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July 2018 Volume 46, No.7

THE OFFICIAL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE LAS VEGAS CORVETTES ASSOCIATION

LVCA is proudly Sponsored by

~ All Chevrolet trademark(s) used with the written permission of General Motors ~

45 for 45 Anniversary Cake

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LVCA EXECUTIVE BOARD President: Skip Kelley - (702) 453-5353 Vice President: Holley Holran - (702) 254-9749 Secretary: Denise Karpa - (702) 564-1071 Treasurer: Connie Gentry - (702) 565-7587 Director: Kathy Clapp - (702) 254-3265 Director: Curt Russell - (757) 879-0363 Director: Lin Hoernke - (702) 364-0221 Events Coordinator: Ron Petersen - (702) 341-0590 Membership: Julie Cantonwine - (702) 501-2369 Publicity: Linda Simpson - (702) 693-5479 Newsvetter Editor: Jimmy Cavallo - (702) 459-4244 NCCC Governor: Bonnie Corbett - (702) 566-6787 Webmaster: Todd Howell - (702) 400-4500 Webmaster: Pat Russell - (702) 453-2259

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Racer’s Edge: Lanny Lowman - (702) 269-0609 Drag Race Series: Ken Rees - (702) 649-1495 Community Service: Scarlett Stuart (702) 769-2067 Community Service: Gino Montoya (702) 361-6402 Storekeepers: John & Jan Kindell (702) 621-4508 NCM Ambassador: Chris Burkett (757) 201-8241 Sunshine: Scarla Burkett - (757) 201-8241 Sponsor Liaison: Rex Wilhoite - (702) 221-1331 By - Laws: Carl Hastings - (702) 655-2890

Jim Gregorio—Vettech 702-523-8697

*Performance Modifications *Maintenance *Repairs

*After-market Warranty & GMPP

Contribution or gifts to the Las Vegas Corvettes Assoc. Inc. (LVCA) are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Special thanks to Findlay Chevrolet for printing our

NewsVetter

For more information, visit the LVCA website at

www.vegasvettes.com

NewsVetter Advertising Rates Listed Below are the advertising rates for the LVCA NewsVetter

~all ads must be submitted by the 20th of each month ~ Monthly

Business Card - $10.00 - Member $15.00 - Non-Member 1/4 Page - $20.00 - Member $30.00 - Non-Member 1/2 Page - $35.00 - Member $45.00 - Non-Member Full Page - $50.00 - Member $65.00 - Non-Member

Yearly Business Card - $90.00 - Member $160.00 - Non-Member 1/4 Page - $215.00 - Member $275.00 - Non-Member 1/2 Page - $375.00 - Member $450.00 - Non-Member Full Page - $550.00 - Member $675.00 - Non-Member

If you would like to place an advertisement in the NewsVetter, please contact editor: Jimmy Cavallo(702) 459-4244 or Email:

jimcavallo@aol.com Thank you

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NCCC West Coast Regional Calendar ~ NCCC Sanctioned Events are in Red ~ ~ West Coast Region Events are in Blue ~

~ Other Events are in Black ~

2018 July 15-20 59th NCCC national Convention at Best Western Landmark Hotel & Suites I New Orleans, LA - Info: 2018 NCCC Convention web site July 21 Two low speed autocrosses at Santa Maria Airport - Vapor Trail Vettes August 11 7th Annual OC Vettes poker run Sept. 7-8 NCCC national meetingsat Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, MO - Allen Morris ̀ (949) 367-9000 - Email: amorris@aol.com Sept. 22 18th annual Cruisin’ For A Cure for prostate cancer at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA - Proceeds go to the KSK Cancer Center of Irvine - Info: Cruisin’ For A Cure web site Sept 29 Regional governors meeting at Marie Calender’s Restaurant, 12180 Mariposa Rd. Victorville, CA Info: Allen Morris (949) 367-9000 Email: amorrismv@aol.com Oct.6 14th annual Corvette Blast at Santa Maria Inn, Santa Maria, CA - Vapor Trail Vettes Oct. 13 Two low speed autocrossesat Santa Maria Airport - Vapor Trail Vettes Oct. 20 People’s choice car show at Hooters Restaurant in Anaheim, CA - Corvette Super Sports’ Nov. 9-10 NCCC national meetings at the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, MO - Allen Morris (949) 367-9000 Email: amorrosmv@aol.com

