Corvette Racing #4 Hauler Pits at NCM

Today the Corvette Racing #4 hauler stopped by the NCM. Dave James is the driver of the truck and a pit crew member, “I could fly to races but I don’t like flying that much. Besides, this is a nice truck to get to drive and the fan reactions that I get along the way are always fun.”

He’s been with Corvette Racing since 2000 and can’t hide the smile when he thinks back on his life so far. “Getting to go to France is great, and every time I step out onto the track there it still gives me chills. Being a part of the team that wins the greatest race on earth—there’s no feeling like it.”

He was impressed with the Museum, and despite being a part of the Corvette story he was surprised by how much he learned along the way. “I found myself in the Corvette Racing exhibit!”
Dave was on his way back from testing in Austin, Texas, at the Circuit of the Americas when he stopped by the NCM. He says that the drivers liked the track and are looking forward to racing there. “Another good thing about adding Texas to the schedule,” he says with a grin, “is that the National Corvette Museum and the Assembly Plant are on the way home. We’ll get a chance to stop by more often now.”

Another excuse to come here will be the NCM Motorsports Park. “That’s exciting. I can’t wait until it is done. It’s not that far from us, and having a track here to test on with all of the major turns from all of the major tracks we race at will be great for the team and great for the fans who want to come out and watch. That is going to be a real draw and a lot of fun.”

If you are new to Corvette Racing and want to be up to speed for the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 16, 2013, you can go to the race archive at www.alms.com/alms-tv and watch last year’s fight for the ALMS Championship.

Corvette Racing #3 C6.R Race Car Making Pit Stop in Bowling Green

Corvette Racing fans in the Bowling Green, Ky area are in for a treat this week. On its way home from the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin, Texas, the Corvette Racing #3 C6.R race car will be making a two-hour appearance at the National Corvette Museum from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. CST on Thursday, December 20, 2012.

The Corvette #3 C6.R race car, driven by Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, was the 2012 Michelin Green X Challenge GT Team Champion car, finished 2^nd in the 2012 American Petit Le Mans race and has received many other honors at various race events. It combines a sophisticated chassis as well as powertrain and aerodynamic technology developed by GM Racing with the advanced engineering of the sixth-generation Corvette, Corvette Z06, and Corvette ZR1 production models.

The 2012 season marks Corvette Racing's 14th year in international road racing. The two-car team made its competition debut in February 1999 in the Daytona 24-hour race, finishing third and 12th. From that modest start, Corvette Racing has become one of the world's most successful production sports car teams, winning eight consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team championships and seven straight ALMS GT1 drivers' titles.

For more information on this vehicle and Corvette Racing, please visit: http://www.corvetteracing.com.

1-Lap of Kentucky Event Raises $11,000 for Trooper Island

Annual event has yielded over $18,000 in past three years for non-profit camp

The “1-Lap of Kentucky” tours are popular events that quickly sell out to Corvette adventurers who like chasing a State Trooper while helping two good causes. As a part of the National Corvette Museum in Motion program, the 1-Lap tour raises money for both the Museum and Trooper Island, a Kentucky State Police non-profit camp for underprivileged children.

 

“This is our third year of doing the Corvette Tour” said retired KSP Sgt. Craig Sutton, who is the tour leader and former Director of Trooper Island. “Each year we have visited a different part of the state. We’re proud of our state and enjoy showing it off to visitors.”

 

Previous tours have visited the Land Between the Lakes and Owensboro, the Bourbon Trail and Horse Country, and most recently explored eastern Kentucky for a trip through the mining camps, Trooper Island and the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea. “We’re planning three tours next year,” says Museum Events Manager Roc Linkov. “From this unique partnership we get to have a meaningful and fun event that provides underprivileged children with a fun and meaningful event of their own. That is a great thing.”

 

On Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Roc Linkov presented a check for $11,000 to Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer as Sgt. Craig Sutton presented Museum Executive Director Wendell Strode and Museum Events Associate Karen Renfrow with a plaque from the KSP in honor of the NCM's participation in this worthwhile effort.

