Corvettes at Carlisle Draws Thousands/Annual Event Turns 30 with Fanfare, Special Displays and More

Aug. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Corvettes at Carlisle wrapped Sunday following a weekend celebration of 30 years of being one of the premier Corvette specific events in the country.  From set up day on Thursday through Sunday, thousands in attendance reveled in GM’s masterpiece – the Corvette.  Because of the 30 year celebration, those involved knew they were part of something memorable.  As part of the weekend, enthusiasts frequented historic displays, a screening of The Quest, seminars, the “Road to Carlisle Blue,” NCRS Gallery and more.

Unofficial festivities advanced late Thursday afternoon with a reception, welcoming special guests and attendees.  Following the gathering, many moved to Market Cross Pub in downtown Carlisle for a special tapping of the keg.  The Carlisle based brew pub and eatery created a special Pale-Ale beer dubbed Carlisle Blue Brew to honor Corvettes at Carlisle and the late Chip Miller.  As part of the brew, $.30 from each pint sold will be donated by Market Cross Pub to the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation.  Following the keg tapping, a few hundred Corvette fans trekked to the Carlisle Theatre for an encore screening of “The Quest.”

Friday marked the start of scheduled activities with the Chip’s Choice/Barn Finds display an early popular hot spot.  In addition, on site seminars were frequented by show goers for such topics as seat cover restoration, C6 trouble shooting, car care, C5 column locks, 1953-1982 Corvette Maintenance, T-ARMS – machining and set up and many more.  Further, the main grandstand proved to be a heavily trafficked location for the Corvette Diagnosis, hosted by Paul Koerner and Tiffany Rose of www.CorvetteMechanic.com.  In addition to the seminars and diagnosis, General Motors was on site conducing in depth walk arounds, featuring the 2012 Z06 Centennial Edition and Carlisle Blue Corvettes.  Friday culminated with the ever popular burnout competition, where Star Scott was dubbed “King of the Hill.”

Saturday started and ended with a parade of excitement.  Additional seminars were held, including ones on 1970-1978 seat cover installation, Corvettes for beginners and many more.  Industry guests were also on site for autograph signings.  At Carlisle in 2011 were Dave Mclellan, Harlan Charles, Kirk Bennion, Steve Grilli, Tom Hill and others.  Saturday evening saw the annual Miss Carlisle Beauty Contest with Karen Noelle of Harrisburg taking home the title.  Following beauty was grace, as a few hundred Corvettes paraded from the fairgrounds to downtown as part of the downtown Carlisle Corvette Parade, Park and Party.  The cars lined the square as enthusiasts reveled in a combination of live music and an impressive display of cars.

The 30th Corvettes at Carlisle event wrapped abruptly Sunday as a result of Tropical Storm Irene.  Though gates were open with limited access to the grounds throughout day, award winners were still recognized in the form of Celebrity Picks, Kids Choice, an NCCC presentation and presentations from the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation.  Finally, a 1991 ZR-1 Corvette was awarded courtesy of www.AllVette.net to Douglass Brooks of New York.

Though Corvettes at Carlisle has concluded, the blue celebration will continue well into 2012.  With certain aspects of next year’s event finalized and others still in the planning stages, be sure to visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for the latest information.  In addition, as you plan for next year’s event (August 24-26, 2012), consider completing the 2011 event survey.  Results of this survey assist in planning future endeavors.

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About Carlisle Events: Carlisle Events, host of 10 annual collector car, truck and motorcycle events, attracts more than half a million people to its 150-acre facility in Carlisle, Pennsylvania each year. Included in the annual events schedule are two huge automotive swap meets and auctions –Spring and Fall – and individual specialty shows featuring Corvettes, Fords, GMs, Chryslers, trucks, motorcycles, sport compacts and imports. Founded in 1974 by friends Bill Miller and Chip Miller, the “Cars at Carlisle” shows attract automotive enthusiasts from around the world. Information about Carlisle Events and Carlisle Auctions is available to consumers via the Internet at www.CarlisleEvents.com and www.CarlisleAuctions.com