to following in the footsteps of these two.
Get out and enjoy your Corvettes!
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 2
Upcoming Events & Reminders
Devin Streight - Events Coordination Director
events@vette-club.org - 240-468-8190
www.vette-club.org/events
Monthly Business Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM at the
Burtonsville Greene Turtle. Monthly Shop Nights are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:00
PM at Sport Chevrolet. There may be exceptions for holidays so check the calendar for the latest info.
January Shop Night (Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
Sport Chevrolet - 3101 Automobile Blvd., Silver Spring, MD 20904
Bring your Corvette in to Sport Chevrolet 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. Arrive by 7:30 PM.
www.vette-club.org/events/309/
February Business Meeting (Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
The Greene Turtle - 15660 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonville, MD 20866
Open to all current and prospective club members. We discuss both past and future events as well as
general club business.
www.vette-club.org/events/351/
11th Annual Winter Karting Event (Sunday, February 23, 2020, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
The Corvette Club of America would like to invite all race enthusiasts to a Karting event at Autobahn
Indoor Speedway in Jessup, Maryland. Race (14 lap qualifier, 14 lap race, top 10 go to a final 14 lap
race) for $50-60 + taxes. Arrive & Drive (pay per race or buy a bundle of races). Juniors Race (8-12
yo and at least 48” tall, 12 lap qualifier, 12 lap race).
More information: www.vette-club.org/events/362/
RSVP to Pat Roney: proney928@gmail.com
St. Patrick’s Day Lunch (Saturday, March 7, 2020, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM)
Killarney House - 584 W. Central Ave., Davidsonville, MD 21035
Join fellow CCA members for a St. Patrick's Day celebration at Killarney House! Separate checks per
party. Cost will be about $20 plus tax and gratuity per person. Arrive by 12:15 PM.
More information and to register: www.vette-club.org/events/374/
Event Planning
If you have suggestions for other events or are interested in planning your own event, see:
www.vette-club.org/event-planning
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 3
Annual Winter Awards Dinner Party (Saturday, February 1, 2020, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
Mrs. K’s Toll House - 9201 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910
During the dinner, our 2020 Board of Directors will be introduced, the 2019 Board will be thanked for
all their hard work and accomplishments, and the Dick Thompson Award will be presented to Paul
Donohue. The club will recognize representatives from two local charities, CaringMatters and
Wells/Robertson House, and present them with donations pooled from the CCA's 2019 events
proceeds and charitable contributions.
More information and to register: www.vette-club.org/events/349/
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 4
Corvette Ramblings
Jon Thorn - Corvette Courier Editor
newsletter@vette-club.org - 301-963-4864
Welcome to our new look!
I hope everyone had a Happy New Year and had a chance to enjoy your Corvette during the couple
of days of Summer that dropped in on us recently. Think of it as a reminder of what is coming. This is
going to be a great year for the club!
There are a bunch of new things going on with the Corvette Courier. Some you can see right away.
This newsletter has had the same basic appearance for the past fifteen years. We are moving
newsletter production over to the Google platform for a variety of reasons. Not only will it be easier to
produce the newsletter but it will be easier to get more members involved with the process too. Most
importantly, the newsletter editor (me) will no longer be the major bottleneck each month! It may take
us a couple of months to become accustomed to this new skin we are in. If everything works out as I
expect, these changes are going to have a very positive impact on the club’s publication. This is as
big a deal as the club’s purchase of an IBM Selectric typewriter in the early 1960s that was used to
cut stencils for a mimeograph machine. That allowed the club to print their own newsletter and
eliminate the expense of typesetting at a commercial print shop. It was a big improvement for the club
then and I expect these changes will be a big improvement for us now.
Dick Thompson and his Award
Changing gears, I am going to ramble on a little bit about Dick Thompson since we have the
presentation of his award coming up at our annual Awards Dinner. I only knew Dick late in his life.
Being a bit of a history bug, I learned what I could about him after joining the CCA. He was 24 years
older than I am but we both called the Washington, DC area home. I was in Junior High School and
High School while he was making racing history. He was a dentist in Georgetown and never really left
his day job because racing was a much different game in his time. His skill at racing earned him the
title of “The Flying Dentist.” My biggest regret was not knowing him when he moved to Poolesville in
the 1980’s. Poolesville was only about 15 miles from my home. I had an opportunity to communicate
frequently with Dick and Eve Thompson much later after joining the CCA. They were living in Florida
then and I supplied them with a printed copy of the Courier each month. When they found out that I
was planning to attend the Sebring Race with the NCM in 2012 they invited me and Evelyn to their
home after the race. That was a bucket list event that I’ll forever be grateful for. It was the 60th
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 5
anniversary of the Sebring 12 hour race and also the 60th anniversary of Dick’s start in racing. Yes,
his very first race was in 1952 at Sebring.
