Sportsmate May 2016 - Corvette Club of Iowa

Official
Publication
Corvette Club of Iowa
Corvette Club of Iowa
www.corvetteclubofiowa.com
Sportsmate
Table of Contents
CCI Board of Directors
Calendar of Events
President’s Report
Board Meeting Minutes
General Meeting Minutes
Governor’s Report
Tech Directions
Odds and Ends
CCI Event Flyers
CCI Membership Application
West Region News
Expiring West Region Officer Positions
2016 West Region Competition Schedule
West Region Event Flyers
NCCC News
NCCC Director of Charity
NCCC Charity Organization and Raffle
2016 NCCC Convention
2017 NCCC Convention
2016 NCCC Convention Schedule
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2015 Board of Directors
Gary Foster, President
Wayne Weidmann, Webmaster
[email protected]
540-656-6947
[email protected]
223-6164
Judi Nikolish, Vice President
Nan Brittain, Points Director
[email protected]
250-1971
[email protected]
253-0196
Dave Howard, Secretary & Editor
Paul Wyman, Competition Director
Ken Wilson, Treasurer
Sheila Wyman, Membership Director
Denny Luther, NCCC Governor
Fundraising Director
[email protected]
244-1714
[email protected]
277-3303
[email protected]
999-2700
[email protected]
277-3303
[email protected]
401-8276
Vacant
Jay Hommer, Member at Large
[email protected]
964-0281
Calendar of Events
May 7th
May 17th
May 28th - 30th
Pella Tulip Cruise – See Flyer
General Meeting – Jethro’s Lakehouse, Ankeny
Memorial Weekend Low Speeds – See Flyer
Jun 10th
Jun 21st
Jun 25th & 26th
I-Cubs Baseball – See Flyer
General Meeting – Hilltop Restaurant and Lounge, Des Moines
Racing at the Speedway
Jul 12th
Jul 17th - 22nd
General Meeting – TBD
2016 NCCC Convention – Omaha
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From the President…
Well, the long winter hibernation is over, it’s starting to warm up and the days are getting longer. I’ve
seen a lot of Corvettes on the road and it’s exciting to think that the weather won’t necessarily dictate
which car to drive anymore. We’re only a few weeks away from CCI’s first autocross event of the year.
Winter bench-racing is over and the time is almost here to put rubber to the track. In this case, it’s race
track. If you haven’t heard, the Chariton airport, home of our annual Memorial Day race weekend, is
undergoing repairs and it is unavailable for us to use for our event. Paul Wyman has found us a new site
for this year’s event. It will be May 28-30 at Marshalltown International Raceway (i.e. the go-cart track).
It should be a lot of fun. The track is actually wider than you might think a go-cart track would be. I’ve
raced on it before and I remember it being a good time. Judi also has some fun events planned, including
a trip to Principal Park to watch the Iowa Cubs play next month.
I was trying to think how I wanted to remind you, again, that the NCCC Convention is in Omaha this
summer and I hope a lot of our members will consider attending. I’ll try to do so using my own personal
experiences of convention and the friends I have met as a result of attending. I got my first Corvette in
1979. I first tried autocrossing in 1984 at an SCCA event in a new ‘84 Corvette. Over the years, I raced
a number of different cars and owned several Corvettes as I experienced family life and raised two
children. By 2002, I had acquired a new (to me) ‘99 Corvette FRC hardtop. I joined CCI specifically to
be able to experience Corvette club autocrosses. I made telephone calls to CCI office holders to join the
club, fill out the application and send in my dues just before the event I wanted to attend. My first race
weekend was in Kearney, NE. I didn’t know anybody in CCI or anybody else racing that weekend. As
soon as I walked into the hotel the night before the event, however, that changed. Despite just meeting
everyone, I felt like I had a new group of good friends before the night was over with. My son, Brian,
drove over with my race tires overnight, and I had a terrific day competing. I felt really comfortable and
I had a great time. I think Brian did, too.
Brian and I raced around the Midwest with the regular racers from CCI throughout 2002, 2003 and the
beginning of 2004. We decided to go to Las Vegas and see what the NCCC Convention was like. Jay
and Linda Hommer transported our race tires to Las Vegas for me in their trailer. Brian and I arrived at
the conference hotel at about 9:30AM and it was already very hot. I decided to get my tech inspection
over with in the parking lot at the old Stardust Hotel/Casino. They found that my battery tray was loose,
so the car wouldn’t pass tech. With borrowed tools, we tore into the project. It turned out to be a
challenging repair, and I found out that things in Las Vegas appear closer than they really are… after we
walked about 5 miles down the street to get to a parts store I swear we could see the whole way. Drag
racing at the 2004 event was held at “The Strip.” I made the first couple of passes when people started
approaching me and congratulating me. I had no idea what the accolades were for until one of the club
members told me that I had run a time under the National Record for my class. They asked me if I was
going to back up my run. I told them, “Sure. Why not.” They explained that the “Why not” was that I
would have to tear down my car to prove it was legal if I set the record. They encouraged me to go for it
and promised to lend me the tools I needed for the tear-down. I made another pass and managed to break
the National Record. Jay loaned me his tools, again, and my car was proven to be legal. I put the car
back together, cranked it over and it made the loudest clattering noise I had ever heard from an engine
that had previously run flawlessly. I was sure I reassembled something wrong and ruined the engine.