 

While the event typically involves a large number of Corvettes, all makes and models of vehicles are welcome. Next year's event will highlight Kentucky's "Only One" attractions... all the great places and things Kentucky has that exist no where else in the world. To learn more about the 2013 1-Lap of Kentucky event, visit the Museum's website at http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/one-lap/info.shtml. Registration for the tours will open late spring 2013.

 

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 www.corvettemuseum.org.

 

About Trooper IslandTrooper Island was developed by the Kentucky State Police as part of a long range program of public service to the youth of Kentucky. For one week young people can be given a touch of hope and desire of a better tomorrow through experiences at a permanent recreational site. Located in a secluded corner of Dale Hollow Lake near the Cumberland and Clinton County line, the island is leased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is run by a non-profit charitable corporation.

December is "Dollar Days" for Kentucky Residents

The National Corvette Museum has named the entire month of December “Dollar Days” for residents of Kentucky who visit the Museum. All month long, Kentucky residents can tour the Museum for a $1.00 admission per person, and will only need to show a Kentucky drivers license or other proof of residency to take advantage of the special offer. Children will be admitted at the $1.00 price with adults presenting the Kentucky identification.

The Museum features over 70 Corvettes, from the 1953 - the first Corvette to capture the hearts of America, to one-of-a-kind prototypes, the only 1983 in existence and historic Corvettes normally unavailable to the general public. Visitors can sit behind the wheel of a new Corvette, enjoy a number of new hands-on activities in our KidZone and take a drive in the educational Driving Simulators.

A special "Country Music Stars and Cars" exhibit is also on display, featuring Corvettes and Camaros owned by country music celebrities like Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, George Strait and Kix Brooks. The exhibit also includes original concert prints and posters by Print Mafia and Hatch Show Prints plus memorabilia autographed by a number of celebrities.

“Dollar Days” is the Museum’s way of giving back to Kentucky residents to thank them for their support and gives them an opportunity to see first-hand why the Corvette is one of the state’s greatest resources and the official state sports car. “We are proud to be able to showcase our Museum dedicated to this extraordinary automobile and celebrate, educate and preserve Corvette’s legendary past and future,” states NCM Executive Director Wendell Strode. “Each visit to the Museum is different because exhibits are ever changing. We look forward to welcoming our Kentucky friends.” Visitors can also take a chance to win a 2013 Corvette for only $10 and do some holiday shopping in the Corvette Store.

The National Corvette Museum is the ‘Gateway to All Things Corvette’ and a member-driven, 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. Weekly news on the latest Corvette developments, racing updates, event features and raffles are available by subscribing to “NCM eNews” at: corvettemuseum.org/ncmenews. Dedicated to the mission of celebration, education and preservation, the Museum is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT - located at Exit 28 on I-65 in Bowling Green, KY.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette is all About the Aero

Purposeful beauty in new design contributes high-speed stability, track capability

The precisely sculpted design of the all-new 2014 Corvette delivers more than just stunning good looks – every line, vent, inlet and surface has been optimized for performance.

“The all-new Corvette integrates more high-performance aerodynamic features than ever before, many taken directly from Corvette Racing,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “For example, the front grill and radiator flow paths reduce lift, improving vehicle stability at high speeds by keeping the car pressed to the pavement. In addition, functional vents increase track capability by channeling air to the brakes, as well as heat exchangers for the transmission and differential.”  

To develop the aerodynamic package, engineers started with data gleaned from years of on-track, high-speed performance from the Corvette Racing program – the most successful program ever in the American Le Mans Series and the 2012 GT Class champion. These techniques were applied to the production car using the some of the industry’s most advanced computer-aided modeling programs to predict and track airflow over, under and through the new Corvette’s body.

“Its sculpted design excites in all the ways that a Corvette has for six decades, with elements carefully shaped in the wind tunnel to increase airflow potential and improve cooling for a system that is as efficient as possible,” said Kirk Bennion, Corvette exterior design manager. “It’s said that form follows function, but in the case of the aerodynamic 2014 Corvette, form and function work cohesively to produce beautiful purpose.”

