September 2017
The World’s First Corvette Club
President - Bob Atwell
Celebrating our 61st Anniversary Year
" Bob, you look very proud ! "
April Hussey, our Web Queen, said that to me about 4:00 pm Saturday afternoon at "Corvettes at Car-
lisle". We, about eight of us from CCA, were watching the beginning of the Make-A-Wish Foundation -
Corvette Dream Day - for Collin Brown's special presentation.
A little background is probably needed here. Collin Brown is a young man that has a close relationship
with his grandfather, Larry, and Larry's 1968 LeMans Blue, Corvette Convertible that Larry bought new
with a $1.00 deposit in 1968. Story has it, they used to go everywhere together in that Corvette. An
agreement was made that on Collin's 16th birthday He would get the keys to the Corvette so that Collin
and his dad could have a Father and Son bonding project to restore the old 68 vette. About six months
later Life really got in the way. Collin was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He under went a long operation
followed by 12 months of chemotherapy. Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted Tony Avedisian / Tony's
Corvette Shop. Grandfather Larry and Collin drove the 68 vette to Tony's on a Saturday and explained
the wish, Tony smiled and said " Of Course ". Tony started the restoration on May 1st, 2017 and with the
help of so many in the Corvette Community including parts suppliers, body and paint shop, his mechan-
ics that all worked on this car ( on their own time ...... because they like to smile ) to make it perfect on
August 26th. I spoke to Tony at Carlisle on Friday, he said that he had never completed a restoration in
less than five months time before. That is a very Big WOW !! Along the way a CCA member brought
this Wish to the attention of your CCA Board of Directors. We all agreed that it would be a special honor
to make Collin Brown an "Honorary Life Member" of Corvette Club of America. Thanks to April, Van
and Jean, I was able to present to Collin a beautifully framed certificate of "Honoray Life Member-
ship" (look for pictures in this issue of the Corvette Courier), a Blue 60th Anniversary T-shirt and a Blue
CCA hat, all in the correct size and they match the '68 Corvette very well!!
Back to 4:00 pm Saturday, Corvettes at Carlisle, we had kind of figured out who was who in the Collin
Brown family. They were all smiling along with Tony. I was just taking it all in when April came up to
me and said " Bob, you look very proud ! " I was and I still am " Very Proud " to have represented
Corvette Courier
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 2
"Corvette Club of America" at this very special event. You had to have been there. Few dry eyes in
the crowd were to be found by the time the Carlisle Events representative finished the ceremony. The
Corvette Community really came thru along with Tony Avedisian who is a Giant in that community.
Collin has been through a lot in his young life and he has a whole lot more in front of him. I hope and
pray that he has a full recovery, that he can enjoy life, his beautiful 1968 Corvette and become an ac-
tive member of the First Corvette Club on the planet - Corvette Club of America ! ! !
Our next Monthly Membership Meeting will be October 10th at the Greene Turtle in Burtonsville,
MD from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
September 26th, Tuesday will be Shop Night at Sport Chevrolet. *** Important Note *** IF you are
not in the Service Area by 7:30 pm you may have to turn around and go home if everyone else has al-
ready finished working on their cars. I will wait until 7:30. BUT, I am not going to ask Randy and the
others to wait until 9:00 on the chance that someone might show up. Generally you can start working
on your car between 5:30 and 6:00 pm.
Safe Motoring and " Save the Wave",
Bob Atwell
2017 President, Corvette Club of America
The Corvette Courier Sepember 2017 Page 3
Membership Director - Jean Wade
CCA Membership Update
MEMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION
Welcome our Newest Members: Sponsor:
Karl Burghardt Warrenton, Va. 15 orange C & 02 yell C Roney
Paul Loftus Poolesville, Md. 93 white coupe Web
Nick Nucci Woodbine, Md. 17 gray GS C Webs
Winston Lee Ripon, CA No Corvette Sport
Collin Brown Frederick, Md. 68 Blue R Tony
James & Ellen Rossmeissl Menasha WI 2011 white GS Web
I joined CCA because:
Karl - I love high-speed racing. Roney told me it was the best club to join.
Paul - owned a C3 and belonged to Delaware Cub. I just bought a 93 40th anniversary. Look forward to
joining in on events.
Nick -’17 is a GS collector’s ed. Watkins Glen gray. Interest high-speed race. Donated $5.
Winston - Looking for a Corvette at the moment.
