There was a great turnout of enthusiastic racers who burned up the track at The Tire Rack in South BendIN on August 14, 2011. This event was held in honor of Matt Hinman, an avid racer and outstanding NSCC member for 20 years. The event started with a moment of silence and concluded with awarding 15 commemorative antique gas pump trophies. In addition, there was an M-Curve Trophy for the "Most Memorable Run of the Day" awarded to Frank Punzio. Special thanks to Luke Pavlick, our representative at The Tire Rack who designs the track and helps run the event for us. In addition, Luke spent a great deal of time assisting new drivers walk the track and understand how to drive the event throughout the day. (Luke 800-428-8355 x362) Blackdog Speed Shop made the event even more special by awarding tee-shirts to all participants as well as buying lunch for everyone. Thank you Tony and Blackdog for your generous participation in this memorial event. FTD was awarded to a guest, Alan Ford, who drove his Porsche around the track in 55.917 seconds. Joe Lowry took 1st in C1-2-3 in his 1974 Ruby Corvette. Steve Ahlgrim took the C4 class with his 57.655 time, the second fastest of the day. C5 was won by Frank Punzio with Frank Jr. coming in a close second...watch out, Frank! C6 was awarded to Brian Grewe with Andrew Woloshyn only 2/10 of a second behind and Brian's son, Trevor, right behind him...another pair to watch! Ed Druck was smooth and fast in his Cadillac CTS-V and took the Metal class. Novice was won by Jason Enari at his very first race in his 1993 Mazda RX7. Jason also entertained us with some unique and off-road runs! A field of five ladies was led to the finish by Deb Monnier who also placed 3rd in the C4 class...way to drive! We had 13 novices on Sunday including several members...Brett Bacci, Pam Bacci, Gale Egle, Al Hanson, Marshall Loeb and Lou Morabito. Special thanks to Jim Benton for hauling all the club gear to the track again for us and forworking the entire day...we appreciate it! Thanks also to Larry Latko for joining us and working as well. We'd also like to thank Al Hanson who assisted James Bojan fix his car when he sprung a leak in the transmission hose. We're so excited that the Tire Rack Autocross events are becoming a popular destination for our members and their friends. In order to accommodate as many racers as possible, we have learned ways to increase our efficiency such as Barb designed a spreadsheet to quickly assign drivers, including dual drivers in the same car to different groups. Rich organized the driver’s groups to follow a sequential process of “1-Drive, 2-Work and 3-Rest”.Luke suggested that we stage a FRS radio in the stop box to inform the driver of his elapse time which gives the drivers instant feedback and helps to insure a complete stop before leaving the track.
We hope to see you all back out on the track in 2012...it's a blast! Rich & Cyndi Finstad Ed & Barb Harms
A Successful Father's Day Car Show
The rain stayed away all weekend and set the stage for a fun-filled day of good friends...130 impeccable cars including 66 NSCC members...135 goodie bags...100 door prizes...44 great raffle prizes...music and vendors. Chuck Loeffler took the People's Choice Trophy as well as 1st Place Street Rods for his 1937 Silver Chevy-Powered Ford Coupe...quite a day for him! Ted Paulson received the Dealer's Choice Award for his beautiful 2010 Blue Camaro. The committee, which began planning in January, included Steve Ahgrim, Tom Arvidson, Brett & Pam Bacci, Jim Benton, Rick Craig, Jeannie Domerchie, Donna Harding, Geoff Harlow, Ed Harms, Nancy Jakubco, Mike Kamerlink, Eric Kirchner, Forrest Kulwin, Joe Lowry, Jerry Mulick, Paul Plotnick, Ken Such, Dean Tarkowski and Martha White. It took hours of planning and preparation as well as a long weekend for this dedicated group to present this show...fantastic effort! In addition, there were 75 club workers including many who did multiple shifts...thank you for all your help! Our sponsor, Jim Spellman and Libertyville Chevrolet gave us great support which makes this show possible. This year, they had a booth for the PerformanceCenter and Kevin Paddock and Eric Defort were kept busy with inquiries. Thank you Eric for all your help. The DJ Scottie, from 39 & Holding, did an outstanding job again this year. Maggie Moo's Ice Cream was a big hit as well! Vendors included Mike Foster with Libertyville Duxler Tire, Joanne Haeberlin with Usborne Books, Steve Reglewski with Show Car Detail, Steven Howorka with BVG Motor Sports and Jim Kelly with Hagerty Ins. It was great to see all the families come by and visit their special Dads and hundreds of spectators from the community visited as well...it was a sea of people most of the day. In addition, special recognition was paid to the Veterans who came to the show and we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one. We look forward to providing a great day for the veterans and their guests at the JamesA.LovellHealthCareCenter in North Chicago this fall. Barb Harms, Car Show Chairman
SPEED RACER & RACER X's REVENGE --- WHAT A WEEKEND!
