There are times when a Corvette just has to be a Corvette. Yes, we all enjoy the refinement in creature comforts each new generation of America’s sports car provides.
Sometimes though, we’re so refined and civil that we are tempted to forget our performance heritage. The Vettes4Vets Talladega Superspeedway Track Day serves as a heart-pumping reminder of our roots.
Mark Davis wants you to remember this country’s veterans while experiencing the g-forces generated by 33 degree banked corners.
What follows is an edited transcript of our conversation with Mark Davis, Founder & Chairman of the Board forVettes4Vets.
We wanted to know more about his veteran-focused 501(c)(3) organization and one of the Southeast’s premier track day events. Enjoy!
Corvette Journey
Rod Worley – Editor – Mark, I want to thank you for your service to our country before we start. I believe we often forget to thank those who have stepped up to protect the freedoms we all enjoy in this country.
So tell me about your Corvette journey. When did you get your first one? How many have you owned?
Mark Davis – Vettes4Vets – Thank you, Rod. I’m a Navy veteran who served six and a half years at the close of the Vietnam war. In late 2007, my wife and I were looking for a convertible to drive on the weekends.
We were at a friend’s house for a Christmas party in December 2007. The guy hosting the party happened to have a 1988 convertible Corvette with only 26,000 miles on it he was selling.
So we were talking, and I said, let’s take a look at your Corvette. It was in great shape, and we bought it right there on the spot that night.
Right now, I’m on my fifth Corvette, which is a 2019 Grand Sport. When the 2020s came out, many people were dumping the C7s, so I traded-in my 2013 60th anniversary Grand Sport.
Start Of Vettes4Vets
Rod Worley – Editor – Are you in any Corvette clubs?
Mark Davis – Vettes4Vets – Oh, yes, I’m in both Corvette clubs in Birmingham. The first one that started here in Birmingham was the Mid-Alabama Corvette Club (MACC).
I’m now also a member of Team Corvette, Alabama. Both have helped me with the Vettes4Vets program.
Rod Worley – Editor – What prompted you to start Vettes4Vets? What need did you see, and what do you hope to accomplish?
Mark Davis – Vettes4Vets – Well, I watched Fox News in early 2008, and I saw many veterans coming home in body bags. At the time, we had our 1988 Corvette, and I felt I needed to do something for veterans.
And then it hit me, Corvettes for Veterans or Vettes for Vets. So I started Vettes4Vets.
I didn’t know how to raise money. I just knew I wanted to do something to reach out and support veterans in any capacity.
The first Vettes4Vets event was a car show. We had many Corvettes show up, but we also had a lot of cars from a car club in Birmingham called MOB Inc. It stands for Men of Birmingham In Nice Cars.
We held it in the Spring of 2008 and raised about $2,500.
Talladega Experience
Rod Worley – Editor – Mark, I’ve had many people ask me about your Talledega Superspeedway experience. Can you fill us in with the details of the event and reactions you’ve had from those who have attended?
Mark Davis – Vettes4Vets – In 2008, through the Mid-Alabama Corvette Club (MACC), we got to take our cars ten laps around Talladega Superspeedway. The track actively supports the community and, of course, the Corvette guys.
So I got a chance to drive around the track, and I’ll tell you, Rod, I was scared to death the first time. I got the 1988 Corvette over 100 mph and it was a blast!
Afterward, I was wondering if I could rent the track to raise money for veterans. So after talking to Patrick Barfield, the track manager, we got approval to rent the superspeedway for a Saturday.
Back then, it was $50 for five laps and then $35 for another five laps. So that’s how we got started in 2008.
Since then, we’ve raised well over $500,000. We’re in our 13th year for Vettes4Vets and our tenth year at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Next Event Date
Rod Worley – Editor – It has to be an incredible experience driving on the legendary 2.66 miles, heavily banked tri-oval. When is your next event?
Can You give us more details?
Mark Davis – Vettes4Vets – Our next event will be on Saturday, May 29th, 2021, at the Talladega Superspeedway. For $100, you get to drive your car five laps around the Talladega track.
The first five laps are when you start to get comfortable with the track if you think about it. I will tell you that if you’ve never driven on a high-speed track before, it is a little intimidating at first.
So what we do is let you buy an additional five laps at a reduced rate of $75. Some people have purchased as many as 11 lap sessions in the past. We now limit to six sessions.
Hendrick Chevrolet Sponsorship
Rod Worley – Editor – Besides the memorable on-track experience, can you tell us more about the event itself?
Given the expense of the track and insurance, are you still able to be profitable? Do fellow veterans come out in support?
Mark Davis – Vettes4Vets – The event starts with the Pledge of Allegiance and having someone sing the national anthem. We cook hamburgers and hot dogs so you can eat and not leave the track.
Rod, one point that always amazes me is that about half the people who come out to support us are veterans themselves. Their considerable support allows us to average $25,000 to $35,000 per event.
We’re able to be profitable because we have great sponsor support. For example, Hendrick Chevrolet in Birmingham pays $8,000 to rent the track and $3,000 for the day’s insurance.
Because of Hendrick Chevrolet’s generosity, our first lap session at Talladega is 100% profit. All the money we raise goes to the veterans.
We ask our track drivers to volunteer their support for our veterans as well. They show that support by allowing veterans who don’t wish to drive to ride along with them.
Any veteran that comes out and doesn’t want to drive, we’ll find you a car to ride in. We also reach out to various veterans groups and the VA so more people can experience the excitement of the Talladega track.
We’ve also brought out blind veterans to ride along. While they can’t see, they can feel the speed and the g-forces.
When they get out of the car, they always have the biggest smiles on their face!
Social “Show And Shine”
The day before the track day, there is a social “Show and Shine” event held at Hendrick Chevrolet, 1620 Montgomery Highway, Hoover, Alabama. This year it’s scheduled for May 28th, 2021 from 2:00 pm to 6 pm.
For this event, only Corvettes will be allowed on-site. There will be entertainment, and food will be available for purchase.
Spectator admission is free and they are encouraged to stop by to see these amazing sports cars.
Speed Giving
There are precious few times you can stretch the legs of your Corvette and support our Nation’s veterans at the same time. The Talladega Superspeedway event is a rare chance to combine speed and giving while smiling around high-banked corners.
This fundraiser, organized by Mark Davis and Vettes4Vets, checks off every box a Corvette lover is looking for in an event. And it does so in heart-pumping style.
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