After many people consoled me and offered possible simple reasons for the noise, I tried again.
Eventually, the car fired and ran fine. It was the thoughtfulness I experienced from people who belong to
CCI and other clubs around the country at the 2004 Convention in Las Vegas that hooked me.
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You would think the crazy luck I had at the 2004 Convention could only happen once. Well, in 2005 in
Brainerd, Minnesota, the check engine light came on just as I was about to start running at the high speed
event. The end result was a repair that night by Randy Rippie at Doug Rippie Motorsports after the local
Chevrolet dealership told me it would take them 3 days to get new knock sensors in. Finally, in Orlando
in 2006, we towed the car and trailer down behind his Suburban. Upon our arrival in Orlando, the
transmission went out and left us stranded. Again, an NCCC member (Mike Godfrey) stepped forward
and let us use his tow vehicle to get our car to the racing events while ours was in the shop having the
transmission repaired. (I guess Family Helping Family was practiced by NCCC members around the
country even before it was an official NCCC program.) Since 2007, work and other things have kind of
gotten in the way and prevented me from attending the convention. I plan on being in Omaha this July
and I hope to see you there. For more details, including registration forms, go to www.corvettesnccc.org.
To close this message, I just want to mention Clayton Smith, who had a nasty fall recently which caused
some broken ribs and a punctured lung. Get well soon, Clayton.
That’s enough for one message. I’ll see you soon. Until then, Save the Wave.
Gary Foster
Board Meeting Minutes, April 5, 2016
The April Board meeting was held at The Beerhouse on 86th St in Urbandale. VP Judi Nikolish called
the meeting to order at 7:05PM. Secretary’s report: Dave Howard reviewed the March Board meeting
minutes which included approval of his minutes and Ken Wilson’s treasurer’s report, Denny Luther’s
update on sanction acquisitions for our speed events and highlights from late February’s Governors
meeting, followed by reports from Member at Large, Editor, Webmaster, Competition and Membership
(reported by Paul in Sheila’s absence). Board meeting minutes will be published in Sportsmate. Motion
to approve by Ken, seconded by Denny and passed. Treasurer’s report: Ken said the treasury was up
about $1,300 in March primarily because of West Region Banquet registrations and the fact we haven’t
been billed for the banquet yet by Echo Valley Country Club. Ken’s full report will be posted in
Members Only on the club website. Motion to approve by Denny, seconded by Judi and passed.
President’s report: Gary was not present and there was no report. VP’s report: Judi talked briefly about
the Flix Brewhouse social coming up on Saturday and mentioned plans for a cruise to Pella in May.
Discussion followed regarding doing this event in conjunction with the Tulip Festival rather than the
weekend after. We concluded we should risk the crowds and cruise down there on May 7 th during the
festival. Once we get there, people will be free to wander, eat and leave on their own. Governor’s
report: Denny spoke about some new wrinkles in our annual paperwork to gain the use of the Ankeny
Airport for our August speed event weekend. Among these is a requirement to pay a $200 fee for use of
the facility. We then moved to a discussion of our dilemma caused by the probable unavailability of the
Chariton Airport for our Memorial Weekend speed events. Several alternatives had been proposed in
emails that circulated prior to this meeting. After weighing these, Ken made a motion to move the event
to the Marshalltown go-cart track for the three-day weekend at a cost of $500/day, seconded by Judi and
passed.
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Member at Large: Jay was not present and there was no report. Editor: Dave H. said that the March
newsletter has been submitted to the NCCC Newsletter Contest judges which leaves the May
Sportsmate as the only remaining contest issue. Webmaster: Wayne W. had nothing to report. Points
Chair, Competition Director and Membership Director were not present and there were no reports.
Old Business: There was follow-up discussion on acquiring a digital display board for race times at our
speed events. Ken said he was willing to do some research into this to give Denny an assist. New
Business: A donation to The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall was discussed. The Traveling Wall is
a scaled down replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. The consensus of the group was to
table this item so we can take time to research and analyze the need. This concluded business.
Ken made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Denny and the meeting adjourned at 8:10PM.
Respectfully,
Dave Howard – Secretary
General Meeting Minutes, April 19, 2016
The April general meeting was held at The Machine Shed in Urbandale. President Gary Foster called
the meeting to order at 7:15PM. There was one new member in attendance – Tom Treska who rejoined
CCI after last month’s meeting. Tom was a member back in the ‘70s and now has a 2013 Crystal Red
427 convertible. Welcome back Tom! Secretary’s report: Dave Howard reviewed the minutes from the
March general meeting. Among the items included were approval of the previous month’s minutes and
Treasurer’s report and reports from the President, Vice-President, Governor, Member-at-Large, Editor,
Webmaster, Points, Competition and Membership. The minutes are published in Sportsmate on the
website. Jim Lucas made a motion to approve the minutes as published, seconded by Mike Wallace and
passed. Treasurer’s report: Ken Wilson reported that the club treasury gained about $1,300 in March
mostly from registrations for the West Region Banquet but at month end we have yet to be billed by
Echo Valley for that. His detailed report is posted to the Members Only section of the club website. A
motion to approve Ken’s report as posted was made by Larry Noble, seconded by Jim Lucas and passed.