Collin - C3 Lemans blue R was handed down from grandfather for his 16th birthday. Soon after he
developed brain cancer. Tony’s Corvette’s did a complete make over on the car. The car was
presented to Collin at Carlisle. He is an honorary member of CCA and NCM.
James - Social events NCM trips.
New Maryland CCA License Plate Rep Mr. Wayne Hatcher from Hagerstown, Md.
Looking for CCA Organizational Maryland Plates for your Vette or even maybe
the daily driver? Wayne will help. 204-382-4476 13405 Windson Dr. Hagerstown
Md. 21742 [email protected]
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.
Check the following pages for up coming events. Don’t miss out on all the fun!
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 4
Membership Director
Jean Wade,
[email protected] 301-253-6074,
2000 Red Coupe, 1 Red Hot
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 5
Upcoming Events & Reminders
Calendar - https://www.vette-club.org/events/
September 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, September 26, 2017, 6:30PM – 9:00PM
Sport Chevrolet – 3101 Automobile Blvd., Silver Spring, MD 20904
https://www.vette-club.org/events/8/
October 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, October 10, 2017, 7:30PM – 9:00PM
The Greene Turtle – 15660 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866
https://www.vette-club.org/events/19/
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)
https://www.vette-club.org/events/184/
RSVP: http://www.msreg.com/Corvettes-WWTB-17
Royal GTOs Fall Car Show
Open to all makes and models. Rain or shine. Registration 8:30AM – 11:00AM. $15 paid in ad-
vance, $20 day of. Proceeds to be donated to the American Legion National Emergency Fund.
Sunday, September 24, 2017, 8:30AM – 3:00PM
Sykesville American Legion Post 223 – 7327 Slacks Road, Sykesville, MD 21784
https://www.vette-club.org/events/190/
October 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 9 for more
details.
Sunday, October 1, 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/183/
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 6
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
RSVP: https://www.vette-club.org/events/38/
Rockville Antique and Classic Car Show The grounds of Glenview mansion transform when more than 550 antique and classic automo-
biles go on display.
Saturday, October 14, 2017, 11:00AM – 3:30PM
Rockville Civic Center Park – 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD, 20851
https://www.vette-club.org/events/189/
2017 NCM Corvette Racing Weekend at AACA Museum The NCM welcomes Program Manager, Doug Fehan and Driver, Tommy Milner to a Corvette
Racing celebration.
Friday, October 20, 2017, 5:15PM – Saturday, October 21, 2017, 2:15PM
Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum – 161 Museum Drive, Hershey,
PA 17033
https://www.vette-club.org/events/191/
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 7
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
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 8
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Corvette rAMBLINGS
The Corvette Courier Editor – Jon Thorn
This month’s Courier is being produced on the road. I am currently on a two week trip to Canada. I guess
you would call it a vacation but I’ve been retired since 2009 so I doubt that the word “vacation” really
applies. Last week we got together with Evelyn’s sister in Sydney, Nova Scotia and this week we are
staying at Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. It is a very long road trip but it has been a lot of fun.
This coming weekend we will be spending a little time in Maine as we head for home. The only bad
news from all this has been that the September issue is being brought to you later than normal and it is a
little harder putting the newsletter together without my nice desktop PC setup at home.
I would like to pass along congratulations to our NCM Ambassador, Terry Popkin, for graduating from
the Citizen Academy. Be sure to check with him if you would like more information on this program.
From the Montgomery County Police Department Facebook
page:
"Congratulations to the 37 recent graduates of the 53rd Citizen
Academy!
The Citizen Academy serves to increase resident awareness of
the function of the police department. Participants learn about
topics relative to the role of the police officer in their commu-
nity. During a 15-week academy, residents are instructed on
such topics as criminal law, Maryland traffic law, and investi-
gations."
There are three special articles for your enjoyment this month. One is by Mike Newlander with his com-
ments on the NCM HPDE in August. The second is by Van on the very special presentation during Cor-
vettes at Carlisle. The third is from our long distance members, Kim and Donna Lewis, in Queensland,
Australia who are restoring a ‘58 right hand drive. Be sure to check out all these articles!
Save the Wave!
Jon Thorn
CCA Corvette Courier Editor
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 11
Competition Director - Stephen Catlin
Corvette Competition
Competition Report - August 2017
NCM Motorsports Park HPDE – August 26-27, 2017 Several CCA club members including myself traveled to Bowling Green, KY for another fun 2-day
HPDE at ever-so-fun NCM Motorsports Park. Weather was great and there was a nice gathering of
CCA members and friends throughout the weekend to hang with. A more detailed report on this
event will be covered later by Pat R., with a special go-kart event report by guest writer and NCM
Board member Mike Newlander. Here is my recap.