I am not precisely sure of the timing, but in late 2012 or early 2013
Evelyn and I were having dinner with CCA members Tom and Nita
Armstrong. Tom was the real motivator behind establishing an award
in Dick’s name and it was following that dinner that we got going on
setting up the award. I checked with the Thompsons for their OK and
they not only approved but they gave us a silver bowl for our award
display that Dick had won in 1957. It is the centerpiece of the CCA
perpetual trophy and an important piece of Washington DC area
racing history. You can read about the history of the bowl in the
award book that will be on display at our Awards Dinner. Sports
Illustrated was present at the race and also wrote an article at the
time which is included in the award booklet. The event was the very
first national race held by the Sports Car Club of America and it was
held here in the DC area at Marlboro Raceway.
I could ramble on much longer about Dick but I’ve had the pleasure of
meeting someone who knew him over a much longer period. Richard
Prince has been the photographer for Corvette Racing as long as it
has existed and a Corvette fan for much longer. He is a member of
our private CCA group on Facebook and even finds the time to post
once in awhile. These next couple of paragraphs of Facebook posts by Richard will give you a story
of Dick that goes way beyond mere racing statistics and anything that I could explain in five times the
space. If you have not seen this before, take a close look. It will help you understand why the club
was so fortunate to have him as a founding member. The entire Corvette world could have been
much different without him. And, most importantly, it will help explain the spirit of Dr. Dick Thompson
that the club is honored to help preserve through our award trophy.
Richard Prince – Facebook January 21, 2018
He began racing late in life, had no formal training, no engineering degree, no mechanical
background, and no relevant experience to draw upon. But by the time he retired from the
sport seventeen years later he had seen seat time in some of the world’s greatest production
and sports racing cars, won class or overall wins in many of the world’s major racing venues,
including Sebring, Le Mans and Spa, and earned no less than seven SCCA national
championships. And along the way he helped save the Corvette from extinction by playing a
key role in transforming the car from a wannabe into a genuine contender. This amazing man
was a dentist from Washington, DC named Dr. Dick Thompson. But to those who had the
privilege of seeing him find the fast way around race tracks throughout the world, he will be
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 6
forever known as “The Flying Dentist.” Dick's very first race was the very first 12 Hours of
Sebring in 1952. He and his pal Bill Kinchloe drove his MG-TD down to Sebring, raced it for 12
hours to an 8th overall finish, and then drove it back home to Washington DC. Over the next
seventeen years Dick drove an incredibly diverse array of cars – a partial list includes
Porsches, Jaguars, Maseratis, Austin Healeys, Shelby Mustangs, Mercedes, Cobras, Listers,
MGs, Ferraris, Ford GT40s, Formula Juniors, Corvairs, Gulf Mirage M1s, the Howmet Turbine,
and of course, Corvettes, the marque with which he is most closely associated. The 1950s and
'60s were, by any measure, a golden era of racing and The Flying Dentist helped write that
story. Over the seventeen years he competed, Dick raced with, against, and for everyone and
anyone, including all of the giants in the sport, and he earned the respect of every single
person he crossed paths with. This not only because he was an incredibly skilled driver, but
even more importantly, because he was the consummate gentleman, both on and off the track.
He was, simply stated, the nicest person imaginable, and that’s how I will always remember
him. Last night, at the organization's National Convention, Dick Thompson was posthumously
inducted into the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame. It is an honor well-earned and
richly deserved. I met Dick more than thirty years ago, got to know him quite well over time,
was privileged to call him my friend, and was honored to speak at the convention last night on
behalf of the Thompson family.
