Chevrolet Fireball Run Brings National Search for Missing Children to Bowling Green, KY

Next Thursday, September 29 the National Corvette Museum will play host to a very special group of people.

The Chevrolet Fireball Run is an eight-day adventure rally race to raise awareness in the search for missing children, including Amy Lyn Haueter, from Fern Creek, KY. The entire Chevrolet Fireball Run fleet and team members will make a stop in Bowling Green where they will be greeted by the folks from the National Corvette Museum and treated to a light lunch.

Over 40+ teams are participating in this excursion which began in Melbourne, Fla., and will conclude in Gulfport, Miss. On the fifth-day of their journey, all Fireball Run teams, including Daytona 500 Winner and NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine and Astronaut Winston Scott, will make their way to the National Corvette Museum to continue their mission of distributing flyers announcing the search of their designated missing child.

As one of America’s most popular motoring events and largest awareness campaigns, Chevrolet Fireball Run has aided in the recovery of 35 missing children to-date. The teams will be driving a fleet of exotic vehicles, which includes an Angel-1, a specially designed 2011 Chevrolet Camaro dedicated to the more than 1,000 first responders who lost their lives on 9/11 and since Sept. 11. The fleet also features famous vehicles.

Fireball Run participants will distribute more than 50,000 flyers during their journey to aid in the recovery of missing children. Teams will also face-off in motorsport challenges and solve clues during the competition.

Media and spectators are invited to come out from 2-4pm to visit with the group and send them off in style! Learn more about the Fireball Run at http://www.fireballrun.com.

Smithsonian Magazine's 7th Annual Museum Day Offers Free Admission to Area Museums

On Saturday, September 24, 2011, the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, National Corvette Museum, and Riverview at Hobson Grove will participate in the seventh annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day. The Museums will join other participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide to open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day Ticket from Smithsonian.com. A journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities.

The Historic RailPark & Train Museum takes a step back in time to the golden era of passenger service. A guided tour of vintage railcars showcases the workings of a Post Office Car, Dining Car and Sleeper Car. The self-guided tour of the two story museum immerses visitors into the cultural story of the railroad including two new exhibits. "Hobo Times explores the life of the Hobo with the secret language interpreted into quilts by Creative Quilters Guild," said Sharon Tabor, Executive Director of the Railpark. "The Civil War and the Railroad includes personal stories, models and antique photography," she added.

Visitors to the National Corvette Museum will view 14 examples of Chevrolet models through the decades as part of the special 100 Years of Chevrolet Exhibit. The Museum also offers a new display of NASCAR race suits worn by Jimmy Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin - on loan from Hendrick Motorsports. "We are an ever-changing Museum and no two visits with us are the same," said Katie Frassinelli, Corvette Museum Marketing Manager. "We are more than just Corvette, offering a little something for everyone!"

Riverview at Hobson Grove is celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War in Kentucky with a juried art show with a Civil War theme. The home is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and an official site on the Civil War Discovery Trail.

Other participating Kentucky museums include: Kentucky Historical Society (Frankfort), Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (Louisville), My Old Kentucky Home (Bardstown), Owensboro Museum of Science and History, The National Quilt Museum (Paducah), Kentucky Derby Museum (Louisville) and International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington).

The Museum Day Ticket is available to download at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people to one participating museum or cultural venue of their choice. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. Listings and links to participating museums’ and sponsors’ sites can be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

About Historic RailPark & Train Museum
Located off I-65 at exit 28, The Historic RailPark & Train Museum is open 9-5 Monday – Saturday and 1-4 on Sunday. For more information visit http://www.historicrailpark.com/ or call 270-745-7317.

About National Corvette Museum
The National Corvette Museum is the ‘Gateway to all things Corvette’ and is open daily from 8am to 5pm Central Time. It is located at I-65 exit 28 and more information can be found by calling 800-538-3883 or online at http://www.corvettemuseum.org/.

About Riverview at Hobson Grove
Open daily, 10am-4pm, Riverview is located at 110 W. Main Avenue and can be reached at 270-843-5565 or online at www.bgky.org/riverview.

About Smithsonian Media
Smithsonian Media comprises Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Media Digital Network and the Smithsonian Channel. Smithsonian Media’s flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, is one of the nation’s largest magazines with a circulation of more than 2 million and nearly 7 million readers. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visited the Smithsonian in 2009.

