Corvette Museum Marks One-Year Anniversary of Sinkhole

Live Streaming Ceremony Planned to Re-Introduce Restored Blue Devil to Display Floor

This Thursday, February 12 marks the one-year anniversary of the day the car community collectively gasped at the sight of eight Corvettes tumbling more than thirty feet into the depths of a sinkhole inside the National Corvette Museum’s Skydome. What could have been disastrous for the Museum, which celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2014, turned out to be a positive, landing the Bowling Green, KY attraction prime time news coverage across the globe and a 67% increase in attendance for the year.

“We were fortunate the good Lord was watching over us,” said Wendell Strode, Executive Director, “because no one was in the Museum at the time.” Security cameras captured the first moments of the 5:39am sinkhole collapse, and the footage has garnered 8.5 million views world-wide on YouTube, plus countless more via news media outlets and television documentaries.

Of the eight prized Corvettes claimed by the sinkhole, two were on loan from General Motors and the other six were owned by the Museum. All eight cars were recovered from the hole, each receiving various degrees of damage. Only three of the cars were deemed in good enough condition for restoration.

“General Motors came forward the day after the sinkhole collapse and offered their support in restoring the cars,” Strode said. The 2009 ZR1 ‘Blue Devil’ was repaired by GM this past Fall and unveiled at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on November 4, 2014. The 1992 ‘One Millionth’ Corvette began restoration at the GM Design Center in Warren, MI in January. The process is expected to take six months. The Museum will be working with a private Corvette restoration shop to repair the 1962 Tuxedo Black Corvette. Currently six of the Corvettes are on display in the Museum’s Exhibit Hall. All eight are planned to be reunited later this year when the Skydome construction is complete and the building is re-opened to the public for tours. The main portion of the Museum continues to remain open for tours during the construction process, which can be observed through a Plexiglas window.

The Museum’s Board of Directors had initially voted to explore keeping a portion of the sinkhole open, but ultimately it was decided to fill it in due to cost, safety and appearance concerns. The process to fill the hole was completed in January, and micropile installation starts this month.
“We are currently working with Creative Arts Unlimited of Pinellas Park, FL to develop a meaningful, first-class exhibit to tell the story of our sinkhole,” said Katie Frassinelli, Museum Communications Manager. “The construction team installed a manhole which leads into one side of our cave. The exhibit will incorporate a kiosk which connects to a camera and lights inside the cave, allowing visitors a live view of what lies beneath their feet. The exhibit should be educational and entertaining with plenty of hands-on and interactive features.”

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the sinkhole, the Museum has planned a ceremony for 3pm CT featuring a recount of the discovery of the sinkhole by Betty Hardison, Museum Library & Archives Coordinator, who was contacted by the security company and was first on the scene. Zach Massey, Project Manager with Scott, Murphy and Daniel Construction will then share details on what work has been performed thus far, and provide updates on the remaining work to be completed. The ceremony will include an official unveiling of the restored 2009 ZR1 ‘Blue Devil’ as this will be the first time it has appeared on display at the Museum since the repairs were completed. The Blue Devil was the first Corvette recovered from the sinkhole, cranking up for a crowd of cheering on-lookers.

“Everyone has joked that the Museum ‘made lemonade’ out of this situation, so we thought it fitting to end our ceremony with a lemonade toast to continued good fortune for the Museum,” added Frassinelli. The ceremony will be live streamed via YouTube and can be accessed on the Museum’s website at www.corvettemuseum.org.

The Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, is located at I-65 exit 28 in Bowling Green, KY and is open daily, 8am-5pm CT. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids age 6-16, children age 5 and under are free, $8 for seniors or $25 family admission and free for active military. Learn more at www.corvettemuseum.org or call 800-53 VETTE (83883).

First Sinkhole Corvette Restored

 

Corvette ZR1 ‘Blue Devil’ debuts at SEMA Show on way back to museum 

LAS VEGAS – Chevrolet today unveiled the restored 2009 Corvette ZR1 that was damaged earlier this year when a sinkhole developed beneath the National Corvette Museum. It’s on display this week at the SEMA Show, before heading back to the museum in Bowling Green, Ky.

The ZR1, nicknamed the “Blue Devil,” is the first of the eight cars swallowed by the sinkhole to be restored. One of two show cars used to introduce the all-new Corvette ZR1 in January 2008, the car was on loan from Chevrolet to the National Corvette Museum when the sinkhole developed. 

Museum personnel were alerted about motion detectors going off in the Skydome area of the facility on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 12. They arrived to find a sinkhole measuring about 45 feet wide, 60 feet long and up to 30 feet deep – and it had swallowed eight Corvettes. 