2019 Feb. 20-27 13th Corvette Pirate cruise aboard the Carnival Dream to the Western Carribean

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Las Vegas Corvettes Association Schedule of

Upcoming Events 2018

(Revised 7/2/2018) Date Event Event Chairs and Co-Chairs July 4 *4th of July Party Skip Kelly July 7 *Cars & Coffee C. Smith & S. Kelley July 14 *Play at Spring Mt. Ranch Park - She Loves Me Denise Karpa July 14-20 NCRS Convention - South Point Curt Russell July 21 *Car Show at Eastern J. Kindell & J. Buczek July 28 *Garage Gang - Findlay Chevrolet Rex Wilhoite August 4 *Cars & Coffee Skip Kelley August 18 *Car Show at Eastern J. Kindell & J. Buczek August 18 *Improv Night - Show Creators Studio Jerry Cline August 25 * Mt. Charleston Luncheon CS) Connie Gentry Sept. 8 *Cars & Coffee Skip Kelley Sept. 8 *Bracket Drags (RE) - LVMS Ken Rees Sept 16 *Silver State Classic Challenge (RE) (CS) Ray & Barbara Belak Sept.21-22 Prescott Car Show - Prescott AZ (CS) Chairperson Needed Sept. 22 *Car Show at Eastern J. Kindell & J. Buczek Sept. 29 *Bracket Drags (RE) - LVMS Ken Rees Oct. 6 *Cars & Coffee Skip Kelley Oct. 6 *Desert Thunder Car Show - Buffalo Bill’s (CS) Denise Karpa Oct 13 Auto Rally - (NCCC) Benita Klaizner Oct. 20 *Car Show at Eastern J. Kindell & J. Buczek Oct 21 *MTT Autocross (RE) - LVMS Marvin Maize Nov. 3 *Cars & Coffee Skip Kelly Nov. 17 *Car Show at Eastern J. Kindell & J. Buczek Nov. 18 Thanksgiving Car Show - Findlay Chev. Rex Wilhoite Nov. 18 *MTT Autocross (RE) - LVMS Marvin Maize Dec. 7 *45th Anniversary Dinner Bonnie Corbett

2019 Jan. 20-27 Corvette Pirates Cruise - Carnival Dream Rex Wilhoite August 28-31 National Corvette Museum - Caravan Chairperson Needed

*LVCA Sanctioned/Approved Event CS - Community Service Event RE - Racer’s Edge Competition Event

NCCC - NCCC Sanctioned Event

To schedule an event call or email Ron Petersen - 2018 Events Coordinator at (702) 341-0590 or email: sinloco@msn.com

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Hello and welcome to SUMMER!

Whew….hot, hot!

I’d like to begin with and update for

Linda Simpson. Gratefully, she has not

actually been diagnosed with cancer. As I

understand, Linda’s medical team continues

to run necessary testing, yet (thankfully) she

has not been given the diagnosis of cancer. It

is possible that she has an autoimmune

disorder. Linda recently underwent knee

surgery. Linda, we will continue to keep you

among our thoughts and prayers.

Pat Russell’s Mother passed away. Pat

we extend our sincere condolences to you and

your entire family. Your Mother was very

blessed to have passed away in her home

among those she loved. We should all be so

fortunate.

Sally McVane was recently

hospitalized, yet she was at the June meeting

feeling well. I hope your hamstring continues

to heal, Sally. Take it easy.

Can you guys help me out? If you

happen to find out someone is ill, having a

grandbaby, etc., please contact me via email

or cell phone/text. It is so important to share

among our entire club when someone needs

support or encouragement. My appreciation

in advance. You guys stay hydrated and in the

shade for SPF protection and relief from the

heat. Happy July 4th to each of you! Be Safe

and Enjoy.

Respectfully,

Scarla Burkett

The Newsvetter is published monthly for the

members of the Las Vegas Corvettes

Association, P.O. Box 80831, Las Vegas, NV

89180-0831. All articles, flyers and ads should

be sent to the above address. Attn: Newsvetter

Editor or E-mail: jimcavallo@aol.com.

Please Remember: All articles, ads and

flyers are due by the 20th of each month.

Sunshine

Scarla Burkett

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Wow! We’re halfway through the year

already. Time flies when you’re having fun!

The same can be said for the Corvette itself,

as we’ve just celebrated the 65th anniversary

of the day the first Corvette rolled off the

assembly line. I want to thank those LVCA

members who stepped up to make it happen,

and the whole local Corvette Community for

joining us at our sponsor, Findlay Chevrolet,

and making it a fantastic gathering of people

from around the valley sharing their mutual

affection for this automotive icon.