44 racers came out to the Tire Rack at South Bend to test their skills on the new, expanded track with courses designed by Luke Pavlick, our company representative. The Sat. course was very technical in nature and the Sun. course was wide open so some rev limiters were hit. There were lots of firsts!! A record number of racers, record # of novices and 5 father-son teams including Ian & Kevin Cohen, Rick & Mike Craig, Mike & Erich Moorman, Frank & Frankie Punzio and Gene & Andrew Woloshyn. There were also 2 father-daughter teams with Skip Gallagher & Keri Pala and Geoff & Kay Harlow competing. It was cool and cloudy Sat. and cool and windy Sun. which was good for the cars but challenging for the racers at times. Steve Ahlgrim took the award for the most spectacular spin of the day...he even took pictures of the rubber he left on the track! It was great to see so many new racers with 11 Novices on Sat. and 8 on Sun. 2 friends of Kay Harlow were rewarded with a trophy on Sat, Aaron Schapiro & Nolan Buchanan in metal cars. On Sun, Mike Warner, a law partner of Ed Druck, took the trophy on his first event ever! Watching 2 veteran racers, Tony Koufos and Steve Tamandli in their prepared racing cars was a treat again...amazing how they burn track! The father/child teams were fun to watch with plenty of competition and excitement as their times switched places throughout the day. Rick & Mike Craig almost dropped out Sun. due to tire problems, but Luke was able to make a suggestion that put them back in competition. Ian & Kevin Cohen traded 2nd & 3rd places Sat. & Sun. Keri was beyond excited as she drove for the first time this weekend and beat Skip on Sat...she's hooked! There were 6 ladies in competition both days and the indexed times were within a 10th of a second apart for very tight races as they drove their C4, C5 and C6 Corvettes. Special thanks to the members who came out and worked so hard all weekend even though they didn't race...we couldn't do it without you. Tom Arvidson, Brett Bacci, Jim Benton and Donna McKenzie--Thanks! If you missed these racing events come on out to South Bend on August 14th and you can join the fun! Ed & Barb Harms and Rich & Cyndi Finstad
A Perfect Day for a Cruise...
21 shiny Corvettes with 31 people came out of their Winter hideouts for a cruise on the beautiful Kettle Moraine State Park roads with blue skies and mid-80's...it was definitely a top down day!
The route took us from the Cracker Barrel in Kenosha to a stop in East Troy and then on to ParadiseSpringsState Park for a leisurely stroll and interesting sights. Next we stopped at Schlotzsky's Deli and Culver's in Oconomowoc for lunch and lots of visiting. Our route continued up Rt. 67 to the HoneyAcresMuseum for a film, exhibits and some shopping for honey...yum!
The final leg was on "squiggly" roads through the beautiful forest to Wade House State Park where a few went on a tour of the 3-story inn, the blacksmith shop and saw a fascinating reciprocating sawmill driven by water...one of only 5 in the country.
Special thanks to our caboose, Jim and Catherine Benton, for keeping us safe. Thanks also to Tom and Barbara Arvidson and Al and Laurie Ohm for assisting a fellow member with car trouble which was quickly resolved... that was true NSCC spirit!
