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Also inside:- Performance Driving School at
Spring Mountain- Beat the Heat- Report of Summer Getaway in
Finger Lakes Area- and more!
LICOA Visits Fire Island
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "2
2015 / 2016 Board of Directors
President Tom Donato 516-993-7418 [email protected]
Vice President Edward Stichweh 516-244-3279 Vice [email protected]
Treasurer John DiBlasi 718-357-3411 [email protected]
Secretary Lynette Chin 516-439-9359 [email protected]
Governor Bob Spinicchia [email protected]
1st Alternate Eugene J. Doyle 917-282-4208 [email protected]
2nd Alternate Michael Arrigo 631-741-6232 [email protected]
Appointed Positions
Membership Gene Albanese 516-263-9597 [email protected]
Newsletter Lloyd Rosen [email protected]
Good and Welfare Bob Spinicchia [email protected]
Show Coordinator Joanne Yakkey 516-790-2350 [email protected]
Show Coordinator Sergio Srica [email protected]
Internet Edward Stichweh 516-244-3279 [email protected]
Club Historian Bob Pandy 516-781-4011 [email protected]
Equipment Manager Gene Albanese 516-263-9597 [email protected]
Merchandise Tom Benson 631-786-6112
EMRA Representative Jim Shand 516-608-5006 [email protected]
Competition Ed Bradley 516-710-3601 [email protected]
Senior Judge Rick Erdody 516-578-8694 [email protected]
Senior Judge Eugene J. Doyle 917-282-4208 [email protected]
Asst Senior Judge James Tonkinson IV 516-779-9615 [email protected]
Qualifying Judge Harry Hendrickson 631-757-7763 [email protected]
Qualifying Judge Jeff Claxton 631-757-7763 [email protected]
Qualifying Judge Ed Bradley 516-710-3601 [email protected]
Volunteer Positions
VA Liaisons Dennis Morrill Gene Albanese
NCM Delegates Dennis Morrill Gene Albanese
Hospitality / Refreshments Jayne Cafaro
Vice [email protected]
ARTICLES WANTED! Submit your
original article on any subject
relating to LICOA or the Corvette. If
we publish it, we’ll send you a free
LICOA hat!
Terms and conditions apply (see below)
Terms and conditions: limit one (1) free hat per person per calendar year; only LICOA members in good standing are eligible; articles or reports submitted by Board Members, Appointed or Voluntary Officers, or event Chairs or Co-Chairs in their official capacity do not qualify; any proposed article submitted must be an original work of the member, and may not include, in whole or in part, a reprint of any written work previously appearing in any printed or electronic publication, website or other resource; all submitted articles shall be deemed the property of LICOA, are subject to editing for content or length, and may be published in the Corvette Courier at the sole discretion of the Editor
Original material, copyright © LICOA, Inc, 2016, all rights reserved
The Corvette Courier August 2016
As I write this, we are experiencing some summer heat, not quite a heat wave, which is defined in the Northeastern U.S. as three or more consecutive days where the temperature meets or exceeds 90º. But 90º does not seem like it should feel all that hot to us. A properly functioning human body maintains an internal temperature of 98.6º (my wife’s feet are a notable exception, as they seem to have their own thermostat set at 50º). But surround that body in 90º air, and it is going to feel hot. To be comfortable, then, we need much lower air temperatures. This sometimes poses a challenge in our Corvettes.
