A Really Big Shew!

Last year's Corvettes at Carlisle smashed just about every previous attendance record for the event, which may have led some to ask, "Can it get any better?" The answer came as a resounding "Yes!" at the 2001 edition. The four-day event, held August 24-26, was blessed with wonderful weather (except for a bit of rain on Thursday, which was mainly a set-up day for the vendors), and the presence of more than 5,000 Corvettes on the 82-acre fairgrounds, including almost 2,500 on the showfield. All that fantastic plastic brought out more than 58,000 thousand spectators--hey, people know a good thing when they see it!

Someone else who knows a good thing when he sees it is yours truly, attending my first Corvettes at Carlisle. It was hard not to be struck by the sheer size of this "happening," almost incongruously stuck in the lush, green, Pennsylvania countryside, and by the incredible variety of cars, parts, memorabilia, cool people, Corvette celebrities (whose kindness to the new kid on the block was appreciated), and just about anything else Corvette-related that a guy could want.

As always, Chip's Choices were a collection of unique, rare, and pristine Vettes. From the LS6-powered Pro Street-style '63 coupe that graced the cover of the event program, to Chip Miller's own restoration projects (the "Perfect '53" and the Briggs-Cunningham No. 3 Le Mans racer), and pristine '68 and '82 sharks, it was a lineup that'd be hard to top--especially with the presence of "KO-MOTION." You'll find a full feature on this piece of Corvette history in this issue, but suffice it to say that the emergence of this racer after over 30 years in hibernation is nothing short of incredible.

Walking the showfield was equally interesting. ZR-1s were the featured cars, and these big guns were out in force. The many Corvette registries made their presence felt as well, with lines of 35th and 40th Anniversary cars, Grand Sports, Collector Editions, and just about everything else you can imagine. You could get another dose of Corvette perfection in the NCRS Gallery, where a car representing each judging class and award the organization offers was on display.

Of course, you could also get plenty of exercise walking the Car Corral, where those looking to buy had plenty of choices. Speaking of buying, you can't miss the swap meet and vendor areas. From complete cars of disparate conditions to pieces of various sizes, you could find it all (I'm still kicking myself for not bringing home the ZF tranny I found). The vendors were also out in swarms, selling everything from socks to replacement '63-82 frames--if there's a Corvette item that couldn't be found there, it may not exist!

A big part of Corvettes at Carlisle, though, and one of the reasons, we'reguessing, that the event is so popular, is the Fun Display, where people parked their Vettes and got with the program--having fun, that is. Besides the chance to hang out, get some sun, and shoot the breeze with fellow enthusiasts, participants in this section had the chance to earn a Celebrity Pick award from one of the many Corvette luminaries present (including members of the Corvette engineering team). The only criteria is that an award presenter like the car. Along with Saturday night's parade and street party in downtown Carlisle, this casual, "Hey, let's get together with our Corvettes and fun" attitude is, we'd say, a big part of what brings so many of the faithful to south-central Pennsylvania year after year.

VETTE again sponsored the Kids at Carlisle activities, where the youngsters got to show off their own minicars and participate in a model-building contest. The many seminars provided tons of useful information, and the Women's Oasis provided an air-conditioned "mini-salon" for the ladies. The Corvette Charity Auction was again a success--the sale of items such as original artwork by Lee Bivens, parts, clothing, a Corvette minicar, and many other goodies raised $18,277 for the American Cancer Society.

The last order of business, held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, was the Corvette Giveaway. Don and Judy Hershberger of York, Pennsylvania, took home a pristine, 22,000-mile '80 Corvette.

It's often said that it's impossible to be all things to all people, but Corvettes at Carlisle comes pretty close. Given its sheer scale, chances are that most people are gonna be more than satisfied. And that's why, as "Carlisle" enters its third decade, we're guessing the show will get even bigger.