President’s report: Gary had nothing to report. VP report: Judi Nikolish reviewed the social event at
Flix Brewhouse that took place April 9th. She then gave details on the cruise to Pella for the annual
Tulip Festival. In the works is an outing to see the Iowa Cubs play at Principal Park in early June.
Governor’s report: Denny said the April governors meeting will be held this coming weekend and he
will be casting our vote for The Shriners International (Shriners Hospitals for Children) for NCCC’s
new charity. He explained that NCCC President Dave Heinemann has received three applications for
the open Director of Charity position and interviews will be conducted by the E-Board during the
governors meeting as well. Denny closed with an update on our Memorial Weekend autocross events.
We had a couple of options for relocating from Chariton because of construction at the airport. The
Board decided to move the three-day event to the go-cart track in Marshalltown. Both Gary Foster and
Alan Heggen have run there in the past and their opinion is it will be a lot of fun.
Member-at-Large: Jay reported $112 in the 50/50 pot – the $56 winner’s half went to Scott Mitchell.
Editor: Dave reported that May’s Sportsmate is the last of three contest issues for the NCCC Newsletter
Contest. Webmaster: Wayne W. reminded the group of the litter cleanup on I-35 that we will tackle
this coming Saturday. Points: Nan had nothing to report. Competition Director: Paul provided some
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additional details on the Memorial Weekend events in Marshalltown… there is ample parking, garage
space available, etc. Membership Director: Sheila said we’re at about 110 members now.
Old Business: Paul had several club and WR awards to hand out, including two Bob Awards for
Clayton Smith. Jay updated us on his August Hooch Run, saying he has six cars committed so far and
he has extended the sign up period to May 1 st. Tom Treska asked about the proposed drivers school and
Gary responded that he would still like to do it but hasn’t been able to locate a site. New Business:
none. Buy and Sell: Brian Ney has tickets for race events at Kansas Speedway May 6 th & 7th… see him
after the meeting if you’re interested. No additional business was noted.
Larry N. made a motion to adjourn and Mike W. seconded. We adjourned at 7:50PM.
Respectfully,
Dave Howard – Secretary
A Message from Your Governor…
If you haven’t heard, we have a new venue for our Memorial weekend event. Due to construction at the
Chariton airport, we had to look for an alternative site to hold our 2016 Memorial event May 28 th, 29th
and 30th. Fortunately, we have secured the Iowa International Raceway in Marshalltown. Although it is
a go-cart track, many autocross events have been hosted at the site for SCCA and the Mustang club.
The site has a ½ mile road course track, garages (available for rent), concession stand and ample
parking for trailers and motor homes. I encourage everyone to give this course a try because I believe
you are going to be raving about the fun you had with your car once you have driven the course. The
flyer is in this issue of the Sportsmate and it is also posted on the CCI website. We will look forward to
seeing you in Marshalltown. You can bring your registration to Marshalltown or send your advance
registration to Ken Wilson. We will be autocrossing all three days with a total of 21 events.
I attended the quarterly NCCC Governor’s and NCCC E-board meetings in St. Louis April 22nd and
23rd. The E-board focused on naming a new Director of Charities and Grants. We interviewed three
individuals who had applied for the job. All three were great candidates making the selection difficult
but we decided on Michele Cantelmo from the East Region. She is already moving at full speed to get
our new charity program launched and raffle tickets ready to begin selling at Bloomington Gold. We
will be offering 2000 $50 tickets with the winner receiving a $50,000.00 certificate for purchase of a
new Corvette. In addition, the Governors voted on the new charity NCCC will be supporting and it is
St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. You will be hearing more as this program gets underway.
Finally, the E-board had an extended discussion regarding the proposed 2017 NCCC Convention that
was planned for Bowling Green, KY. Unfortunately, several unacceptable clauses in the NCM
Motorsports Park contract could not be resolved. As a result, we voted to cancel pursuing the Bowling
Green convention for 2017. Unless someone steps up very soon to manage a shortened event
somewhere else there will be no convention next year.
That’s all for now and I will see you at the regular meeting on the 17th.
Denny Luther
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Brake Fluid Basics…
Brake It, Don’t Break It!
By Jim Jandik
Brake fluid is an interesting liquid. While not caustic to skin like battery acid, many of us have
discovered, often by accident, that brake fluid doubles as a paint stripper. It will also take the shine off
your exterior clear coat in a matter of seconds after making contact with the surface. Most car owners
know brake fluid is an aggressive liquid in that sense. Many also know that there are different types of
brake fluid available to purchase but completely understanding brake fluid takes some homework. This
effort will be rewarded because knowledge of brake fluid basics will help you make good decisions
regarding which brake fluid is best for your Corvette. It could also prevent undesirable events from
occurring (like going off track at a road course and having a close encounter with a guardrail, tire wall
or worker station) and this knowledge will extend the useful performance life of your brake components.
