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JANUARY 2014 PAGE 1
12
Online at: www.corvetteclubofrichmond.com
In This Issue... 2 CCR Officers for 2014
3 A Message from the President
4 2014 Calendar of Events
5 January Meeting and Party
6 Membership
7 Birthdays This Month
8 ‘Revs and Rumbles’ at the NCM
9 Event Recaps
DEPARTMENTS
15 In the Garage ...
16 “Action Motors”
17 Corvette in the News
26 Corvette Racing News
27 Our Sponsors
Fun and Friendship at the Christmas Dinner Dance
“Fixing Car Vibrations”In the Garage
The Official Newsletter of the Corvette Club of Richmond
10
15 20“10 Things We’d Change About the 2014 Corvette
Stingray”
“Revs and Rumbles” @NCM
8Holiday Lights at the Beach
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 2
YOUR CCR OFFICERSFOR 2014
PRESIDENTKirby Montgomery (804) 784-3173
VICE PRESIDENTBruce Griggs (804) 966-1915
TREASURERJR Walker (804) 779-3169
RECORDING SECRETARYMargaret Wilson (804) 588-5735
NEWSLETTER EDITORMike Starr (804) 527-0879
CORRESPONDING SECRETARYDonna Carr (804) 356-3550
SERGEANT-AT-ARMSButch Bateman (804) 550-0769
HISTORIANDavid Dolan (804) 346-5266
WEBMASTERRob Bickert (804) 920-4092
EVENTS COORDINATORBob Brody (804) 405-1568
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 3
A Message from the President
Dear fellow CCR Members,By the time you read this, Christmas 2013 will be behind us and perhaps the New
Year Celebration as well. I hope each of you had a joyous Holiday and are looking forward to the New Year; 2014, can you believe we are here already?
December brought us a terrific CCR Dinner Dance at the Meadowbrook Country Club. The venue was beautiful, the service was impeccable, the food was so tasty and the band was SO HOT, and the company was delicious! What a wonderful opportunity to relax with fellow CCR members and enjoy a wonderful evening. I know many members were not able to attend, but I do want to encourage you to try and attend this marvelous event in 2014! It is really a bargain as CCR members traditionally only pay one half of the actual cost. Funds raised by the club at our annual roundup car show help pay the balance. Please try and join us for this event next year!
Now, many thanks are due to Paul and Gayle Murman for organizing this wonderful event. They helped plan the menu (how about that Meadowbrook Pie?), and created the beautiful table centerpieces, made up place cards for each member, and you name it! Hats off to Paul and Gayle for a spectacular event. Thanks are also due to all of the terrific staff of the Meadowbrook Country Club for a job well done.
I also wish to recognize the outgoing board members for all of their terrific work over the past years: Paul Murman for leading us as President, Doris Brody for serving as Corresponding Secretary, and Jeremy Welborn for serving as Newsletter Editor! Great job all of you. Thank you so much!
Why are you a member of the Corvette Club of Richmond? Because it is the greatest Corvette Club in the world! It is the people who make it this way; it is fun to participate and be involved. I have seen many new members over this past year become very active in attending events soon after they join. If you are a fairly new member but have not really engaged yourself into the club activities as of yet, come on, we won't bite! We would love to have all members, the old timers and the newbies actively participate in club events. If you have an idea for a club event that you would like to organize, let us hear about it. Coming very soon will be the Valentine’s Day Brunch at Meadowbrook Country Club on February 9th. We also have the general membership meetings on January 10th and February 14th. We could still use a host for the February 14th after-meeting party-any volunteers?
I am pleased to serve as your President for 2014 but I need your help. Please always wear your name tag to official CCR events to save my embarrassment if I cannot remember your name-Ha! (Christmas Dinner Dance exempted because all the ladies look so nice and we do not won't to spoil their lovely attire with a name tags.) Of course I can also use your help in supporting the activities of the club. The Roundup on June 7th is an all-hands-on-deck event; so please mark it on your calendar and plan now to participate. We have some other great activities planned during the year: the Million Dollar Quartet cruise, The Bunny Run, Cruise to Captain Billy's, Vettes for Vets show, National Corvette Museum Caravan, and RIR Corrals, but we can do more! Bring us your ideas and willingness to be the OD for your event!
Best wishes for the new year and remember, Save The Wave! Your CCR buddy, Kirby
By Kirby Montgomery, CCR President
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 4
2014 Events Calendar
Friday, January 10
Membership Meeting (Southside) 7:30 PM
Party - Brock’s Barbecue
Sunday, February 9 12:00 Noon
Valentine’s Day Brunch
Friday, February 14
Membership Meeting (Southside) 7:30 PM
Friday, March 14
Membership Meeting (West End) 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 29
Million Dollar Quartet (DuBosky)
Friday, April 11
Membership Meeting (West End) 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 12
Bunny Run (Custer)
Saturday, April 19
Captain Billy’s (Dolans)
Saturday, April 26
RIR Corral for NASCAR Race (Scott Myers)
Friday, May 9
Membership Meeting (Southside) 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 25
Vettes for Vets (Montgomery)
Saturday, June 7
RoundUp
Friday, June 13
Membership Meeting (Southside) 7:30 PM
Party - Franklins
Friday, July 11
Membership Meeting (West End) 7:30 PM
Party - Montgomerys
Friday, August 8
Membership Meeting (West End) 7:30 PM
Party - Todds
August 22-24
Corvettes at Carlisle
August 23-31
NCM Caravan (Ropers)
Saturday, September 6
RIR Corral for NASCAR Race
Friday, September 12
Membership Meeting (Southside) 7:30 PM
Friday, October 10
Membership Meeting (Southside) 7:30 PM
Friday, November 14
Membership Meeting (West End) 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 6
Christmas Dinner Dance
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5
Our next General Membership Meeting will take place on Friday, January 10th, at 7:30 p.m. Many members arrive as early as 7:00 to visit in the parking lot. Feel free to come
early. This month’s meeting will be held at the Smith-Wagner Building in the Chesterfield County Complex, 9501 Lucy Corr Circle, Chesterfield, Virginia 23832. There is plenty of parking available.