I’d also very much like to thanks our

amazing sponsor for all they do for us. The

Corvette birthday was just the most recent,

but their support with things like hosting

Garage Gang at the end of this month, and

allowing our E-board to use their

Community Room all next year shows their

commitment to us and our appreciation and

loyalty surely follows.

So what have we been up to these past

6 months? Well if you look at our Team

Tower, you’ll see a lot of folks have been

helping make things happen around here.

And if you look at our Events Calendar, you

can see we’ve been having numerous events

of a wide variety. Many of these events have

become a tradition in the LVCA… Laps for

Charity… the St. Patrick’s Day Parade…

Cars & Coffee… all the great Racers’ Edge

competitions. There’s been the return of

some events… Garage Gang… Social

Dinners… Cinco de Mayo celebration. But

what are most exciting to me are the new

events often chaired by folks who’ve never

come forward in the past. The Car Show at

Eastern… Henderson Wine Tasting…

catching the races at the Bull Ring… the

Duck Creek Village Car Show… and how

about that 45 for 45 Cake Cruise? All of

these were great. All of the Chairs much

appreciated. People stepping up with new

ideas are what will keep the LVCA fresh and

even more fun! The future is definitely in

our hands.

And speaking of stepping up... there

have been By Laws changes submitted. The

E-board will be appointing members to the

By Laws committee. I've had a few people

step up, and we're still taking names. To my

mind we could use a lady’s presence and

someone relatively new to the LVCA.

Also, Julie Cantonwine, will be

stepping down as Membership Chair and

would love to start training her replacement

in this very important position as soon as

possible. Please reach out to either Julie or

me, and you can learn the ropes during the

remaining meetings this year. Last, our Publicity Chair Linda

Simpson, is dealing with health issues and has

asked that we find a replacement. We wish her

well. If you’re interested please contact me.

Now let's get out there and play with our cars!

Skip Kelley President, Las Vegas Corvettes Association

PRESIDENT LVCA 46

Skip Kelley

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The meeting was called to order by

President Skip Kelley at 7:35 pm at the Sun

City MacDonald Ranch. There were 70

members and 8 guests present. Skip welcomed

all in attendance.

Findlay Chevrolet: Slim Stephens

invited everyone to celebrate the 65th

Anniversary of the Corvette at the dealership on

June 30th. He thanked us for our patronage and

said to call him at 702-266-0197 if you need

anything.

Animal Foundation: Julie Cantonwine

introduced Chris from the Animal Foundation

who noted that the organization was founded 40

years ago and in 1995 took over all of Las

Vegas. They are responsible for taking in all

stray animals, and they have low/no cost

vaccinations. They have a KEPT program

(keeping every person and pet together) that

helps people who may be having financial or

housing issues affecting their ability to keep

their pets. Their Community Cats program

spays and neuters feral cats, and they have

teamed up with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

in Utah to move toward being a no-kill shelter.

Pets for Life is a spay/neuter program for low

cost communities, which includes a wellness

exam. Last year over 500 surgeries were

scheduled through this program, which greatly

reduces the pet overpopulation problem. Their

foster program helps to control capacity at the

shelter, and last year they had 400 families who

fostered over 1,400 animals. They have broken

ground on their new $35 million facility, which

will be finished in September 2019. They

always need volunteers, and both monetary and

supplies donations are always appreciated.

Chris appreciated how much LVCA had

donated that evening, and Lin Hoernke and

Karen Dominguez were recognized for making

35 dog beds!

A motion to approve the May 10, 2018

meeting minutes – Kathy Clapp made a

motion to approve as presented and Carl

Corbett seconded. The motion carried and was

approved.

Birthdays for June were read by Lin

Hoernke.

President's Report: Skip noted that a

three-year extension will be signed soon for our

meeting venue. The Team Tower is growing

with a variety of names, and everyone is

encouraged to help with an event. The Website

is up to date and Facebook is a good source for

spontaneous combustion events. Garage Gang

and a Drive-in Movie night will be scheduled

in the near future. The racing program and

garage gangs separate us from strictly social

Corvette clubs. Skip encouraged everyone to

bring cool things for the Toy Table. Linda

Simpson has resigned as the Publicity

Chairperson and Skip will entertain anyone

who would like to fill the position.