A familiar hang out place for CCA members and friends was Pat S’s RV.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 12
Friday – I rolled into NCM at noon and spent the afternoon with Tom A., Pat R., and a few others helping with tech. Afterwards we drank a couple beverages, and checked out the new NCM go-kart track – Round 1. Pat R. kicked our butts with me a somewhat close 2nd.
Saturday – A wonderful issue-free day with plenty of track time and lots of comradery with several
CCA members and friends hanging around Pat S.’s camper. I managed to remember the course from
last year, and dropped several seconds off my best lap to date, getting several low 2:18s running in the
Black group.
Tearing up the track on Saturday and giving Radial Tire some high-speed advertising!
After the last Session of the day, many of us again gathered around Pat S’s RV for a couple beverages.
Then the kart track called to us for Round 2 and Round 3! Round 2 I was outgunned by 1/2 the field. ®
Round 3 I started in 3rd and soon got to the lead. It didn’t take long before I started taking love taps
from multiple cars looking to punt me out of the way! I managed to counter-steer quickly to avoid get-
ting spun and stayed wide enough (and straight enough) to avoid a pass. Then after a minor calming
period NCM instructor Chuck grabbed sole possession of 2nd and found a new attack method-
stealthily getting up to and against my back bumper and not braking (trying to get me to overshoot the
tight corners). I countered by coasting in the straights and braking early to keep him tight on me to
lose his momentum, while steering to take away the inside line. That resulted in 2 karts with locked
bumpers for the last several intense minutes! Somehow I survived the onslaught to take the checkered
flag for the win! Whew! That generated more adrenaline than running the real NCM track with the Z!
LOL.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 13
Sunday – Another issue-free day, but today I only ran 2.5 sessions as I was running out of equipment.
Eric M. rode along in Session 1 and got me down to an even lower 2:17.5 lap time! Session 3 I never
got enough clean track for a whole hot lap so I practiced my line. I came in with less than a session
worth of brake pads and fuel and 1 tire cording the edge. Rather than shut down for the day I chose to
turn 30 minute Session 4 into a warm up lap, two focused hot laps, and a cool down lap to bring the
car home with everything THOROUGHLY used up.
Running the lines Eric taught me (but with much improvised heavy drifting through turns 6, 7, 19 and 20 because it was fun and helped kill tires) I ran the most consistent and fun laps of the event with a 2:17.92 and 2:17.93! I was content knowing that times could have been even faster had I not been hot-dogging the corners so much!
CCA Autocross #4 @ Lincoln College – September 10, 2017
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 14
While Florida hunkered down for Irma, we had perfect cool and sunny weather in Columbia! This was
our largest event to date with 41 drivers! Thank you to all for attending! Tons of pics from this event
are flowing in and can be found at https://www.vette-club.org/autocross/2017-09-10/ along with the
full results.
We had several newcomers, including my son Tyler who had a blast running my 08Z!
Another newcomer was our own Paul D. who stepped out from timing to run his ZR1!
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 15
We also had a very unique 1990s imported Mazda AZ-1. A what you say???
This little “car” is right-hand drive, has gullwing doors and makes a Miata look roomy!
The drivers appeared to enjoy my improvised layout, which was fairly fast and had a couple nice
sweeping turns that got the tires squealing and the driver’s faces grinning!
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 16
Thanks to all the hard work by our club members for making this event a huge success. A special
thanks to April and Paul for rewriting the timing software, fixing various hardware issues, getting
online registration streamlined, and results streamed! The timing went flawless Sunday and allowed us
to get in 4 runs in both the AM and PM sessions and allowed the drivers to see their times and penal-
ties in real time!
Paul aka “Schroeder” doing timing “debug” April aka “Lucy,” Bob and Jon helping too. Our live streaming results shown at timing as the cars drove by (and via cell phone).
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 17
We again held a little awards ceremony after the event to honor our various class winners. Mike T.
took OF (FWD) honors with a 41.949. Tom R. took C6 (Corvette) honors with a 39.719. Zachary H.
took ORD (RWD domestic) honors with a 39.546. Robert H. took ORF (RWD foreign) honors with a
38.959. Henry S. took CZ (Corvette) honors with a 37.692 and also took home a $25 gift certificate
for 2nd place overall. Jerry B. took OA (AWD) honors with a 37.582 and also took home a $50 gift
certificate for overall FTD!