Meeting Directions (South Side)From VA-288, take the exit for Iron Bridge
Rd/VA -10 East. Turn left at the first stoplight onto Courthouse Road. Proceed approximately 6/10 of a mile. Turn right onto Government Center Parkway. Proceed approximately 3/10 of a mile. Turn left onto Lucy Corr Circle. The Wagner Building is directly in front of you. Enter through the center doors off of the circle drive.
After-Meeting PartyThe after meeting party on Friday,
January 10th will be held at Brock's BBQ in Chester, just a short drive from our meeting location. Directions will be available at the meeting. Jimmy Brock will be expecting us, and he and his colleagues will be ready for us with BBQ, Chicken and lots of veggies (coleslaw, baked beans, etc.) All this and soft drinks, tea, or coffee will be available for $15 per CCR couple or $8 per person if single (2 singles together for $15.) This is a great value with CCR subsidizing 50% of the actual cost. There will be a cash bar with adult drinks. Please join us after the meeting at Brock's BBQ!
Brock's Barbecue(804) 796-753911310 Iron Bridge Rd Chester, VA 23831
9501 Lucy Corr Circle, Chesterfield, VA 23832
January Meeting & Party
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 6
Do You Want to Become a Member?
In 1960, a small group of Corvette enthusiasts began to gather on a regular basis for fun and fellowship. The first official Club meeting took place in July of 1961. CCR is the oldest Corvette club in Virginia with membership approaching 400. To be eligible for regular membership, you must be a person of good character and own a Corvette. You must attend at least one meeting or event. If you don’t own a Corvette, an “associate membership” is available. Associates can participate in all events and functions but have no voting rights. You’ll make good friends, have fun and learn more about Corvettes. Club meetings are at 7:30 p.m. on the second Friday of each month. After the meetings, there is usually a party where you can enjoy socializing with other club members.
Annual dues are $25 for pilots or $35 for both the pilot and co-pilot (includes spouse, or significant other/child). A membership application can be found on the CCR website: www.corvetteclubofrichmond.com
Your membership application must be approved by both the board and the club’s membership. Acceptance may take a couple of months. After your application is received, we’ll be in touch to fill you in on the process and answer any questions you may have.
Welcome New Members!
Tim and Lorna Maloy were inducted as new members at the November meeting. They were not present, but we hope to see them at the January meeting!
Get Your Dues In!If you have not paid your
membership dues for 2014, it’s time! Dues are still just $25 for individual membership and $35 for joint membership (member and spouse/significant other/child.) If you joined as a new member during the last quarter of 2013 (October, November,
or December) your membership is good through 2014.If you want to mail in your
payment, please make your check payable to “CCR” and mail to: CCR, PO Box 11161, Richmond, VA 23230. It’s important to keep your membership current as the list of events continues to grow for 2014!
!
!
Membership
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 7
Annie Alexander 1/23Cynthia Beeson 1/24SueAnn Bickert 1/5
Dewey Blake 1/8Donna Carr 1/30Jim Cheek 1/11Jim Chesser 1/3Dot Corbin 1/2
Ernest Cross 1/17Jerry Daniels 1/11
Diane Deis 1/4Alease Foster 1/15
Bill Gladysz 1/8Bruce Griggs 1/22Stacy Harper 1/3Jack Marshall 1/7James Spatola 1/9
Robert Stansberry 1/31Margaret Wilson 1/28
Carl Wood 1/24
Member Birthdays
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 8
Happy 2014 and welcome to a New Year of potential adventures and events for members of the Corvette Club of Richmond. What have you not done either recently or maybe ever? If you've never been to the National Corvette Museum and toured the GM Corvette Assembly Plant, certainly your bucket list has yet to be completed. While the road trip to the NCM is roughly 660 miles from Richmond to Bowling Green, KY, the distance remaining to begin your plant tour involves only crossing
the street from the museum.Since the first Corvette rolled off the line more than 60 years ago, it has been the longest running continuously-produced passenger car with more than 1.5 million produced. In 1953, the first 300 Corvettes were built by hand in Flint, Michigan. Production was moved to an assembly plant in St Louis, MO, where it continued until it was moved to Kentucky June 1st, 1981. The building was originally a Chrysler air conditioning plant, but GM
purchased it and refurbished it for Corvette production. When production of the C4 ceased in 1996, the plant was again gutted and refitted for the more modern C5. The site consists of 212 acres, while the plant itself has a million square feet, equivalent to 22 acres or 17 football fields. In preparation for production of the 2014, 7th generation Corvette, the plant underwent a 131 million dollar upgrade, including 52 million dollars for an all-new body-shop.
