The World`s First Corvette Club

The World’s First Corvette Club
The President’s Corner - Jim Parisi
January 2014
The first thing I would like to say to everyone is Happy New Year.
The Bikes for Tikes went very well at Sport Chevrolet. It was fantastic just to see all those happy faces, most
of them with their first bike. Lee Shirley and Gerry Ryan thanked the CCA for our continuing support of this
event and making it happen. You did a very special deed for all those children. That was what it’s all about.
The New Years Party at Joe and Angie‘s was excellent. I heard the party was the best its been to date. Unfortunately I had to work so I missed out. I would like to thank Joe and Angie for their hospitality. Everyone I
spoke with had a great time.
We have The Valentine’s Cruise at Mike’s Crab House in Riva MD coming up. That will be on Sunday the
9th of February at 1: 00. The club can meet at the park and ride in Gaithersburg. Please send all inquiries and
RSVP to Jim Parisi at [email protected] or phone at 410-292-8722. The set up will be same as last year.
January 2014
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The Grand Prix of Go Karting is on the 22nd of February. This is a fun event for everyone and Pat
Roney will be the go to guy for this event so sign up and get ready to roll . Pat Roney will be available
for any and all questions and there is a flyer later in this issue of the newsletter.
The National Corvette Museum has its new Motorsports Park Director. Jon Thorn and Art Bell shared
some information about the new park and are keeping us informed. If you are into cars and Corvettes
you should check out the museum. It is an awesome place to visit in Bowling Green Kentucky. I also
would recommend being a member. Its like being a part of history! The biggest event at the NCM this
year will be the 2014 Caravan combined with the 20th Anniversary of the museum which will take
place in late August. If you can spare a week, this will be a historic event to attend. It is also expected
to include the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Motorsports Park. Contact Ron Hamrah for
more information if you would like to consider attending and don’t delay because it is critical that reservations get made now.
It’s all about cars and people
sharing their passions.
Jim Parisi
CCA President
[email protected]
(410) 292-8722
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
Page 3
Membership Director—Jean Wade
CCA Membership Update
MEMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION
Welcome New 2014 Members
Ed & Linda Gielski
Eric & Joyce Larson
Phoenix, Md.
Myersville, Md.
Sponsor
2014 Gray Coupe
96 Silver Coupe
Web site
Web site
Both new members found CCA from our web site.
Ed is looking for social activities to meet and share common interest. Events involved Pocono. He has
worked on track, social, club store and Design. V.P. of EPA for 10yrs.
Eric said the Corvette is his 1 st Amer. Car. He is a member of the BMW Club. Wants to find more about
the Corvette. Also join in on the social end.
Every member should have a new punched 2014 membership card now. If not you better contact me
ASAP.
NCCC Questions to our Gov. Ron Hamrah 202-882-8157 [email protected]
CCA Embroidery Club shirts can be ordered through our club web site.
www.corvetteclubofamerica.org
CCA wine glasses. $5 each. I still have some left.
CCA events coming up
Jan 14th
**Jan 25th
Jan 28th
Membership & Board meeting 7:30 Golden Bull Gaith. Md.
Annual Awards dinner Party. Golden Bull in Gaith. Md.
Shop Night Sport Chevrolet 6:30-9pm
Feb. 9th
Feb. 11th
Valentines Lunch Mikes Crab House - contact Jim Parisi.
Membership & Board meeting 7:30 Golden Bull Gaith. Md.
Feb. 22nd
Feb. 25th
Karting event at Allsport. Contact Pat Roney and see the Competition Report.
Shop Night Sport Chevrolet 6:30-9pm
** RSVP a must at this late time its best to call me with a credit card and e-mail me your dinner selection. Our close date was 1-13. We will do our best to get you a seat. See flyer in this issue.
We are off to a new year and this is the best time if you want to sponsor an event or have an idea of an
event we can cruise to in our Corvettes contact me.
Jean Wade - 2000 Red coupe Membership, director 301-253-6074 [email protected]
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
Page 4
The Editor’s Corner– Jon Thorn
Corvette
rAMBLINGS
Happy New Year everyone! I want to just take a moment to welcome four members to their new positions
in the CCA. Jim Parisi is taking over as President and Rick Roe is our new Vice-President. Stephen Catlin
is our Competition Director for 2014. In accordance with our bylaws, Rich Taylor, as the outgoing President, becomes our Member-at-Large on the CCA Board of Directors. Be sure to congratulate these members when you see them and please give them your support this year. Speaking of this year, it is already
looking like it will be a great year for the club! We have an expanded schedule of activities in store for
you. As always, if you have a suggestion for an event or would like to host an event please contact Jean
Wade.
The picture at the top has been posted on Facebook. I am including it here because I wanted to make sure
all members have seen it. This was the New Year’s greeting sent out by the NCM. If you look at the circle
