2014 Corvette Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

The National Corvette Museum has announced the following inductees to be recognized as part of the 17th Annual Corvette Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2014:  Jerry Burton in the category of Corvette enthusiast/historian; John Heinricy in the category of GM/Chevrolet; and Dave MacDonald, in the category of racing will all be recognized with the highest honor bestowed by the Museum for their contributions to the past, present and future of Corvette.

 

The 2014 Hall of Fame recipients will be inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame during a ceremony and banquet on Thursday, August 28, 2014. Their induction will take place as part of the Museum’s 20^th Anniversary Corvette Celebration and the Fifth National Corvette Caravan festivities August 28-30, 2014.

 

Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Jerry Burton’s involvement with Corvette is immeasurable, serving as Founding Editor and Editorial Director of Corvette Quarterly magazine; Motorsports Editor for AutoWeek magazine; Managing Editor of Racecar magazine; and Editor of Haggerty Insurance Automotive magazine.  In addition to being an editor and contributor to numerous other automotive magazines, Burton is a Corvette historian, authoring “Zora Arkus-Duntov: The Legend Behind Corvette,” and “Corvette: America’s Sports Car: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”  While heavily immersed in the Corvette World, Burton met and became a trusted personal friend of the Duntovs, with full access to all of Zora’s papers and documents and is personally acquainted with many of Duntov’s associates.  In authoring the book he received full support of General Motors and the Chevrolet Motor Division.

 

Burton holds a journalism degree as well as a Master of Arts in telecommunications and film, and is the author of the award-winning “Heartbeat of America” themeline for Chevrolet.  He along with former Corvette Chief Engineer Dave McLellan were interviewed and featured on the Speed Channel’s documentary on the fifty year history of the Corvette.  Burton also served as a Member of the NCM’s Board of Directors.

 

Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee John Heinricy’s influence on the car and hobby can be seen by visitors of the National Corvette Museum in the 1989 Corvette ZR-1 “Record Run” display featuring not only the car, but also the statues of those involved – a display that pays homage to the team that set 12 international world time / distance speed records in a ZR-1 and L98 Corvette, averaging as high as 175.885mph over a 24-hour period.  Heinricy has won 11 SCCA national championships driving a Corvette, was intimately involved in developing the Corvette showroom stock racing program that won 19 consecutive races between 1985 and 1987, and was a key member of the Corvette Racing C5R effort in 1999.

 

Heinricy worked for decades behind the scenes to create the kind of finely tuned driving dynamics that allowed modern Corvettes to compete with and beat the best sports cars in the world.  He has also logged more racing miles and hot laps in Corvettes than any other.  Heinricy served for many years as the manager of the Corvette Development Group at the GM Proving Grounds at Milford, Michigan and in 1990 was named Corvette Assistant Chief Engineer responsible for the C4 through 1996, including the 1995 Corvette Pace Car, 1996 Grand Sport and Collector’s Edition.  Most recently, “Heinrocket” set multiple lap records in a Cadillac CTS-V at tracks in China and the Middle East and continues to do engineering, consulting and automotive work as president of his own company.

 

Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Dave MacDonald was recognized by Zora Duntov as one of the two best Corvette drivers in the world, sharing pilot duties with Dick Thompson in the 1963 Stingray being filmed by GM for “Biography of a Sports Car,” a national ad campaign for the car.  As a driver during the glory days of Corvette Racing, MacDonald had a better win percentage than any other Corvette racer with 47 victories and 69 top three finishes in 110 career starts.  In 1963 he achieved his dream of becoming a professional race car driver, driving the Ford Cobra for Carroll Shelby professionally – but continuing to drive his beloved 1963 Stingray Corvette personally – even to work each day at the Cobra speed shop!  It was Corvette that left MacDonald and not MacDonald who left Corvette, as General Motors pulled out of factory supported racing at that time.  He ran 33 races on the SCCA, USAC and USRRC circuits and won 15 times, including the LA Times Grand Prix at Riverside and the Monterey Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. 

 

By then end of 1963 MacDonald was considered one of America’s elite drivers, attracting the attention of team owners from all types of racing.  Dave managed to squeeze in two late season runs on the NASCAR circuit; a 2^nd place finish at the Golden State 400 driving the Woods Brothers #21 car and 2^nd again at the August 510 driving for Holman & Moody.  In 1964 MacDonald remained committed to Shelby America to run the major races in the US while also signing an Indy 500 contract with Mickey Thompson and a 21-race NASCAR contract with Bill Stroppe.  He scored three major wins on the USRRC circuit and finished 10^th in the Daytona 500, but sadly his racing career and life were cut short in an accident at the Indy 500.

 

The National Corvette Museum established the Corvette Hall of Fame in 1998 to confer the highest honor and recognition upon the most influential individuals in the history of the Corvette. The award recognizes those who have made significant contributions to their respective fields, each having reached the highest level of accomplishment. Inductees must also reflect the highest standards of integrity and character to positively enhance the prestige of the Corvette and the National Corvette Museum.