The visit involves a one mile walking tour but the line is a handicapped accessible facility. Public tours are available Monday through Thursday at 8:30, 11:30, and 1:00 during 2014 The site consists of 212 acres, while the plant itself has a million square feet, equivalent to 22 acres or 17 football fields.. Tour tickets are $7 per person but active duty military may receive complementary admission by showing their ID. Their accompanying guests will be admitted free as well, up to a maximum of 10 guests. Current and retired GM employees and guests are also allowed to tour at no cost. Tours are closed on most major holidays and during the first two weeks in July. It's a good idea to call 270-745-8019 in advance to be sure that no unexpected business matters have altered the tour schedule. Tours were suspended in February 2013 as the change over to the C7 commenced but they resumed in October.
Other information of note includes the need to wear closed toe shoes (no sandals) as well as a prohibition against cameras, backpacks, purses, fanny packs, or other packages and containers. No photography is allowed. Children must be at least seven years of age.
Whether you decide to visit the assembly plant as part of a destination road trip or simply couple a tour with your vacation or an area business trip, you'll be enthralled by the technology on display as you witness the birth of yet another of the exciting vehicles affectionately dubbed America's Sports Car.
And finally, just so you know well in advance, the Assembly Plant has announced that the 2014 Corvette Stingray has been selected to be the Indianapolis 500 pace car for the 97th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" to be held Sunday, May 26th!
“Revs & Rumbles” @ the National Corvette Museum
By Barry Roper, NCM Ambassador/Lifetime Member
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 9
Did you know that Howdy Doody has a twin brother? Can you name him? What weapon is tattooed on Glen Campbell’s arm? What TV series features the character Rusty B. Company (you can ask Bubba Carr about that one)? What was Dennis the Menace’s last name (hint - it is not the Menace)? This is a sampling of the types of question that challenged each team.
Once again, the event was held at the home of Steve and Karen DuBosky. As is the custom with many of CCR events, food is one of the major ingredients. Twenty one members arrived around 7 P.M. armed with appetizers, salads, desserts, and refreshments. Karen prepared a special entrée for the players. After much eating, socializing, and some liquids to sharpen the brain cells, we were ready to start the first half of the challenge.
Six teams were randomly formed as follows: Team 1: Karen DuBosky, Gayle Murman, and Mel BelcherTeam 2: Rick Franklin, Bubba Carr, and Connie OlsonTeam 3: Doris Brody, Steve DuBosky and Marcie MontgomeryTeam 4: Mel Rice, Peggy Maloy, and Bob BrodyTeam 5: Kathy Franklin, Mary Belcher, Duane Maloy and Bruce GriggsTeam 6: Rob Olson, Kirby Montgomery, and Donna Carr Official Timer: Alice RiceMaster of Ceremonies, Official Judge, and Game Creator: Paul Murman
While a great amount of trivial knowledge helps, sometimes luck plays a larger role in this game. Last year, Steve DuBosky’s team got all the really difficult questions. This year, that honor went to the team of Rick Franklin, Bubba Carr, and Connie Olson. The other teams got questions such as “Who is Miss Piggy in love with?” and “What was the name of Scarlett O’Hara’s mansion?” The team of Rick, Bubba, and Connie was asked “What country was the scene of the Maori wars?” and “What game does the New York Institute for the Investigation of Rolling Spheroids specialize in?”
At the end of the first half, it was clear that the teams needed more refreshments and an intermission was called. The second half began with Team 5 having a slight lead over Team 3. Because not all members were able to go in the second half, Alice Rice took Kirby’s place on Team 6 and Duane took Marcie’s place on team 3. The coaches really rallied the players during halftime because the scoring in the second half exploded. The contest was close and the players became even more animated as the game proceeded and they correctly (or incorrectly) answered the questions. Kathy Franklin knew that Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in the final World Series game in 1977. Bubba Carr knew the name of the actor who was the tunnel king in the movie “The Great Escape”. Each team was demonstrating their knowledge of useless information. At the final bell, Team 3 edged out Team 5 by a few points and was presented the Official Smart Ass Revolving Trophy and a plaque to commemorate their victory.
We are planning to have a Trivial Challenge III next November and would like to see more members participate. New players are assured of only getting the easy questions, trust me. Also, if you are wondering what is the name of Howdy Doody’s twin brother? It is Double Doody, really, go look it up!
Trivial Challenge II, ‘The Quest for Useless Knowledge’
By Paul Murman (OD)November 23, 2013
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 10
We do not have a general membership meeting in December; instead, we have a party, an end of the year celebration, a time to wrap up the old year and welcome in a new year. In the past it was called a Christmas Party. This year the name was changed to the Christmas Dinner Dance because it is a dinner and a dance and a lot of fun!
The Dinner Dance was again held at Meadowbrook Country Club. The Club
was beautifully decorated for the holidays, and it quickly put us in a festive spirit. The ladies, as always, looked lovely and the men cleaned up pretty well. After some fellowship, some refreshments, and snacking on the hors d’oeuvres, we were treated to another wonderful meal prepared and served by the fine staff at Meadowbrook. The time
seemed to pass quickly and soon it was time to put on your “boogie shoes” and dance to the music of The Pizzaz Band. It did not take long for the dance floor to fill. The band played all genres of music from the oldies to country and a few “line dance” numbers. Dancing skills were not a requirement as many members gave their best effort to “shake their booty.” To our surprise, Elvis stopped by during the band’s second set and sang a few of his hits. He looked good and still gyrated well for a fellow of his advanced age.
The 2013 year was again very successful and the Christmas Dinner dance was the perfect venue to celebrate. Meadowbrook Country Club once again provided an excellent atmosphere for the celebration. The members provided the fellowship, and a great time was had by all.