Treasurer's Report: Connie Gentry noted that

the balance sheet is in the red, but it will

balance soon.

Old Business: None.

New Business: New Members and Guests were read by Julie Cantonwine. Guests

this evening are: Lloyd and Karen Dominguez,

Sherrie and Darryl Threatt, Jeff and Cindy

Smith, Paul Williams, and Mikko Melander.

Julie will be stepping down at the end of the

year as the membership chairperson, and she

asked anyone who is interested to talk to her so

she can train them over the next few months.

By-Laws Committee – Carl Hastings is the

committee chairperson, and Skip would like at

least five people to be on the committee. Roy

Hoernke and Larry Duis volunteered. 45th

Anniversary – Kathy Clapp explained the

merchandise available and the order form. She

noted that anyone who has not received their

pin should let her know.

Committee Reports:

SECRETARY

Denise Karpa

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Sunshine – Scarla Burkett mentioned

that Jan Tucker is moving to New Orleans. Pat

Russell’s Mother passed away, and Sally

McVane was recently hospitalized with a leg

problem. Linda Simpson may have an auto

immune disorder, and she will be having knee

surgery soon. Racer’s Edge – Lanny Lowman

noted that the Nevada Open Road Challenge

was successful mainly due to LVCA. Lanny

won a NORC trophy, Connie Gentry won a

drag racing trophy, and Larry Creighton also

won a trophy. The next Racer’s Edge event

will be in September. The Storekeepers, John

and Jan Kindell, noted they have a new red,

white and blue hat, as well as a $35 lightweight

shirt that is a “limited edition” (a mistake was

made with the order). They also have travel

mugs for only $10.

Upcoming Events: Lin Hoernke noted

that there is still room if you want to go to the

Duck Creek, Utah Car Show on June 16th.

You may register at the event, and Carol and

Frank Gagliardi will have dinner at their cabin

after the show. Car Show at Eastern – John

Kindell noted the next one is on June 23rd. It

fills up so you should arrive at 7:00 am, and the

event is over by 10:00 am. Denise Karpa

presented the Vegas Cakes Viewing Party to

be held at her house on June 23rd at 2:00 pm.

The show is airing at 2:30, and everyone should

bring their favorite beverage and snack. Skip

presented the 65th Anniversary of the

Corvette gathering at Findlay on June 30th

from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Other Corvette clubs

will be invited, and it is a display only—not a

show with trophies. Skip invited everyone to

his and Brenda’s house on July 4th at 6:30 pm.

He will supply hamburgers and hot dogs.

Everyone is asked to bring a side dish and

drinks. His house has a great view of the entire

valley. The next Cars and Coffee will be held

on July 7th at Speed Vegas, and Cindy Smith

will co-chair the event. Denise K. presented

going as a club to Spring Mt. Ranch State

Park to see the play “She Loves Me” on July

14th. The tickets are $15 and can be ordered

online. Garage Gang will be held at Findlay

on July 28th where they will show us around the

garage. Skip noted that Jerry Cline is inviting

the club to his Comedy Improve Show on

August 18th at 7:00 pm. The cost is only $7,

and we will go to the Sierra Gold afterward for

food/drinks. Connie G. presented the annual

Mt. Charleston Luncheon to be held on

August 25th. It will be a community service

event to benefit the Mt. Charleston Fire

Department. Barb Belak noted that there are

cards on the tables with information for anyone

interested in volunteering for the September

Nevada Open Road Challenge.

Miscellaneous Announcements: Mike

Borders made a plaque for Barb Belak noting

her reference to setting up the “chicanery” (the

use of trickery to achieve a purpose) versus the

“chicane” (which is a serpentine curve in the

road). Jan Tucker is selling her car. Skip noted

his Mom is doing okay since her car jacking.

He invited everyone to Jean on Saturday at 7:00

to listen to music. Scott Mergele is selling his

C-7 Z06, which has 11,000 miles.

Clean Car Award: This month was

won by Gino Mauro. Badge Drawing – Carol

McSimov’s name was drawn, but she was not

present. Next month it will be $35. 50/50 -

$174 was won by Rick Bolin. Raffles were

held.

Skip Kelley asked for a motion to

adjourn: Scott Mergele made a motion to

adjourn which was seconded by Kathy Clapp.

The motion carried and was approved. The

meeting adjourned at 9:15 pm.