Chevrolet will introduce the 2014 Corvette on Sunday, January 13, 2013. For more information and video content, please visit www.one13thirteen.com. Enthusiasts can join the conversation about the next-generation Corvette, as well as keep track of new announcements on Facebook (facebook.com/corvette) and Twitter @Chevrolet(#Corvette). Fans that follow the #one13thirteen hashtag on Twitter can look forward to exclusive updates.

Country Music Stars and Cars Exhibit Opens

National Corvette Museum showcasing country music celebrity's Chevrolet vehicles

It is amazing how many country music songs mention Chevrolet and the many iconic vehicles the American brand has produced over the years. From Alan Jackson’s Chattahoochee to several Kenny Chesney songs, to Wynonna’s Girls with Guitars, Taylor Swift’s Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts’ Here’s to You… the list goes on and on. In addition to singing about the cars, many of the musicians also own Corvettes and other Chevrolet models. What better way to showcase a piece of Americana than with an exhibit of Country Music Stars and their cars?

The National Corvette Museum welcomes a "Country Music Stars and Cars" display to the Exhibit Hall. The exhibit runs through January 18, 2013, and features Chevrolet vehicles owned by various country music celebrities plus some memorabilia and artwork. “Country Music Stars and Cars” is co-organized by Lon Helton, host of Country Countdown USA and Board Member of the National Corvette Museum.

The Corvettes to be featured in this exhibit include:

• Kix Brooks' 1958 Corvette
• George Strait's 1958 Corvette
• Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's 1960 Corvette
• Steve Wariner's 1966 Corvette
• Roy Orbison’s 1967 Corvette
• Dolly Parton’s 1968 Camaro
• Troy Gentry's 1970 Camaro SS
• George Jones' 1978 Corvette
• Marty Robbins' 1981 Corvette
• Brad Paisley's 1999 Corvette
• Steve Borchetta of Big Machine Records’ 2011 “Rascal Flatts” Camaro

 “As a founding member and board member of the National Corvette Museum, this was a great project for me to volunteer my time in helping to organize,” said Lon Helton, CEO/Publisher of the Country radio and music industry trade publication Country Aircheck and host of the syndicated radio show heard on more than 300 stations nationwide, Country Countdown USA. “The country music singers, songwriters and producers were very receptive to the exhibit and I think we have a great representation of both cars and people in the industry.”

In addition to the vehicles on display, the exhibit features large woodblock country music concert prints by Print Mafia of Bowling Green, various pieces of country music memorabilia and autographed items.

Aspiring country musicians are invited to schedule acoustical performances on the Chevy Stage in the Exhibit Hall now through January 18. “One of our staffers is known for her country music vocal talents and would perform short ditties for school groups,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing & Communications Manager. “This gave us the idea to open it up to the music community to showcase their talents, much like the Nashville Airport does.” Musicians interested in performing can call Frassinelli at 270-467-8846 or email katie@corvettemuseum.org to schedule a time slot. Performances will be booked primarily on peak hours, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A schedule of performances will also be posted on the Museum’s website.

For more info on this or other upcoming exhibits at the museum, visit their website at www.corvettemuseum.org or contact the museum at 270-781-7973.

  

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).

Monster Mash at the Museum

Boys and ghouls are invited to “do the mash” at the National Corvette Museum this weekend! On Saturday, October 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the museum is hosting a free event with loads of activities for children and their families. A huge success in prior years, the Monster Mash event was established to provide a fun and affordable opportunity for children to celebrate Halloween at a national landmark right in their own back yard.

This year’s activities include:

• Trunk-or-Treat through a display of Corvettes & collector cars
• Free arts and crafts activities
• Carnival games (25 cents a ticket, most games 2 tickets) with prizes
• Face, hair and nail painting for $1.00 each/4 tickets
• Kids' Costume Contest at 2pm with prizes for ages 0-2 years, 3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-12 years, Best Homemade Costume and "Best of Show"
• Pumpkin painting for $3.00
• DJ Tim Livingston will also be spinning your favorite Halloween tunes

Museum tour admission is separate from the free activities, however those who come for the event (and have at least one person in your group is in costume) receive half price admission.

For more information on this event, please contact the museum at 270-781-7973.

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).