Christmas Dinner DanceDecember 7, 2013
By Gayle and Paul Murman (ODs)
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 11
2013 CHRISTMAS PARTY
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 12
Our day started out dreary with the promise of rain and the drizzle started shortly after we reached our staging area. As expected, the weather brought out some OTCs (other than Corvettes), but we still had a good showing of about 9 or 10 Vettes including another C7 driven by prospective members Kraig & Fran Cummings. Robert & Judy Anderson, Stephanie & Kevin, and Jim &
Susan (Virginia Corvette Club) drove down through sleet from the Lynchburg area early that morning to join us at our staging point. At 12:30 we had a short drivers’ meeting and then O.D.s
Danny & Norma led the pack out. The drive down to Suffolk was fine, but with the gray drizzly weather, the rural scenery wasn’t much to
look at.Again this year we stopped at Susan Jaworski & Bill Hardy’s home in Suffolk for a short pitstop. And AGAIN, they laid out a fabulous spread for us—assorted sandwiches, cheeses, veggies, cookies and fruit with fresh homemade whipped cream! Boy, they sure do spoil us! (Thank you SO MUCH, guys, for your generosity and hospitality!) After our break, Susan and Bill led the caravan the rest of the way to the beach. After we were all checked in and settled at the hotel, we gathered for our caravan to Rudees on the Inlet for dinner. Waiting for us there were Beachcomber Corvette Club members Bobbi & Bill, George, and Rich & Susan. Rudees was ready for us—we had plenty of wait staff
so we didn’t have to wait for ANYTHING! After dinner, many took the Holiday Light at the Beach boardwalk tour
and the rest of us headed back to the hotel to get ready for our party. The line for the Lights Tour wasn’t horrible probably due to the rainy weather, so the tour didn’t take too long. Soon we are all together again down in the party room having a good time. Dave got the music going for me and then got Texas Hold’em going.
We played several rounds of the $3 dice game, Left-Right-Center (“LRC”)—always popular at this event. After some dancing and drinking we played musical chairs. That may sound corny, but believe me, it’s not! It is hilarious and it’s only a matter of time before someone’s butt hits the floor!
It was still raining at 9:30 p.m. when the Polar Bears hit the sand, so they were cold and wet even before they hit the ocean! After the ocean, we warmed up in the hotel’s indoor pool. This was the largest group of Polar Bears we’ve ever had—I think we had 12 or 13 this year. Every year Norma has provided souvenir t-shirts to the participants and the 2013 shirts were blue (like her C7) and sported the new Corvette Stingray emblem on the sleeve. Nice! Thank you for doing this, Norma!
We shut the party shut down at 1:30 a.m., cleaned up the party room and headed for bed. The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast, but we chose sleep over the free breakfast. Jesse & his friend, Brooke, also slept in so Brooke found us a nice restaurant on Atlantic Ave for breakfast. This was the first time we met her—so it was great for Dave and me—but we hope we didn’t embarrass Jesse more than normal!
Once again, this was a great CCR event—just check out all the pictures Terry Corbin took once they’re on the website! If you missed this event…your loss...but there’s always next year! Thank you, Susan & Bill, for your gracious hospitality. And thank you, Danny & Norma, for arranging this event and making it so much fun!
Holiday Lights at the BeachDecember 14-15, 2013
By Lori DolanDanny Terry and Norma Bonner (ODs)
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 13
Valentine’s Day BrunchSunday, February 9, 12PM
By Gayle Murman, Peggy Maloy, Janie Hughes, and Val Miser (ODs)
UPCOMING
Valentine’s Day is coming soon! Plan to spend this special day with the one you love and the ones who love Corvettes as much as you. The meal will include an omelet station, Belgian waffles, carved ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes, various salads, fruit, muffins,
pastries, and an entire table of desserts, juices, coffee, tea, plus bottomless champagne.
Location: Meadowbrook Country Club 3700 Cogbill Road Richmond, VA
Cost: $26 per person Attire: Sunday dress (please)
Contact: Gayle at 748-7695 for more information
Please make your check payable to ‘Gayle Murman' and mail it to: 3501 Wood Dale Rd., Chester, VA 23831. Payment is due no later than February 6, 2014.
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 14
Corvettes at CarlisleAugust 22 - 24, 2014 By Lori DolanUPC
OMING
Anyone Going to Carlisle?Corvettes at Carlisle will run
August 22 – 24, 2014. As you probably know, for the last few years Wylie DuBose has reserved a block of hotel rooms for Carlisle for CCR members. Unfortunately, he’s not doing it in 2014. Dave and I had not been to Carlisle for several years but had a great time with Wylie and CCR members last year. And now that Dave has his C7 Stingray, we are definitely going back in 2014!
We went to Carlisle many years with Aquia Creek Corvette Club and stayed at the Rodeway Inn. We want to stay closer to Carlisle, so we’re going back to the Rodeway in 2014. The Rodeway is not fancy, but the location is FABULOUS—about 3 miles from the show! Also, you can park your Vette right at your motel door and you’re walking distance to a Sports Complex with indoor and outdoor go karts, laser tag and video games. Anybody want to go with us? In order for me to block rooms there, I need to give them my credit card. I’m not comfortable doing that unless I know folks would want to stay there. If you’re interested, call me (804/346-5266) and we can discuss. I’m going to make my own reservations in January before the hotel books up.
Whether you go to the Rodeway with us or not, if you’re planning to go to Carlisle this August, you really need to look AND BOOK your hotels early. Don’t wait until summer! This event attracts a huge crowd and hotels book quickly.