Respectfully submitted by:

Denise Karpa, Secretary

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July July July BirthdaysBirthdaysBirthdays

Ellen Blue 7/2 Ken Thomas 7/2 Kathy Clapp 7/4 Julie Cantonwine 7/5 Nancy Ledwon 7/5 Joseph Mauro 7/5 Jenny Leard 7/14 Marko Radosavljevic 7/15 Rich McSimov 7/17 Irene Duis 7/19 Jerry Klaizner 7/20 Glenda LeMar 7/21 Steve Dana 7/22 Tommy DeGennaro 7/23 Karan Anderson 7/24 James Buczek 7/24 Larry Duis 7/26 Mark Fetto 7/27 Ellie Johnson 7/30

JJJuuulllyyy

HappyHappyHappy BirthdayBirthdayBirthday

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

World UFO Day

3

4 4th of July

Party

5

6

7

Cars & Coffee

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9

E-board Meeting

10

11

12

Membership Meeting

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14

15

16

17

18

National Hot

Dog Day

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20

21

Car Show at Eastern

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23

24

25

26

27

28

Garage Gang

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30

31

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MembersMembersMembers CornerCornerCorner

~ New New New MemberMemberMember ~ Let’s welcome the following new member to LVCA!

Robert (Charley) Ferguson Likes

Autocross, Food, Wine & Golf

Connie Gentry

& Lanny Lowman 1st Place Drag Races - June 3, 2018

Larry Creighton & Lanny Lowman NORC - May 2018

Lanny Lowman NORC - May 2018

June Membership Meeting

Attendance

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Director Curt Russell

Director Lin Hoernke

Treasurer Connie Gentry

NewsVetter Editor Jimmy Cavallo

Membership Julie Cantonwine

2018 LVCA Executive Board

Director Kathy Clapp

Secretary Denise Karpa

Webmaster Todd Howell

President Skip Kelley

Webmaster Pat Russell

Vice President Holley Holran

Publicity Linda Simpson

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Community Service Scarlett Stuart

Sponsor Liaison Rex Wilhoite

Drag Race Series Ken Rees

By-Laws

Carl Hastings

NCCC Governor Bonnie Corbett

2018 LVCA Executive

Board

2018 LVCA Committees

Chairpersons

Racer’s Edge Lanny Lowman

Sunshine Scarla Burkett

NCM Ambassador Chris Burkett

Community Service Gino Montoya

Events Coordinator Ron Petersen

Storekeepers John Kindell

Storekeepers Jan Kindell

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~ General Membership Meeting ~ Thursday, May 10, 2018

7:30 PM

Sun City MacDonald Ranch

2020 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway

Henderson, NV 89012

(702) 294-1392

Willows Restaurant Sun City MacDonald Ranch

GM VP Mark Reuss crashes Chevy Corvette ZR1 pace car ahead of

Indy race Autoblog

Jeremy Korzeniewski

A 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 pace car crash led to a 27-minute delay of the 2018

Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle. General Motors executive vice president of global

product development Mark Reuss was behind the wheel. Both the driver and passenger

Mark Sand, an IndyCar official, were unharmed and exited the vehicle after the incident.

"We are thankful that there were no serious injuries. Both the pace car driver and

the series official were taken to the infield care center, where they were checked, cleared

and released," according to a statement from General Motors. "It is unfortunate that this

incident happened. Many factors contributed, including weather and track conditions.

The car's safety systems performed as expected."

Will Power, winner of this year's Indy 500, said after the race, "I felt really bad for

whoever was in the pace car. It's very easy to do, and the traction control must have been

turned off. Wasn't really his fault."

A backup pace car was brought out, driven by IndyCar veteran Oriol Servià. Ryan

Hunter-Reay went on to win the race.

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Bracket Drags June 3, 2018 By Ken Rees

Photos by Ken Rees

On Sunday, June 3rd, mother nature had a surprise for us—Forecast 105-degree temperatures. Since we park next to the south end of the grandstands, we were able to sit in the shade. Six LVCA drag racers planned on attending the third drag racing event for the year. Unfortunately, Larry Creighton was stung by a scorpion that morning. He went to UMC and is doing fine. After the junior dragsters were finished, the five remaining racers made their first practice time trial at 12:40. Murphy raised his ugly head and bit Chris Burkett with a screw that punctured one of his new drag radials. Scott Armstrong attempted to air the tire up with his portable air compressor, but the leak was too large. Lanny Lowman was there with his truck to cheer on the racers. He graciously took Chris home to retrieve another tire and jack. Sadly, he did not make it back in time to race—Thank you Project Neon and the Spaghetti Bowl horrible mess. The four remaining Corvettes finally got down to some serious fun. The final round put Connie Gentry against Rick Bolin. When the tire smoke and dust settle Connie won. Great job Connie. Series points can be checked on the LVCA web site under the Competition/Racer's Edge Standings tabs. I would like to thank all of the LVCA racers and members who came out to race and watch.

