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Fall - 2004
by
Dan Adovasio
It’s November and the weather is back to normal again. I
didn’t realize how much I take electricity and sunshine for granted
until I didn’t have any for a month.
I just got back from a fabulous trip to the Monterey Peninsula in
California where I watched history being made at Laguna Seca as the
C5-R finished its last race of the season. For me, it was a
bittersweet victory because this was the last time the C5-R
raced as a factory sponsored Corvette flag bearer. You may recall the
C5-R has been powerless to win there in all of its previous
outings and it finally succeeded this season. I’m already excited that
next year the C6-R will debut as a brand new body style to begin winning
races around the world. For those of you attending our C6 Z06
unveiling event at the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit, the C6-R will be there! I hope to see many of you
there for this historic unveiling. For more details about the Detroit
auto show, see the Upcoming Events in this newsletter or at our website.
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Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta was a BLAST, especially for
winning C5-R drivers Johnny O’Connell [C5R# Z5207], Ma Papis
[C5R# Z5213] and Ron Fellows [C5R# Z5201] who proudly accept
their trophies. |
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A BIG C5/C6 THANK
YOU goes out to Mike Albov [C5R# K6811] for all of
his hard work and Janet & Mike Curran [C5R# W0477] for
helping coordinate the very exciting Birthday Bash West at Laguna
Seca. The plan for next year is to coordinate three events for the
C6-R race Corvette. We will be co-sponsoring a
Corvette Corral at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Petit Le Mans at
Road Atlanta and one on the West Coast. It will be either at
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma or at Laguna Seca in Monterey. All you
West Coasters, please let us know what your preference is. I also
want to thank Buzz Marston [C5R# Y4432] of the Western
States Corvette Council and the NCM for their hospitality and
co-sponsorship of the Corvette Corral at Laguna Seca. |
As you know, I love racing and I love watching the Corvettes challenge
the world’s greatest race cars head to head. Rumor has it that Ferrari,
Austin Martin and possibly even Lamborghini or Maserati will be joining
the hunt for next year’s GTS Championship. Members have so much fun at
the Corvette Corrals during these races that I would start making plans
now to attend the next ALMS race in your area and join me in cheering on
the new C6-R to victory as it dominates in the GTS class.
Thanks to the generosity of Larry Hayes [C5R# L7100] and
Doug Robinson of IMSA, we were fortunate enough to have two
parade laps around the famous Laguna Seca track. Talk about fun! There
are plenty of elevation changes, as well as the world famous
“corkscrew,” which looks a lot different in person than on TV! As you
approach the corkscrew at the top of the hill you see nothing but
horizon ahead. It’s like being at the highest point on a roller coaster,
then all of a sudden you’re heading down the hill and things start
happening quickly. What a rush! I couldn’t even imagine what it is like
at full speed!
Speaking of Doug Robinson, he is now the Executive Director of
IMSA. He was formerly an engineer with GM who worked extensively on the
ZR-1 and on their famous press trip through Europe. He helped Chief
Engineer Dave McClellan in the design and evaluation of the ZR-1 concept
and the future C5 concept. As you can tell, because of Doug, Corvette’s
roots go deep in the IMSA and American Le Mans Series hierarchy. It’s
great to have friends in high places, but when you drive a Corvette,
everyone is your friend! Don’t you just love hopping in your Vette,
turning the C5 key or pushing the C6 start button and blasting away…I
know I do! After all my years in Corvette, it’s still the highlight of
my day when I hear an LS1, LS6 or LS2 V-8 come to life.
There will be twenty V-8s coming to life in June 2005 on the European
shores as the Registry again begins its assault overseas. For me, the
most important race is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and forty lucky Registry
members will be there for the inaugural C6-R’s attack on
this famous course. As we go to press, we only have a few open slots
left. We have already secured Le Mans track tickets and it’s time to
pack our bags and get rolling.
Yes, another year has passed and soon we’ll be in the throws of another
hectic holiday season. I want to wish all the members of the Official
C5/C6 Registry a very safe, happy and blessed holiday season.
C5Ya! Dan
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