President's Message - W. Kelly Ryan - 2018-2019
My name is Kelly Ryan, president of the Corvette Club of America (CCA). The Corvette Club of America is the oldest Corvette club in the world. We recently celebrated our 62nd anniversary; our first meeting was held on July 17th, 1956 just three years after the Corvette came to market. In 1956, CCA members raced against other sports car clubs such as the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the Porsche Club of America (PCA) so it seemed natural to call ourselves the Corvette Club of America.
The primary objectives of the CCA have been to empower its members to pursue their automotive passion and have fun with their Corvettes. While developing our annual schedule of activities, we try to find events which will appeal to a broad range of interests. The CCA calendar usually includes social events, autocrosses, and HPDE events. Our social events include day trips to wineries, restaurants, and other club's activities as well as extended road trips to places such as Watkins Glen, Mosport, the NCM and other tracks to enjoy IMSA and other racing events. We usually gather together with members of other Corvette clubs at these events in the Corvette corrals. Our social calendar also includes picnics and holiday parties as well as a weekend in Ocean City, Maryland to join with other Corvette clubs as they cruise the boardwalk.
The CCA hosts an annual car show in the spring/early summer and several autocrosses are scheduled beginning in the early spring and continuing into the fall. Autocross primer classes are usually scheduled early in the season for beginners and those looking to sharpen their driving skills. The club also has several highly skilled HPDE instructors who willingly provide their experience and knowledge to members interested in participating in high speed driving events.
The CCA is a not-for-profit organization and its members believe in giving back to the community. Net proceeds from several of its fund raising activities, including the annual car show, are donated to local charities. These charities include the Wells/Robertson House, Hospice Caring of Montgomery County and Toys for Tots. In addition the CCA sponsors an endowment for students of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland and is a life time club-level member of the National Corvette Museum. The CCA is also a member of the "One Acre Club" in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Members meet once a month at a restaurant in Burtonsville to exchange information and knowledge on best practices for maintaining and enjoying their Corvettes. CCA has a strong relationship with Sport Chevrolet in Silver Spring (a club sponsor). Once a month Sport permits club members to utilize its service facility to work on their Corvettes. Not only do members work on their own cars but they also assist other members with oil changes, brake replacement, tire rotation and just about anything else you can get done in 2 1/2 hours. Members usually wrap up the evening sharing a meal and stories at a local restaurant.
CCA members are predominantly from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.; however, we also have long-distance members in other states as well as international members living in Queensland, Australia and Quebec, Canada. CCA membership only requires a strong interest in Corvettes. Please feel free to check out the rest of our web site to learn more about CCA. We have a long, rich history and we are always interested in hearing from others who share our passion for Corvettes.
If you like to have fun, enjoy Corvettes, and would like to be part of our historic club, then please consider joining us and become a member.
I hope to hear from you and look forward to meeting you soon.
Best Regards,
W. Kelly Ryan, President
Corvette Club of America