Congratulations go out to the following event winners:

1st Place: Connie Gentry Runner Up: Rick Bolin 1st Round Closest to Dial In: Rick Bolin (11.54 on a 11.45 Dial In) 1st Round Best Reaction Time: Rick Bolin (.030) Quickest ET with an 11.06 seconds Scott Armstrong

We are going to take the hot months off, so mark your calendar for Saturday, September 8th and 29th for Rounds Four and Five of drag racing. Please come out and watch your LVCA Corvette drag racers compete.

2018 LVCA Championship Drag Racing

Series Point Results - Best 4 Name Totals Ken Rees 80 Curt Russell 70 Connie Gentry 65 Scott Armstrong 60 Rick Bolin 60 Larry Creighton 60 Chris Burkett 55 Mike Kerro 40 Jerry Cline 15 Gary Moore 25 Pat Russell 25 Curt Miller 15 Lanny Lowman 15

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Cars & Coffee June 9, 2018 By Skip Kelley

Photos by Skip Kelley

Saturday June 9th the LVCA once again

held their monthly invasion of Cars & Coffee

at Speed Vegas!

We had quite the turnout, with a great

variety of Corvettes, as we took our spot

under the “Marque of the Month” canopy!

New member Charlie Ferguson happily

stepped up to be Co-Chair. He went all in

helping set banner, and signing folks in.

Thank you so much!

But it wasn’t just Corvettes there. You

never know what’s gonna show up at Cars &

Coffee. There were other pretty cool rides.

Like this… um… classic pick up truck? Well

with all that motor I’m sure it hauls!

Rick Bolin was our winner of the

supercar ride along raffle!

Cars & Coffee is a great opportunity to

swap stories and spend quality time with new

and old friends. And it’s great time to get

some a bit of advice and insight.

Then it was time for us to get out on the

Speed Vegas track for a few parade laps! It’s

pretty cool rolling out there in your Vette!

Our next official LVCA Cars & Coffee

event will be 7:30am Saturday July 7th… the

weekend prior to our General Membership

Meeting. Another new member, Cindy Smith

will be Co-Chair. See you then!

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Garage Gang

June 9, 2018

by Pat Russell Photos by Barbara Belak and Skip Kelley

On Saturday, June 9th, following Cars and Coffee a Garage Gang (GG) event was held at the Russell residence in Henderson. It was well attended, with 17 folks there, including members and guests. This was the second Garage Gang hosted at the Russell residence and the second for Barbara’s Corvette, although this time it was on her new 2018 Stingray Coupe, last time it was on her 2007 C6 Coupe. I spent the morning straightening up our garage by moving our Stingray and the Avalanche out, my brother Mike was going to do some work on his Cobra on the lift (which was not needed for GG), and getting the tools and materials ready for the task a harness bar for shoulder straps and lap belt bars. A five or six point seat belt restraint system is required in vehicles participating in the Silver State Classic Challenge events above a target speed of 110 MPH and other speed events across the country.

Since Ken Rees, Mike Borders and myself had done the same identical installations on our C7s and Lanny Lowman had fabricated harness bars for other Corvettes, there was no shortage of espertise. The harness and lap belt bars are high quality products from Vetteworks that come with complete instructions.

Installing the harness bar is straight forward with only two minor car modifications – cutting off a panel clip holder and cutting a 2-inch hole in left and right panels for the bar to pass through. It is a little tedious because the plastic side panels in the trunk are a pain to get released from their clips. The harness bar mounts are held in by the seatbelt retractor mounts – somewhat difficult to install on the right with a large wiring harness there. The lap belt bars are mounted underneath the seat rails to the rear and only require loosening the front nut, removing the rear nuts and slipping the bars under the rails. The installation was finished up at about lunch time and, courtesy of Barbara, we had hot dogs, chips and drinks ready for all to enjoy in the back yard and patio.

