This is the time of year when a lot of effort goes into planning activities for the year. As both Kelly and Bill stated in their articles, the calendar is front and center in our focus at the moment. If you have any suggestions for activities, now is a great time to bring them up. Show up at a meeting or send us an email. Contact information for the Board is here.
We are working to have a variety of different types of events for the membership. I am working on three extended road trips for this year. Here is information and status on them ranked in order of their likely hood to happen. These events require advanced planning, reservations, car preparation and commitment from those attending. It is not like a Saturday drive; but, the club has participated in each of these trips in the past so we know it is possible to have a successful, fun trip. If you have interest in attending any of these three events, please contact me immediately. Each event has one or more critical, time sensitive actions for you to take and they are listed in the descriptions.
Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Ontario, Canada
July 5-8, 2018
This is an opportunity to see Corvette race in the IMSA series at Canada's premier road course. Better known as Mosport, the track was built in 1961 and was the home of the first ever Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in 1967. Ron Fellows is one of the track owners and he insures that Corvette fans have a great time. Proximity to Detroit insures a good turnout from GM personnel. This will be my 7th trip to Mosport for an IMSA race and we gather together with a fantastic bunch of Canadians to enjoy the race weekend. We have been there as a club event in the past and we even won the Participation Award in the Corvette Corral for having the largest group. Needless to say, this is my favorite track and favorite Corral on the IMSA circuit. As of right now, I am committed to going and I have already made hotel reservations for the track. Bob Atwell plans to join me.
The trip will probably require 7 or 8 days total but route and timings are flexible since the "plan" is just being developed. My initial plan this time is to go through the Finger Lakes region of New York on the way up and the way back seeing different towns along the way. If you do not want a sightseeing trip you can still join us and knock a couple of days off the trip by driving directly and quickly. The distance to the CanAm group hotel from Gaithersburg is about 575 miles and it is necessary to go around Lake Ontario from either the East or West to get there. You'll need a Passport as well of course. There is an article on one of the trips in the July 2015 Corvette Courier beginning at Page 41.
Planning Issues - The track has not yet even put Corral tickets on sale and the hotels for miles around the track are already booked. If you are interested in this trip, immediate action is required. A few rooms are still blocked in the CanAm Corvette Fans group hotel in Port Hope but you need to contact me right away.
2018 NCM LeMans Race Weekend
National Corvette Museum
Bowling Green, Kentucky
June 16-17, 2018
This is from the NCM event description:
Attention GT and Prototype Race Fans of ALL Marques!!
On June 16-17, 2018 the world's greatest car manufacturers will battle at the 24 Hours of LeMans. Through special arrangement with the ACO, three locations outside of France will be given commercial free, direct feed of the race... Berlin, Tokyo and Bowling Green, Kentucky at the National Corvette Museum. We are planning to show the race on our 28-foot giant screen in the Chevrolet Theater, with live timing and scoring, refreshments during the entire 24 hours, private Skypes from the Corvette Racing team and door prizes. We think this will be the next best thing to being there yourself!
Space will be very limited – Please Register Early!
Registration for this event is $150 per person and will include:
- 24 hour opening of the NCM's Theater for viewing purposes
- Access to view the race in the NCM Conference Center
- Early opening of NCM on Saturday, June 16th
- Continental breakfast Saturday / Full breakfast Sunday
- Lunch provided on Saturday June 16th
- Pasta dinner Saturday evening
- Midnight Ice Cream bar
- Cash bar will be open Saturday from 5:15PM-7:00PM
- Snacks & refreshments provided all 24 hours
- Drawings for Memorabilia (Must be registered participant & present to win)
- Security will cover the front grass circle entrance door (parking lot A entrance) from 5:00PM-8:00AM so you are free to come and go at your leisure. RV parking is allowed in the truck parking lot for this event only. Bring in your sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc. for an all night stay in the NCM. All activities are open to Event Registrants ONLY.
Planning Issues - Registration for this event is $150 per person and it opened on Thursday, 1/11. By Saturday afternoon on 1/13 over 1/3 of the 150 tickets had been sold. I will be attending the event and have tickets. Actual planning for the trip has yet to happen. I do not expect the hotel crunch in Bowling Green that we had last year because Holly Fest has been moved to September this year. But, tickets are going lightening fast. If you are interested in going with us order your tickets on the NCM website NOW. We will plan the trip once we know who is coming with us. Last year we made it into a relaxing and fun 7 day trip. There is a article in the July 2017 Corvette Courier that will give you more background on what the trip was like last year. The story begins on Page 31.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - CANCELED
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Lexington, Ohio
May 4-6, 2018
The Mid Ohio IMSA trip is canceled (as expected). GM would not help support the Corral and the CAN-AM Corvette Fans were unable to reach acceptable terms with the track to have an all-volunteer run Corral. Without a Corvette Corral the core group of fans will be watching this one from home. - Jon, January 24, 2018
The last of the three road trips will be to Lexington, Ohio. This year the IMSA series runs at Mid-Ohio for the first time. The old ALMS series ran there in 2010 and in fact, that was the first time I attended a Corvette Racing event in person so it has a big bit of sentimental history for me. There is a chance that I will attend this race. I have a hotel room reserved. But, GM has decided not to support Corvette fans at this one so the usual Corvette Corral will not exist. This is a fun, fast, fan friendly track but you do not want to be there in the rain. You do not want to be there without the Corvette Corral.
Planning Issues - Right now, I estimate that there is less than a 50 - 50 chance that I will personally be able to attend this race. My Canadian friends are trying hard to fill in for the lack of Factory support. I would like to help them as much as possible and make this a successful event for Corvette fans. As I said, this is a sentimental favorite race for me. An attempt is being made by Corvette fans to secure private infield parking and a tent to enable having a Corvette Corral. Pricing should end up being in the neighborhood of a normal corral. There needs to be a guarantee of attendance to make this possible. If you are interested in attending this race and having a great time with fellow Corvette Owners while getting a close up view of Corvette Racing showing what Jake can do, please, please, please, contact me immediately. I will get you in touch with the CanAM Corvette Race Fans group.
I would like to close out my Rambling this month with a comment for the history books and an "attaboy" to the entire club. In January we had a swearing in ceremony for our new club President and certified our Board of Directors for what is the 62nd year of the club. Very few other car clubs, and no Corvette Club, can make that statement. That is pretty special. But, what is even more special is that, thanks to the strength of the membership, the outlook for the future is as bright as ever.
Jon Thorn
Corvette Courier Editor
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