In September we will again caravan, this time to Hell (taking a road paved with good intentions, most likely). The date is Saturday, Sept. 9 and the caravan will leave Surburban Chevrolet on the corner of Wagner and Jackson roads in Ann Arbor at 1:30 with the Dam Site Inn as our destination. This will serve as our September membership meeting.
For those who have an interest in drag racing, the Corvette Club of Michigan is having a session of bracket drags for Corvettes at Milan Dragway on Thursday, September 14. Details to follow.
Last, but certainly not least, we welcomed Lee Shepherd to our meeting and supplied him with a membership package. Lee has a C3 (sorry, Lee, I didn't record the year) with a Greenwood package.
Our next meeting is at the Boenke's at 7:30 pm on Thursday, August 17. If you are interested in the club, please feel free to join us. Email the webmaster for a map.
Ralph McCoy, a former member, sent a couple of photos (1 and 2) to prove he is still a Corvette person and that his weather is better than ours!
We also welcome Geoff Jeal as a new member (once the paperwork shuffle is done.) Geoff is a temporarily displaced Brit who is bringing one of his cars (another view) back here for the years he will be in the US.
We have had four Club events since the last update. We got one car and several members to the Thursday night Depot Town car show on June 29. On July 22 and 23, we hosted three high speed competition events and two low speed competition events, respectively. The big news is the very successful Club picinc at Hudson Mills Metropark! Attendance was very good and the weather awsome. Here are some pictures.
Gene and Judi Graber sent in another set of picnic photos so I have added another gallery page here.
Also, our founder, Jim Keegan, along with his partner, Don Sutherland,
recently sold DJ's Auto in Saline. The Saline Reporter covered the big event and included this photo (Jim is on the right):
Congratulations and happy retirement!!
Yes, we made it to the Marshall Parade in good form. It didn't rain and we had four cars representing us out of the 180+ Corvettes there. Pam Gilroy and Debbie Smith took a series of photos which I have placed in a gallery for your entertainment and edification.
Don't forget to bring your Corvette to the Marshall, MI Memorial Day Parade. If you can't join us at Suburban Chevrolet at 8:00 to caravan, the directions are:
Take I-94 West to I-69. Exit to south I-69. Exit I-69 at Michigan Avenue and head East. The parade will be forming West of the town center starting about 9:00 am.
Our next meeting is Thursday, June 15 at the Boenke's. Remember we have Low Speed Competition events on June 18 at the Hamtramck GM plant.
We have a summer picnic/party set up for July 15 at Hudson Mills. Herewith are a flyer and a map. Don't miss this one and remember to thank Debbie for making the arrangements!!
A quick report on some past activities. Several of us attended the Purple Rose Theater production of "The Late, Great Henry Boyle" back on April 22. The show was great, the dinner outstanding and the company superb. Thanks to all who attended.
Two racing icons will unite when Lance Armstrong , seven-time Tour de France winner, drives the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pace car to lead the field to the start of the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2006 . For a record 17th time, a Chevy will pace the race, and it’s the eighth time for a Corvette to be leading the pack. (From the National Corvette Museum News.)
Our next meeting is March 16 at 7:30 pm at the Boenke's. At the last meeting, we opted for some easy-to-plan events to get the year started. We will be caravaning to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo on March 25. We will meet at Suburban Chevrolet at 1:00 pm. It's probably too early for Corvettes, but this will help us avoid getting lost. If you would like to join us, even if you are not a member, just show up.
In April, some of us are going to the Purple Rose Theater, in Chelsea, for the play "The Late Great Henry Boyle". This event is already closed because we have purchased the tickets. Members who missed out could find their own tickets and call to be added to the dinner reservations, however.
In May, we have traditionally attended the Memorial Day parade in Marshall. More details on this later.
Finally, we have four low-speed (parking lot autocross) events scheduled with the Corvette Club of MIchigan at the GM poletown plant in Hamtramck. Two will be on June 18 and two on July 23. Flyers will eventually show up on the Michigan Region site. Attending these events is a good way for newcomers to watch some racing action suitable for anyone's Corvette. If you show up, you will probably be put to work helping the event organizers make things go smoothly and thereby learn a lot in a short time. Maybe you will get the fever and enter.
We happily welcome Chad Krumrei to our ranks. He works for Gene Codes Forensics, Inc. as a software QC expert and is the proud owner of a 1977 blue T-top Corvette (photo here!).