What should high quality brake fluid do in your car? Its primary function is to act as a hydraulic fluid.
Brake fluid is engineered to be very non-compressible – when you push your foot down on the brake
pedal, that action creates instantaneous system pressure by moving the pistons of the brake master
cylinder forward. This pressure is transferred through the brake lines to the caliper pistons, which in
turn extend against the backing plate of the brake pads. The pads then contact each respective brake
rotor, slowing the rotation of your tires/rims. Because of its chemical composition, brake fluid does this
over an extremely wide temperature range, much better than say water, another non-compressible liquid.
Secondarily, brake fluids are designed to prevent corrosion inside the brake system internals (brake
master cylinder, proportioning valves, lines, calipers) and to properly lubricate the seals found within
the system. This is accomplished by the ratios of chemical compounds being used in a particular brake
fluid and to some degree, the additive packages mixed in with a specific blend of fluid. For example,
pH can be used to measure the alkalinity or acidity of the fluid. This turns out to be an important
criterion, as the pH range of brake fluid has to meet a standard of 7 - 11.5. Steel will not corrode as long
as the pH is above 9.5, but if the pH rises above 11.5, aluminum components will be attacked. Fresh
brake fluid prevents this from happening.
Let’s look at some of the terms associated with brake fluid. This will help distinguish between the
different types of fluid currently being offered and therefore aid in determining which category of fluid
is best for your application. First, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for
establishing the criteria for brake fluid labeling. The Society of Automotive Engineers, known as SAE,
sorts out the physical characteristics. Interestingly, the U.S. DOT does not actually test or approve
brake fluids. Each manufacturer must have independent lab testing done on their products to validate
that it “meets or exceeds” the particular DOT specification. As an additional note, all brake fluids in the
USA must comply with Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard #116 (FMVSS 116).
Dry Boiling Point: This is the temperature at which the fluid begins to boil, per DOT described test
methodology. This test is done on brand-new, just opened bottles of brake fluid.
Wet Boiling Point: Similar procedures to Dry Boiling Point testing are performed, except that moisture
is allowed to be absorbed from the atmosphere prior to testing (most brake fluids are “hygroscopic,”
meaning the fluid itself attracts moisture). The procedure is somewhat curious as the brake fluid itself is
not directly tested for water content. A reference fluid is placed next to the just opened sample
container of brake fluid and when the reference fluid reaches 3.7% water content by weight, the brake
fluid is tested. Different classifications of brake fluid absorb moisture at different rates, so effectively
DOT 3 fluids may be at 3.0 - 3.5% moisture, while DOT 4 fluids routinely contain 4.0 - 4.5% moisture
content by volume when using this testing method.
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There are several other criteria that are measured during brake fluid testing, such as high temperature
stability, viscosity, compressibility values and reserve alkalinity. While all are important aspects of
brake fluid, they are not included in detail with this technical discussion.
DOT 3: This is a glycol based fluid. It must have a minimum dry boiling point of 401 °F and a
minimum wet boiling point of 284 °F. DOT 3 will (on average) absorb 1% to 2% moisture content per
year. DOT 3 is the least expensive brake fluid to purchase.
DOT 4: While also containing glycol, DOT 4 is a borate ester base
fluid (mixed esters with boric acid). It is slightly more hygroscopic
than DOT 3. DOT 4 needs to meet a minimum dry boiling point of
446 °F, while having a minimum wet boiling point of 311 °F. Two
examples of brake fluids that meet and exceed DOT 4 requirements
are pictured here. Both retail for about $19 for a 16.9 oz. bottle. On
the left is Amsoil Series 600 with a dry boiling point of 580 °F and
wet boiling point of 410 °F. To the right is Wilwood EXP 600 Plus
with a dry boiling point of 594 °F and wet boiling point of 399 °F.
DOT 5: This is a silicone based fluid. Because of this, the fluid is
not hygroscopic. The minimum dry boiling point has to meet 500 °F,
with a minimum wet boiling point of 356 °F (I’m uncertain as to how the latter test is performed in a
lab). It should be emphasized that DOT 5 is not compatible with any of the other DOT fluids.
Once a brake system is filled with DOT 5 it is very difficult to remove its residue. Changing back to a
DOT 3/4/5.1 is virtually impossible without either replacing every brake component in the fluid chain or
completely disassembling them for a thorough cleaning. For racing purposes, DOT 5 is a poor choice.
Under high temperatures it expands so the fluid becomes more compressible. That is what leads to a
soft or spongy feel to the brake pedal. Plus, DOT 5 tends to form air bubbles easily under high
temperature conditions, again adding to the spongy pedal feel. Because it is inert and non-corrosive,
DOT 5 is an excellent choice for preserving classic cars or cars stored for extended periods of time. In
addition, DOT 5 won’t eat your paint in the event of a spill or component leakage.