A special thanks to Skip Kelley, Mike Borders, Ray and Barbara Belak and Lanny Lowman. More pictures are on the Club website

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Christmas in June Pet Supply Drive

June 14, 2018

Here are the 2018 Community

Service Points to date:

4 points: Julie Cantonwine

3 points: Ken Ackeret, Bonnie Corbett, Benita

Klaizner, Brenda Cavallo, Jimmy Cavallo,

Kathy Clapp, and Denise Karpa,

2 points: Richard Bolin, Marsha Borders, Mike

Borders, Carl Corbett, Tommy DeGennaro,

Irene Duis, Larry Duis, Connie Gentry, Jim

Gentry, Lin Hoernke, Roy Hoernke, Holley

Holran, Skip Kelley, Scott Mergele, Gino

Montoya, Gary Moore, Ken Rees, Terry

Rees, Nita Russell, Pat Russell, Scarlett

Stuart, Jan Tucker, and Rex Wilhoite

1 point: Ellen Blue, Jeff Blue, Rudy Blum, William

Bradley, Dick Brion, Chris Burkett, Scarla

Burkett, Catherine Creighton, Larry

Creighton, Robert Florian, Mark Fetto, Jack

Gordon, Dawn Gregorio, Jim Gregorio,

Lennard Grodzinsky, Jerry Klaizner, Jerry

Lawrence, Dennis Ledwon, Nancy Ledwon,

Lanny Lowman, Marvin Maize, Patty Maize,

Carole McSimov, Rich McSimov,

Donna Mergele, Bob O'Brien, Ingrid O'Brien,

R o n P e t e r s o n , D a v i d S m i t h ,

Joel Thies, Bill Thomas, Kay Thomas, and

Scott White,

Stay cool,

Scarlett

Chris Pietrafeso of the Animal Shelter

Christ Pietrafeso & Julie Cantonwine with Toys for Pets

Some of the Pet Supplies collected

Thanks to all that contributed to the

Animal Shelter Pet Supply Drive

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Duck Creek Car Show June 16, 2018

By Carol Gagliardi Photos by Lin Hoernke

Corvette greetings from Southern Utah!

Tony & Myrna Byrd, Roy & Lin Hoernke and

Scott Mergele, left the Las Vegas heat and

spent the weekend on beautiful Cedar

Mountain at 8,500 feet elevation to participate

with Frank and Carol Gagliardi in the 3rd

annual Father’s Day Car Show in the log

cabin community of Duck Creek Village, 4

hours north of Vegas.

Everyone had a great time in the COOL

mountain air. Frank drove everyone out to

Strawberry Point, for a beautiful view of Zion

National Park and the red rocks of Southern

Utah. Carol made a huge pan of lasagna and

everyone was delighted with the appearance

of bucks, does and yearlings, waiting for their

dinner.

The car show was small but had a lot of

spectators and Tony bribed each one with

candy for their vote. We are not even going to

tell you what car actually won the people’s

choice award. DON’T ASK.

After the show, Gino and Scarlett

joined us at our cabin nestled in the woods as

we relaxed on the deck while watching the

bucks once again come to the feeder with

hummingbirds flying around and the

chipmunks and squirrels frolicking all over.

Pulled pork sandwiches for dinner and

lots of great conversation rounded out the day.

Thank you to all who participated, you

really classed up the village!

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Vegas Cakes Viewing Party June 23, 2018

By Denise Karpa Photos by Jimmy Cavallo

On Saturday, June 23rd my house was

filled with LVCA members anxious to see the

initial airing of the “Big Red Corvette”

episode of Vegas Cakes. Jimmy and Brenda

Cavallo brought a variety of pastries courtesy

of Freed’s Bakery. Jimmy’s daughter works

there, and she was instrumental in connecting

our club to the show. With plenty of snacks to

fill us up and good things to drink, it soon was

time to watch the show.

It was so much fun to watch the episode

with everyone, and after a lot of rewinding and

pausing, we had a chance to see everyone who

got some camera time. (Holley…it was fun to

see you laughing in your convertible, and

Rick…it was worth it for you to eat all of that

cake to get the right shot!)

I have become a fan of the show since

our episode was filmed, and I encourage

everyone to not only watch the LVCA episode

but also to watch all of the phenomenal cakes

that Freed’s creates. Thank you to Freed’s and

to the Food Network for treating our club to a

fun run to Nelson and to the best (and only)

chocolate and red velvet Corvette cake ever

made!