The internal combustion engine in our cars are amazing mechanical devices. But when you think about it, they are little more than gasoline powered heaters. They were engineered to convert the potential energy trapped within each gallon of gasoline into kinetic energy (or motion), but they are far more efficient at turning the fuel they burn into heat. In fact, 70-75% of
the fuel your car’s engine burns is converted to heat energy, while approximately 20% is used to actually perform work (i.e. turn the wheels, power the water pump, alternator and AC compressor, etc.). The rest is lost to friction. Of the heat that is generated by your engine, about half travels out the exhaust, and the rest is transferred to the engine block where it is picked up by the coolant or radiates out to the rest of the engine or the air surrounding it. When I was a college student (never mind how many years ago), I was given the opportunity to ride in and drive a fiberglass bodied 427 Ford Cobra for a few laps around the track at Lime Rock Park. It was an exciting, hair raising experience, as you can imagine. What I had not been prepared for, however, was what the heat coming from the engine into the passenger footwell would do to the rubber soles of my sneakers. Needless to say, I had to purchase new ones. Like the Ford 427, a small block Chevy engine (and pretty much every other gasoline engine) generates gobs of heat as a by-product of combustion. Think of it this way: put in the most simple
of terms, with every two rotations of the engine, your engine creates a small explosion in each cylinder which
pushes the piston away from the source of the explosion, and then forces the resulting heat and
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "3
The Corvette Courier August 2016
As I write this, we are experiencing some summer heat, not quite a heat wave, which is
OFFICIAL L.I.C.O.A. Inc. WEB SITE: http://www.licoa.org General Business Meetings, First Wednesday of the Month – 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Next Meeting: September 7, 2016NOTE NEW MEETING LOCATION: Until further notice, all general meetings will now take place at
the Bellmore Public Library, located at 2288 Bedford Ave, Bellmore - one block south of Sunrise Highway on Bedford Avenue. PARKING IS LIMITED, and is primarily street parking.
Board of Directors Meetings, Third Wednesday of the Month – 7:00 to 9:00 PMAll B.O.D. meetings are scheduled to be at the Bristal, 40 Merrick Ave., East Meadow, Penthouse
LLOYD WITH HIS 2011 GRAND SPORT CONVERTIBLE
How AEROGEL Helps Corvette Owners Handle the Heatby Lloyd Rosen, Editor
The Corvette Courier August 2016
exhaust gases out of the cylinder. While traveling at highway speed at even a modest 1500 RPM, the V8 engine in your Corvette experiences 6,000 explosions every minute. Hit the accelerator and get the RPM’s up to 3,000, and you’ve increased the number of explosions inside your engine to 12,000 every minute. Even at idle, we’re talking about nearly 3,000 per minute. As you can imagine, all those explosions generate a lot of heat.
This heat can be useful (it helps warm the cabin of the car during cold days and keeps the oil in the engine flowing smoothly). But too much heat in the cabin of your vehicle can make things uncomfortable. Witness my poor sneakers after a couple of laps in the Ford Cobra. In my C6, I often become very aware of the heat coming from the tunnel between the two seats. You must be very careful about the type of items you choose to store in the center console arm rest during a long trip. This heat comes from the exhaust pipes traveling from the engine, through the tunnel to the back of the car. The gases exiting the engine cylinders during high RPM can reach temperatures around 1650º. By the time those gases travel to the back of the car, through the catalytic converters, mufflers and exhaust tips, they have cooled off to maybe 900º.
To me, it sometimes feels as though all the heat lost from the exhaust is radiating through the tunnel in the cabin of the car.
This heat issue has long been a complaint of Corvette owners, and Chevrolet came up with a very interesting way to address it in the C7 Corvette. Enter Aerogel, an amazing substance developed for use by the American space program, specifically for insulation in space suits. This amazing material can only be described as looking like smoke in a solid form. Imagine if you could make a bowl of Jello, but instead of using water to dissolve the Jello mix, you use a gas, and that is essentially how Aerogel is made (without the lime flavoring). The insulating properties of this material is nothing short of amazing. Aerogel is made of up to 99.98% air by volume, and is nearly weightless. Nevertheless, it is capable of supporting thousands of times its own weight. A block of aerogel weighing 2 grams can
support a 2500 gram brick. A layer of this Aerogel material is now added at the assembly line to the inside of C7’s tunnel to insulate the cabin of the car from the engine’s exhaust heat.
Click here to see a video demo of an Aerogel mat similar to that installed in the C7 Corvette. As you can see, the thin mat of material is able to protect a piece of chocolate, crayons and a person’s hand from the heat of a blowtorch. It should thus prove quite effective in protecting the lipstick you or your better half may leave in the center console of your C7. •
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "4
IMAGES COURTESY OFNASA/JPL-CALTECH
A 2.5 KILOGRAM BRICK SUPPORTEDBY A 2 GRAM PIECE OF AEROGEL
So far, our 2016 summer season has proved to be a busy and successful one, and we are just barely halfway through it. We have already had some great events, starting with our Atlantic Spring Show and VA Bagel run in May. Unfortunately the Memorial Day Parade was rained out this year, but it didn’t dampen our spirits for our annual Bristal Display and our participation in the Centurion Cruisers Show in June, both of which were great days for our Members. Our most recent events were the
Flynn’s Dinner Cruise to Fire Island and the Weekend Getaway to the Finger Lakes area of New York and Watkins Glen. Both events are featured in this month’s Courier. All of these LICOA events proved to be great fun and tremendous successes, due in no small part to each of the Chairs, Co-Chairs and all of the Members who participated. One thing I’ve quickly learned as President of this club, is that it takes a lot of cooperation by the other Members of the Board to get things planned and done. Without their assistance, my job as president would have been a great deal harder. Ed, John, Lynn and Bob are good people, and they have risen to the challenge of helping me with the numerous details of running this club. It has been a pleasure working with each of them as Board Members, and I will continue to enjoy doing so for the remainder of our term.