Overall FTD Jerry B. 2nd Overall Henry S.
Our last autocross of the year is on October 1, 2017 and registrations are filling up fast at
https://www.vette-club.org/events/183/. Please come out to participate, help or just hang out and
watch!
Until next month...
Stephen Catlin
CCA Competition Director
703-220-1136
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 18
HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING EVENTS by Pat Roney
FATT at SUMMIT POINT SHENANDOAH CIRCUIT Aug 19, 2017
Once a year BSR does a SATT (Saturday At The Track) on the Shenandoah Circuit. Thankfully the
weather was great as this is a very technical track that provides many multi turn scenarios. Both
teaching and driving this track are challenging.
Cars in the pits waiting their turn to go out on track.
Fellow CCA member Karl B. taking a
car load of students out for a skid pad
lesson. Karl teaches them car control
items like “understeer” and “oversteer”.
In my opinion, Karl is the best at this as
he presents a logical explanation in a
very calm manner. This car control
exercise is a little different from most as
Karl is working the accelerator from the
passenger seat. The student then tries to
get the car under control with the
steering.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 19
An unusual group of cars, but there is a reason that I took this picture. Catie T with her BMW 235i in
front was my novice student. The BMW M3 next to her is her husband Dean T. who I had worked
with a couple of times before. I also worked with Dean today and felt he was ready to graduate to the
Advanced group which has the most experienced and fastest drivers. As a special treat for Dean I
asked Chris S, with the yellow C7 Grand Sport, to check him out. Chris is an accomplished SCCA
national champion and taught Dean a few nice driving maneuvers.
The last group at the track recounting the fun for the day. Clockwise around the table are Catie T.,
CCA member Karl B, Chris S, and Dean T. Notice all of the smiles.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 20
NCM at NCM MSP Aug 26 & 27, 2017
Not surprising that we had another great HPDE event at the National Corvette Museum Motorsports
Park hosted by NCM. How could we miss with such a great staff. Paula was reluctant to be in a pic-
ture because she didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. However, Paula came up with this sign, sim-
ple as it may be, it solved the problem we had getting drivers into the correct line for tech. And as you
can see in the picture below, her beautiful smile makes all around her feel a little bit better.
We had a great group participating in this event and enjoying the event. However, with Evelyn S,
Myra D, and Gerry W missing, it was not the same. I am hoping that everything will be better soon.
Another NCM MSP staff member that helps everything run smoother is Justin. Justin is usually found
in the store.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 21
Add in the beautiful smile of Julie as she
registers another driver for the event.
CCA club members participating in this
event are left to right: Steve C, David S,
David C, Nita A, CCA wanabe and NCM
MSP Co Chief Instructor Pat S, Tom A
and myself. That is Steve C’s car
we are next to.
Once again Tom A, Steve C and I were
Pat S’s tech crew.
Participants waiting for the morning briefing.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 22
Remington Sanford Racing principals
David S and David C just before David C
headed out on track
David C with the Remington Sanford
Racing Corvette C5 enjoying some
track time.
Our own Competition Chair Steve C exercis-
ing his Z06 Corvette.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 23
I had the pleasure of working with Carter
S in his C7 Z06 Corvette.
Here Pat S, Co-Chief Instructor is con-
gratulating Carter on a job well done.
Look who showed up just as the tracking
portion of the event was wrapping up.
Our own Art B came by to say hello and
catch up with John and Rita Heinricy.
The National Corvette Museum
Motorsports Park and Matick Chevrolet
have teamed to provide 5 new C7
Corvettes to be used for touring and hot
lap rentals at the NCM MSP. For $199
you can do touring laps on track in one of
these awesome Corvettes.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 24
CHIN TRACKDAYS at WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL Sept 4 & 5
Watkins Glen with Chin Trackdays is one of my favorite events and something I usually do twice a
year. This year was no exception. Since the Indy cars were racing on September 3rd we couldn’t get
into the track until the morning of the 4th. That meant that we had 100 participants to register and to
tech their cars before our 7:40am Drivers Meeting on Monday morning.
Monday was a great track day weather wise but the weather changed on Tuesday. It rained on and off
all day. When it wasn’t raining the fog was so bad that they had to close the track since the Corner
workers couldn’t see to the next station.