Richard Prince – Facebook, January 23, 2018
A couple of days ago I wrote that Dick Thompson helped save the Corvette from extinction by
playing a key role in transforming the car from a wannabe into a genuine contender, and a few
people asked me to elaborate on that, so here goes. Today, everyone knows that Corvette is a
remarkable success story. It is the longest continuously produced passenger car nameplate in
automotive history - a world-class car in every measure, born and bred in the USA, recognized
and respected around the globe. But that was certainly not always the case. In late 1955, upon
the recommendation of John Fitch, Chevrolet asked Dick Thompson to race a 1956 Corvette
for the entire ’56 season in pursuit of an SCCA C-Production national championship. In 1955
Chevrolet produced a total of only 700 Corvettes for the entire year. That same year, Chevrolet
produced approximately 43,914 vehicles every week, and all of the divisions of GM combined
produced more than 90,000 vehicles per week. Corvette consumed engineering, design,
management, manufacturing, purchasing, and sales resources, and with Corvette output
totaling about 0.016% of total production most within GM’s ranks thought it was simply not
worth the effort and cost. A very, very small number of individuals believed in the car’s value
and fought valiantly, usually at great risk to their personal careers, to save it. Those individuals
entrusted Dick with the task of showing that Corvette was a winner, and with the responsibility
to help improve it through the rigors of competition. Between 1956 and 1966 Dick raced
production and prototype Corvettes around the world, including two of the original five Grand
Sports for Gulf Oil and Roger Penske respectively, and the amazing 1959 Stingray racer for
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 7
Bill Mitchell. He earned class honors at Sebring and five SCCA national championships in
Corvettes, wrote The Corvette Guide book in 1958, was a Chevrolet development driver for the
1963 Corvette, and was a Chevy spokesman for the launch of the second generation car. At a
pivotal period in its history, Dick Thompson played an important role in transforming Corvette
into a race-worthy performance car, and by extension he played an important role in turning
Corvette into a sales success, thus ensuring not only its survival, but ultimately, its rise to
stardom. So, the next time you turn the key and feel that rush of adrenaline you get every time
your Corvette roars to life, or when next Sunday afternoon rolls around and you’re cheering the
factory C7.R race cars on to victory at Daytona, take a moment to whisper a simple thank you
to the Flying Dentist, whose spirit lives on in every one of the nearly 1.6 million Corvettes
produced since he earned his very first victory behind the wheel of America’s sportscar at the
April 22, 1956 Pebble Beach SCCA national race. #TheFlyingDentist
#WeStandOnTheShouldersOfGiants
(Editor’s note: Previous to being inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame, Dr. Dick Thompson was
inducted into both the National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame and the LeMans Hall of Fame.)
CCA Winter Awards Dinner Party, February 1st
One last item for my ramblings this month. Be SURE to see the Upcoming Events & Reminders
section on Page 2 and the flyer for the dinner party on Page 3. This is a major annual event for the
club and we hope to see you ALL there. It is IMPORTANT to register by January 25th because we
have to work out a lot of details with the restaurant. I know there is a natural tendency to delay
registration so that you can check the weather at this time of year. We have a “weather delay” date
set for February 8th so you can be sure this major event for the club is going to happen and that you
will be able to safely get there and home. It is a great way to meet old friends and make new ones
here in the middle of winter. Signups are normally slow at this point but we really need you to commit
to participate in this significant annual club event! Full details and registration are on our website
here: www.vette-club.org/events/349/
As one final reminder on the urgency to register, on the following page is a second flyer for the event.
This one highlights the sponsors that support us and without which it certainly would not be such a
great event. There are also current pictures of the venue this year and some photos from previous
award dinners. You REALLY should not miss this event!
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018
The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 8
Corvette Club of America Annual Winter Awards Dinner Party
Saturday, February 1, 2020
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Mrs. K's Toll House
9201 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Presentation of Dick Thompson Award
Silent Auction, Door Prizes & Raffle Drawings
Major Corporate Sponsors: Sport Chevrolet, Radial Tire,
Adam’s Polishes, Driven Performance Brands
Additional Sponsors: Corvette America, Corvette Central, Corvette Mike, Corvette Mods,
Covercraft, Eckler’s Corvette, The Greene Turtle, Hagerty, Invisible Glass, Lib’s Grill, Madico,
National Corvette Museum, Olney Winery, Racer Parts Warehouse, Rock Auto, Stoner Car Care,
Summit Racing Equipment, Tony’s Corvette Shop, Volunteer Vette, West Coast Corvettes,
Zip Corvette
www.vette-club.org/events/349/ mrsks.com/
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 9
Competition Report
Bill Sandusky - Competition Director
competition@vette-club.org
www.vette-club.org/autocross
Normally this time of the year, I would be starting to come up with new course layouts for the coming
season. Instead, we are in limbo again waiting to hear from the BWI lot management, whether or not
we will be allowed back. This year, United Karting has passed along to me via one of our club
members their desire for us to use another part of the lot. They naturally are concerned about loss of
income and they have to clear the track area to allow us to use the same space.