in front of the museum you will see four light poles. Check out the light pole in the lower left of the picture. In particular, look at the banner on the right hand side of the pole. That is your CCA’s banner
proudly flying right in front of the museum. Our banner from the previous year has been retired and is
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January 2014
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hanging in the CCA area at Sport Chevrolet. Another reason that I’m bringing this up now is that both
our private and external sites on Facebook are becoming very popular. We are using these for increased communication within the club and externally to the rest of the world. If you are not on Facebook and checking the CCA areas regularly, you will miss out on a great communication channel for
the club.
For fans of endurance sports car racing, the new TUDOR United Sports Car Racing series starts this
month (rather than March as in the former ALMS series). The first race will be the weekend of January 25th and 26th. The series starts off with a 24 hour race at Daytona and this will be the first race for
the new C7.R of Corvette Racing. Attending a race is the only thing better than watching one on TV
and several CCA members attended races last year. Here is a comment from Doug Fehan, the Corvette
Racing Program Manager. “As great as the racing has been, I think that 2014 is going to be the advent
of a higher level of racing than we’ve ever experienced before. There is no better place to begin this
new chapter of Corvette Racing than at the storied 24 Hours of Daytona. Our fans will remember that
the last time we competed at that race in 2001 we won it overall. While I’m not suggesting that will
happen again, I’m here to tell you that the racing is going to be absolutely awesome.” This would be
a great year to become a Corvette Racing fan if you are not already one. Full information on the race
series is available here and the official Corvette Racing site is here.
Our Annual Awards dinner party will be held on January 25 th. It is almost too late to register at this
point but if you have just discovered that you are able to attend please contact Jean Wade immediately. This is always a great night for the club and we want all members to attend if they can. I would
not be too surprised to find that we will even have some video along with timing and scoring from the
Daytona race available before and after the meal. It will be a chance to see the new C7.R Corvette if
you have not seen it by then!
A major event for the club this year is the 2014 NCM Caravan and 20 th Anniversary of the museum.
We have a group planning to attend at the end of August. The event will also include the grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park. The CCA made a major contribution to the Motorsports Park in
2012 by joining the NCM One Acre Club. This issue of the Courier and the last three or four issues
have discussed the trip. We are now at the point where it is almost too late to make reservations. If
you want to attend you need to act quickly by contacting Ron Hamrah. Later in this issue you will find
a “flyer” on the trip with more information.
That’s my Rambling for now. Set yourself a New Year’s resolution to get more active with the CCA
and I am sure you will enjoy it. I hope to see you at the Annual Awards Dinner Party!
Jon Thorn
CCA Courier Editor
[email protected]
(301) 963-4864
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
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Competition Chair— Stephen Catlin
Corvette
Competition
Competition Report
Not much racing action to report in January...but there is a changing of the guards...Let me introduce
myself. My name is Stephen Catlin and as your newly appointed Competition Director for 2014 I'd
like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing Competition Director Gary Maul for all the hard work
coordinating, running, and reporting the various competition events held last year. Hopefully 2014
will be another good year with plenty of events to keep the club members happy!
Although I am new to CCA this year and new to Competition Director, I have a wealth of autocross
and track day experience. For most of you that don't know me and are interested in our club autocrosses, I've been competitively autocrossing and instructing off and on since 1997 with the SCCA
and various local and regional clubs and have won local and regional titles. I will try to be available
at the 2014 events for ride alongs to give pointers and members are welcome to ride along with me
for fun or guidance. We have four autocrosses and four autocross schools scheduled for 2014.
These are on the CCA calendar and scheduled for the weekends of March 29-30, May 3-4, September 20-21 and October 18-19. I'd like to encourage all club members, especially those with teenage
drivers in the household, to watch or better yet attend one of our upcoming autocross schools and/or
autocrosses. Its a great, safe way to learn car control skills for the street and the track...and have fun
doing it!
For those club members interested in track days we have another full year of events scheduled. Just
check the CCA calendar often for upcoming 2014 events. As background, I have attended numer-
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January 2014