We will soon be sending out nomination forms for the Board elections scheduled to take place in November. Unfortunately, neither I nor the other current Board members are eligible to run again. It is up to the Members of this club to submit nominations for people to fill the Board positions. Try to think of the people you have met in the club who you think will be the best people to run LICOA. Think of the people who seem to always be involved in the events, who always seem to step up and take an active role in helping run LICOA events, who always have positive things to say about our club and want to help it grow. These are the people you should nominate. You can submit the names of as many as five of our active members to run for the Board. If you are not sure of their full names or their eligibility, do not hesitate to contact me or any of the other Board members for help. If you are interested in running for the Board yourself, please let others know that you are interested in being nominated. If you have any questions about what it is like being involved on the Board, again, do not hesitate to speak to me or any of the other Board members. Hopefully, we will have a large number of nominees to choose from when it comes time to elect our next LICOA Board of Directors.
TOM WITH HIS 1963 SPLIT WINDOW COUPE
President’s MessageBy Tom Donato
So far, our 2016 summer season has proved to be a busy and successful one, and we are just barely halfway through it. We have already had some great events, starting with our Atlantic Spring Show and VA Bagel run in May. Unfortunately the Memorial Day Parade was rained out this year, but it didn’t dampen our spirits for our annual Bristal Display and our participation in the Centurion Cruisers Show in June, both of which were great days for our Members. Our most recent events were the
Flynn’s Dinner Cruise to Fire Island and the Weekend Getaway to the Finger Lakes area of New York and Watkins Glen. Both events are featured in this month’s Courier. All of these LICOA events proved to be great fun and tremendous successes, due in no small part to each of the Chairs, Co-Chairs and all of the Members who participated. One thing I’ve quickly learned as President of this club, is that it takes a lot of cooperation by the other Members of the Board to get things planned and done. Without their assistance, my job as president would have been a great deal harder. Ed, John, Lynn and Bob are good people, and they have risen to the challenge of helping me with the numerous details of running this club. It has been a pleasure working with each of them as Board Members, and I will continue to enjoy doing so for the remainder of our term.
We will soon be sending out nomination forms for the Board elections scheduled to take place in November. Unfortunately, neither I nor the other current Board members are eligible to run again. It is up to the Members of this club to submit nominations for people to fill the Board positions. Try to think of the people you have met in the club who you think will be the best people to run LICOA. Think of the people who seem to always be involved in the events, who always seem to step up and take an active role in helping run LICOA events, who always have positive things to say about our club and want to help it grow. These are the people you should nominate. You can submit the names of as many as five of our active members to run for the Board. If you are not sure of their full names or their eligibility, do not hesitate to contact me or any of the other Board members for help. If you are interested in running for the Board yourself, please let others know that you are interested in being nominated. If you have any questions about what it is like being involved on the Board, again, do not hesitate to speak to me or any of the other Board members. Hopefully, we will have a large number of nominees to choose from when it comes time to elect our next LICOA Board of Directors.
Saturday
Bagels and
Coffee
8:00 AM
The Bagel
Factory -
Airport Plaza
Farmingdale
!"#$%&'($)*+,'-$.&/0#11#$23'#/*$4**&56,16&'7$)'58$
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August 26th through 28th, 2016
This is a must attend Corvette gathering - the Mecca of Corvette Gatherings!
Talk with your fellow club members and friends!
The club has 4 reserved Vendor spots: B24-26, C31
Members are invited to bring up and be responsible for merchandise they wish to sell - Please mark the item with your name and cell number and store the items at
the close of each day.