Our first official event for the year will be a meeting on Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 pm at the Boenke's. There will be some snacks, pop, beer etc. We need to plan out our activities for the year. Maps will be emailed for the benefit of those not familiar with the location. The good news is that we will be welcoming three new members:
Gene Graber, a retired executive living in Ann Arbor, brings his dark green 2000 convertible (photo here!).
Debra Smith, who works for U of M and lives in Milan, adds her red 1995 coupe (photo here!). (I'm told that the person in the photo is actually Debbie's mom.)
Kim Koepp, a Salinian who is still in the process of filling out her paperwork, has a 1992 red coupe (photo here!). (I think that is actually Kim in her car.)
It is nearly fall and all of our Club events for the 2005 year are done. Once again, our field trip to Toledo ran afoul of the high popularity of Mud Hens tickets. We had a good feed in Dundee and some of the participants made a trip to Toledo Raceway as a second choice.
The annual picnic was well attended with some past members showing up. Paul Weiner has kindly written a short report on the event which can be read here.
We had three competition event days this spring and summer, two with CCM and one with MAG. The dates are given in some of the history below. All the event results have been posted on the Region website.
The Mud Hens Educational Expedition starts at Jose's Mexican Reataurant in Dundee at 4:30 pm on August 13 and proceeds to Toledo for the game There is a flyer HERE!
On August 27 at 4:00 we will meet at the Gumtow's for our annual picnic. The Club provides the steaks and the beer!!! Bring a dish to pass, a good appetite and your Corvette. Email Clyde for a map if you haven't been there before.
July 7: Don't forget the meeting Sunday the 10th, 7:00 pm at the Boenkes.
July 7: There are three pictures from the Memorial Day Parade in Marshall posted here. About 160 cars showed up and, no, it didn't rain!
The first is one of the gorgeous 1953 Commemorative Edtion cars from AAT in Rochester Hills.
The second is Jim Keegan's friend Linda's red 1992.
The third is the Boenke's red 1964.
(These are not yet thumbnailed in the gallery.)
June 15: The Gumtows have, once again, graciously offered their spread for our annual picnic. More details to follow.
June 15: The Mud Hens play Columbus on Saturday, August 13. We will get together at 4:30 at Jose's Mexican Restaurant in Historic Downtown Dundee and leave for Toledo from there. Look to this website for further details later.
June 15: On Friday, July 22, we will caravan from Suburban Chevrolet at 5:00 headed for the Downtown Jackson Cruise Night. Maybe we can find an ice cream cone afterwards.
June 15: Our next membership meeting is Sunday, July 10 at the Boenkes. Email if you need a map.
June 15: Remember that our first low speed events of the season are this Sunday (June 19) at the GM Hamtramck plant. There is a flyer here. The written directions are good. After you enter the plant, there should be someone there to direct you to the correct parking lot. If there isn't, the usual lot is on the left of the drive and you can see the activity as you enter. There is another lot (turn right at the end of the drive) which you can't see as you enter. A couple of need to be there by 9:30 or so to attend the driver's meeting.
June 13: Chevy has announced that the new Z06 will turn 0 - 60 in 3.7 seconds (in first gear). You can now buy the LS7 as a crate engine from GM under the part number 17802397. (Don't all rush to your dealer at the same time.)
April 22: Please welcome Michael Bass who joined us at the April 21 meeting. Michael is a scientist at Pfiser and has a gorgeous torch red 2004 Z06. His licence plate reads: M y Z06.
April 15: Happy Tax Day! Our next meeting is 7:30 pm Thursday, April 21, at the home of Clyde and Ruth Boenke. Members should have received a map.
April 13: The high speed events with MAG at Waterford have been moved from May 28/29 to July 17.
February 28: We have the dates and sanction numbers for all our competition events for 2005. There are three high speed events (with MAG) at Waterford on the weekend of May 28/29. Then we have two low speed events on Sunday, June 19 (with CCM) at Hamtramck and a similar set of two events on Sunday, August 21.
January 21: NBC sports is doing a two hour segment from the Auto Show at 1:00 on Sunday, Jan 23. Among other features, Jeff Gordan will test drive a 2005 convertible. (From National Corvette Museum Central News.)
January 20: There are some more of Ed's Auto Show photos here, here, here and here.
January 19: Ed Schoendorff sent in a couple of photos from the 2005 Detroit International Auto Show highlighting the new Z06 and the C6R racer. Click on the links to see them (thanks, Ed).
January 18, 2005: We do not have a January meeting scheduled. We will be sponsoring four Low Speed/Matching Times events with CCM and three High Speed events with MAG. When the sanction dates are known, they will be posted here.