DOT 5.1: Unfortunately, many people associate this classification with silicone based DOT 5 fluids. In
actuality, DOT 5.1 is primarily comprised of borate ester. It has a minimum dry boiling point of 500 °F
and a minimum wet boiling point of 356 °F. This is an excellent severe duty and racing application
fluid. While common in European high performance cars, it is not readily obtainable in the USA.
So in choosing a brake fluid for your street driven Corvette, you need to decide if the higher dry boiling
point and wet boiling point values offered in DOT 4 or DOT 5.1 fluids are worth the extra money. DOT
3/4/5.1 fluids are all compatible with each other, so there is no problem changing classifications. Since
these fluids will absorb water at a minimum rate of 1% - 2% per year, in reality the fluid should be
completely flushed out and the system refilled with new fluid every two years. With Corvettes being
used for race activities, whether autocross or road racing, it is easier to justify the higher cost of DOT 4
or DOT 5.1 fluids. Perhaps more weight should be given to the wet boiling point values. If fluid is
changed out entirely each race season, it will still absorb some moisture during the spring, summer and
fall months. At the very least, each caliper should be bled out after every race event. The greatly
elevated temperatures realized under race conditions do present the reality of boiling brake fluid in the
calipers which creates a gas and in turn entraps air bubbles within the fluid. Those air bubbles compress
easily and if enough of them are present, a complete loss of the braking system can occur. That would
be a bad thing under any set of circumstances, but particularly when racing your Corvette.
Buy high quality brake fluid and change it frequently. Your car will thank you and you will thank
yourself. Equally important, the corner workers at track events will thank you as well! That is a winwin-win situation.
A special thank you to Carl Bush at Wilwood Engineering and Michael Wachholz of Torque Inc. for
their technical help and the information they provided me concerning DOT specified testing procedures.
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Odds and Ends…
General Meeting Notice
Please make plans to attend our May meeting at…
Jethro’s Lakehouse
1425 SW Vintage Pkwy
Ankeny
See you on the 17th!
Located ¾ mile north of
Oralabor Road, just east of
SW State Street
Dinner @ 6:00pm
Meeting @ 7:00pm
Treasurer’s Report
You will find a financial statement on the club website, www.corvetteclubofiowa.com. Just go to the
Members page and click on the “Members Only” link where you will be prompted for a Username and
Password (both available from any Board member if you don’t remember them).
Member News
Welcome New Members! Sorry, we have no new members to report for April.
Birthdays. Happy Birthday to the following members with May birthdates:
Happy
Birthday!!
Sylvia Piper
5/1
Donna Eggleston
5/11
Dave Fegley
5/11
Mary Harrington
5/14
Jim Jandik
5/25
Get Well Wishes. Clayton Smith is on the mend from a bad fall he took recently while working on a
piece of farm machinery. He suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and numerous cuts, scrapes and
bruises. Clayton, we hope your recovery goes well and you will be able to rejoin the fun soon!
Charity Update
At this point each year, we’ve met our early charity obligations and for the most part we’re looking
towards the holiday season for our next major charitable events. We will accumulate additional monies
in the Charity Fund during the remainder of the year mostly from fundraising such as 50/50 drawings and
occasional auctions during meetings and events. Our next charity effort is the personal care items
collection that was started several years ago by Paul Wyman to help homeless veterans. While these vets
can receive assistance from the VA, there are many items that this assistance won’t provide. Toilet paper
tops the list and therefore Paul calls this effort the TP Roundup. This is an early fall activity so stay
tuned. Let’s see if we can top last year’s collection of over 500 items and nearly $100 in cash!
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Events
Here’s a wrap-up of recently held events along with a description of events on the horizon. Flyers for
upcoming club social events follow the “Odds and Ends” section of Sportsmate.
Vettes Take on the Ankeny Autobahn. Saturday, April 23rd brought out a group of just over a
dozen (including two members of Cyclone Corvettes) that gathered at the DOT’s facility on Corporate
Woods Drive. We had a clear, crisp morning as we rolled up our sleeves and headed out on I-35 to work
the northbound ditch between there and Oralabor Road. We managed to knock out the worst of it in
around 2-1/2 hours thanks in part to those grabber devices we invested in. Afterwards we departed for
the Sugar Shack in Altoona for lunch on the club’s dime. Looks like a satisfied lot, don’t you think?
Pella Tulip Cruise. An hour cruise on
Saturday, May 7th (through wildfire smoke that
drifted into Iowa overnight) brought a dozen of us
in seven Vettes to Pella for the 81st annual Tulip
Time. Despite thick haze and a threat of rain that
never materialized, we spent several hours taking
in the sights and enjoying a great meal at one of
the local churches. Although we were on our own
once we got there, a group of 8 or 9 of us hung
together for most of the day.
Ready to roll
Strolling along
Franklin Street
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Boyhood home
of Wyatt Earp
Vermeer Windmill
in the background
Memorial Weekend Low Speeds.
S 18th Ave
There has been a lot said over the past few
weeks about the loss of the Chariton Airport
for our Memorial Weekend Low Speeds.
