Corvette fans heading to the 2008 Bloomington Gold show at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois, can expect an even bigger version of the “Earthquake 88” event, which was held 20 years ago.
For the upcoming June 26–29 event, Bloomington Gold CEO David Burroughs has announced the featured model will be the thundering, high-compression, aluminum-head L88 Corvette. He plans to assemble more than 50 of them in the building where Gold School took place in 2007, across the highway from Pheasant Run. There were 216 L88s built in all—20 in 1967, 80 in 1968, and 116 in 1969.
In addition, on Sunday, June 29, the event will introduce the first All-Brand Survivor Show on the Pheasant Run Golf Course.
“If you think you have a survivor of any marque, you are invited,” says Burroughs. “The car has to be 20 years old and be driven there. It can be a pickup truck or a car. We’re expecting everything, including Mopars, Corvettes, Packards, and Duesenbergs.”
Burroughs stresses this will not be a Corvette-focused show; there are plenty of Corvette events at the festival, including an auction and Benchmark and Survivor judging. Entrants for the All-Brand Survivor Show can register on the Bloomington Gold web site.
“We just want people to enjoy this. There’s no judging and nobody has to worry about driving his car to the event and having somebody say, ‘What are you doing here? This isn’t even close.’ If you think it belongs and you register, you’re in,” says Burroughs.
Burroughs plans to have an education tent set up with examples of Mustangs, Corvettes, and Pontiac GTOs to illustrate Benchmark standards and Survivor standards, as well as cars that don’t qualify, so entrants can see where their cars fit in.
“Instructors will be on hand to discuss what we’re looking for. Nobody will win or lose or be embarrassed,” he says.
Entrants interested in becoming judges in different classes will be advised on how to apply and on what’s involved in judging.
“The next year, we’ll do it again and audition Survivor judges to see if they pass. Judges will be certified once they are qualified. The third year we’ll have Survivor judging.”
He says Bloomington Gold is also expanding its Road Tour schedule. “We’ve had road tours since the 1980s, but we’re announcing off-season tours to the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, and the Indy 500, for example.”
Burroughs is also taking the Bloomington Gold judging school on the road in May, with three seminars planned so far, in Hartford Connecticut, Chicago, Illinois, and possibly Atlanta, Georgia.
“The seminars are to help people understand how we judge and attendees can decide if they are interested in learning how to become judges themselves.”