We have asked BWI with some support from United Karting if an area we asked about last year will
be available. If not, we have asked for the space we had last year if they approve our request. I really
hope they give us the alternate lot space. It would allow us to setup, test and mark our course on
Saturday, making Sunday course setup quick and easy. The other advantage is we would not have to
worry about any conflicts with any major events United maybe hosting which led to our having to
cancel an event last year.
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 10
High Performance Driving Events
Pat Roney - HPDE Instructor
racing@vette-club.org
www.vette-club.org/hpde-track
It has been a nice break from tracking in December to allow me to get ready for the holiday season.
However, I am already getting excited as I sign up for HPDE events this year. To start off with Paul D.
and myself are doing an instructor clinic February 16. Following that we have the annual Karting
event on February 23 followed by Chin at VIR March 7 & 8.
11th Annual Winter Karting Event
The Corvette Club of America invites you to the 11th Annual Winter Karting Event to get ready for
racing season.
When: February 23, 2020 9:00 AM
Where: Autobahn Indoor Speedway
8521 Preston Court
Jessup, MD 20794
Ph. 410-880-0010
The Corvette Club of America would like to invite all race enthusiasts to a Karting event at Autobahn
Indoor Speedway in Jessup, Maryland on Sunday, February 23rd starting at 9:00 AM. This is an
event we started several years ago and is being brought back again this year by popular demand.
We are planning on having both a race group and Arrive and Drive sessions. There are a limited
amount of spots available so please sign up as soon as possible.
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 11
Please respond to proney928@gmail.com to let me know if you are interested and which event you
are interested in from the following list:
ARRIVE AND DRIVE – 14 lap session on the track. Minimum 56” tall and 13 years old.
RACE – 14 lap qualifier and 14 lap race. Fastest 10 racers go on to a final 14 lap race.
JUNIOR RACE – 12 lap qualifier and 12 lap race. Minimum 48” tall and 8 years old.
The cost for this event will be about $60 plus taxes for the races if you have not registered in the last
year. For those that registered the day of the event last year, your annual license is still good, by one
day, and that will reduce your price to about $50 plus taxes. Many of us bought the 5 race package
and still have races left on your account. Autobahn is still honoring those remaining races, so some
may not have to pay anything this year.
The Arrive and Drive cost will vary based on how many sessions you want to do. Here are your
pricing options:
1-2 session(s) - $21.95 each.*
3 sessions - $50.00*
5 sessions - $75.00 (annual license included)
8 sessions - $100 (annual license included)
*=Annual license required $7.95.
Don’t waste a lot of time looking for your Autobahn card. When you give them your name they will tell
you how many races you have left and if your license has expired.
I look forward to seeing you all February 23th at Autobahn. Please email me and let me know if you
can make it as all except Arrive and Drive will be in assigned groups according to your lap
time/experience.
Thanks for your interest,
Pat Roney
proney928@gmail.com
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 12
Tracking Schedule
Keep an eye on this schedule as it will be updated regularly:
www.vette-club.org/hpde-track/schedule/
Public link to the “CCA HPDE Schedule” Google Calendar:
calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=sunkp1fmge1pejnpmpcvgbn0rc%40group.calendar.googl
e.com&ctz=America%2FNew_York
April has come up with a much better way to keep our HPDE schedule updated which will allow me to
be able to make small changes to the schedule with very little effort. I am working on the info that I
have been sent by members so far and ready for any of you that have any dates set.
Right now is the time to start planning for our CCA event with Chin Trackdays at Summit Point August
8 and 9 and our trips to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. October 10 & 11 and Daytona International
Speedway October 30 through November 1 with Chin Trackdays.
Want to try your car out on the track?
Please remember to keep it to the speed limit and stay alert on the street as, in my opinion, and
experience, 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.
Keep it to the speed limit on the street!
The track is a much smarter place to see what your car can do.
