Bowling Green, KY — Lines of America’s Sports Car traveling along the countries many interstates, highways and byways, convening for a celebration… it’s a sight that has come along only three times before. The National Corvette Museum, a non-profit ‘gateway to all things Corvette,’ will welcome over 5,000 Corvette enthusiasts from not only across the nation, but world, for their 15th Anniversary Celebration and the 4th National Corvette Caravan. Previous caravans have boasted lines of Corvettes over 200 miles long. This year’s event is expected to be no less spectacular as planning has been underway for three years. Caravans will drive […]
Bowling Green, KY — Lines of America’s Sports Car traveling along the countries many interstates, highways and byways, convening for a celebration… it’s a sight that has come along only three times before. The National Corvette Museum, a non-profit ‘gateway to all things Corvette,’ will welcome over 5,000 Corvette enthusiasts from not only across the nation, but world, for their 15th Anniversary Celebration and the 4th National Corvette Caravan.
Previous caravans have boasted lines of Corvettes over 200 miles long. This year’s event is expected to be no less spectacular as planning has been underway for three years. Caravans will drive from every state plus Canada in one of the largest moving car events ever recorded. After arriving in Bowling Green, Kentucky Labor Day weekend, the group will celebrate with activities including road tours, autocross, drag racing, poker runs, seminars, auctions, a live concert and much more.
Special one-of-a-kind Corvettes will be joining the Museum during the event including a Mako Shark, the ’59 Stingray Racer, the Manta Ray and the ’73 Aerovette. These cars will join the already impressive display of concept cars including the ZR12, Astrovette and Astro II. General Motors will once again be loaning their 1.5 Millionth Corvette which has been on tour around the country.
Live entertainment for event guests will take place on Saturday in the Amphitheater offering a nostalgic experience to remember. The world-renowned group “1964 The Tribute” will take the stage at 4pm and capture visitors for two hours of non-stop musical magic. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, this is the “Best Beatles Tribute in the World.”
There is something for everyone this year from road tour excursions to many popular Kentucky sites like Lincoln’s Birthplace, Makers Mark, Barren River, My Old Kentucky Home, Owensboro and much more to free seminars at the Sloan Convention Center. The Lincoln HistoryMobile will be on site, and there is a Women’s Oasis at the FOP Lodge offering massages, manicures, arts and crafts activities and many vendors on Friday and Saturday. Autocross, drag racing, poker runs, digital scavenger hunts and dyno pulls offer interactive entertainment.
Caravans will begin arriving in Bowling Green at noon on Wednesday and will continue through 3pm on Friday, when the last caravan is set to arrive.
The Museum will be inducting four Corvette stars into the Hall of Fame at a dinner on Friday night, including Duane “Sparky” Bohnstedt, the C1/C2 Corvette Designer; John Hinckley, a Corvette Enthusiast and the legendary Corvette racing duo Tony De Lorenzo and Jerry Thompson. Autograph sessions with these folks and other GM greats are scheduled throughout the event.
Not a Corvette owner? You’ll have three chances to become one Labor Day weekend as the Museum will be having three raffle drawings. On Friday at 2pm is the first drawing for a “Build Your Own” Coupe or Convertible Corvette. Only 1,994 tickets are available and they are $100 each. Saturday at 3pm is the drawing for a 2010 Torch Red Corvette Convertible with tickets only $10. Lastly is the most talked about Corvette… A special one-of-a-kind 2010 Corvette Grand Sport Coupe. The Arctic White beauty celebrates the 15th Anniversary of the National Corvette Museum with a unique Black Jake stripe encompassed by a red stripe and matching red fender striping. The Museum logo is on the B-pillar of the car and the design was created by Kirk Bennion, Corvette Designer.
“This special ‘one off’ NCM Corvette Grand Sport coupe was created and inspired by the hard work and dedication of the people who work at the National Corvette Museum,” said Kirk Bennion, Corvette Designer. “The chosen colors of white, black, and red were based on the NCM logo. The stripe design embodies the true ‘passion for competition’ that the Museum has for Corvette’s long racing heritage. The Corvette Museum not only displays Corvette’s history but is also dedicated to presenting Corvette’s latest offerings. This is why we chose the new for 2010 Corvette Grand Sport for NCM’s 15th Anniversary!”
Only 2009 tickets are available at $150 each. There will also be a 2nd prize drawing of $10,000 cash and 3rd prize drawing of $5,000 cash. The drawing is Sunday at 10am.
Friday at 3:30pm marks the grand re-opening of the Museum with a ceremonial ribbon cutting for both the 47,000 square foot addition, and the remodeled and expanded exhibits inside the Museum.
Pre-registration for the 15th Anniversary Celebration wrapped up August 6 with over 4,000 signed up for the festivities at the Museum, and over 5,000 signed up for Corvette Caravan. On-site registration for the 4-day event will be available and is only $10 for NCM members and $50 for non-members (which includes a 1-year membership to the Museum).
For more information visit www.corvettemuseum.org or call 800-53-VETTE (83883).