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ous track day events at Summit Point and other venues in years past, and am a ex-SCCA PDX instructor at Summit Point. In addition to this, I've attended numerous East Coast drift events supporting my
son's pro-am racing efforts. I have a pretty busy work schedule for 2014 but am looking forward to
bringing my 08 Z06 Corvette to several select events to join in the HPDE fun!
Also of note to the HPDE crowd is that the 160-acre Dominion Raceway is well under construction
and scheduled to open in 2015. Its located near Thornburg, VA and will have an oval track for stockcar racing, a drag strip, a road course and a go-kart course. Rick Skinner has been hired to manage the
road course operations and was previously affiliated with New Jersey Motorsports Park.
For those of you sick of winter already, don't despair. Our first event of the year is only a short month
or so away. Details of our annual karting event follow on the next page.
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
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THE CORVETTE CLUB OF AMERICA INVITES YOU TO THE 5 th ANNUAL
WINTER KARTING EVENT TO GET READY FOR RACING SEASON
2/22/2014 noon at Allsports Grand Prix, Dulles, Virginia.
The Corvette Club of America would like to invite all race enthusiasts to a Karting event at Allsports
Grand Prix in Dulles, Virginia on Saturday, February 22th starting at noon. This is an event we started
several years ago and is being brought back again this year by popular demand. Spouses and young
adults with a valid driver's license are welcome to participate in this event. We are planning on having
both Micro Grand Prix and Arrive and Drive sessions. There are a limited amount of spots available
so please sign up as soon as possible.
Please respond to [email protected] to let me know if you are interested and which event you are
interested in from the following list:
ARRIVE AND DRIVE – 8 minute session on the track. $24.50 for 1st session and $18.50 for any
additional races.
MINI GRAND PRIX – 10 lap qualifier and a 25 lap race for $50.
Allsports Grand Prix
45915 Maries Road #170
Dulles, Virginia 20166
Ph. 570-434-9566
[email protected]
Thanks for your interest,
Pat Roney
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
Page 9
As a final thought during this racing off-season...what type of Corvette owner are you? Does your
Vette vacation in climate-controlled comfort in the off-season (like mine on the left) or does it enjoy
frolicking in the snow like the one on the right (NOT mine)...
Stephen Catlin
(703) 220-1136
[email protected]
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
Page 10
NCCC Governor — Ron Hamrah
NCCC Report
Points of Contact Listing
NCCC Questions direct to our Governor Ron Hamrah 202-630-8318, [email protected]
NCCC Governor’s Report
By Ron Hamrah, NCCC Governor for CCA
No Corvettes on the Blackcomb Glacier at 7347 feet …..
JOIN WITH 12,000 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS on the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the National Corvette Museum in August 2014. Corvette Clubs will caravan from all over the USA to Bowling Green, KY for an agenda packed with technical seminars, social functions, plant tours, museum
events and much more. See the VIDEO at www.corvettecaravan.com.
DON’T MISS THE MOST MEMORABLE EVENT OF THE DECADE
Among the many dimensions of this event, we will run track laps on the Charlotte Motor Speedway
track, have lunch at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and join 12,000 Corvette enthusiasts in Bowling Green, KY.
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January 2014
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Block your calendar, reserve your hotel rooms and join us as the Corvette Club of America leads this
MULTI-CLUB MID-ATLANTIC CARAVAN. We will travel with more than 200 caravaners from
clubs in PA, WV, DE, DC, MD, VA, NC and SC. Check it out and REGISTER NOW at BOTH
http://www.corvettecaravan.com/midatlantic/ and http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/
celebration/20info.shtml If you have any questions, email or call me.
Special Discounts for NCCC Members - http://www.corvettesnccc.org/Friends.html
NEW NCCC NATION-WIDE TRAVEL SUPPORT
NCCC has a cross-country directory of Corvette Club members from affiliated NCCC clubs who have
volunteered their Point-of-Contact (POC) information in the event a fellow NCCC member needs support while driving cross-country or a distance from their home territory.
I have signed up as a CCA volunteer and would like to have a few other CCA members provide their
Point Of Contact (POC) information. The only obligation is to provide your phone and email information, so a stranded fellow NCCC member can contact you for some local guidance.
Please contact me for additional information or if you will be driving far from our area and would like
the reference list.
Check out the following informative websites:
East Region NCCC website at http://www.ernccc.org
Corvette Forum at http://forums.corvetteforum.com/index.php
Insurance Link - http://www.ncminsurance.com/
EAST REGION NCCC Vette-work
All NCCC members are invited to join the East Region Vette-work, the heart and soul of Corvette enthusiasm. http://ernccc.ning.com/?xgi=0o5HhRuMrv1zb1