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1953 Workers assemble first

Corvette in Flint, Michigan NCM Newsletter June 2018

On June 28, 1953, workers at a

Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, assemble

the first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that

would become an American icon. The first

completed production car rolled off the

assembly line two days later, one of just 300

Corvettes made that year.

The idea for the Corvette originated

with General Motors’ pioneering designer

Harley J. Earl, who in 1951 began developing

plans for a low-cost American sports car that

could compete with Europe’s MGs, Jaguars

and Ferraris. The project was eventually code-

named “Opel.” In January 1953, GM debuted

the Corvette concept car at its Motorama auto

show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New

York City. It featured a fiberglass body and a

six-cylinder engine and according to GM, was

named for the “trim, fleet naval vessel that

performed heroic escort and patrol duties

during World War II.” The Corvette was a big

hit with the public at Motorama and GM soon

put the roadster into production.

On June 30, 1953, the first Corvette

came off the production line in Flint. It was

hand-assembled and featured a Polo White

exterior and red interior, two-speed

Powerglide automatic transmission, a

wraparound windshield, whitewall tires and

detachable plastic curtains instead of side

windows. The earliest Corvettes were

designed to be opened from the inside and

lacked exterior door handles. Other

components included a clock, cigarette lighter

and red warning light that activated when the

parking brake was applied–a new feature at

the time. The car carried an initial price tag of

$3,490 and could go from zero to 60 miles per

hour in 11 or 12 seconds, then considered a

fairly average speed.

In 1954, the Corvette went into mass

production at a Chevy plant in St. Louis,

Missouri. Sales were lackluster in the

beginning and GM considered discontinuing

the line. However, rival company Ford had

introduced the two-seater Thunderbird around

the same time and GM did not want to be seen

bowing to the competition. Another critical

development in the Corvette’s survival came

in 1955, when it was equipped with the more

powerful V-8 engine. Its performance and

appeal steadily improved after that and it went

on to earn the nickname “America’s sports

car” and become ingrained in pop culture

through multiple references in movies,

television and music.

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Corvette 65th Birthday Party June 30, 2018 By Skip Kelley

Photos by Skip Kelley & Kathy Clapp

On June 30th 1953 the very first

production Corvette rolled off of a temporary

assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The first of

only 300 that year and the beginning of an

automotive icon admired and respected around

the world.

To celebrate 65 years of Corvette

passion, the LVCA spearheaded a region wide

gathering at our wonderful sponsor's shaded

parking garage...Findlay Chevrolet.

We counted 95 of our plastic fantastics

ranging from a spectacular bone stock Black

and Silver '59 Fuelie, to full on custom C7s!

What a great bunch of folks, all there sharing

our mutual affinity for what once was a dream

car for GM and has become a dream fulfilled

for us in the LVCA and an aspiration for many

to acquire.

This was definitely an event for the

entire Corvette Community with 4 of the

major local Corvette Clubs sharing in the

celebration... the LVCA of course, plus

members of Vegas Valley Vettes, Sin City

Corvettes and the Southern Nevada Chapter of

the National Corvette Restorers Society.

As always Findlay treated us right with

food, drink, music, and raffle prizes. In return

we treated the Findlay team to some

expressions of appreciation. Ron Peterson

shared the story of his first date with Kay at

the 1954 Motorama. Then he presented

Findlay General Manager, Doug Fleming with

a genuine token from the 1954 GM Motorama.

Then Ken Rees followed with a couple of

special Racers' Edge photos for both Doug and

Slim. Then Sponsor Liaison Rex Wilhoite

gave Doug a poster of the 4 Corvette Concept

Cars on display at the 1954 GM Motorama .

To wrap it all up, Leaders from the 4

clubs present, cut the cake together as a show

of unity and shared celebration. It all went so

well, Findlay says they want to make the

Corvette Birthday celebration an annual event!

Well look what we started here. And it looks

like we may have met more than a few new

members as a result of the good times had by

all! Go LVCA! Go Corvette!

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LVCA General Membership Meeting 7:30 P.M.

2nd Thursday of the month at:

Sun City MacDonald Ranch

2020 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway

Henderson, NV 89012 (702) 294-1392

Las Vegas Corvettes Association P.O. Box 80831

Las Vegas, NV 89180-0831 For more information

visit us at

www.vegasvettes.com

NEWSVETTER Clean Car Award for June 2018

is awarded to Gino Mauro’s 2017 Grand Sport Coupe

with Arctic White - Exterior

And Adrenaline Red - Interior