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 15
Does your 2005-2007 Corvette, with automatic transmission, have a shutter or vibration when the steering wheel is turned and the engine is at idle? If so, Chevrolet says it may be caused by abnormally high pressures in the power steering system. The higher pressures put a heavier load on the engine, which in turns causes the idle speed to drop. It’s the lower than normal idle speed that contributes to the vibration or shutter sensation.
A new design power steering inlet hose is now available to address this problem. The part number for cars with FE1 (base) and FE2 suspensions is 15903239 and 15903240 for those with an FE3 or FE4 suspension. Not sure which you have, check inside your glove box. The label has the RPO (Regular Production Order) numbers for all options and most equipment on your car.
This may not be covered by warranty, so check with your dealer before you have the repair completed.
The next subject may affect all generations of Corvettes. In recent years the proliferation of cross-drilled and/or slotted brake rotors has seen their use in all generations of Corvettes.
As the miles accumulate brake wear and rotor wear is inevitable. This brings the question, can these rotors be machined or turned in old guy speak? The answer is yes they can, but not every shop with a brake lathe will perform this task. If the shop you use will perform this task make sure that they have done this before as this operation requires some preparation and attention. They cannot be setup on the lathe and left to be machined on their own. Some machine shops and shops that do a large brake business may even have a lathe that is computer controlled. The part number of the rotor or dimensions of the rotor are fed into the computer and it sets everything up for that rotor.
Also remember to make sure that the drilled holes are chambered (basically opening the holes a bit at the rotor surface) after the machining process to prevent them from heat cracking.
In The Garage . . .
Tech Tips by Butch Jones, CCR Member
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 16
Filmed during practice sessions for Petit Le Mans 2013, the last ALMS race, Tommy Milner
pilots his Corvette C6.R in poor conditions around the Road Atlanta Circuit.
700-hp Hennessey Corvette Stingray hits 200 mph on a Texas toll road!(Courtesy of Yahoo! Autos)
It takes a Texas-sized ambition — some might say ego — to grab the world's hottest sports cars, tinker with their innards and then plaster your name across the windshield. Fortunately for John Hennessey, that tinkering often produces a car that's wilder and wickedly more powerful, so much so that when Hennessey wanted to get his twin-turbo Cadillac CTS-V up to 220 mph, he had to
borrow an unopened stretch of new Texas toll road.Last week, Hennessey and the Texas state troopers were
back at it — this time with a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray bumped up to 700 hp, proving once again that the Lone Star State can properly track cars traveling 200 mph.
Hennessey's first stab at tweaking the Stingray for more power has been fairly mild by his standards; of the 240-hp step up from the stock machine, 100 hp came from a nitrous system, with the rest provided by enlarged headers, exhausts and other deep-breathing changes. Hennessey plans to sell a different setup with a supercharger instead of nitrous providing the 700-hp tune, for $22,500 on top of the price of the Vette itself.
Hitting 200 mph requires not just brute force, but a lot of road. Luckily for Hennessey, Texas authorities are not only building copious amounts of new toll roads like the stretch outside Houston shown below, but generally take a pro-business outlook towards letting a tuner do high-speed testing. Since the road carries no traffic yet, the state patrol was there mostly as spectators and to test their radar guns on a 200-mph target. Hennessey also took the opportunity to test out a supercharged Chevy SS that, while not as powerful as the Stingray, still hit 164 mph.
Click: 700 HP Hennessey C7
Click: Tommy Milner Practice Laps
“Action Motors”
Tommy Milner at 2013 Petit LeMans! (Courtesy of /DRIVE, 11/8/13)
The 2014 Corvette Stingray
at Laguna Seca
(Courtesy of the YouTube.com Motor Trend channel)
Click: C7 at Laguna Seca
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 17
Palm Springs, California -- As surely as darkness falls, as mountains have avalanches, as the North Star is fixed in the empyrean, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will have a convertible top. Long before it was ever revealed, the 2014 Stingray's convertible top was
fixed in the minds of Corvette engineers. Now that we have lowered it and driven the Stingray convertible through the fresh air of mountainous places in Riverside and San Diego counties, we can say that they got it right. We used the key fob to remotely lower a white convertible's fabric top, which at 48.6 inches reaches the exact same height as the Stingray coupe. The first benefit was beholding the beautiful interior. We had been so accustomed to the flea-market aura of past Corvettes that our initial sight of all the brown
leather and suede trim inside the car nearly resulted in a head-first tumble. Rawlings, MacGregor, Wilson, and all the other old-time makers of baseball gloves would doff their hats in salute. Owners of older Vettes, particularly the previous two generations, will gnash their teeth.
Choosing between automatic and manual transmissions Our choice for a test drive came from the lineup of red, white, and blue cars in front of
the breeze blocks of the Parker Palm Springs hotel, which opened in 1959 as California's first Holiday Inn and has been owned by Gene Autry and Merv Griffin. More recently, designer Jonathan Adler bestowed it with an interior worthy of 1963, when Autry's Los Angeles Angels baseball team lodged here for spring training and every one of them probably wanted to buy the first Sting Ray.
Back then, Angels pitcher Dean Chance made $18,000 and the four-on-the-floor was a pricey $188 option. Today's 2014 Stingray convertible is equipped with a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Inserting two fingers through the gap under the door seam, we squeezed the soft-touch door opener and took our places in the bucket seats, reaching way back over the shoulder for the harness. At a touch of the dashboard's starter button, the 460-hp V-8 eagerly barked; then it began to prattle dismissively about the new Ford Mustang. And so we set off, staying in the Tour driving mode (over Eco, Sport, Weather, and Track), which paid off as soon as we traversed patchy, fractured asphalt on Route 111 in Cathedral City. Yes, magnetic ride control makes a positive difference.
