Friday, June 28, 2013

2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition Coupe Unveiled

Sunday, June 30th, is the 60th Anniversary of the first 1953 Corvette to roll off the line at the old Chevrolet Flint Assembly plant.  
 
This weekend, the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, has been celebrating the anniversary with a special display of 2014 Corvette Stingray models.  As a crescendo for the celebration, the 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition coupe was shown for the first time to those attending the museum celebration.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition is a celebration of the return of the Stingray. The Edition comes one way and is a fully contented 3LT coupe model
with the available Z51 Performance Package that will be limited to 500 cars. It will feature a unique VIN sequence and a special numbered interior plaque.
The Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition (3LT with Z51 Performance Package) will feature the following content, including custom Corvette Stingray luggage:

Exterior
  • Laguna Blue Metallic Tintcoat Exterior
  • Visible Carbon Fiber Roof Panel
  • Torque Style Chrome Wheels
  • Carbon Flash Hood Stinger Stripe
  • Stingray Logo Wheel Center Caps
 Interior
  • Brownstone Sueded Microfiber Interior with Sueded Microfiber Seat Inserts
  • Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
  • Sueded Microfiber Upper Interior Trim
  • Floor Mats with Stingray Logo
  • Sill Plates with Stingray Logo
  • Cargo Shade with Stingray Logo
  • Special Stingray Premiere Edition Numbered Interior Plaque
  • Custom 5-piece Corvette Stingray Luggage Set
Performance
  • Seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Match
  • Z51 Performance Package
  • Magnetic Ride Control
  • Performance Variable Tuned Exhaust System

Kentucky Tourism and Corvette Racing Join NCM for Groundbreaking of Motorsports Park

$20 million, dual-track motorsports attraction on track for 2014 completion

Surrounded by area community leaders and Corvette enthusiasts, Commonwealth Secretary of Tourism, Arts and Heritage Bob Stewart and Corvette Racing Program Manager Doug Fehan joined forces with the National Corvette Museum to break ground on NCM’s $20 million, 184-acre, dual-track NCM Motorsports Park.

The groundbreaking today at 500 Grimes Road-- directly across Interstate-65 from the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green-- opens the throttle on up to 80,000 visitors each year, bringing an estimated impact of $15 million in motorsports tourism and racing events revenues.
“Motorsports enthusiasts from across America have a new favorite destination,” announced Bob Stewart, Secretary of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. “Once fully operational, The NCM Motorsports Park will draw as many as 80,000 visitors to Bowling Green to drive their dreams.”

“Corvette Racing has long hoped for just such an outstanding track with exciting features,” noted Doug Fehan, Program Manager of Corvette Racing, who participated in the groundbreaking. “Our drivers and many proud Corvette owners are looking forward to experiencing this premier motorsports facility. We enjoyed every minute of our participation in the design process.”

The NCM Motorsports Park will be situated on 184 acres purchased and rezoned by the National Corvette Museum. Two circuits, “East” and “West” can be combined in multiple configurations ranging from a high speed loop of 1.96 miles to an extended 3.15 mile technical course. The Corvette Racing/Pratt and Miller Team advised NCM on the layout of the technical track that will include features from their favorite and most challenging track, the Le Mans circuit.

Jack Matukas, Chair of the NCM Board of Directors, added, “When the NCM Motorsports Park gates open next year, our region will not only see increased visits and events sponsored by Corvette owners and fans, but from just about every different sports car club in America.”

Wendell Strode, Executive Director of NCM observed, “Because of the outpouring of financial support by thousands of contributors including the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau, we are on track to open the NCM Motorsports Park on the 20th Anniversary of the National Corvette Museum—Labor Day weekend 2014.”

“As the community so fortunate to host an international attraction like the National Corvette Museum, the NCM Motorsports Park will turbo-charge Bowling Green’s already-powerful position in the high-performance motorsports world,” added Brad Howard, Chair of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Monday, June 24, 2013

National Corvette Museum and Chevrolet to Celebrate 60 Years of Corvette

Special Two-Day Event Offers Hands-On Look at New "C7" Corvette Stingray, Groundbreaking of Motorsports Park
 
 
To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of when the first Corvettes rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan on June 30, 1953, the National Corvette Museum along with the Chevrolet Corvette team will mark the occasion with a special two-day event June 27-28 in Bowling Green, KY.
 
Thursday kicks off with a special "Evolution of Corvette" Display featuring 60 years of Corvettes. Chevrolet Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter and Corvette Product Marketing Manager Harlan Charles will be joined by other members of the GM Detroit and Bowling Green Assembly Plant teams for three "walk arounds" of the all new 2014 "C7" Stingray Corvette. The team will be available to answer any questions from attendees, and this event will be the first opportunity the public will have to actually "try on for size" the car and sit behind the wheel.
 