Now we know where we are headed for
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 28th, 29th
& 30th. We recently negotiated an agreement
with the Iowa International Raceway for our
21-event, 3-day Memorial weekend. Although
it is a go-cart track, numerous SCCA and other
car club events have been held there over the
E Anson St
years. The Raceway is located on the eastern
edge of Marshalltown, 2.5 miles north of US
Hwy 30. Take the S 18th Ave exit from Hwy 30 and as you’re rolling north, look for the water tower just
east of the roadway. Once you’re past the water tower, take the first right off S 18th and the track is only
a few hundred yards ahead on your left. Hope to see you there! The flyer can be found under West
Region News on pages 19 & 20.
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Hooch Run. Jay Hommer’s weeklong road trip through Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee has
solidified with a total of six cars set to participate. Although the scheduled trip doesn’t start until
August 22nd and runs through the 28th, Jay needed commitments by the 1 st of May so he could move
forward with reservations for the stops along the way. The itinerary includes visits to the National
Corvette Museum and GM Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, KY. The Bourbon Heritage Center and
distilleries such as George Dickel, Jack Daniels and Jim Beam are also included. The return trip to Iowa
features a stop at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Museum. Those of us who won’t be making the
journey will anxiously await their return so we can see and hear the stories about the fun they had!
Save the Date!
Mark your calendars and look for more details in upcoming issues of Sportsmate:
Friday, June 10, 2016. Get ready to “Play Ball!” at Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs and
one of the finest Triple-A ballparks in the US. Join us as the I-Cubs take on the Round Rock (TX)
Express, the AAA affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Judi will need to reserve seats for the group ahead of
time so be sure to let her know if you’re willing to step up to the plate! See the flyer on the next page.
Saturday & Sunday, June 25 & 26, 2016. The tenth annual “Racing at the Speedway” event
comes our way at Newton’s Iowa Speedway during the last weekend in June. Featuring seven lowspeeds on Saturday and seven high-speeds on Sunday, it will have the same look and feel of our recent
history with this format. We are currently awaiting the RCD’s approval of the sanctions we plan to use
for the individual events and as soon as that is granted, the flyer will be circulated. Look for that to
appear later in May via email and under West Region News in next month’s Sportsmate.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016. The date for the July club meeting has been changed to avoid a conflict
with the NCCC Convention in Omaha. Our customary general meeting night on the third Tuesday of
July falls during the week of Convention so the Board has decided to meet a week earlier instead. That
way those members who want to attend both the meeting and Convention won’t have to sacrifice one for
the other.
Buy & Sell
Advertise Here
Working on a project?
Need tires, wheels or parts?
Maybe the old Vette needs a new home…
Club members can place up to 3 ads per month
in the Buy & Sell section of Sportsmate at no cost
Contact the Editor today at [email protected]
13
Baseball Game
Friday, June 10
6:30PM
th
Meet on the northwest side
of Principal Park near the
Cub Club entrance
We will enter at 6:45PM
Game time is 7:08PM
We need a group of
25 or more to get the
reduced ticket price of
$8/seat and guarantee
that we all sit together
To reserve your seat call
Judi Nikolish @ 515-250-1971
Four Party Points
14
Corvette Club of Iowa
AN AFFILIATE OF THE
National Council of Corvette Clubs
PROMOTING SAFE DRIVING SPORTSMANSHIP COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Date:
Name:
Birthdate:
Spouse’s name (if joining):
Birthdate:
Dependent’s name (if joining):
Birthdate:
Street address:
State:
City:
Zip code:
Home phone:
Work phone:
E-Mail address:
Member referred by:
Corvette Information
Year:
Model:
Color:
Special Features:
Reason for joining CCI:
Special interests or skills:
Membership in other car club(s):
Offices held:
Your Signature:
Spouse’s Signature (if joining):
Dependent’s Signature (if joining):
Annual Dues-Must Accompany Completed Application (Checks payable to “Corvette Club of Iowa”)
NCCC National Dues
NCCC Regional Dues
CCI Dues
Total
Member
Spouse
Dependent
$35.00*
$10.00
$10.00
.50
.50
.50
29.50
9.50
5.50
$65.00
$20.00
$16.00
$
.
For club use only
Date application received:
President’s Signature:
Mail completed application to:
Board of Directors approval date:
Secretary’s Signature:
Treasurer, Corvette Club of Iowa
10318 NW 106th Ave
Granger, IA 50109
*Annual dues for membership in NCCC for the year 2016 are $35. $10 of this amount is for a one-year subscription to Blue Bars.
15
West Region News
West Region Officer Positions
Terms expire at the end of 2016 for the West Region officer positions of Regional Competition Director,
Regional Membership Director and West Region Treasurer. If interested in one of these positions, notify
Regional Executive Larry Beebe at [email protected]. You can also let CCI’s Sheila Wyman or
Linda Hommer know and they will pass your interest along to Larry.
2016 West Region Competition Schedule
The West Region competition season kicks off this month with two full weekends of low speeds including
CCI’s Memorial Weekend featuring 7 low speeds each day over the three-day weekend (reminder: these
will take place at the Marshalltown go-cart track this year). The WR Events Calendar through June is
shown below. Flyers currently available for May and June events appear on the succeeding pages.