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 13
Membership Update
Paul Donohue - Membership Director
membership@vette-club.org
240-720-7816
Membership Numbers
● 167 current memberships (106 local, 58 long-distance, 3 honorary)
● 91 renewals since October 1, 2019
● 2 new memberships since December 10, 2019
New Memberships
Name Location Corvette Referrer Join Date
Jacob B. Morgantown, WV 2011 Yellow CCA Website 12/11/2019
Conv.
Kelly A. Severna Park, MD 2004 Grey Coupe Word of Mouth 01/15/2020
Membership & Renewal Information
The annual membership fee is $50 which covers the applicant and an optional second person.
Memberships expire on January 1 for those who joined before October 1, 2018 or on the anniversary
of the join date for those who joined on or after October 1, 2018. Automated renewal reminders are
sent to the e-mail address* of the first applicant listed on the membership application beginning 4
weeks before the membership expiration date. Payment by PayPal, credit/debit card, cash, or check
are accepted, but the renewal must be submitted online and payment must be received before the
expiration date. Automated renewal reminders will continue to be sent until payment is received or
your membership expires, at which point you will receive an automated expiration notice.
* To have your username or e-mail address changed, e-mail webmaster@vette-club.org
More information about becoming a CCA member can be found at www.vette-club.org/membership/
If you have suggestions for me or the club, please send them to feedback@vette-club.org
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 14
National Corvette Museum Report
Terry Popkin - NCM Ambassador
ncmambassador@vette-club.org
Link to Michelin NCM Bash Registration: www.corvettemuseum.org/event/michelin-ncm-bash/
Suggestion: CCA members please contact Devin Streight our Events Coordination Director
(events@vette-club.org) if you are planning on attending the Bash this year. It would be nice to have
a list of those planning on attending. Perhaps we can organize a club event around it.
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 15
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 16
Here is a link to more information on the new NCM display:
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/pre-production-2019-zr1-displayed-at-museum/
● Not an NCM Member? Become one:
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/support/membership/
● The 2019 NCM Fall Giving Campaign is on!
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/support/give-now/
● NCM Events Calendar and Registration:
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/explore/events/
● Check out the NCM Corvette Store: https://corvettestore.com/
● Shop Amazon Smile & Support the NCM
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the cost of eligible purchases to
the NCM. Click this link and sign into your Amazon account to
get started: smile.amazon.com/ch/74-2519972/
The Corvette Courier is published monthly by the Corvette Club of America, Inc. - ⓒ 2020 Corvette Club of America, Inc.
Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018The Corvette Courier January 2020 Page 17
A C6 Blast From the Past
Contributed by Jon Thorn
Many of you are familiar with Jim Mero. He retired from GM in September of 2018 after 34 years of
service which included 15 years as the Ride and Handling Vehicle Dynamics Engineer for Corvette.
Since retirement he has formed Vehicle Dynamics LLC and has software upgrades for C7 and C6
cars with Magnetic Ride Control. One of his many friends sent him a note about the C6, used for
development at GM, now coming available for sale. You won’t be able to get this car licensed for the
street but it would make a track day car with a provenance that few other track cars can match. I have
no information on price and as always let the buyer beware. But it has me wondering if I can increase
the size of my garage just enough to squeeze it in. I followed the progress on this particular car for
several years the best I could from outside the company. Below is Jim’s blog post:
“I just received this article from several friends.
https://www.gtmotorcarsllc.com/vehicles/148/2005-chevrolet-corvette-z06-blue-devil-z06-blue-devil-ex
-car
This 2005 Z06 was our primary development car both on United States racetracks as well as the
Nürburgring.
The tracks I got to drive it stateside were Virginia International Raceway, Road Atlanta, Buttonwillow,
and Spring Mountain.
Besides the Nürburgring Nordschleife, I also got to drive it at the Formula 1 track at the Nürburgring
as well as the Formula 1 track at Spa, Belgium. One thing I will say about Spa; going up Eau Rouge
it was like driving into the clouds. I never thought I would get a chance to experience it, I am so
fortunate.
When the development was complete on the Nürburgring Jan Magnusson drove it for a time of 7
minutes 42.99 seconds from a standing start.
We also had the major C6 Z06 press show in Germany. During the show, Jan gave rides to the
writers on the Formula 1 track at the Nürburgring.
When all the Z06 development was complete and we started working on ZR1, coincidentally it was
the same time that Tom Wallace took over as chief engineer. That Z06 became Tom’s car of choice
at all the track events we went to for ZR1 development. It was known as Tommy’s Toy.