L.I.C.O.A. will be providing cool drinks throughout the event for our members
Club Merchandise will be available for ordering with limited on-site availability at the event
Members are encouraged to kindly take a 1-hour booth watch throughout Friday and Saturday. Please contact Gene A., Tom D., Ed S. or Richard E. with any time
slots you can contribute!
Corvettes at Carlisle is approx. a 3! hour drive from the Southern State Troopers Barracks
Corvette at Carlisle offers over 3000 Corvette related vendors and show field
display of your Corvette! Make sure to pre-register your car for the Fun Field Parking at www.Carlisleevents.com
Chairs for this event are: Gene A. 516-693-8597 Tom D. 516-993-7418 Ed S. 516-244-3279 Rick E. 516-578-8694
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "7
Flynn’s Dinner on the Waterby Ed Stichweh, Chair
We had a great night and the weather was perfect for our third annual Flynn’s excursion.
We had about 26 people that loaded up the Moon Chase at the Captree boat basin to take us to Flynn’s on Fire Island. A short walk from
the pier to Flynn’s, and we were seated all together to enjoy buffet style dining including lobster and prime rib. Service was perfect this year, and they served dessert at the tables so
we could enjoy our conversations without interruption. We left Flynn’s around 10:30 PM and arrived back at Captree at about 11:15 PM.
Everybody had an enjoyable evening and we’re looking forward to next year’s trip.
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page �8
CLICK FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION
LICOA CARAVAN INFORMATION WILL
BE ANNOUNCED
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "9
Senior Judge’s July Reportby Richard Erdody
The July 10, 2016 Chevrolet of Huntington Show had 31 Corvettes in various Divisions and Classes. The majority of these were superbly prepared for show presentation.
One problem observed was the unusually high number of 120-point (perfect score) cars (around 7) that we had. The bulk of these were C7’s and C6’s. I re-judged several cars as the mileage tie-breakers were not effective in determining which Corvette would maintain a 120-point score.
Quite frankly, reviewing the cars I re-judged, I found 2-3 points worth of issues on each car. These allowed for re-scoring and helped us determine the Best in Show and Best in Division awards.
As usual, we are utilizing volunteer judges. For this show, we had a low turnout of volunteers, and we only had 4 teams who stepped forward to judge. While we got through this show, a heavier attended (judged) show could not function with only 4 teams of 2 judges.
LICOA has always enjoyed the support of its members in volunteering to judge. Any member interested in learning to judge please feel free to contact me at [email protected], and arrangements will be made to train and accommodate you.
At the Huntington Show, Geno Albanese trained to be a Senior Judge, as Gene Doyle will be unavailable for the next two judged shows on their primary dates.
Joanne Y. did a great job on score tabulation; Gene Doyle really carried a lion’s share of the duties at this event.
Gene Doyle and I will be reviewing the show rules and will draft changes. I am suggesting Joanne and one other member who is very familiar with our show rules meet with Gene and me to review suggestions for changes to our judged show rules.
Chairs Vinny B. and John V. did a great job with the little experience they had in chairing a judged show. The show went smoothly, and the parking process went well as we really had over 58 cars with displays.
The upcoming September 11th All Chevy Show will need some added preparation as we need to simplify the judging sheets for all cars. I have the sheets from last year’s All Chevy show and will work on the task for this year’s show.
I forwarded to Secretary Lyn Chin the names of all judges and the place results from the Huntington Show.
End of Report
Rick Erdody
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc.
For September 7 Meeting Location,
see Page 3
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page �10
The Corvette Courier August 2016
As many of you may know by now, GM offers a significant discount to all owners of newC7 Corvettes to attend driver training at the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Resort in Nevada. As proud owners of a white 2015 C7 coupe, Jo-Ann and I were anxious to see what this program was all about. The discount offered by GM to C7 owners seemed too good to pass up – $1,000 for the 2-day program which normally costs $2,500. The course includes an overnight stay at the Spring Mountain Resort with breakfast and lunch during our two-day stay. So I registered for the course, and my wife, Jo-Ann, was excited to go with me to Nevada for this performance driving course. We were NOT disappointed, and would recommend this program to anyone with a Corvette, especially if you own a new C7.
Our adventure began with a flight to Las Vegas, and we stayed at The Nobu Hotel, located inside Caesars Palace on the strip. After checking in, we enjoyed some relaxing time at the pool, and then enjoyed a great dinner at the Old Homestead. The steak for two was delicious. We did not gamble but instead wanted to get a good night’s sleep for the following day’s events. We awoke early, had a good, as they call it “American” breakfast, packed up our bags, and relaxed again before we checked out of the hotel and departed for the racing school.