2016 West Region Competition Schedule
Date
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Event Type
Name of Event
Location
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Peoples Choice
Concours
Peoples Choice
Concours
Peoples Choice
Concours
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
Low Speed
Autocross
High Speed
Autocross
Southeast
Lincoln, NE
Community College
Southeast
Lincoln, NE
Community College
Southeast
Lincoln, NE
Community College
Southeast
Lincoln, NE
Community College
Memorial Weekend
Marshalltown, IA
Autocross
Memorial Weekend
Marshalltown, IA
Autocross
Memorial Weekend
Marshalltown, IA
Autocross
Memorial Weekend
Marshalltown, IA
Autocross
Memorial Weekend
Marshalltown, IA
Autocross
Peers Auto Works
Omaha, NE
All Corvette Show
Spring Fling
Missouri Valley, IA
Car Show
Gateway to the
Blair, NE
West Car Show
Racing KC 2016
Kansas City, KS
Racing KC 2016
Kansas City, KS
Racing KC 2016
Kansas City, KS
Racing KC 2016
Kansas City, KS
MAC Low Speeds
Council Bluffs, IA
MAC Low Speeds
Council Bluffs, IA
MAC Low Speeds
Council Bluffs, IA
Racing at the
Speedway
Racing at the
Speedway
Newton, IA
Newton, IA
16
Hosting Club
Nebraska
Corvette Assn
Nebraska
Corvette Assn
Cornhusker
Corvette Club
Sioux Falls
Corvette Club
River City
Corvette Assn
Corvette Club
of Iowa
Central Kansas
Corvette Assn
Corvette Club
of Iowa
Muscatine
Corvette Club
Cornhusker
Corvette Club
Midwest Early
Corvette Club
Midwest Early
Corvette Club
Mid America
Corvette Club
Central Kansas
Corvette Assn
Mid America
Corvette Club
Central Kansas
Corvette Assn
Sioux Falls
Corvette Club
Cornhusker
Corvette Club
Platte Valley
Corvette Club
Corvette Club
of Iowa
Corvette Club
of Iowa
Notes
7 Low Speeds
3 Low Speeds
1 Low Speed
3 Low Speeds
7 Low Speeds
1 Low Speed
6 Low Speeds
1 Low Speed
6 Low Speeds
5 Low Speeds
2 Low Speeds
5 Low Speeds
2 Low Speeds
7 Low Speeds
1 Low Speed
6 Low Speeds
7 Low Speeds
7 High Speeds
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
NCCC News
New NCCC Director of Charity
During the April Governors meeting in St. Louis, the NCCC E-board reviewed three
applications for the open Director of Charity position. After conducting interviews,
Michele Cantelmo was named as the new NCCC Director of Charity. Michele is a
member of the High Point Cruisers Car Club out of the East Region. CCI’s Denny
Luther reports that all of the applicants were great candidates but he felt like Michele
stood out from the others. Denny also says she has really taken off with considerable
enthusiasm for the tasks at hand and many fresh ideas as well as a keen sense of
organization and accountability.
New NCCC Charity Organization and Raffle
Also at the April Governors meeting, a vote was taken on a new NCCC Charity from among three options
of Lions Club International, The Shriner’s International and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. St. Jude’s
tallied the majority of votes and will soon begin to receive NCCC’s support from the new raffle program.
The new format will consist of $50 tickets with a limit of 2,000 tickets to be sold. The first ticket sales for
the 2017 drawing will be at Bloomington Gold in June. The raffle prize is a certificate in the amount of
$54,000 that must be used towards the purchase of a new Corvette or a cash out option of $40,000.
“Roar into Omaha” for Convention 2016
July 17 - 22, 2016. Registration for the 57th NCCC Convention has
produced a little over 300 registrants as of May 1st when fees increased by
$20 per person. A second $20 per person fee increase will take effect on
July 1st which is also the deadline for requesting a refund of registration
fees. Cornhusker CC has plenty in store for this year’s participants with
something for just about everyone. See the complete schedule of events
on the succeeding two pages.
Remember that you must make your lodging reservations separately from
Convention registration. Do so before June 17th to get the NCCC rate with
either of the two host hotels that flank the La Vista Convention Center.
They are the Embassy Suites and Marriott Courtyard. Information for that
process is located at the end of the on-line registration form. To register and stay informed on the latest
Convention news, visit the NCCC website at http://www.corvettesnccc.org/Convention2016.html.
2017 NCCC Convention
A major development regarding the 2017 NCCC Convention was announced at the April Governors
meeting: plans have been scrapped for the 58th Convention scheduled at NCM Motorsports Park in
Bowling Green, KY. This is the result of key issues in the agreement proposed by MSP that exposed NCCC
to high financial risk. The E-board considered this to be unacceptable and decided that the 2017 Convention
will be cancelled. It is still possible that, as a replacement, a shortened version of convention could take place
at another location but that will require quick action by any group that might put forth a bid.
29
2016 Convention Event Schedule
Sunday, July 17 - Friday, July 22
Sunday, July 17




Early bird registration and tech, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Corvette Mall open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hospitality Room open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Welcome Party with food at 6 p.m., entertainment from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Monday, July 18









Registration and Tech, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Golf, Fontenelle Hills 9 Holes, 9 a.m. to completion. Bus leaves at 8 a.m., lunch included, 2
person scramble.