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All I have to say is this car exemplified how robust the Corvette platform is. We drove it into the
ground for several years and it ran like a champ the entire time. I sure hope it goes to a good home.”
(Editor’s note: below are a couple of photos for this car that Jim included in the blog post.)
My favorite photo with Jan going airborne at the ring.
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A somewhat younger Jan and Jim
discussing performance at a ring test.
The blue devil waiting for a chance to get
out on the track at the ring.
Editor’s note: If you happen to be the lucky purchaser of this car I’d like more photos and a chance for
a ride around VIR. Just be aware that I am still looking into knocking out a wall in my garage to be
able to park it with my 2007 Black Z06!
Jim Mero’s blog and website are located at: https://jimmero.com/
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How to follow the Rolex 24 at Daytona race - (maybe)
Contributed by Jon Thorn
The Rolex 24 at Daytona is rapidly approaching. I thought I would add some information on the race
here in the Courier for fans of endurance sports car racing that cannot be at the track in Daytona.
The race begins on Saturday January 25th at 1:35 PM EST and runs until 1:35 PM EST on Sunday
January 26th. It is, of course, the first race of the 2020 season in the WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship. It is also the first ever race for the Corvette C8.R and so loyal Corvette fans
everywhere will be keeping an eye on this weekend.
WeatherTech Championship Qualifying will be held on Thursday January 23rd. The qualification
schedule runs from 4:05 PM to 5:20 PM EST. The schedule for the various classes follows:
GTD 4:15 PM to 4:30 PM EST
GTLM 4:40PM to 4:55 PM EST
Dpi/LMP2 5:05 PM to 5:20 PM EST
Streaming video should be available over IMSA.TV from the IMSA website, https://www.imsa.com/
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Timing and Scoring data will be available at https://scoring.imsa.com/. If you go to this website in
advance of Qualification you will see the results for the Qualification at the Roar Before the Rolex 24
which was held on January 4th and January 5th. This qualification was used to determine pit box and (I
believe) paddock locations for the race.
TV or streaming video coverage of IMSA races has been improving over the past couple of years but
it is still easily possible to show that it is not yet adequate for the fans. It is amazing how many bits of
information are required to follow a single IMSA race. I’ll try to provide the range of possibilities for
race day here in one spot.
Streaming video over IMSA.TV is expected to be available for the entire race from the internet. The
problem is that IMSA geolocks this stream in the U.S. during the race and probably also in Canada.
They do this in order to support international fans. If you are a tech savvy person you may have some
success by establishing a VPN link through a country outside the U.S. but the more fans that load
down the IMSA.TV stream the worse the coverage will be.
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) has a patchwork of coverage during the race. This is what I have from
my FIOS program menu at the moment.
Saturday January 25th 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM EST
11:00 PM to 12:00 midnight EST
Sunday January 26th 12:00 midnight to 2:30 AM EST
6:00 AM to 12:00 noon EST
As you can see the NBCSN coverage, at least as far as I can tell now, does not include the start or
the end of the race. Their actual coverage of IMSA races is a moving target right up to the event. So I
expect there will be changes to what I can see on the schedule now.
This year IMSA is promoting TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold here in the U.S. This is a subscription
service. IMSA has provided a FAQ on this service on their website here:
https://www.imsa.com/trackpass. NBC Sports Gold has several different levels of subscription access
for TrackPass. An all access TrackPass costs $44.99 for a year or $4.99 for a month. An IMSA only
TrackPass sells for $19.99 for a year or $2.99 for a month. TrackPass information is located here:
https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/trackpass
Additional services during the race include timing and scoring data and a (always excellent)
streaming radio broadcast from RadioShowLimited (Radio LeMans).
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While IMSA geolocks the IMSA.TV stream during the race, they (usually) do allow access to timing
and scoring during the whole race on their website at: https://scoring.imsa.com/.
Radio Le Mans will have streaming audio reporting throughout the race on RS2 at:
http://www.radiolemans.co/.
Any update to this information will be provided on the CCA Facebook Group for members and friends
(Corvette Club of America) on January 25th, the morning of the race start.