 

Additional information on reserving a spot at the prestigious Corvette Hall of Fame banquet will be available in the coming months via our website at: www.corvettemuseum.org or can be obtained by subscribing to our weekly eNewsletter “NCM eNews” at: www.corvettemuseum.org/ncmenews/.  Corporate tables are available for the dinner and can be reserved by contacting Karen Renfrow in the Events Department at 270-467-8804 or email karen@corvettemuseum.org.

 

The National Corvette Museum is a member-driven, non-profit foundation dedicated to educating the public through the preservation of the Corvette’s past, present and future heritage. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, the Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY.

Richard Anderson Donates Race Car

Richard Anderson's race car started life as a 1972 Corvette frame with many lightweight replica body panels supplied by Greenwood Enterprises, with many of the invoices for special Greenwood produced body parts like the firewall, dash board, inside door panels and floors.  This was the second Corvette race car to use the Greenwood designed 5-link rear end suspension components supplied by APEX Engineering.

The #33 car was built in Florida, earning bragging rights as the 1978 SCCA Southeast Regional Champion and was the track record holder at Palm Beach Raceway with a 1^st Place finish at Nationals at PBNR, and Sebring in 1979.

In 1980 the car was sold to its second owner and brought to Chicago where the body was converted to the ’78-’82 style, utilizing American Custom Industries "Duntov" removable body panels weighing a total of 72 lbs.  It was only raced occasionally during the ‘80s in SCCA.  The car was idle until 2000 when it resumed its career in SCCA National races around the Midwest, eventually moving to the Vintage Racing Circuit.  More recently the car placed 3rd at Road America's Vintage Car Race (it’s last race) in celebration of Chevrolet's 100th Anniversary in 2011.  This car can also be found in the Registry of Corvette Race Cars.

While the car was once white with blue stripes, today it is red with blue stripes.  The 605bhp/355cid car features a V8 engine; Jerico 4-speed transmission; MDS electronic ignition; Butler Built racing seat; oil, temp and PSI gauges; tach; Fire suppression system; belly pans; roll cage; and two sets of tires and wheels (including new Goodyear Eagles mounted on BBS Racing wheels).

Anderson wanted to give the car a good home where it would be respected and people would be wowed. "You think about vehicles as you move on in life... how you're not going to be here forever. The more I thought about selling it - I asked myself, 'what's that going to do for me?' Sharing it with people and letting them see what it was like made more sense... there's so much history."

Another factor for Anderson was the construction of the NCM Motorsports Park and that this car is very drivable for parade laps, rides around the track, etc. "I gave Harlan Charles a ride at the NCM HPDE at Autobahn and he was like, 'Wow, how did you guys ever race these things?'" Anderson added that this is an ideal vehicle for the track and the timing was just right, "You should have some of these types of things around."

Anderson’s #33 Corvette racer can be seen at the National Corvette Museum, open daily from 8am-5pm CT.  Additionally, the Museum’s Motorsports Park is slated to open late August 2014 with visitors being given the opportunity to ride in the vintage racer around the track during special events.  Learn more at www.corvettemuseum.org.

Automobile Magazine Honors Tadge Juechter and 2014 Corvette Stingray

Tadge Juechter with his father, Mat Juechter at the Museum on November 20, 2013 for the R8C Museum Delivery of Mat's brand new C7

On a recent visit to the National Corvette Museum, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter took a moment to speak with us about his 2014 Man of the Year award from Automobile Magazine. It is no coincidence that this man’s creation, the 2014 Corvette Stingray, also earned top honors by being awarded the designation of Automobile Magazine’s 2014 Car of the Year.

On receiving this honor, Tadge was humble as always saying, “Well the man of the year recognition is really a symbol of what the team has accomplished. It’s a little embarrassing for me because it's totally a team sport and I'm just the lucky guy who happens to be in charge that gets to pick up this award.”

Born in Laredo, Texas, as part of an Air Force family who frequently moved, Tadge earned degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering and an MBA at Stanford. Working for GM for two summers in college convinced him of one thing: he didn't want to work at GM. Today, he considers the term "GM lifer" a badge of honor.

The introduction of the new 2014 Corvette Stingray was well received by most, bringing in various awards and accolades, but even so, the Automobile Magazine article states, "Corvette critics can be harsh, and those complaints are rarely unfounded. Some will contend that Chevy's engineers should not be applauded for simply fixing all the stuff that was wrong in previous versions. But Juechter's team did far more than finally bolt in decent seats..." The article also hails the car as being full of thoughtful engineering, innovative technology and awe-inspiring design.