So when you get lemons, you make lemonade and I did. I took the opportunity to get a ride with Mark
W in the rain. I have been talking with Mark about riding with him in the rain ever since I saw him in
the rain at Palmer Motorsports Park last year. He was driving close to what most can do on a dry
track, lap after lap.
To drive at the limits in the rain you need to follow all of the basics and figure out where the wet line
is and where the limits are and then be very careful with all your inputs. That sounds very simple in
theory, but riding with Mark I saw an expert in action. All of his steering, throttle and braking actions
were extremely smooth as he kept the car on the edge of traction. I could feel the car being very loose
on track and very smoothly brought back to stable. To drive like Mark in the rain would take hun-
dreds of hours practice and more talent than I will ever have. Mark, thanks for that great experience.
Mark with his C5
Corvette after my
ride with him in the
rain.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 25
And since we were making lemonade, Chin Trackdays had Marty F lead a track walk.
Marty F, at the left of this
picture with the black hat
and coat, led a track walk
while the track was closed
due to fog. Marty has been
racing here since he was 12
years old. He started then
in go carts and then raced
Porsches for many years.
Chin Trackdays is great about sending out an expert for a track walk and has done so at many different
tracks.
Jim Brazzi giving a very
relaxed classroom session.
This was his last of several
classroom presentations
for this event and was very
informative.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 26
Tracking family of the year candidates.
I had the pleasure of doing a check out ride with Kyle I, standing between his dad and his girlfriend.
Kyle passed the solo check out ride with flying colors. He has been going to the track with his dad
since he was a little kid and it showed as he knew the entire process and terminology. Kyle’s girl-
friend helped me get my harness on and was a great help checking the car out between sessions.
Kyle’s father, in the orange shirt, and brother, next to the “59” car number, and Kyle built this car as a
family project and this time Kyle and his dad were the drivers. His brother is a driver also but I don’t
think he got out at this event. Kyle’s mom was here also but didn’t come back until after the pictures
had been taken. She is a track fan also. What a great family.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 27
Our own CCA member Karl
B giving a thumbs up as he
is heading out on track in his
beautiful C7 Z06 Corvette.
A couple of the nice cars here: a DP02 race car and a Ferrari 458 Italia heading out for some track
time.
The AutoNation Indy car team
rented the track for a couple of
hours after we were off the track
on Monday. It is amazing how
fast these cars are and we were
lucky to be able to get so close to
the track to observe this beautiful
Indy car on track.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 28
It was kind of strange being the first one into the garages Tuesday morning. I turned on the lights to
start the day. The track snack bar lady was already there in the trailer serving hot coffee and snacks
with a pleasant greeting and a nice smile on her face.
Our Chin staff with the Watkins Glen Pit Marshall. L to R: Jim Brazzi, Gary Atkins, Jack Beachem
and Jim Pomroy.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 29
I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes talking with Peter Argetsinger Tuesday morning and
promised to send him a link to the article last year about him. Peter is a very accomplished driver and
coach and was there coaching a couple of the Chin Trackdays drivers.
Peter, here is the link to the article last year: https://archives.vette-club.org/newsletters/2016-06.pdf
My HPDE article starts on page 18 and runs through page 36. Check out page 32 for the article on
you. You may also want to check out page 33 for an interesting article on Gary Atkins.
I had the pleasure of spending some time with Gregg Frey talk-
ing about the U.S. Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen running
just after our Chin event. Gregg is holding a magazine with an
article about his dad, George Frey, who had won many races
including a few of the original Watkins Glen races driving Por-
sche Speedsters.
Gregg will be driving a 1970 Porsche 914/6 in this years Vin-
tage race at Watkins Glen. He was out with Chin practicing at
this event.
Winding down after a hard 2 days on track,
Suzie and I stopped by Ben and Jerry’s for ice
cream cones. While enjoying the ice cream, I
see a gentleman waving to me from outside. I
am thinking, that is Peter Krause, and I have a
perplexed look on my face as I wave back.
Peter passes on and them comes back into the
store to say hello. He remembered and asked
about CornerCravers and we chatted for a cou-
ple of minutes. Peter, of course, is a profes-
sional driving coach to many in our sport in-
cluding many professional racers.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page30
FATT at SUMMIT POINT CIRCUIT September 8, 2017
Kelly R was the high bidder for the Friday At The Track (FATT) at our Awards Dinner this year and
we finally came up with a date that worked for us. I was thrilled to work with Kelly at Summit Point
on their main circuit as we had been talking about this for quite a while. From the picture below you
can tell that Kelly was happy also.