The Spring Mountain Resort is in Pahrump, Nevada, just a bit over an hour’s drive out of Vegas. It was a very relaxing and picturesque drive – blue skies, a few puffy clouds, beautiful rocky mountains and desert all around – no wildlife – just sand, cactus and rock formations. Did I mention sand? We arrived just around 2:00 PM and check-in was at 3:00 PM. They are very
punctual, as we found throughout the two days of our stay. We checked in and went over our reservation, making sure that what I would be driving during for the two days was what I drive every day. We own a Z51, automatic. We already knew the deductible on any damage to the car that I drove was $8,000. I wanted peace of mind, so I opted to take secondary insurance for $200 that reduced any damage to a $2,000 deductible. I really did not know what I was in for, so it made sense to me at the time. In hindsight, it was a wasted $200 because of their excellent instruction and time you spend preparing before you actually drive on the race course.
After check-in was complete, we drove our rental car to the condo type complex – but as we drove we could not help but notice all the many Corvettes on the property. There were
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "11
Our Amazing Trip to Spring MountainPhotos and Story bPhotos and Story bPhotos and Story by John and Jo-Ann Giardina
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Corvettes lined up on one side – some in tents – others in several of the preparation shops, and more Corvettes wherever you turned. I am certainly glad we didn’t rent a Porsche as our son had suggested, as it would have felt inappropriate with all the Corvettes around. There must
have been at least 80 Corvettes in this area alone. Our room faced one side of the track, which is over 6 miles long. Although the program included one overnight stay in the condo, we opted for an additional night to have more time to relax while there.After getting settled in our room, we went to
the pool for a while and then toured the vast property, 325 acres, and went to their manmade Lake Spring Mountain which featured Water Jetpack flights, and of course, a bar. We meet up with other drivers that signed up for the course from all over the country. They were all trading old war stories with their experience in taking their own Corvettes to the track. We owned a ’95 Corvette back in the day, and now our new C7, but we never thought of tracking it. After
a couple of cold beers, and my wife having a delicious margarita, we went back to the room to unpack and rest for a few.
We went to dinner at a local diner – Mom’s Diner – about 10 minutes away. A small town diner which served good wholesome food that is always served hot as stated by its billing. It was founded and run by a family, and had décor in the diner dating back to the mid 1800’s. They served homemade pies, we had to have a slice to share. Hot apple pie and vanilla ice cream, it was the hit of the night! Back to the room - I was anxious to get started the nextmorning, but did have some apprehension after listening to the drivers at the lake. Again I thought, what did I sign up for?
After a good night’s sleep, we woke at 6:15 AM and went to the clubhouse for breakfast – a substantial breakfast was offered; scrambled eggs or vegetable omelet, bacon, sausage, various breads for toast, fresh fruit and muffins. After breakfast we made our way to the classroom that started at 8:00 AM sharp. No one was late.
First day - Entering the classroom we counted 22 other drivers in attendance, along with 4 guests including my wife, Jo-Ann. We were introduced to all the instructors. What really set the mood was when Rick Malone, the chief driving instructor, stated, “this course is for you, not us”. They were there to assist us in making us better drivers, and learn the limits of the new C7 Corvette, and its abilities, first hand. The course is set up where you attend a class for approximately 20 to 30
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "12
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "13
1 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570(Corner of Ocean Avenue & Merrick Road)
Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 7:30 – 7:30, Sunday 8:00 – 6:00
Phone: 516-442-0362 • www.ultrasoniccarhandwash.com
ULTRASONIC RVC – HAND CAR WASH
EXPERIENCE THE
“RED CARPET RIDE”
We Specialize in:• Low Clearance Vehicles • Exotic Cars
• Sports Cars • Dual Axle Vehicles• Muscle Cars • Wide Tires
The Corvette Courier August 2016
minutes, and then they take you out to the track where you get to try the skills you just learned in a Corvette just like your own. As a guest, Jo-Ann was able to attend the classroom instruction, but she did not get to drive a car on the track. We didn’t know this in advance, but they did permit guests to ride along with the instructor when we actually drove on the track.