National Corvette Museum Insurance Agency Launches New Online Services

NCM Insurance Agency and American Modern Insurance Group, has introduced new online self-service capabilities for policyholders which will launch in phases over the next few years. This month we have introduced a new Online Services portal which allows customers to receive electronic notification when new policy and billing documents are posted online and the ability to download and print the documents.

The online services not only give customers the option of doing business online 24/7, but saves paper in the process and helps customers better manage their insurance documents electronically.

“The Museum is fortunate to have customers from across the country and we realize that our business hours may not always be convenient – especially for those on the west coast,” said NCM Insurance Agent Adam Boca. “The new online services gives our customers 24/7 self-service access, and you can even signup to receive email and text notifications.”

Customers can also file non-emergency claims at their convenience, and request simple policy modifications like change of name, address or payment plan online at any time.

To learn more about the NCM Insurance Agency’s Online Services visit: www.ncminsurance.com/manage or if you would like a no obligation quote, visit www.ncminsurance.com.

National Corvette Museum Launches Audio Tour

Tour Enhances Visits to the Museum with Information and Stories

The National Corvette Museum now offers an audio tour to accompany self-guided tours through the Museum. The audio tour is 45 minutes in length and can be downloaded to any MP3 device through the Museum's website free of charge, or visitors may rent an MP3 player at the Museum for only $5 each.

“'The audio tour will greatly enrich visitors' experiences as they navigate through our seven sections of the Museum: Gateway, Nostalgia, Performance, Engineering & Design, Enthusiast, Skydome/Hall of Fame and Exhibit Hall,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager at the National Corvette Museum.

Listeners will hear how Corvette got its name, where Harley Earl got the idea for "Project Opel," why the Corvette emblem was changed at the last minute and how Bill Mitchell's paint shop guys got the car to match the shark.

Susan West Woodard, Program Director of Christian Family Radio in Bowling Green, loaned her vocal talents by recording the tour for the Museum. "The Museum has a lot of sights and ambient sounds in the different exhibits, so we felt Susan's voice would be a fantastic complement to the excitement already in place," added Katie.

The audio tour is currently available in English and can be rented at the Museum's admissions counter or downloaded here.

Corvette Museum Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Chevrolet

Chevrolet’s first car pulled onto the auto scene like a decked-out debutante. Race-car driver Louis Chevrolet imagined an upscale dream car based on the racing cars he loved. The Series C Classic Six produced 40 horsepower and could go a whopping 65 miles per hour, competing with the high-performance cars of its time. For the first couple of years, it was simply called “the Chevrolet.” While Chevrolet co-founder Bill Durant would quickly shift the company toward affordability, performance would stay at the heart of Chevrolet for a century to come.

The National Corvette Museum celebrates Chevrolet’s 100th anniversary with a special 14-car exhibit, showcasing a variety of Chevrolet vehicles through the decades. On display are a 1912 “Little” – a product of the Little Car Company which was dissolved into Chevrolet; a 1928 Phaeton Touring Car; a 1935 Chevrolet; a 1936 Canopy Express Pick-up – used for produce display and delivery; a 1942 ‘War Car’, a 1955 Bel Air; a 1958 Impala; a 1964 Corvair; a 1965 Chevelle 300; a 1970 Chevelle; 1987 Monte Carlo; a 1996 Camaro; a 2003 50th Anniversary Corvette and a 2012 Volt.

“Our goal for this exhibit was to not only offer a wide variety of Chevrolet models, but also select vehicles to represent each decade of the 100 years,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing Manager and member of the Museum’s Display Committee.

As with the majority of vehicles on display in the museum, all of the exhibit cars are on loan from private individuals with three of them on loan from the General Motors Heritage Center. The display runs through December 31, 2011 in the Museum’s Exhibit Hall and is included with regular museum admission.

The National Corvette Museum is located at I-65, exit 28 in Bowling Green, Kentucky and is open daily, 8am-5pm CT. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids age 6-16, kids under 6 are free, or family admission (everyone in the same household) is $25.