The CCA parking area was looking good.
Notice Bill S’s beautiful Corvette C7
behind Kelly’s car.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 31
Here we have a fine bunch
of Corvette enthusiast.
From L to R: David C
(CCA), Bill S (CCA),
Kelly R (CCA), Jim R
(LCCC), Andrej B
(NVCC), David S (CCA),
Chris S, and myself.
We are missing fellow
CCA members Bob A and
Karl B.
Karl was working his
magic teaching car control
techniques on the skid
pad.
Here we have Kelly head-
ing out on track for some
more fun.
Bob A, our CCA presi-
dent, and his friend Rob,
along with our own track
guy Bill S came up to give
moral support to Kelly.
Several of us went to din-
ner to celebrate Kelly’s
success on track.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 32
NATIONAL SAFETY FOUNDATION INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION
The NSF has been working for a couple of years to help make the HPDE’s safer. As a matter of fact,
the NSF was at Sebring back in January 2016 offering Simpson Hybrid Neck Protection devices and
helmets for participants to try out. I rented one for a $40 fee and had the opportunity to see if it would
work for me. I do recommend neck protection for all in this sport.
The NSF Mission/Vision is:
Improve the standards and operations of HPDE schools,
Instructor training programs, and Instructors to provide a safer and better
quality experience for performance driving students and Instructors
NSF has developed an Instructor Certification program and Chin Trackdays has been heavily involved
working with NSF on this. There are the 5 Levels of Certification:
Level 1: Online Instructor training program
Level 2: Hands-on Certified HPDE Organizer Instructor Training Program (for Level 1 certified In-
structor Candidates only).
Level 3: Classroom Instructor.
Level 4: Remote instruction using data acquisition and video.
Level 5: Chief Instructor, with focus on operations and organization of a HPDE event, as well as the
management and mentoring of instructors.
Chin Trackdays has been working with NSF for a couple of years on developing the Level 2 program
and is now one of the two organization certified to offer Level 2 training and certification.
Chin’s Level 2 program has 2 classroom sessions and 6 on track roll playing sessions.
I am honored to be one of the first to have achieved Level 2 certification.
NEW CCA HPDE PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE
Our Website team let 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 excellent 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/
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 33
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
September 24-27 Rally North America Drive Series
September 29 Seat Time at Summit Point
Sept. 30 – Oct 1 TrackDaze at Summit Point
October 7-8 NASA at VIR
October 14 & 15 Chin at NCM MSP
October 20 FATT at Summit Pont Jefferson Circuit
October 21-22 SCCA PDX at Summit Pont Jefferson
October 22 & 23 Chin at VIR
Pat Roney
Corvette Club of America
Runner?? It was a victory lap.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 34
NCM MSP HPDE Aug 26-27 -- An Article not by Pat Roney
By Michael Newlander
Anybody that has read past reports on the NCM HPDE’s by Pat Roney already knows our events are
run with an emphasis on safety teaching students to drive faster while remaining in control. Race
tracks and racing programs can be found all over the country. What distinguishes the NCM events
from the rest is the intangible camaraderie among the participants that somehow seems to strengthen
with each event. Article after article Pat has shared an aspect of an off-track story that made it spe-
cial. Our recent outing in Bowling Green offered yet another venue that was new to this group, Go-
Karts! I felt compelled to share our latest experience as the focus is on Pat, one of the humblest guys
I’ve met and would otherwise never be shared.
It’s Saturday Aug 26, 2017 at 5:30pm CST and the track is now cold. Our biggest incident was a flat
tire on a Porsche which resulted in a tow off track. This keeps Co-Chief Pat Sullivan and myself
happy when cars remain shiny side up. All drivers stow away their helmets and gear and head over
to the Sullivan Compound for cold beverages. You can see in the pic below Pat Sullivan and Pat
Roney sitting nearest to the motorhome door. This is where all the bench racing stories start.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 35
It didn’t take long for a few instigators to get everyone else amped up and amendable to head over to
the new Kartplex at MSP which recently made go-karting available. Pat Roney was the first guy out
of his chair. The Kartplex offers different options for drivers which includes but is not limited to,
open lapping, hourly rental and a race format. As you have already concluded before finishing this
sentence, the race format was selected. Let the trash talking begin! The rules are simple, be the first
to cross the finish line after 20 laps with no bumping. The bumping rule lasted until the first turn of
the first lap. This is like wrestling with your brother, it always starts out real friendly!