Thanks for joining us...Ed and Barb Harms
Hunka Hunka Trip to Memphis
If ever a trip started out under bad skies and negative reports this was the one. TV reporters said that Memphis, our destination, was under water and would soon be flooded even more when the Mississippi River crested and goes over the levies. THIS NEVER HAPPENED. Our fearless group of eight cars went ahead with the trip in spite of all the negativity. We had a great trip and experienced sunny blue skies, warm weather (not too hot--just right) and great roads. The travelers were Brett & Pam Bacci, John & Carol Becvar, Lee & Dan deBoer, John & Beth Hamparian, Barb & Ed Harms, Joe & Joann Lowry, Dave & Denise Marros and Kevin & Jenny Poole. Hank & Meg Koeck rode with us the first day. We met at the Cracker Barrel in MattesonIL, had breakfast, and continued to Mid-America...some in the group drove with their tops down. Mid-America took pictures of our group, we toured the museum and some shopped at their store. We continued to our hotel in Marion IL and had dinner at the 20's Gangster Hideout. We were a beautiful sight...eight Corvettes going along all together and never separating during the entire trip...a great caravan group! Thursday we drove to Memphis under blue skies on scenic roads. We did hit one stretch in Missouri where we saw sandbags and had a damp road for an eighth of a mile that did not even get my rims wet. That was it for flooding. In Memphis we had lunch at the Trolley Stop Market and toured Sun Studios (home of Rock-A-Billy) and the place where Elvis started his career. Jason was our enthusiastic guide who loved telling us the history of Sun Studios and all the famous people who recorded there like Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Muddy Waters and the list goes on. During the visit Joe Lowry recorded a song on a CD in the same studio as did Elvis. We left Sun Studios and checked into our hotel in Southaven MS where we caught our chartered bus for Downtown Memphis. Once again the weather was warm and sunny which allowed the group to walk around in shorts and sport shirts on Beale Street and tour the bars, restaurants and take in all the sights. Our group split up and some took in BB King, Alfredo's, Rum Boogie Cafe, as well as numerous other locations. The Bar-B-Que Festival was going on at the fairgrounds but the group decided to stay on Beale Street. The TV reports on the weather killed the business on Beale St. which made it great for us. Ed & Barb and Joe & Joann had dinner on the outdoor patio upstairs at Alfredo's. The waiter told us Beale Street should have been packed to the brim. Others in the group experienced similar comments from the places they visited. Friday we joined Sunburst Corvette Club from Crystal Lake and drove to Graceland. Their 16 cars and our 8 made a beautiful sight! We had great tours and a fun time. Both clubs returned to the hotel where we took chartered busses downtown and had dinner at the Rendezvous Restaurant, world famous for its dry ribs. 34 Corvette lovers, 16 NSCC and 18 Sunburst members, had a fabulous meal and enjoyable conversation. We all toasted Al Behring and Matt Hinman. After dinner we again enjoyed the sights and sounds of Beale Street. BB King had super entertainment. Dan & Lee and Kevin & Jenny danced the night away...they put on a heck of a show...enjoyed fellow club members. This night ended much too soon and we returned to the hotel aboard the bus. Saturday we drove to TupeloMS with clear, cool weather. We toured the auto museum, the birth place of Elvis and the famous Tupelo Hardware Store where we got the story straight from the horses mouth about how Elvis got his first guitar there when he was 11 years old. John Hamparian experienced a slight problem with his car as he couldn't get it started. This was quickly solved by a local locksmith who cut him a new key and he was back on the road again. We drove from TupeloMS to PaducahKY on Route 45 and enjoyed a great, dry drive. Dinner was at the Texas Roadhouse and the next morning we departed for home going our various ways. Two of our group left early and the other six cars stayed together until Effingham. The weather on the return was lousy. Boy I wish I was back in Flooded Memphis. Thanks to a great group of people who had humor, patience and supported one another in the midst of negative reports and who made this trip thoroughly enjoyable.. Joe Lowry
Think Spring 2011 -- A Great Party
After a week that brought 20" of snow and howling 60 mph winds, everyone was more than ready to Think Spring. Bright yellow and pink tulips and a house full of green/yellow/pink balloonsset the mood for better things to come.
65 people found their way through the narrow streets and walls of snow to our cul-d-sac and, after trudging from their cars, hit the hors d' oeuvres and drinks. Festive tables welcomed the guests throughout the house and encouraged visiting with many old friends as well as meeting new ones. It was a pleasure to havenew members, Leo and Jeani Wiemelt and Wilson Klassen join us tonight as well as friends who haven't joined us previously including Brett and Pam Bacci and Mike and Pat Jorgenson.
As always, the boardroom (Ed's office) and the rec room with the pool table were popular spots. The other tradition, wearing bright "spring" shirts and even shorts was represented in full force and the annual group picture was taken.
As always, the food brought by many NSCC members was delicious and we had 9 hors d' oeuvres, 10 side dishes, and 9 desserts this year including many new items that were most popular. The entrees were pulled pork with "Booby's" bar-b-que sauce plus a choice of ham and turkey. Thank you for the great food!
We had a marvelous and ambitious clean-up crew who put the house back in order in no time...thank you! Also want to thank Jim Benton for hauling the club chairs back to the dealer for us.
Good Food...Good Friends...Thank You for Joining Us in Thinking Spring!
