2009 Classic Corvette Club UK Annual Rally, Cambridgeshire

Hi Folks,

Bunmonsta here, and I was one of the Ride Drive team of advanced driver trainers working at the Classic Corvette Club UK (CCCUK) 30th anniversary meeting. This was held at Huntingdon Race Course at Brampton, Cambridgeshire, over the weekend of the 27th & 28th June 2009.

Ride Drive have just linked in with the Classic Corvette Club UK and the team, over the show weekend, were offering free sample advanced driving sessions.

There were two options of advanced driving sessions for the Chevrolet Corvette owners, these being filmed runs or non–filmed runs, each lasting around 25–minutes over a pre–planned route.

The format for offering free advanced driving sessions had been used at other car club events, most notably the TVR Car Club meetings, and proved to be very successful.

The advanced driving sesisons were not driving lessons, you understand, but periods of coaching to help high performance car drivers to get the most enjoyment from their performance car on the road, safely.

American Cars and American Motorcycles

It’s fair to say that I’m a definite lover of all things American, including cars, bikes and music, not to mention food. After all, I have a Harley Davidson motorcycle, which I will ride at the smallest of excuses, even across Europe, if the fancy takes me.

You can read about one of my trips, when I rode my Harley Davidson motorcycle to Spain with two of my mates, also on Harley Davidson’s. The article is called, Three Tame Hogs Ride to Fuengirola.

The event about which I write here was the National Show for Chevrolet Corvettes, and if you are into American cars, this was a good choice of a way to spend a weekend. There were other members of the Ride Drive team there too, including Russ, another Harley Davidson owner, and we rode our bikes to the event together.

We met Mohammed, who covers the south Birmingham area, and Nigel, who had come all the way down from the Peak District, with his video bike. He was the man to do the filming of the Chevrolet Corvette’s as they drove around the mini training route we had identified.

Free Advanced Driving Sessions Were Booking Up Fast

Keeping an eye on the advance booking lists displayed on the Ride Drive website leading up to the event weekend I saw the slots for the video runs were quickly being taken up. As it happened, on the actual Corvette weekend, Nigel was kept well busy.

The facility for owners to see their cars from different angles whilst travelling on the road in all their glory was an attractive prospect. I guess it beats having to check yourself out in shop windows. You can’t say you don’t do it, because everyone does.

Russ had checked out the driving route a couple of days beforehand and after doing a quick run of the route, which took around 25 – 30–minutes, we were all happy with what we would be doing.

Neil, from the Classic Corvette Club UK, directed us to our pitch at the edge of the field, so when Moh Khan arrived, we set up the gazebo and tables etc. making the most of our Harley Davidson motorcycles as an attraction.

We had a list of bookings for the video runs, and with announcements made over the PA system to say we were ready, and after a quick team briefing, we were all set to go.

The First Corvette Owners Were Soon Out on The Road

Our first customers got out on the road fairly quickly, and whilst the first drives were out, I took a walk around the site to see what was happening. There were traders specialising in Americana and associated Chevrolet Corvette merchandise. The Corvette’s were laid out in rows according to model number, i.e, C1 to C6 etc.

There was a show ring at which there was to be alternating dramatic enactments between the warring Vikings and Saxons, who were living in an encampment on site for the weekend.

I have to say it was quite comical seeing a load of Saxons and Vikings in full costume taking it in turns to use the portaloo’s, leaving their swords and axes outside as they went in.

We were kept busy with a constant flow of Corvette drivers who asked for the video runs, and a few who did them without being filmed. However, a rain storm during the afternoon on Saturday did its best to spoil things.

End of Day–1 And Time To Ride The Harley Davidson Home

When the time came to call it a day, and Russ and I headed for home on our bikes, there appeared to be a favourable break in the weather. I almost made it to my door without a drenching, but as I got inside the M25, the heavens opened and I got soaked.

It had been a while since I had emptied out my boots and a goldfish popped out! Yes, it was that bad. I found out the following day that Russ got home before the rain and so remained dry, lucky git!

Sunday was looking good, and after another cracking ride on the Harley Davidson up to the race course, passing a couple of Corvettes on the way, we were set up and ready for action in no time. More announcements on the PA to let everyone know we were there and what we were doing got us a few extra runs booked in.

Corvette’s, Mustang’s and Other American Exotica

The field rapidly filled up with a lot of American cars of all shapes, sizes and ages, with more than a few unusual models, as well as the very popular Ford Mustangs.

The weather was much better this day and we had some really good runs out on the road circuit, which gave a good mixture of road environments.

In the afternoon the crowds were entertained by a stunt pilot who threw his plane around like I had never seen before. Real skills in a great format, it certainly grabbed everyone’s attention.

As we were kept very busy it didn’t seem long before we had finished all our advanced driving runs and it was time to pack up and head for home – this time, home and dry, if you pardon the pun.

We’re On For Next Year

All in all it was a good weekend, meeting nice people and with great cars to have a ride out in. This was our first involvement at a Chevrolet Corvette rally, and it was every bit as good as those involving other car makes. We were very keen to attend again next year, if invited, and you can count me in on that one as well!

	Photographic Slide Show of Corvette Event		Video Footage of Corvette’s on The Road

The Classic Corvette Club UK event is supported by
Classic American Magazine

Classic Corvette Club UK

Thank You Classic Corvette Club UK

Ride Drive would like to thank the Classic Corvette Club UK for allowing us the opportunity to meet Chevrolet Corvette owners at this event. At Ride Drive we feel it was a very worthwhile exercise, and if anyone would like top book a performance car driving course in their Corvette with us, we will make sure that you are provided with the programme that is most appropriate to you.

Julian Smith
Ride Drive Limited

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Wednesday, 08-Dec-2010

2009 Classic Corvette Club UK Annual Rally, Cambridgeshire