Eight of us completed the race and headed over to the scoring screen to see how we all fared. The
winner was Eric Monterastelli, a youngster considering most of our ages, who used to race in Kart
Enduros. Despite Eric’s victory, Pat Roney was quick to let us all know he ran the fastest lap of the
session, he did. Many of us simultaneously told Pat to stop chirping as he wasn’t the driver who got
the victory lap with the checkered flag. Pat politely let it go as we were to learn later we should have
too! We all returned to the Sullivan Compound where the 7 losers discussed (made excuses) why
they lost.
Fast forward to Sunday morning and we had another picture-perfect day in terms of weather. The
second day of the HPDE went flawless with no run group losing track time. At 5:30pm like prepro-
grammed robots, we all returned to the Sullivan Compound for refreshments. It didn’t take any egg-
ing for the group to return to the Kartplex for yet another contest.
This time everyone knew the drill, register your name, get your pole position location, helmets se-
cured and game faces on. Green Green Green, and the second race started. We had bumping, we had
pile ups, we even had a black flag presented to a group of 6 running tight which yours truly pitted for
(apparently, I was the only idiot to come in as the flagger was just trying to tell everyone to play
nice), suffice to say I locked up eighth place (sounds better than last)!
As I unbuckled from the Kart sulking over of my talentless run, I looked up and saw Pat Roney dis-
playing the checkered flag on his solo victory lap, what????? As Pat made us all aware afterwards
with a well-deserved cockiness, “You guys let the 75-year-old beat you!” I admit I laughed to my-
self quietly as it really was funny. Make no mistake about it, nobody was letting anybody win out
there, you would have thought it was for a national title.
https://youtu.be/jfqkzJuIsNk
Pat, thanks for all you do for our program always willing to step up and fill a void when needed. You
deserve the checkered flag, not because you’re a good guy (you are), not because you’re my friend
(you are), but because you beat the snot out of all us, arguably both days!
If you haven’t run with the NCM HPDE program, come on out, it’s just as much fun off track as on!
Mike Newlander
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 36
NCM Ambassador - Terry Popkin
National Corvette Museum Report
Terry Popkin, NCM Ambassador, [email protected], 301-949-2464
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 37
The Presentation of a 1968 Corvette to Collin Brown
Corvettes at Carlisle 2017
By Van Vander Haar
A 16 year-old young man in the community was diagnosed to have brain cancer. His wish was to
have his Grandfather's Corvette, that was recently given to him, be restored.
Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation - Mid-Atlantic, Tony was consulted to make a determination
of what the Corvette needed to make it right. Collin's grandfather had stated there were four pages of
things that needed to be taken care of. Quite a formidable endeavor monetarily and time-wise. Some-
thing the Make-A-Wish Foundation was not able to make happen on its own.
Tony met the family and was immediately taken to heart with the idea of doing this and making the
wish happen.
Tony's thoughts and prayers were with Collin and his family. Collin has been through a lot, and he
will be continuing to go through procedures to get back to, what we hope is, great health. We are all
praying for Collin, his family and his support team of doctors. Tony felt this wish had to happen and
he was going to get it done, one way or another.
Tony contacted the many Corvette vendors he has worked with over his 39 years of Corvette work.
Everyone that he asked for help responded positively and without reservation, and they are listed on
the poster below.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 38
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 39
The next idea that Tony had was to present the Corvette to Collin at Corvettes at Carlisle, only 4 and
half months away. He wanted to be able to allow the vendors, who so graciously agreed to be in-
volved in this project, to be able to see the result of their contributions. Lance Miller and Jodi Morri-
son at Carlisle Events responded, determined to make it possible.
Fortunately, Tony has the knowledge, resources and expertise, as well as a staff of Corvette experts at
Tony's Corvette Shop that have the same type of knowledge and talent to do this, and they used their
own time to work on the Corvette.
Haley Beidel, Wish Coordinator at Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, had no idea what she started. She
also didn't know what Tony knows, what he does and how he does it. She didn't have a clue of why
he does it. Tony has the heart of the big block in a mid-year Corvette. It's like a big block in that
when you look at a Corvette powered by one, you won't see it, but when it's running you can feel it.
We all "felt" Tony's heart at Carlisle on that afternoon on Saturday, August 26th, 2017.