If you have CORVETTE ITEMS FOR SALE…
There is a new App that will handle classified ads
better than the Forum did. You will find a new section called "Listings" where you can list items.
VERIZON CELL PHONE SERVICE DISCOUNT
If you are a military veteran and use Verizon for your cell phone service, you can get a 15% discount
on your service. All you need to do is take a copy of your DD-214 to a Verizon store and tell them
you would like to have the Vets Discount. Tell them the discount code is 117818. You should get a
15% discount off your monthly bill. You can even fax them your DD-214 for the discount.
East Region Club Sponsored Events
Due to the lull in East Region club activities during the winter, this section will resume in the March
2014 newsletter.
The Corvette Courier
NCM Ambassador - Terry Popkin
National Corvette Museum Report
Terry Popkin, NCM Ambassador, [email protected], 301-949-2464
January 2014
Page 12
The Corvette Courier
January 2014
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VERY IMPORTANT LODGING INFORMATION FOR
2014 CARAVAN PARTICIPANTS
Please note that this is the last time that this reminder will run in the Courier. If
you wish to join us on the Caravan it is imperative that you contact Ron Hamrah
immediately. It is difficult to get reservations now. It will shortly be impossible .
MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS NOW – DON’T WAIT Hotel reservation information
is at the end of this email. In order to get the Caravan LOW rate, you MUST CALL the hotel phone
number directly – you will not get the LOW rate if you book through the website.
On Saturday, August 23, 2014, the Mid-Atlantic caravan will leave from Sport Chevrolet, 3101 Automobile Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20904 at 10:00am and head down I-95 to Concord, NC where we will
join up with the caravans from NC and SC. We will pick up VA participants along the way.
We will stop at the I-95 Southbound Rest Areas to allow participants to join us enroute. You are welcome to join us anywhere along our route. Please let me know if you decide to do so and we will plan
to meet you.
Please carefully read the following and make your overnight reservations accordingly. Please especially note the hotel reservation arrangements in Bowling Green, KY. Let me know if you have questions or if I can be of further assistance.
The Hotel in Concord NC is The Hampton Inn, I-85 at Exit 49, 9850 Weddington Rd., Concord,
NC 28027.
 Saturday, August 23, 2014: We will start the fun with a Meet & Greet event and Caravan Registration Check-in at the host hotel. Hotel Reservation Information listed below. Dinner on your own at
one of the many great local restaurants.
· Sunday August 24, 2014: Caravan Registration Check-in continues. Interested participants will be
able to run track laps on the Charlotte Motor Speedway track –between 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. There
will be a separate charge for this activity – fee TBD. Additional track information and the process for
enrollment will be communicated as we get closer to the event. An evening dinner will be held at the
host hotel, starting at 4:30pm, for registered caravan participants.
· Monday, August 25, Caravan Registration-Check-in and a day of Race Team Shop Tours, shopping and other fun activities will be held. More information will be communicated when available. Dinner served at the hotel at 6:00 pm for registered caravan participants.
· Tuesday August 26, 2014: The C&VA Caravan Route begins with participants meeting at
9:00am for breakfast, served at and hosted by our sponsor, Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet in Newton,
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January 2014
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NC, and the caravan will depart from there. More information (directions, etc.) will be provided to
participants.
 Lunch: The caravan will stop at the famous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC for lunch at the
Deer Park Restaurant. There will be a charge for lunch-TBD.
 We will depart Biltmore at approximately 2:00pm for our final destination that day, which will be
the Hampton Inn & Suites Sevierville at 105 Stadium Drive, Kodak, TN. Final Caravan Registration Check-in available, and pizza, drinks and an ice cream social will be served to round out
our day.
Please note: Those who are not starting in Concord but plan to join the Caravan in Sevierville/
Kodak, TN on Tuesday evening --please plan to join us for the festivities at the Hampton Inn & Suites
Sevierville, and pick up your caravan registration packet. More detailed info will be available later.
· Wednesday, August 27, 2014:
· BY 10:00am - Meet at the Smoky Mountain Stadium parking lot, directly adjacent to the Hampton
Inn.
· Lunch: We’ll be stopping in Columbia, KY for food and fuel before we make the final run into the
Museum.
· The Caravan Route will follow I-40 W, to I-75 N, to Kentucky 80 W, to I-65S and ARRIVE at
the National Corvette Museum that afternoon.
Note: More detailed Caravan Calendar information will be provided as we get closer to the event.
Caravan Hotel Reservation Information:
Host Hotel in Concord, NC: Hampton Inn
(3 nights – August 23, 24, 25, 2014)
·
I-85 Exit 49, 9850 Weddington Rd., Concord, NC 28027