Corvette in the News
by Ronald Ahrens (Automobile Magazine) December 09, 2013
2014 Corve6e S8ngray Conver8ble Review
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 18
Older Vette owners feel other envies "Hey, trade you!" the driver of a yellow C6 coupe with British Columbia plates said at an
intersection. If he only knew the level of content, he would have started adding loonies and toonies into the bargain. The $4210 2LT options package includes heated and ventilated seats and the supercool head-up display. Heading up the mountainside, we switched to Sport mode, which adds a rev-counter and gear indicator to the projected speed display. What's more, Sport activates the electronically controlled valves of the optional $1195 sport exhaust, and our entrancement grew. Nevertheless, despite the rising and falling soundtrack that would put any ballpark organist to shame,
we could always converse, and no hat ever blew off a head. As rock walls scrolled past, we remarked on the well-weighted steering and the perfect line the 73.9-inch-wide (but only 177-inch-long) Stingray would hold through bends that offered no margin for error. After this ascent and some frolicking in the highlands, we were wondering why anyone would bother with the seven-speed manual. Returning to Palm Springs, we
decided to sample the manual box in a red-on-red Stingray convertible. The clutch pedal, we found, has just the right taffy consistency, and shoving the gear lever around proves to be as much of a sure thing as assembling an IKEA kit.
The preference for azure sky and clustered cogs We stayed in third and fourth while
ascending the mountains, and when the road leveled out and crossed an interior valley, we could redline the engine at 6600 rpm in third and upshift at 105 mph, which made some cows wonder what was going on while also making our driving partner, a neophyte from a gear website, squeal with glee and demand a repeat for the sake of video. Whereas our partner had depended on the automatic rev-matching for his own downshifts -- an excellent feature for the young buyers Chevy expects to attract -- we did it the old-fashioned way, with our feet, ultimately deciding the seven-speed manual gearbox is in fact our preferred transmission. And, of course, the convertible will be preferred by many over the coupe. In performance, it gives up nothing one would ever miss. (The coupe weighs 64 pounds less.) Chevy says the new aluminum space frame is 99 pounds lighter and 57 percent stiffer than the previous car's, and no additional reinforcement is required for toplessness. The chassis never once became discomposed, the windshield never rattled, and the cowl was Gibraltar.
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 19
With the fully automatic and well-lined top in place, the cockpit is serene, and you can actually make use of the ten-speaker Bose audio system. Even with 33 percent less cargo room than the coupe, there remains enough trunk space for two carry-on roller bags and a couple of satchels. The Stingray convertible is a practical, usable car. The only other sacrifice is limited vision through the small, heated-glass rear window. Casting eyes ahead, we noticed a few things on our driving route that had nothing to do with the car. There were the fast-fanning wings of the Costa's hummingbird; the self-assertion of a crested vermilion flycatcher perched on a stop sign; and, implausibly for early December, the orange-blossoming plant where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Route 74, some 4906 feet above sea level. Along with the deep blue sky, everything was perfect -- matching the impressive sports car Chevy has created, an astonishing value at a base price of $56,995. It almost seemed logical to assume
that the cascade of natural wonders we observed before twilight's rapid descent must somehow have been Chevy's doing as well.
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 20
10 Things We'd Change About the 2014 Corve@e SAngray
The Tweaks the New Corvette Needs To Be
Even Better
Published: 11/13/2013
by John Pearley Huffman, Contributor for Edmonds.com
The Taillights: Alice Cooper is 65. The C7 Stingray is the latest and most badass Corvette ever. Should its taillights look like the washed-up rocker's eye makeup? | November 12, 2013 | Kurt Niebuhr for Edmunds
Reviews of Chevrolet's all-new 2014 "C7" Corvette Stingray have been rapturous. "Make no mistake, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a real driver's car," gushed Edmunds.com's own Josh Jacquot upon first driving the new 'Vette. "It hunts apexes with laser-sight precision, clearly communicates its intentions and provides dynamic response on par with far more costly equipment."
But no matter how many superlatives a car may earn — or deserve — it's still just a car. And every car is made up of engineering compromises, styling missteps and ergonomic hiccups. That's right; even the C7 isn't perfect.
So here are 10 things we'd like to change about the new Corvette Stingray. Most of them are nits that need to be picked. After all, we're still gushing over the car.
1. The Taillights — There's no reason why every Corvette should have four round taillights. But there's no reason why the C7 should have taillights that look like Alice Cooper on a bad day, either. The general agreement here is that the tail of the C7 is overstyled and that redesigning the rear lamps would be a good first step toward achieving some aesthetic balance.
(continued)
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 21
2. The Start ButtonThe Corvette was among the first cars to adopt a proximity sensor and start button in place of a traditional ignition key. But the button in the new Stingray looks agonizingly plain and ordinary. Here you are, the driver, about to ignite a 6.2-liter V8 rated at 460 horsepower in one of the most capable sports cars ever built (a car that tops out at more than 190 mph) and it's about as dramatic an event as turning on the rear window defroster. Shouldn't it be stowed under a protective cover? Maybe there should be a fingerprint reader as on the iPhone 5S? Shouldn't the button be painted with some sort of irradiated coating so it glows menacingly? Shouldn't pressing the start button on this car be exciting and spectacular every single time?