Three weeks later, the ZR1 was pulled out of the sinkhole. Despite falling nearly 30 feet, it started and drove out of the Skydome under its own power. 

“After that unprecedented event, the ZR1 was the first car to be lifted out of the sinkhole,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president, performance vehicles and motorsports. “It was great to recover it, bring it back to Chevrolet and begin the restoration of this significant Corvette.” 

The ZR1 remained on display at the museum until September, when it was returned to Chevrolet for restoration. The damage included:
* Cracked carbon-fiber ground effects and a broken passenger-side rocker panel 
* Damaged passenger front fender, as well as cracks in both doors
* Cracked windshield, hood window glass and passenger headlamp assembly 
* Bent rear control arms on the driver’s side 
* Cracked oil lines to the supercharged LS9 engine’s dry-sump oiling system. 

Six weeks after work began, the restored ZR1 was started for the first time at the General Motors Heritage Center. 

Two other cars will be restored next year – the 1-millionth Corvette and a 1962 Corvette – while the other five will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve their historical significance. They will become part of a future display at the museum.

Join the social conversation at #CHEVYSEMA.



Corvette Raffle Winner Spotlight: Phil Hans

Phil Hans of Middleburg, Florida has been diligently purchasing our Corvette Raffle tickets for the past four years. On Thursday, January 17, 2013, Phil and his wife Lorraine were drawn as the lucky winners of the highly coveted 2013 Night Race Blue ZR1, a part of the General Motors fleet and the personal car of Corvette Exterior Designer, Kirk Bennion. Phil’s Corvette Raffle ticket, #997, was drawn from a sold out raffle pool of 1,994 tickets.

"Although winning the raffle was amazing, it was the staff that made it a really memorable time for the both of us. You have a great product and a superlative delivery team. This was truly an incredible experience and your staff made it that way. I can still remember everyone clapping and cheering as Larry drove me out of Corvette Boulevard in my ZR1 Corvette. I can tell you that smile still hasn't left my face! My dream has really come true thanks to the National Corvette Museum."

Prior to winning, Phil had plans to trade in his 1994 Admiral Blue Corvette for a 2004 Z06 Special Edition Corvette, and came very close to making the trade only a week before winning our raffle. Phil did end up selling the ’94 recently due to a lack of garage space for his new addition. Since picking up his prize, Phil says that he has been showing it off at every opportunity and has fallen in love with Corvettes all over again.

“I have been a Corvette fan since my youth,” said Phil. “As a farmer growing up in Maryland, I was a bit of a motor head always working on cars or farm machinery, when not doing farming chores. My first Corvette ride was when my cousin stopped by the farm with her Army Ranger boyfriend who had a brand new 1971 yellow Corvette with the LS5 motor and a 4 speed transmission. We ventured out and of course we had to stop by my friend’s house to show off. On the ride back, he stopped that Corvette right in the middle of a country road and said, “you drive.” So, I excitedly got behind the wheel and felt the power and rumble from that car right through my seat, up my spine and in to my head. I was hooked on Corvettes forever from that moment on.”

 

The National Corvette Museum has been turning Corvette dreamers into owners since 1997 when the first raffle was held.  As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, the Museum holds a number of Corvette and Camaro raffles each year, with varying odds and ticket prices, as a means to raise funds for the Museum’s operations.  Those interested in participating may sign up for the Museum’s email newsletter to receive updates on the next chance to participate at www.corvettemuseum.org.  Tickets can be purchased online, by phone and in person.

Adam Turpin of Henderson, KY Wins a Vette

Adam Turpin, a native of Henderson, KY (now stationed out of Norfolk, VA) received a special and exciting phone call on Thursday, September 22. He was drawn as the winner of a 2011 “Build Your Own” ZR1 Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Adam had visited the National Corvette Museum in August and entered a fundraising raffle sponsored by the Museum – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation. His lucky ticket, number 153, was drawn.

Adam had the option of building a ZR1 Corvette, choosing the color and features of the car – or taking an $80,000 cash option. Adam is currently deployed to the Middle East, serving in the US Navy on the USS Typhoon in the Persian Gulf, and decided to take the cash option on the raffle.

The National Corvette Museum holds a series of fundraising raffles each year, varying in ticket price, odds and type of Corvette. The raffles help support the Museum, which is not only a nonprofit organization, but also a membership organization created solely by Corvette enthusiasts. The Museum is located just off I-65, exit 28 in south central Kentucky and is open daily, 8am-5pm CT. Learn more about the Museum online at www.corvettemuseum.org or call 800-53 VETTE.

Congratulations to Adam!