“Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!”
Those were the immortalized orders shouted out by the U.S. Navy’s first Rear Admiral, David Glasgow Farragut, during the 1864 battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War.
The Admiral could have shouted those same orders for February’s Caffeine & Octane event. Trust me. You needed the resolve and backbone of an old sea dog to show up that day.
The weather for February’s Caffeine & Octane show was down-right miserable with a trace of ugliness thrown in for good measure. Light rain was falling early on, temps were in the mid-30s, and the damp chill shivered your timbers.
Even though America’s Sportscar was this month’s featured brand, nobody with a modicum of intelligence expected Corvette drivers to come out in this mess, right? Wrong.
Corvette drivers came out strong for this event, especially when you consider many late model Vettes run on summer-only tires.
When you combine the main C&O area, with the adjoining side lots and the parking towers, we estimate over 150 Vettes came out to partake of the soggy fun.
Did Someone Order Bananas?
There is a synergy to C&O that you have to experience first hand to fully appreciate. Take the Miata Banana Boys, for example.
The Banana Boys are a troupe of fun-loving, energetic young men who entertained and brought banana yellow sunshine to this dreary morning. Their shtick consisted of going up and down the rows of cars entertaining the onlookers, and of course, blessing yellow cars.
Wherever they stopped, groups of onlookers gathered, smiles emerged, and phones came out to capture the moment. Hand-down they were the single most photographed part of this show.
Classic Glass Shines Through The Clouds
Classic Glass Corvette Club of Marietta, Ga, is serious about representing their club at Caffeine & Octane each month. Sleep-deprived members make their way to the Perimeter Mall several hours before sunrise to set up the club tent and reserve parking spots.
The brilliance of their strategy shouldn’t be glossed over. CGCC uses the event as a natural club rallying point and actively recruits new members from those in attendance.
We think they are on to something here. Our unofficial survey suggests that over half the Corvette owners in attendance have no local club affiliation.
Other area Corvette clubs also use C&O as a monthly meeting site and a chance to recruit new members. We often see Corvette Elite of Atlanta and Amazing Corvette Club en masse at this event as well.
Vengeance In The House
There were rumors that Ron Mowen and Vengeance Racing would be attending this month’s Corvette honoring Caffeine & Octane event. Finding them was easy. We just looked for a tent with tons of people gathered around it.
The VR team from Cumming Georgia, certainly didn’t disappoint. They brought the world-record-holding C7 Corvette for the half-mile among several others from their stable of thoroughbreds.
Never one to sit on their vast trove of world records, there was some scuttlebutt floating around about “The” Eddie Blackwell. Rumor has it he’s preparing his naturally aspirated white C5 to crack the 200 mph barrier in the half-mile at an upcoming half-mile event.
Vengeance did mention they would be attending 3 or 4 of the half-mile events put on by Shift-S3ector this year. First, up for them will be the race in Independence, KS, on April 17th and 18th.
True Corvette Love
We like to say we’ve seen it all when it comes to Corvettes. Corvette wedding photos? Sure, we’ve seen plenty.
Getting a wedding band to color match your Corvette? Ok, you got us there.
Bob loves his wife of many years and has deep feelings for his Bowling Green creation. So, why not combine the two?
Thanks, Bob, for sharing your passion with us.
Fiberglass Rules
You couldn’t help but feel encouraged by the strong turnout of Corvettes in Atlanta on this finger-numbing Sunday morning. Inclement weather aside, roughly 150 of the fiberglass faithful braved the elements and came out to represent the sports car they love.
Just as important, they had fun doing it, made new friends, and proved that they aren’t a fair-weather group once and for all. The Corvette lifestyle is alive and vibrant in Atlanta.
As for the future? Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!
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