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2019 in Photos
Contributed by April Hussey
Sunday, January 13 - New Year's Brunch (photos taken by Andrew Callimahos and Paul Donohue)
Saturday, February 2 - Annual Winter Awards Dinner Party - Normandie Farm
(photos taken by Jon Thorn and Van Vander Haar)
Sunday, February 24 - 10th Annual Winter Karting Event (photos taken by Jon Thorn)
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Saturday, March 23 - St. Patrick’s Day Lunch - Killarney House (photos taken by Jon Thorn)
Sunday, May 18 - Brightview Fallsgrove Corvette Invitational (photos taken by Van Vander Haar)
May through October - Autocross Events (photos taken by Jon Thorn and Van Vander Haar)
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Saturday, June 1 - Spring Cruise & Lunch - Gaithersburg to Leesburg via Whites Ferry
(photos taken by Terry Popkin, Jon Thorn, and Van Vander Haar)
Sunday, July 14 - 46th Annual Car Show at Sport Chevrolet - Silver Spring, MD
(photos taken by Terry Popkin, Jon Thorn, and Van Vander Haar)
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Saturday, July 27 - Wine Tasting at Black Ankle Vineyards (photos taken by Van Vander Haar)
Thursday-Sunday, August 22-25 - Corvettes at Carlisle - Carlisle, PA
(photos taken by Jon Thorn and Van Vander Haar)
Saturday, September 7 - CCA & NVCC Corvette Show - Walter Reed, Bethesda, MD
(photos taken by Jon Thorn and Van Vander Haar)
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Sunday, September 22 - 63rd Annual Founders’ Day Picnic - Seneca Creek State Park
(photos taken by Tom Armstrong and Van Vander Haar)
Friday and Saturday, October 4-5 - Free State Corvette Club Ocean City Weekend
(photos taken by Jon Thorn)
More event photos can be found through the Google Photos directory (member sign-in required):
www.vette-club.org/google-photos/
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About the Corvette Club of America
Board of Directors
President Jim Streight president@vette-club.org 240-839-1935
Vice President Neal Atwell vicepresident@vette-club.org
Secretary Paul Vale secretary@vette-club.org 301-570-9348
Treasurer Nita Armstrong treasurer@vette-club.org 443-852-1922
Membership Director Paul Donohue membership@vette-club.org 240-720-7816
Events Coordination Director Devin Streight events@vette-club.org 240-468-8190
NCM Ambassador Terry Popkin ncmambassador@vette-club.org 301-949-2464
Competition Director Bill Sandusky competition@vette-club.org 301-801-7519
Parliamentarian Jon Thorn parliamentarian@vette-club.org 301-963-4864
Vendor & Club Relations Director Van Vander Haar vendorrelations@vette-club.org 410-489-5002
Webmaster April Hussey webmaster@vette-club.org 240-720-7816
Past President W. Kelly Ryan pastpresident@vette-club.org 240-601-6045
Non-Board Positions
Courier Editor Jon Thorn parliamentarian@vette-club.org 301-963-4864
Sale Ad Editor Jon Thorn advertise@vette-club.org 301-963-4864
HPDE Instructor Pat Roney racing@vette-club.org
Maryland
License Wayne Hatcher license_plates@vette-club.org 240-382-4476
Plates
Newsletter Mailing Address
Corvette Club of America, Inc.
19920 Mastenbrook Place
Gaithersburg, MD 20886-1352
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History (1956-2020)
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!
Read more about CCA’s history on the website: www.vette-club.org/history
Charities
The CCA has a long history of philanthropic and charitable support. From the earliest days of the
club, there has always been a strong desire to give back to the community. The present day CCA
continues that heritage through a combination of direct donations to worthy charities and volunteering
of members’ time and effort. Currently our principle efforts are focused toward these nine
organizations and activities. While the CCA occasionally provides support for other organizations,
many of these nine have been on our principal list for a decade or more. You can find more detailed
information on the CCA website: www.vette-club.org/charities
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Sponsors
The Corvette Club of America is indebted to our sponsors. Without their help and support the club
simply would not exist. We maintain an area on our website to recognize the help they provide to us
and we encourage you to review this information. If your needs for products or services align with
their offerings, please be sure to check them out and let them know that you heard about them from
the CCA. Each one has our unconditional recommendation. Click on a logo for more information or
visit the sponsors page on the website: www.vette-club.org/sponsors
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
Contact Kyle Bacon, General Sales Manager for a new or used car - 240-560-5540
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Second Place Winner of the National Corvette Museum Newsletter Contest: 2015, 2018You can also read
