VIN#1 Competition Sport Z06 Raffle Opens!

How would you like to own the VIN#1 Z06 of the new Competition Sport Corvette Series? We are raffling one off and you have a 1 in 500 chance to win! This unique Corvette is limited to a spring 09 production, and our winner takes home the first one built! This exciting package features:

*Blade silver/black exterior
*Ebony interior with titanium embroidery
*Corvette Racing ‘Jake' and ‘CSR' logos
*Corvette Racing pedals from GCA
*Racing style numbers with number based on build sequence
*Differential cooler along with red painted brake calipers
*Special engine cover - carbon pattern with red lettering

Congratulations to Ben Guettler from Ft. Pierce, Florida drawn as our winner today of the “Build Your Own” Z06 raffle. Ben had ticket number 013.

He currently owns a 2008 and a 1963 Corvette and is looking forward to having a 2009 Z06.  He visited the Museum a couple of years ago and has been buying raffle tickets for a while. Thanks to everyone who participated!  

Events Added That Spread Across the U.S.

Sunny skies, warming temps and increased sightings of Corvettes can only mean that Corvette event season has opened!  We are pleased to report that we are adding three additional events to our 2009 event calendar!

• Looking to the West Coast, we are pleased to once again offer a race season ending banquet in Monterey.  In conjunction with the last ALMS race of the season, enthusiasts and Race Team members will join in a banquet marking one of Corvette Racing’s most unusual seasons which will see them start out running in GT1 and finishing in the GT2 class.  The dinner is on Friday October 9 and tickets are $60 per person.  Registration for this banquet will go live via our website on Tuesday, March 24 at 8:00 a.m. CT.
  

• Traveling back across the country we go to the Northeast where we are pleased to announce an expansion of the hugely successful NCM High Performance Driving program. Turning to a new venue, the New Jersey Motorsports Park, we will hold a two-day Performance Driving school on July 20-21, providing students with the same great experience we have offered since 2005.  Registrants can choose the full two day school or the NCM’s special PrimeDrive one day short school.  Both schools offer one-on-one training, banquet on Monday night, event shirt, hard card and lanyard.  Prime drive includes one classroom session, one ride with an instructor and one session on the track.  The full program consists of two full days of classroom, instructor rides and driving sessions on track with an instructor aboard. Registration opens at 8:00am CT on Thursday, March 26 and if the past is any indicator, the event will sell out quickly, so make sure you have your Login ID and Password ready.
  

• At the end of July we set our sights on the west and head to Thunderhill Race Track to partner with the Hooked on Driving program for our third High Performance event of the year.  In an unusual twist, the event kicks off with a lunch and a California Highway Patrol led road tour on July 29th ending at the Thunderhill track.  July 30-31 will see a full two days of classroom, rides and drives.  On Thursday night after the first day on the track, the group will be escorted into the town of Willows for an informal display/park ‘n shine with food available courtesy of the Willows Rotary Club.  Registration for this event opens 8:00am CT on Monday March 30.  Once again, make sure you have your Login ID and Password available.

GT1 Championship Edition Corvettes Commemorate Corvette Racing's Decade of Success

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the season-opening race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series to be held on March 21, will mark the start of Corvette Racing's 10th anniversary in international road racing. Chevrolet is commemorating Corvette Racing's decade of success with the introduction of the GT1 Championship Edition Corvette.

The ALMS season-opener also will mark the final appearance of the Corvette C6.Rs in the GT1 class in the Sebring 12-hour endurance classic. The twin Corvette C6.R race cars (chassis Nos. 5 and 6) are beginning their third season, and are scheduled to be retired in preparation for new global GT class rules that will take effect in 2010. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 21. The race will be televised live on SPEED from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 11 p.m. ET. Read more here.

New in the Corvette Store! Get ready for 38.75 feet of high speed adventure as two Corvettes race each other to the finish line! This fun race set features a spin-out car for drivers to avoid, dangerous intersection track, gravity defying 360° loop, squeeze and skid track, and experience of over and under road racing.

Cruisers Enjoy a Memorable Mexican Riviera Cruise

Each time enthusiasts set sail on an NCM Cruise, you can bet that the experience is one to remember. Over 70 Corvette folks took a journey aboard the Mariner of the Seas for seven unforgettable days in the Mexican Riviera early this month.  Many started out with a 3-day pre-cruise trip in Los Angeles, where they toured Hollywood, The Getty Museum, and the highlight of the trip - The Petersen Museum.  They were treated with a personal, private tour of the “Vault” by the Museum’s director. Cruisers saw whales in Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, cliff divers in Mazatlan and many brave souls did the zip line in Puerto Vallarta zipping through the rainforest high above the tree lines! 

All of the wonderful stops and excursions, along with seeing Corvette Cruisers from the past and meeting new friends have made memories that will last forever. Your next chance to join other enthusiasts and cruise the seas is coming in 2010 when we will journey to Northern Europe. This Cruise will be a wonderful time to see cities like Amsterdam, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen.  Stay tuned as more details will be made available in the coming months via our website and NCM eNews.

This week’s auction item is a tribute package to recognize Wil Cooksey, Retired Corvette Assembly Plant Manager.

This package includes an autographed embroidered 427 Corvette cap commemorating the Wil Cooksey 427 Limited Edition Z06 and a 2008 NCM license plate signed by Wil. This is a great collector package and available online for bids.