3."Track Mode" TachometerWhen the Stingray is loaded for hard-core track action, the instrument panel defaults to a large hockey stick-style tachometer that's awkward to read and scan. Centuries of experience should have taught everyone that the most straightforward way to display engine speed is a simple circular dial (whether real or virtual) with a clearly visible needle sweeping across its face. Meanwhile, the circular tachometer used in other modes is great. After all, in the heat of battle, knowing precisely what the engine is turning isn't as important as being able to scan the instrument cluster and make sure the engine is operating within the boundaries of its own limits. And those limits could be marked with something colorful,
like a red line.Yes, this is adjustable so you don't have to use this tachometer in Track Mode, but the hockey stick offends as much in principle as it does in practice. Get rid of it.
4. Oversized Temp and Fuel GaugesThe largest portion of the Stingray's instrument panel is a configurable display directly in front of the driver. It's easy to read and GM has done a great job on the graphics (most of the time). So why are there permanent, redundant and massive
temperature and fuel gauges consuming real estate to the right of it? Dump the real gauges and make the screen bigger.
The Start Button: One of the world's best sports cars is started with a button that could be on a blender. | November 12, 2013 | Kurt Niebuhr for Edmunds
Track Mode Tachometer: Does this hockey stick tach make sense? | November 12, 2013 | General Motors Corporation
Temp and Fuel Gauges: This much real estate just to know how much gas is left? Or whether the car is running a little hot? | November 12, 2013 | General Motors Corporation
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 22
5.The Speedometer The same criticism that applies to the
right side of the instrumentation goes for the left side where a large, permanent analog speedometer lives. Large is an overstatement, actually, since it's still not large enough to easily read the numbers on its face. It manages to be both too big and not big enough. And it's redundant information anyhow, since in most of the configurable screen modes there's a digital speedometer incorporated into the display. Maybe it's time to ditch the analog speedometer altogether.
6. Fender Gaps The tires on the new Stingray look puny. As
in swallowed-up-by-the-fenders tiny. That may be because there are larger-tire versions coming and the car was engineered in anticipation of them. Or it might be that the Corvette needs the room to accommodate snow chains — which isn't something that seems to concern the Italians over at Ferrari and Lamborghini. There are two solutions: Lower the car slightly or install larger-diameter tires.
7. Electronic Parking Brake Electronic parking brakes are increasingly
popular because they package more easily into a car's interior. So bye, bye, big handle; hello, tiny switch. But in a car like the C7, that leads to a disappointing lack of mechanical connection. And in a car like the C7, mechanical connection is everything. Plus it inhibits bootleg turns and other hoon-tastic antics.
(continued)
The Speedometer: The speedometer takes up a third of the instrumentation space, but the numbers are too close together to be easily read. Plus, in most modes, there's a digital speedometer in the center display. | November 12, 2013
Fender Gaps: Either the wheels are too small or the fender openings are too big. Your choice. | November 12, 2013 | General Motors Corporation
Electronic Parking Brake: Forget using a manly hand brake to swing the new 'Vette's tail around like James Rockford. The parking brake is engaged with a wimpy electronic switch. | November 12, 2013 | General Motors
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 23
8. Too Many Exhaust OutletsFour exhaust outlets? Four! What is this? A
Corvette or a circus calliope? Either cut it down to two or go full badass and add side pipes.
9. Overly Complex PTM Interface The fact that the C7 has a "PTM Interface"
alone makes it seem that in order to drive the car you must first file a TPS report with the new cover sheet. That said, the Performance Traction Management (PTM) system is among the best electronic driver's aids ever built. But getting exactly the right mode for whatever challenge you're undertaking is a pain in the well-upholstered posterior. It's the goofy little dial that selects the modes that drives us nutty. The combination of finger ballet and perfect timing necessary to select your preferred mode is frustratingly unforgiving. Can't we just tune the PTM through our smartphone?
10. Front License Plate Chevy's got an option to
affix a front plate, but it's a $95 kick in the pants and blocks off a good deal of airflow. We don't like either of these things. Since front plates are required in most states, that means either ponying up for the nice one or signing up for a lifetime of fix-it tickets. We'll take the tickets.
Front License Plate: Most states require front license plates, and Chevy charges $95 to make it look tolerable. So most new 'Vette owners will be breaking the law. | November 12, 2013 | Kurt Niebuhr for Edmunds
PTM Interface Complexity: One knob, one button and infinite complexity. | November 12, 2013 | Kurt Niebuhr for Edmunds
Exhaust Outlets: There are twice as many exhaust outlets as necessary on the new Stingray. Only Earth, Wind & Fire needs this many horns. | November 12, 2013 | General Motors Corporation
What’s Your Opinion?
Click HERE to pick which
changes you would make
(if any)!
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 24
In the late 1960s, it was possible to walk into a local Chevrolet dealership, write a (substantial) check, and order up a factory lightweight Corvette, purpose-built for racing. In the early 1970s, perhaps the most famous of these Corvettes were the American-flag liveried cars of the John Greenwood team, but serving as a counterpoint was a Corvette owned by Floridian Orlando Costanzo, painted in a daring Confederate flag motif. This underdog “Rebel Corvette” would set speed records, capture the IMSA GTO Championship and be immortalized in plastic by model maker Revell; and on January 18, it will be offered to the public by Barrett-Jackson as part of its Scottsdale, Arizona, sale.