Members of the audience, the Carlisle staff, the Collins family, vendors that participated and mem-
bers of the Corvette Club of America all felt it and it brought many of us to tears. It was a very emo-
tional event. It still effects me as I write this article.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 40
Tony told me that Haley Beidel was at the event expecting to see a couple of hundred Corvettes at a
car show. Make-A-Wish had wanted to present the Corvette to Collin at Tony's shop in Gaithersburg.
Tony had bigger ideas.
When Haley arrived at Carlisle and received her VIP badge, then looked out at 44 acres of Corvettes
and vendors, then went on to the venue where the Corvette was located and witnessed the throng of
well wishers, the list of Vendors that supported the restoration effort, and the signed banner with the
hundreds of signatures wishing Collin well, she couldn't help but tear up herself. The make-A-Wish
Foundation could not have fathomed this Make a Wish that Tony created. I've known Tony for 33
years - I could imagine it.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 41
The event was amazing. Tony described the events leading up to this day starting with the initial con-
tact by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to evaluate the Corvette, the contact with vendors, Carlisle
Events setting up the venue and ending with the reveal. Then, when Tony informed us that Collin
was in remission, the applause, tears and emotions of that information was palpable.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 42
Collins parents were there and his Grandfather described the life he and Collin shared, how they trav-
eled to different venues together in the Corvette and that he promised to give the Corvette to Collin;
how he gave Collin a Blue model Corvette on his 16th birthday, saying he had promised him a Cor-
vette and how Collin had an unhappy look about him until his Grandfather told him to open the trunk
of the model wherein lay the set of keys to the 1968 Corvette. Then he told the chilling story of how,
not long after that, they found Collin had brain cancer and their world changed from things Corvette,
and the work on it, and focused on to Collins health.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 43
Tony presented the Corvette to Collin with cheers and applause from the audience. as he described
the process he went through to get the restoration accomplished.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 44
A few of us from the Corvette Club of America were there with our President, Bob Atwell, who pre-
sented Collin with an Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Corvette Club of America, along with a
blue CCA Cap and T-Shirt.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 45
The weather was spectacular all day, the presentation was fabulous, and this Corvettes at Carlisle will
be remembered for a very long time for the well wishes and presentation to Collin of his Grandfa-
ther's restored 1968 Corvette.
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 46
Collin, his Grandfather and the 1968 Corvette
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 47
Editor’s note: Here is an update via email from members Kim and Donna Lewis on the
progress of their restoration project in Queensland.
Good morning Jean, Nita & fellow distant club members,
We have just had the vette returned after spending 5 months at the beauty parlour where it was de-
cided that even with all the facials possible, a face lift as well would not go astray. Colour is code
correct for that year & model, something that we are doing throughout the entire ground up restora-
tion for all trims, mouldings & fittings. The reconstruction now officially starts, with nearly 90% of
genuine 58 vette parts in hand & the remainder either on route or still to be acquired, we now have
the distant finish line in sight. The rear bumpers were not salvageable, so we were very fortunate
after a multitude of phone calls to the States to find an original rear bumper set that have never been
used, check out attachment V6, still pinching ourselves with this find.
Paint & panel was performed by ‘Rides by Kam’, an exceptionally talented local company here on
the Gold Coast that has built one off cars ground up & sent to your homeland for shows & sales,
check out his website. We were very, very fortunate that a someone of this calibre was able to do the
car for us. Instruments were done over your way by ‘Rick’s Restorations’ Maryland, again we were
blessed finding someone with the passion to have the finished product better than the original, he
came highly recommended as he had already done work for my associates previously on a 59 vette
restoration.
Will keep you up to date with progress reports & photos as ‘Bette the Vette’ continues along her
path of coming back to life bigger & better than she ever was some 60 years ago.
All the very best from the land down under.
Kim & Donna Lewis
Picture V1
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 48
Picture V2 Picture V3
Picture V4 Picture V5
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 49
Picture V6
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 50
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 Gibbs Fogarty, Manager at Sport Chevrolet for a new or used car - (240)560-5383
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
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 51
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:
October 10th
Shop Night Location: Sport Chevrolet 3101 Automobile Blvd. Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 Fourth Tuesday of each month except November and December when it will be the THIRD Tuesday because of holidays. Shop Night begins at 6:00 PM. You must arrive no later than 7:30 PM or the shop may be closed. Next Shop Night:
September 26th
CCA Monthly Meeting Locations
The Corvette Courier September 2017 Page 52
Tony Avedisian, Owner 7500 Rickenbacker Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
301-987-0565
http://www.tonyscorvetteshop.com
Contact CCA Tag Leader Wayne Hatcher
240-382-4476
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