Attendance numbers are a strong bellwether of interest in an event.
Since Corvettes At Carlisle is the largest gathering of Corvette owners, some armchair pundits also use it to gauge overall brand popularity.
If that’s true, don’t fret about our beloved icon of American muscle. Corvettes At Carlisle is coming off another all-time attendance record.
This makes the third year in a row that the Corvette faithful have poured into the Carlisle fairgrounds in chart-topping numbers. Attendance surged past last year’s all-time mark before 7 a.m. on Day Two.
The record books show this is the first-ever Corvettes at Carlisle, with more than 3,000 registered show vehicles. For the statistical sticklers among us, the Fun Field total was 3,080.
Now, mix in another 2,000+ Corvette owners who paid to park and bought an admission ticket, and you have 5,000+ Corvettes at the August 24th – 26th, 2023 event.
Vette Mecca
In the early hours on Thursday, August 24th, those who had been in town for a few days merged with Day 1 attendees to kick off the festivities.
From the minute the gates opened, droves of America’s Sports Cars rolled into the venue seemingly non-stop through mid-day on Saturday.
As always, there were seminars, static displays, special events, and car judging throughout the event.
In addition to the 50-year 1973 Showcase and Chip’s Choice, presentations included the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) Gallery and National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) Judged Concours.
Chip’s Choice honored some significant Corvettes that have raced at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. The #3 Cunningham Corvette, a 1994 Callaway LM #001, and a 2001 Callaway C12R were among the race cars.
For the Callaway entries, this was the first time on display at a venue together.
150+ Form American Flag
America’s Sports Car embodies the American Dream, and on Saturday, August 26th, Corvettes came together to form our nation’s enduring symbol of freedom.
The Corvette American Flag came together with the help of over 150 red, white, blue, silver, and Carlisle Blue Corvettes on the east side of the grounds.
Along with the flag creation, a special on-stage presentation focused on our country’s veterans. This session, hosted by Jason Dores from Vettes for Vets, spoke about how we can raise awareness and help our National Heroes.
Those who participated in the flag-building project received a special gift for their time and contribution to the display.
Honoring Wil Cooksey
Among the events was a special 15th Anniversary Reunion honoring Wil Cooksy and the limited edition Corvette named after him.
By choosing “Wil Cooksey Corvette” as their club affiliation, they received a spot in the designated Wil Cooksey Anniversary Reunion parking area and a special participation gift.
More importantly, there was a special meet & greet session with Wil Cooksey himself. As you recall, in 2008, retiring Bowling Green Plant Manager Wil Cooksey was honored by Chevrolet when they created a limited edition Z06 in his name.
The Wil Cooksey edition was only available in Crystal Red Tintcoat with a distinctive black Stinger-style stripe on the front hood and fascia.
Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation
On Friday, the Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation (CMAF) held its annual benefit dinner that raised nearly $45,000.
To add to the excitement, Lancaster County Corvette Club gave away a 2023 2LT C8 Corvette at the event.
For only $150 per ticket, the lucky giveaway winner had a 1 in 1,000 chance to win. The tickets were numbered 000-999, with the winning number based on the Saturday night (August 26) Pennsylvania Lottery Pick 3 drawing.
Monies raised from that giveaway supported both the CMAF and Clare House.
Reeves Callaway Tribute
The Corvette family lost a valued member on July 11th of this year. Founder and CEO of Callaway Cars, Ely Reeves Callaway III, died from injuries sustained from a fall at his home in Newport Beach, California.
Reeves Callaway was a legendary figure in the world of high-performance automobiles. Entirely self-taught, Reeves founded his company in 1977 from his garage in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
His enduring legacy includes cars such as the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette with the “B2K” designation. This B2K factory code signified the GM stamp of approval to permit the sale and distribution of the Callaway Corvette through the Chevrolet Dealer network.
Callaway Cars earned the rare honor of becoming designated a Speciality Vehicle Manufacturer.
Reeves will always be remembered for the world record-setting 1989 twin-turbo Corvette dubbed “The Sledgehammer.” This incredible feat of engineering set a production-car top speed record of 254.76 mph.
The record would stand for 21 years.
E-Ray Unveiled
Indeed, one of the big highlights for the fiberglass faithful was the much-anticipated unveiling of the all-new E-Ray for 2024.
Chevrolet claims 0 – 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, with a quarter-mile elapsed time of 10.5 seconds, making it potentially the quickest Corvette ever. Top speed is said to be above 180 mph.
On a side note for trivia lovers, the electric motor stops contributing at 150 mph.
Team Chevrolet rolled into Carlisle with several E-Rays for display, including a cutaway car, giving guests a first-hand look behind the scenes of their latest C8 offering.
Something For Everyone
Since the 1974 founding of Corvettes at Carlisle by Bill Miller and Chip Miller, lovers of America’s Sports Car have flocked to this annual event from all corners of the globe for two good reasons.
Here at Carlisle, genuine camaraderie and pure Corvette fun are always on tap.
This year, competitions were a big part of the show. Aerolarri Wheels presented the popular People’s Choice / Best of Show awards.
Lingenfelter Performance hosted the King of X autocross event, where two talented winners took home $500 each. Hemmings Marketplace featured club contests for both the largest and coolest clubs.
Ron Fellows Driving School was there to give away an experience at their Spring Mountain Nevada venue. There was also a rolling exhaust contest for those needing to get loud and proud.
With this year’s event in our rearview mirror, we can’t help but wonder what Corvettes at Carlisle has up its sleeve for 2024. Could attendance set a record four years in a row?
We’re not sure, but judging by this action-packed weekend and the enthusiastic crowds, we’re not betting against them.
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