Looking Back at The Classic Corvette Club Rally
Hi Folks,
I was one of the team of advanced driver trainers working at the Classic Corvette Club UK (CCCUK) 30th anniversary meeting, 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 were offering both videoed sample training drives, as well as non–filmed runs for the Chevrolet Corvette owners, each lasting around 25–minutes along a pre–planned route. This format had been used at other car club events, most notably the TVR Car Club meetings, and each time had proved to be very successful.
American Cars and American Motorcycles
 It’s fair to say that I’m a lover of all things American, including cars, bikes and music, not to mention the food. After all, I have a Harley, 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 to Spain with two of my mates.
The event was the National Show for Corvettes with a full weekend of activities, a good choice of a way to spend a weekend, I thought. There were other members of the Ride Drive team there too, including Russ, another Harley owner, and we rode our bikes to the event together. Mohammed was there, from Birmingham, and Nigel, who had come all the way down from the Peak District, with his video bike. He was the man who was going to do the filming.
Free Advanced Driving Courses Were Booking Up Fast
Keeping an eye on the online advance booking lists I saw the slots for the videos runs were quickly being taken up. As it happened, on the weekend of the event, Nigel was kept well busy. The attraction of owners seeing their cars from different angles on the road, in all its glory, was an attractive prospect, without having to check yourself out in shop windows. Don’t tell me you don’t do it, because everyone does.
Russ had checked out the driving route a couple of days beforehand. After doing a quick circuit of the route, which took around 25 – 30–minutes, depending on the traffic, we were happy with what we would be doing.
We were met by Neil, from the Classic Corvette Club, and directed to our pitch at the edge of the field. When Moh Khan arrived we set up the gazebo and tables etc. making the most of the Harleys 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, a quick team briefing, and we were all set to go.
The First Corvette Owners Were Out on The Road
Our first customers got out on the road fairly quickly and whilst the first drives were out, we took a walk around the site, to see what was happening. There were traders specializing in Americana and associated Corvette  merchandise and rows of Corvette’s laid out in rows according to model number, i.e, C1 to C6.
There was also a show ring in which there was to be alternating shows between the warring Vikings and Saxons, who were living in an encampment on site for the weekend, and birds of prey demonstrations. I have to say it was a bit weird seeing a load of Saxons and Vikings in full costume taking it in turns to use the portaloo’s on site, leaving their swords and axes outside as they went in.
We had a constant flow of drivers who came for the video runs, and a few who did them without being filmed, keeping us fairly busy over the weekend. However, a rainy afternoon on the Saturday did its best to spoil things.
End of Day–1 And Time To Ride The Harley Home
When we called it a day, and headed home in what appeared to be a break in the weather, I almost made it without a drenching. However, as I got inside the M25, the heavens opened and I got soaked. It had been a while since I turned out my boots and a goldfish popped out! Yes, it was that bad. Russ got home before the rain, lucky git.
Sunday was looking good, and after another cracking ride up to the race course, passing a couple of ‘Vettes’ on the way to the show, we were set up and ready for action in no time. More announcements on the PA, to let everyone know we were there, got us a few extra runs booked.
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 Mustangs. The weather was much better today and we had some really good runs out on the road circuit, which gave a good mixture of road environments and types.
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. The crowds continued to be entertained, and it didn’t seem long before we had finished all our training runs, before 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, if You Want Us
All in all it was a good weekend, meeting nice people and great cars to have a ride out in. This was our first involvement at a Corvette rally, and it was every bit as good as those involving other car makes. We will definitely go again next year, if we are invited, and you can count me in as well!
|
