Playmate Gets New Playtoy
They say that if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door, but if you're the Playboy Playmate of the Year, they give you a Corvette! That's right! Jodi Ann Paterson, Playboy's Playmate of the Year, will be sporting around town in her new Torch Red Chevy Corvette coupe this summer. It made a pit stop at Corvette Mike's in Anaheim, California, where they added a set of their triple-chrome-plated five-spoke wheels and chrome exhaust tips to give the C5 a touch of class before it made its trek up to the Playboy Mansion for final delivery. Congratulations, Jodi! We're sure that you'll thoroughly enjoy your new set of wheels. If Torch Red a little too bright for you, look on the bright side-they could have painted it Playboy Pink!-PJ Rentie
Good News On The Legislative Front
New Jersey has just re-introduced a bill that (for a change) is pro-hobbyist. The Inoperative Vehicle Bill (A.B. 1403), if passed, will prohibit local areas from implementing an ordinance or land-use regulation that prevents automobile collectors from pursuing their hobby. Collector vehicles would only be required to be maintained and stored (by the owner) outside of ordinary public view. In other words, as long as it's out of sight, you're home free. For more information on this topic, contact SEMA's Washington, D.C., office at (202) 783-6007, or go to their website at www.sema.org/fedleg.-PJ Rentie
Super Chevy Showtime
Spring has sprung as this issue goes to press, which means its time to spruce up that Vette for this year's show season. And for many Bow Tie lovers, that means making it to the Super Chevy Show nearest them. The biggest all-Chevy show and racing series in the land is celebrating its 20th anniversary of holding drag racing, Chevy shows, and swap meets all over the country. The series kicked off March 16-19 at Pomona, California. Bill and Karen Verboon of Hanford, California, took home the VETTE Magazine Best Corvette award with their '62-in fact, this beauty was our July cover car. The second round took place the next weekend, March 24-26 in Phoenix, Arizona, and Bill Baker of Surprise, Arizona, took home the VETTE award with his '66. Things kept on rollin' April 7-9 in Dallas, where James Ford (!) of Houma, Louisiana, took VETTE honors for his Torch Red '00. With lots of Corvette awards up for grabs and every type of Chevy imaginable on display and in action, you'll want to find a Super Chevy show near you. Call AutoStar Productions at (800) 692-6230 or visit them on the web at www.superchevyshow.com.-John Nelson (Photos by Damon Lee)
Oddy, Hahn Trounce the Competition!
After a disappointing outing at Darlington, South Carolina, Jim Oddy and Fred Hahn brought the Summit Racing Equipment-backed Pro-Mod '54 Corvette back to their Elma, New York, shop, where the entire team turned wrenches on the car until they knew they had a winning combination. The next race was at Rockingham, South Carolina, where the team qualified the Vette in the number two spot with a 6.357 e.t. at 224.25 mph. The speed stood as an IHRA record on Saturday. On Sunday, Fred rocketed the Pro-Mod '54 to a new record speed of 227.65, and then backed it up with a 226.92. They won the event, and shot the team from the number 10 spot in World Championship points to number one-how's that for a comeback?-PJ Rentie
Charity Begins at Home
Corvetters have a long history of raising money through club events to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. In the case of the Pine Belt Corvette Club of Laurel, Mississippi, and their Pine Belt Country Corvette Showdown, however, that charity is focused on something even closer to their hearts. Proceeds from this year's event, to be held August 26-27, will go to the Joe Dale Robinson Cancer Fund. Joe Robinson, past president of the PBCC, has been battling cancer for the past six months, and though the disease has been treated aggressively, he still has a difficult time ahead. For more information, call Dickie McKenzie, (601) 584-4306, Tom Torre, (601) 584-4306, Patsy Robinson, (601) 425-1332, or write the Pine Belt Corvette Club at P.O. Box 2271, Laurel, MS 39442.-John Nelson