Ed & Barb Harms
NSCC ANNUAL BANQUET
What a night! 117 guests enjoyed a lively evening including dinner, awards, raffle prizes and dancing at Bristol Court Banquets in Mt. Prospect IL. The hall was glistening with crystal chandeliers and balloons and the tables featured Corvettes and candles to set the elegant mood. As we gathered for the evening and throughout dinner, Daphne Freund entertained us with her beautiful harp music, thank you! Special visual presentations were offered as well. Tom Arvidson provided a slide show of 2010 activities and Rick Craig did a collection of 2010 videos. Thank you to our very own Reverend David Kyllo for his special invocation. Steve and Donna Ahlgrim and Dave and Cindy Hibbard drove their Corvettes this evening---very impressive! This year, the President's Special Recognition included Bob Kerfin for his flooded caravan, Kevin Poole for his Thriller rendition at the Halloween Party, Skip Gallagher and Bruce Pazdra for their fire fighting at the VA picnic and Ken Such for being a ladies man at Funfest. Board Members, people who provided activies and several members who support the club with their volunteering were recognized with certificates. The "Bubbly" award for enthusiasm and a winning smile went to Kevin Poole this year. Deb Monnier was awarded the coveted Female Driver of the Year Trophy and Steve Ahlgrim took the Male Driver title for 2010. Ed Harms was honored with the Member of the Year trophy for his exceptional service to the club for many years. Steve Ahlgrim received his NSCC Lifetime Member jacket for achieving the 900 point mark--congratulations. The 45's provided the lively dancing music after dinner and our own "Elvis", Joe Lowry, treated us to his wonderful singing. 103 Raffle Prizes were offered with a value over $4,500 including 2 GPS units, cameras, jewelry, a racing jack, NOOK reader, I-Pod Nano, remote control cars and tools. The two 32" HDTV sets were won by Al Ohm and Pat Joyce. The event was planned by a dedicated committee including Cyndi Finstad, Diana Gallagher, Matt Hinman, Deb Monnier and Eileen Pazdra. Thanks also to the set-up crew including Tom Arvidson, Rich Finstad, Skip Gallagher, Ed Harms and Bruce Pazdra. Barbara Arvidson and Donna McKenzie were our special hostesses greeting members as they came into the banquet. The photographers, Jerry Mulick and Rich Finstad were busy capturing your picture and Rick Craig was the videographer. Raffle tickets were sold by Cyndi Finstad, Deb Monnier, Eileen Pazdra and Kathy Myers. A big thank you to all. A special thank you goes to members who went above and beyond working all evening at the raffle tables: Skip and Diana Gallagher and Lee and Sue Thorson...your contribution was huge. Thanks for coming! Barb Harms, Activity Chairman
It was Hallows Eve...
Over 50 members showed up to show off their creative costumes. We had everything from nuns to ghouls, beauty queens to grease monkeys.
It was a night of laughing, dancing and singing. The DJ started the evening with a couple renditions of Elvis and then Joe Lowry got the crowd going with karaoke. It was a tough competition, but I think the guys won with their group version of Livin’ on a Prayer.
The voting was tough with all the creative costumes but Kevin Poole won best male with his jester costume, Nancy Stahlberg won best female as a witch and Skip and Diana won best couple with their 50’s outfit. You had to see it to believe it. And let’s not forget the cars…Kevin Poole’s car won best decorated car.
The other big winner of the evening was Bob Kerfin who won the banquet tickets.
Thanks to all that came out.
Matt Hinman, Deb Monnier and Eileen Pazdra
Fall Color Run 2010
What a wonderful weekend for a drive in Wisconsin!The weather was picture perfect as twenty-two cars made their way to LaCrosse.We had some veteran Club members with us as well as new members, Ron and Marian Krass...welcome!
We drove the interstate on Friday to Tomah for lunch at the Ground Round.Julia at the Ground Round made our visit special by having reserved Corvette only parking and by having a private banquet room prepared for us-- complete with “Welcome North Shore Corvette Club” signs.Friday afternoon we met Phil Murray and his daughterMelinda for a drive through the bluffs to the casino in Black River Falls.Rumor has it that Lady Luck smiled upon Wilbur Buckle there.
Saturday we participated in the Fall Color Run sponsored by the Suburban Corvette Club of Minnesota and we enjoyed many wonderful back roads through the countryside.Saturday night some went on a walk along the beautiful Mississippi River in LaCrosse before we had a superb dinner at Piggy’s Restaurant . Others stayed at Piggy's and enjoyed the Blues Band that evening.
Sunday some Club members decided to come home on their own, but fifteen cars made their way home via squiggly, twisty roads (and a few unanticipated detours) to the Sunrise Apple Orchard for those infamous apple cider donuts and ending with brunch at the Old Feed Mill in Mazomanie.
Sue & Lee Thorson and Barb & Ed Harms
GM Lets you build your OWN Corvette engine
Go Green!!!
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