On display will be a number of coupe and convertible 2014 Corvettes, various components from the cars and other visual elements highlighting the development of the latest generation.
 
NCM Motorsports Park Project Manager Roc Linkov will offer a seminar to share updates on the Motorsports Park Thursday at 11am, and Friday morning at 8:30am Corvette Racing Team Manager Doug Fehan will conduct a seminar on Corvette Racing and the Motorsports Park. Following Doug's presentation guests are invited to venture up the road for a historic groundbreaking ceremony for the Motorsports Park.
 
Car enthusiasts of all ages can rev up for a child-sized version of America’s iconic sports car with the Power Wheels® Corvette Stingray from Fisher-Price, which will be on display for the first time as part of the event. The battery-powered ride-on is modeled after the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and features the all-new design with the same cool, realistic body styling and detailing like sporty “chrome” wheels. This will be the first Power Wheels Corvette in 25 years - introducing the all-new Corvette Stingray to the next generation of drivers. The Power Wheels Corvette is appropriate for children ages 3+ and will retail in the Corvette Store for approximately $259.99 beginning this September.
 
Guests at the 60th Anniversary event will have the chance to win one of the first Power Wheels® Corvette Stingrays with a Fisher-Price sponsored giveaway. No purchase is necessary to enter.
Two Corvette raffles will also be conducted as part of the festivities - a 2013 60th Anniversary 427 Convertible on Thursday at 2pm and the 2010 "Jake" Grand Sport Corvette on Friday at 2pm. Proceeds from the "Jake" raffle will benefit the Motorsports Park. Tickets to both raffles are available online at www.corvettemuseum.org/raffle, by phone at 800-538-3883 and at the Museum.
 
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the event is a special reveal on Friday at 1pm CT led by Chevrolet Corvette team members Harlan Charles and John Fitzpatrick. Chevrolet has kept tight-lipped as to what they are revealing at the Museum, but auto enthusiasts are buzzing in hopes that it is a new high performance model of the Stingray - though the base model already has plenty of powerful features to accompany its 450 horsepower engine. Be at the Museum at 1pm Friday to hear the big news yourself!
 
The two-day event is open to all at no charge for Museum members and only Museum admission for non-members. Admission fees are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids age 6-16 or $25 for a family. For a complete agenda visit the Museum website here.

Friday, June 21, 2013

National Corvette Museum to Break Ground on Motorsports Park

Park will offer high performance drivers' education events beginning in 2014

After over five years of planning, due diligence, and fundraising, the official groundbreaking and beginning of construction for the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park (MSP) will become a reality on June 28, 2013.

The MSP will be situated on 184.05 acres that the Museum has purchased and rezoned. It will feature a two mile west and a 1.1 mile east circuit which can be combined in multiple configurations ranging from the high speed loop of 1.96 miles to the 3.15 mile technical course. The facility will also include an autocross / skid pad area, paddocks, control tower, and classrooms.

The Corvette Racing/Pratt and Miller Team has contributed to the layout of the MSP track which will include features from their favorite and most challenging track, the Le Mans circuit. Testing on the Le Mans track is not possible because the circuit is composed of public roads, making the MSP track a valuable resource to test the key features of the Le Mans circuit. The NCM Motorsports Park will provide for many other functions such as vehicle testing by engineers at the nearby Corvette Assembly Plant, teen driver training programs, emergency vehicle response training and corporate events. Corporations will be able to hold team building events for their employees or customer reward events.

The Motorsports Park will be used primarily for High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) events conducted by the Corvette Museum and other driving school organizations. Owners of all makes and models of sports cars can participate in driving schools designed for all skill levels, including beginners. Numerous national and regional car and motorcycle clubs will rent the track for their club driving activities.

Potential opportunities in the future for the Motorsports Park include a third road course, drag strip, karting track, garages, condos, classrooms, fueling stations, concession stand, condominiums, and commercial development.

The target date for at least part of the facility to open is the Museum’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Labor Day weekend, 2014. Motorsports Park Project Manager Roc Linkov says, “The close proximity of the track to hotels, restaurants, and things to do in Bowling Green is just another reason this track will be appealing to clubs and high performance driving enthusiasts.”

The public is invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, June 28, 2013 at 9:30am on Grimes Road, the site of the future Motorsports Park. In addition, a number of seminars will be held during the Museum’s ‘Celebration of Corvette’ event which focus on the Park – including a presentation by Roc Linkov, and one by Corvette Racing Program Manager Doug Fehan.

For a complete schedule of events visit http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/Anniversary/info.shtml.