“You know, we've been nearly a full year now of almost continuous media coverage, starting with the long lead media previews before we even introduced the car in Detroit,” says Tadge. “So basically last November all the way through now, we've been in the media spotlight, you know kind of feeding out bits of information, and basically showcasing what the car is and I think it really captures people's imagination. Not just the automotive press but also the popular press, the national and international press.”

Watch the interview with Tadge below or on the YouTube website here.

NCM Motorsports Park Announces General Manager

Mitch Wright Hired as General Manager for Motorsports Park

The National Corvette Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Mitch Wright as General Manager of their new NCM Motorsports Park, currently under construction in Bowling Green, Ky.  Wright will be assisting with the construction of the Park and will be developing all plans for operations. Upon the facility’s completion and opening, Wright will manage and oversee all aspects of its operations.

In addition to years of experience at several successful motorsports parks, Wright is also a championship winning race car driver, a highly-respected race car builder and developer, and the architect of the SCCA World Challenge racing series’ rise to prominence.

“Mitch was our number one choice to run the NCM Motorsports Park,” said Wendell Strode, Executive Director of the National Corvette Museum. “His wealth of experience and involvement with the construction of other motorsports facilities will be extremely beneficial to this project. We are honored to have Mitch on board.”

With over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry under his belt, some of Wright’s previous positions include Director of Racing/Facility Operations at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, General Manager at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, President/General Manager at Pittsburgh International Race Complex and Vice-President of Sports Car Club of America Pro-Racing. He has been involved in developing programs and overseeing operations and events at all of these tracks. 

“I am really excited to be part of this fantastic facility and the NCM Motorsports Park team,” says Wright. “I am looking forward to being a part of making the NCM Motorsports Park and Bowling Green a destination for corporate activity, driver training and education, and recreational motorsports for car and motorcycle enthusiasts. A great buzz within the enthusiast groups is building and next fall is coming fast. I am looking forward to showing off this great venue to all that come to drive, ride or tour the place.”

Learn more about Wright on the NCM Motorsports Park website at www.motorsportspark.org.

Since 1953 the Corvette has been America's Sports Car. The National Corvette Museum was established as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation with a mission of celebrating the invention of the Corvette; preserving its past, present and future; and educating the public about Corvette.

The National Corvette Museum is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT. The Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit our website at: www.corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).

The National Corvette Museum (NCM) Motorsports Park will offer a safe and challenging environment where drivers of all ages, interests and skill levels can become more proficient behind the wheel.  With over one mile of frontage on Interstate 65 and located across from the National Corvette Museum and the GM Corvette Assembly Plant, the Motorsports Park will be one of the most centrally located and easily accessible driving facilities in the country. Learn more at www.motorsportspark.org.

Celebrate Military Appreciation Month at the National Corvette Museum

National Corvette Museum Offers "Free Admission" to Recognize U.S. Military, Firemen and Police Officers During November's "Military Appreciation Month"

 

November is "Military Appreciation Month" at the National Corvette Museum and all military personnel, firemen, police officers and their immediate families will receive "Free Admission" during the entire month of November. All American branches including active, retired and reserve members will be honored with free admission when presenting a military or service ID.

The 115,000 square-foot Museum features over 80 rare and classic Corvettes from the past, present and future along with many interactive displays including the "Pit Crew Challenge," educational driving simulators, KidZone, hands-on trivia games and much more. The Museum also includes a Corvette Store featuring a wide selection of apparel and gift items, plus a Corvette Cafe, the perfect 'pit stop' for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack.

"We are truly a blessed nation and our military provide the safety we have to enjoy our American privileges," states NCM Executive Director, Wendell Strode. "Corvette is an American icon and we invite these special individuals and their family members to experience a tour of the Museum dedicated to America’s favorite sports car."

6th Annual Vets 'n Vettes Event
November 7-9, 2013

Registration has been extended until Monday, November 4 and on-site registration will be available for only $15 per person. This event features road tours, a poker run, pizza party, military history team trivia, participation in the Bowling Green, Kentucky Veteran's Day Parade and more.

On Thursday, November 7th the Museum is hosting their annual “Wounded Warrior Recognition Day.”  In addition to those in the wounded warrior program, the Museum is also inviting all Purple Heart recipients and their spouses to join in for a complementary luncheon at 11:30am in the Museum’s Conference Center.  Following the luncheon Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret.) Dan Cherry will be making his “My Enemy, My Friend” presentation at 3pm.  RSVP is required by contacting Karen at 270-467-8804 or Bryce at 270-777-4506.

The National Corvette Museum is a member-driven, non-profit foundation dedicated to continuing the mission of education, preservation and celebration of the Corvette’s past, present and future heritage. Regular updates and details on special promotions, events and important Corvette news announcements are sent weekly via our eNewsletter – "NCM eNews" available by subscribing at: http://www.corvettemuseum.com/ncmenews/.

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, the Museum is located at Exit 28 on I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. For more information on the Museum visit us at:
www.corvettemuseum.org or call 800-538-3883.