Available as a Regular Production Option (RPO) since the 1967 model year, the L88 engine option for the Corvette also required checking a few more boxes. To get the 430-horsepower, aluminum-head V-8, buyers also needed to order the C48 heater and defroster delete (which saved weight); the M22 heavy-duty transmission with close-ratio gearing; the K66 transistorized ignition (minus shielding, because radio interference wasn’t an issue); the J50 power-boosted brake system; the J56 heavy-duty brake calipers with semi-metallic pads and a proportioning valve; the F41 suspension (which came with stiffer springs, larger shock absorbers, a larger front anti-roll bar and a rear anti-roll bar); and a G81 Positraction rear end with 3.70:1 standard gearing (though other final drive ratios could be ordered).
The net result was a competitive race car, minus finishing details like a roll cage and driver’s harness, delivered directly from Chevrolet. The Rebel Corvette was initially delivered to Costanzo in 1969 wearing Daytona Yellow paint, and this particular L88 was also delivered with prototype cylinder heads that wouldn’t officially be released for another six months. Costanzo’s L88 was reportedly one of just four early models built with open chamber cylinder heads and a dual-disc clutch, a benefit that likely stemmed from his SCCA racing background and his official ties to GM
as the sales manager for Ferman Chevrolet in Tampa, Florida. Though later trimmed with orange stripes, the car was campaigned like this until 1971, when the livery was changed in recognition of the car’s Florida base of operations and as a jab to the Greenwood team.
Record-‐seFng, championship-‐winning “Rebel Corve@e” heads to aucAonBy Kurt Ernst/Hemmings Daily 12/18/13
The Rebel L88 Corvette. Photos by Bill Erdman, courtesy of Barrett-Jackson.
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 25
While Costanzo and driver Dave Heinz enjoyed some success racing the L88 (both pre- and post-Rebel paint scheme), the car failed to deliver championship results, likely due to the level of competition in SCCA and IMSA GTO events. Midway through the 1971 season, Costanzo sold the car to team manager Toye English, who formed the Racing Engineering and Development (RED) team with his son. Handling driving duties would be Heinz and Don Yenko, and sponsorship from Goodyear Tires would help to defray costs. As the Greenwood Team carried sponsorship from BFGoodrich, the rivalry between the two Corvette squads soon became known as the “Tire Wars,” which ultimately helped both Goodyear and BFGoodrich develop radial tire technology for street and track.
In the RED Team’s first outing, at Watkins Glen in 1971, the Rebel Corvette finished second to a Greenwood Corvette piloted by John Greenwood and Bob Johnson. It didn’t take long for Heinz and Yenko to begin posting wins, and a victory at Daytona in the final race of the 1971 season gave the RED Team the 1971 IMSA GTO Championship; along the way, Don Yenko set a new tri-oval speed record for the class, lapping the
high banking at a speed of 201.4 MPH. The following year, the Rebel Corvette would take and hold the GT Class lead at Sebring for the entire 12 hours of the event, ultimately taking the class win and finishing fourth overall.
The RED Team would campaign the car sporadically as late as the 1974 season, but its glory days were behind it. Almost lost to history, the car was discovered by Corvette specialist Kevin Mackay in a junkyard in 1991, reportedly with its body panels and cockpit mostly intact. In 1993, Mackay’s shop restored the car to its 1972 livery, and it’s been campaigned at selected vintage events since. The car has also been displayed at the National Corvette Museum, and remains one of the most-recognized L-88 Corvettes from the glory days of IMSA GTO racing.
The Rebel Corvette is set to cross the stage in Scottsdale on January 18 as part of Barrett-Jackson’s with-reserve Salon Collection. For additional information, visit Barrett-Jackson.com.
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 26
Chevrolet and Corvette Racing had ample reason to celebrate at the American Le Mans Series' annual Night of Champions awards banquet. The two organizations took home seven awards on the evening at Chateau Elan, the night after the ALMS' finale - Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.Chevrolet received the GT manufacturers' championship, and Corvette Racing won the GT team trophy - the second
consecutive season for both. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, drivers of the No. 3
Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, were the recipients of the GT drivers' championship - the second for Magnussen and first for Garcia. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, last year's GT champions, walked away with third-place championship trophies in the driving category.
It was a doubly special night for Magnussen. The Dane won the ALMS' Most Popular Driver award for the second time in his career. American Le Mans Series fans voted on the honor through alms.com, the series' website. Chevrolet also won the Green Challenge GT championship, which goes to the manufacturer that races the fastest while being the most efficient with its petroleum use combined with cleanest emissions. The No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R won the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge - an award that goes to leading GT and prototype teams using the same criteria as the manufacturer trophy.
DRIVER STANDINGS TEAM STANDINGS MANUFACTURER
STANDINGS
1. ANTONIO GARCIA/JAN MAGNUSSEN - 135
1. CORVETTE RACING - 171
1. CHEVROLET - 174
2. DIRK MULLER - 129 2. BMW TEAM RLL - 140 2. BMW - 154
3. OLIVER GAVIN/TOMMY MILNER - 105
3. SRT MOTORSPORTS - 121
3. SRT (VIPER) - 137
4. BILL AUBERLEN - 102 4. RISI COMPETIZIONE - 73 4. FERRARI - 126
5. DOMINIK FARNBACHER/MARC GOOSSENS - 101
5. CORE AUTOSPORT - 55 5. PORSCHE - 119
Upcoming EventsCorvette Racing will open the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the new Corvette C7.R race car at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Jan. 25-26. Check your TV listings.(Results in next month’s newsletter)
Corvette Racing News
Championship Trophies Galore for Corve6e RacingCourtesy of CorvetteRacing.com
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 27
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