In addition to the Museum’s celebratory exhibit, Chevrolet has launched a special “Chevy 100” channel on Pandora featuring 100 popular songs with Chevrolet-related references such as Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” and Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Additionally, Chevrolet is sponsoring the August 20 Woodward Dream Cruise – a grassroots event which draws an estimated 1.5 million car enthusiasts and 30,000 muscle cars to Michigan’s legendary Woodward Avenue. Chevrolet fans can also vote for their favorite models in a tournament-style bracket challenge which will eventually crown just one Chevy as “the best” at www.chevrolet.com/100-years/best-chevy-of-all-time/.

National Corvette Museum Staff Join "One Acre Club"

Museum Team Demonstrates Support of Project with $15,000 Commitment

For just over a year the National Corvette Museum has offered a unique sponsorship opportunity for those wanting to play a role in helping to build the Motorsports Park. By participating in the “One Acre Club,” individuals, groups, clubs and businesses can help raise funding for the project, one acre at a time.

At the May National Corvette Museum staff meeting, development assistant Virginia Crump brought an idea to the group. She proposed the staff coming together to purchase an acre.
“During the Winner’s Circle celebration dinner, I was so impressed with Doug Fehan’s talk. The group of donors he was speaking to have a powerful influence on others, which if that power was utilized, could have an enormous impact on the reality of the Motorsports Park,” Virginia said. “Then, when individuals started coming forward to make their one-acre commitments, I felt like we as an employee group could make a powerful statement to others by buying an acre!”
Virginia proposed at the staff meeting that individuals could sign up for payroll deductions, spread out over a period of time, or make a one-time donation. Staff members felt this was a great idea and signed up to commit. At the June staff meeting Virginia announced that we were just shy of the $15,000 mark so some staff stepped up and agreed to pitch in more – bringing the total to $15,000.

“I’m so thrilled that we DID IT!” Virginia added. A total of 34 staff members stepped up to the plate to become a part of the “One Acre Club.”

Currently the “One Acre Club” Campaign has a total of 27 full acres committed, 2 half acres and 8 quarter acres. The “One Acre Club” promotion ends December 31, 2011 and affords full acre participants the choice of receiving track time in exchange for their contribution, or they can be recognized as donor members and receive an acknowledgement letter for tax purposes. All full acre participants receive an honorary “deed” for their acre.

For more information on the Motorsports Park project, visit www.motorsportspark.org and become a ‘fan’ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/motorsportspark.

ZR-1 Net Registry Joins “One Acre Club”

Organization Helps Further the Motorsports Park Fundraising Campaign with $15,000 Commitment

In December 2008, the ZR-1 Net Registry kicked off what would become a friendly rivalry between themselves and the Grand Sport Registry by purchasing a quarter acre as part of the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park fundraising campaign. Three years later that rivalry is in full force as the group presented a check for $15,000 to the Museum at this year’s C4/ZR-1 Gathering, making their total contribution to date 1-1/4 acres.

“We were challenged by the Grand Sport Registry, and I challenged myself and other members of the ZR-1 Net Registry to upgrade our quarter acre. I said ‘we can do better.’” Dave "Mom" Bright, founder and driving force behind the nonprofit organization said.

The Grand Sport Registry had presented a check to the Museum at the 2010 C4/ZR-1 Gathering, paying off a full acre as part of the campaign.

The registry actually started out as two separate organizations – the ZR-1 Net and the ZR-1 Registry, but in 2005 they officially became the ZR-1 Net Registry. The group has over 600 members worldwide and is registered as a nonprofit organization.

Dave "Mom" said his group is very excited about the park, “You can’t build it quick enough!” Dave added that they come down every year for the Gathering and enjoy participating in drag racing and autocross – but that the weather is unreliable. “You will be there for a three-day event, and maybe the day you are scheduled for drag racing its raining, but one of the other days the weather might be ok but can't reschedule. When you own the track, you have the flexibility of changing around the event at the last minute whereas now you can’t.”

Currently the “One Acre Club” Campaign has a total of 26 full acres committed, 2 ½ acres and 8 ¼ acres. The “One Acre Club” promotion ends December 31, 2011 and affords participants the choice of receiving track time in exchange for their contribution, or they can be recognized as donor members and receive an acknowledgement letter for tax purposes. All full acre participants receive an honorary “deed” for their acre.

For more information on the Motorsports Park project, visit http://www.motorsportspark.org/ and become a ‘fan’ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/motorsportspark.