Call DIRECT to the Hotel - (704)979-5600 (Not 1-800 #)

Tell them you are with the Carolinas & VA Corvette Caravan
·
Rate is $85 per night plus tax.

Please call ASAP to make your reservations – Limited number of Rooms.
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January 2014
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Hampton Inn & Suites Sevierville, TN
(1 night – Tuesday, August 26, 2014)
·
105 Stadium Drive, Kodak, TN 37764.

Call DIRECT to the Hotel – (865)-465-0590 (Not website or 1-800 #)

Tell them you are with the Carolinas & VA Corvette Caravan
·
Rate is $109 per night plus tax.

Please call ASAP to make your reservations – Limited number of Rooms.
Overflow Hotel in Sevierville, TN – Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott
(1 night – Tuesday, August 26, 2014)
·
3620 Outdoor Sportsman Place, Kodak, TN, 37764

Directly across from the Hampton Inn & Suites Sevierville

Call DIRECT to the hotel at 865-933-3033 (Not website or 1-800 #)

Tell them you are with the Carolina's and Virginia Corvette Caravan
·
Limited number of rooms.

Rate is $99 per night plus tax.
Host Hotel in Bowling Green, KY area
(4 nights – Wednesday thru Saturday, August 27 thru August 30, 2014)
Mammoth Cave Hotel and Resort
http://mammothcavehotel.com/mammoth-cave-hotel/
30 mile drive to the NCM, two double beds at rate of $104.40 per night, tax included. Three on-site
restaurants are available.
Call the Mammoth Cave Hotel at 270-758-2225 and ask for Lisa and the August Mid-Atlantic Cara-
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January 2014
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van rooms blocked by Ron Hamrah.
Our Mid-Atlantic Route Book will include detail of our caravan from Sport Chevrolet, Silver Spring,
MD to Concord, NC. We will also have a separate Route Book for our journey from Concord, NC to
Bowling Green, KY.
All travel will be planned and accomplished with safety as the paramount concern. At no time will
unsafe driving (e.g. high speed, erratic or horse-play) be permitted. We expect to have local police
escorts at Traffic Light controlled and Stop Sign junctions and intersections.
Although we have not defined a return route (Bowling Green, KY to Silver Spring, MD) on August
31, let me know if you would like to participate in such a caravan and we will make it happen. However, in previous 5-year national caravans, we have made the return trip via the Cherohala Skyway,
Tail of the Dragon, Biltmore Estate, etc. Let me know if you are interested.
This information, as well as additional Caravan details, will be posted on the 2014 Mid-Atlantic http://
www.corvettecaravan.com/midatlantic/ AND Carolinas & Virginia Caravan Websites: and http://
www.nationalcorvettecaravan.com/va-nc-sc/ Please check them often.
Ron Hamrah
Mid-Atlantic Caravan Captain
cell 202-630-8318