Corvettes to Caravan in California to ALMS Event at Infineon

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CORVETTES TO CARAVAN IN CALIFORNIA TO AMERICAN LE MANS EVENT AT INFINEON RACEWAY

BRASELTON, Ga. (June 4, 2004) – While the Corvette Racing team will be a strong factor on the track in the July 16-18 American Le Mans Series Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma, the presence of Corvettes and their enthusiasts at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., that weekend will be stronger than ever thanks to a new alliance.
IMSA, the sanctioning body for the American Le Mans Series, has joined with the Western States Corvette Council (WSCC) and the National Corvette Museum to produce Corvette Caravans that will bring hundreds of the exotic American sports cars to the Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Corvette Racing has been a strong contender in the GTS class of the American Le Mans Series since the formation of the professional sports car racing series in 1999. Corvette drivers Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell co-drove to the GTS class driving championship in the ALMS in 2003, also helping Chevrolet Corvette win its third straight Team and Manufacturer titles in the process.
Fellows and O’Connell will be going for their fourth consecutive GTS class win in the annual ALMS event at Infineon Raceway, formerly known as Sears Point Raceway. The duo started their winning streak in 2001.
Corvette Racing fields two cars in each ALMS race, with Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta the regular drivers of the other entry. For the Infineon event, the team will run a third entry to be driven by NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and road racing veteran Boris Said.
The Western States Corvette Council, a non-profit organization, is composed of 33 Corvette clubs that call Northern California home, with a membership of more than 2,000 Corvette owners and enthusiasts. Nearly all are supporters of the National Corvette Museum, located adjacent to General Motors’ Corvette assembly facility in Bowling Green, Ky. Because of the strong presence of Corvette in the ALMS, and the strong ALMS fan base among Corvette owners, a partnership for Corvette Caravans to the ALMS event was a natural, according to the event’s organizer.
“This is a great opportunity for Corvette owners and enthusiasts to get together to not only enjoy a weekend of racing and a Corvette Corral at the track, but also to demonstrate their love of Corvettes in caravans to the track,” said Buzz Marston, a member of the National Corvette Museum Board of Directors and Public Relations Director/E-Board Member of the WSCC. “We appreciate what Infineon Raceway, Corvette Racing, IMSA and the ALMS have done to encourage and welcome us and we look forward to a spectacular event.”
Marston said that Infineon Raceway is offering special ticket prices of $35 for a weekend three-day pass and $25 for race-day only admission for the Corvette Corral. In addition to special parking in the Corral location, participants will have exclusive event venues and activities on Saturday and Sunday. Activities will include a meet-and-greet with General Motors executives and members of the Corvette Racing team, guided paddock tours and raffles for special prizes, the top prize being the chance for a pace car ride around Infineon Raceway.
The North Bay Corvette Association, Vaca Valley Vettes and Corvettes of Lake Country, three WSCC member clubs, will serve as hosts of the Corvette Caravan and the Corvette Corral at Infineon Raceway. The caravans will gather at three jumping points, including East (Clear Lake), North (Chico) and South (San Jose/San Francisco), and then converge on Infineon Raceway.
Marston indicated that other Corvette enthusiasts and club members are welcomed to join the Caravan and Corral. Additional information is available online at http://westerncorvettes.com or by contacting Marston at buzz.marston@westerncorvettes.com.