Michelin Ride and Drive, transportation to Werner Park will be available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Borsheim’s Jewelry tour, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bus leaves 12:30 p.m.
Valve cover races 1:30 p.m. to completion.
Hospitality room open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Corvette Mall open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Awards Banquet in the Convention Center following salute to Veterans Special presentation
by “Heroes of the Heartland”. 6:00 p.m. Plated dinner.
Hospitality room closed during Veterans Special presentation.
Tuesday, July 19







a.m. session - Group 1S and Group 1 (Men and Ladies classes) 8:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
 1st Run Group - all Group 1S Men minus 1SM-N class Men
 2nd Run Group - Group 1SM-N Men and all Group 1 Men
 3rd Run Group - all Ladies Group 1S & Group 1; 2nd Men Drivers
p.m. session - Group 2 and Group 3 (Men and Ladies classes) 12:30 p.m. to completion.
 1st Run Group - Group 2 and Group 3 Men
 2nd Run Group - Group 2 and Group 3 Ladies; 2nd Men Drivers
Concessions stand open at event.
Guided tour of Boys Town. Bus leaves at 9 a.m.
Guided tour of Lauritzen Gardens. Bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. Lunch on your own.
Hospitality Room open noon to 6 p.m.
Corvette Mall open noon to 6 p.m.
30




Dessert bar and hospitality 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Hollywood star dress up party, prizes awarded.
Musical entertainment by Elvis impersonator.
Tech by appointment only.
Wednesday, July 20








High speed, Gates open at 7 a.m. First run group 1SM-N and groups 1 ,2, 3 a.m. second run
group, women and 2 men drivers.
p.m. first run group 1S CL, A-D to H-J-K p.m. second run group women and 2 men drivers.
Concession stand open at event.
Guided tour of Strategic Air and Space Museum. Bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. Lunch at the
museum on your own.
Guided tour of Henry Doorly Zoo and IMAX theatre, lunch on your own at the Zoo. Bus leaves
at 9 a.m.
Hospitality and Corvette Mall open noon to 6 p.m.
Bus trip to Gary Kuck Motorsports Collection, Bus leaves at 5:00 p.m. dinner buffet served on
site.
Optional restaurant choices in the Generals.
Thursday, July 21







Car show, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. People’s choice vote with your wallet, all money donated goes to
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.
Rallye, 11 a.m., entrants leave from car show.
Second tour to Strategic Air and Space Museum. Bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. Lunch on your own.
Second tour of Henry Doorly Zoo and I-max theatre. Bus leaves at 9 a.m. Lunch on your own.
Corvette Mall open 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Hospitality room open 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Plated dinner 6.p.m. Hospitality, musical entertainment.
Friday, July 22


Breakfast at 8 a.m. Awards presented.
Convention closes.
3/13/2016
31
Thanks to our Sponsors
City Wide Heating & Air Conditioning
Cottman Transmission Center
Wayne & Cheryl Weidmann
Rocklyn Mobile Home Park
515 Lawn and Landscape
Central Iowa Featherlite
Lauterbach Buick GMC
Paul & Sheila Wyman
Jim & Sandy Lucas
Larry & Nita Noble
McIntire Electric
Van Wall Group
Bankers Trust
Denny Luther
Dave Howard
Sugar Shack
Stine Seed
Car-X
32
 Complete Car Care
 Car/ Light Truck Maintenance
 Tires, wheel balancing, & mounting
regular and high performance
 Transmission and drive train repair specialists on location
 Clutches, Axles, Rear Ends, Transfer Cases, and more
 Domestic, Foreign, Performance Cars and Light Trucks
 All CCI members get a 5% discount
(Tell us when you drop off your vehicle)
If you’re looking
for the best BBQ
in the Midwest,
you’ll find it at
Central Iowa's
place for
Championship BBQ!
TIM FORD
Agent
STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES
HOME OFFICES BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS
3 convenient Des Moines locations:
“In the Heart of Beaverdale”
2217 Beaver Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50310
Off: (515) 277-6331
Fax: (515) 274-0042
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”
33
5055 NW 2nd St
243-2747
1210 Locust St
288-1000
601 Locust St (skywalk level)
245-3800
POULOS’
Coney Island
Mark Poulos
th
100 8 Street SE, Suite E
Altoona, IA 50009
34
Open
Monday - Sunday
Breakfast Served
7-11am
BOB BROWN CHEVROLET
I-35/80 EXIT 126 URBANDALE
278-7800
BOB BROWN PRE-OWNED
4730 MERLE HAY RD
URBANDALE
266-8440
BOB BROWN BUICK GMC
I-35 EXIT 90 ANKENY
289-5900
Shop us online at
bobbrownauto.com
Sponsor of CCI’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
35
Dave Howard
Sportsmate Editor
500 Thornton Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50315
TO:
www.corvetteclubofiowa.com