The very first thing they taught us was how to sit in the car – we all looked at each other – how to properly sit, really?? Yes, put your backside in a cavity created by the position of yourseat – hands at 3 and 9, and the proper bend in your arms and legs. I sat in the car and waited for an instructor to approve my position. Their attention to detail was extraordinary. All morning we alternated class and driving exercise until lunch. I was thoroughly impressed with the level of detail in the instruction, and how easily we were able to take what we learned in the classroom to the practice area. I had a few favorite drills.
Serpentine – for visual scanning: I entered the car and saw numerous cones laid out in such a way that only made sense after we started driving. Looking out the side window, you turned when the cones lined up and then onto the next set of cones to turn again. Easy enough but after the first run we needed to speed it up. Now it becomes more challenging – turning in too late and you are not set up for the next set, etc. The best was when they actually covered the front windshield so you couldn’t see except only through the two side windows. I headed out as fast as before, lined up the cones and made my turn and was ready to look the other way
in order to view the next set of cones for the next turn – back and forth and believe it or not, I did better when I couldn’t see through the windshield.
Another favorite – ABS braking and accident avoidance: With water being pumped onto the asphalt, you are at a standing stop and you are instructed to put your foot down on the pedal - gun it, and drive straight towards two orange cones. When you get to the cones you put your foot down on the brake like you want to put it through the floor board. The first time I nailed it, but only hit around 60 before applying the brakes. The car stopped straight and true even through the asphalt was wet. Of course, I hit the brakes a bit early, and I was going too slow as I heard from the instructor. They are always in contact with you in the car with audio
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "14
The Corvette Courier August 2016
set up in each of the cars. Now my second run and I got a little more brave. I floored the car and got it to 90 before hitting the brakes – again, the car stopped straight and true. Next was the accident avoidance – same drill but after you hit the brakes at the cones, there was an instructor in front of you who pointed the direction you need to steer – left or right. We learned how not to oversteer by turning the wheel slightly to avoid something like a deer jumping in front of your car. I turned right without skidding and ended up in the proper direction through a path of cones. This is something that you can definitely take back with you for every day driving.
Shifting – Paddle shifting: This was another fun drill – I headed out on the straight, flat portion of the track and paddle shifted from 1st to 5th, and then down shifted to 1st while braking into a tight turn and then accelerate up the other side of the track. We did this over and over to hone our shifting abilities. I really hadn’t utilized the paddles in the past, but this gave me a new perspective and confidence to use them in everyday driving.
Dry Oval and Wet Figure 8: Each of these drills began with classroom instruction to teach how to corner, brake and balance your car, and scan your surroundings to get ready to accelerate. With all the drills and instruction you were now ready to put on a helmet and get onthe track.
By now, it’s the end of the first day of the classroom lessons and drills. We entered our cars, different cars than before, to now follow the lead car and take our first look and feel on the 2.2 mile track. We put on our helmets and walked to our cars – getting in, we needed to give the thumbs up to make sure we were able to hear the instructor with his commands. They again made sure we were sitting properly and had the proper hand position. This was my first run on the track – my wife was in the instructor’s car. We took it out slow (paddle shifted) to about 40 mph and hit the first turn with a couple of cars in front of me and a couple behind me. During the laps, we changed position so each of us moved up to be directly behind the instructor’s car. This gave anyone a chance to have the instructor highlight how you are driving the track and provide instruction to improve how you are attacking the track. I had no apprehension at this point and relied on what they taught us all day. In and out of the other turns, trying to hit the apex (exit) properly by braking, downshifting and turning in where the racing line is the nearest to the inside corner balancing the car, and unwinding at the apex and then smoothly up shifting and accelerating out of the turn. So much thinking and your mind was racing all through the first lap. Boy, I was happy that they didn’t push us during that first lap. As I was driving behind the instructor, he pointed out what I did wrong and how to improve the next turn. We went around the track numerous times and ended with a cooling lap. We all had smiles on our faces as we exited the cars. The cool thing was talking to the instructor after each run. They always made time for you, time to speak with each driver and recap the run and how you can improve.
This brought us to the end of day one. I was pumped. Jo-Ann and I went to dinner and we couldn’t wait until the next day. Tomorrow would be the real thing – no more drills. Even though Jo-Ann didn’t get to drive on the track, she really enjoyed riding shotgun with the instructor around the track, hearing first-hand the advice and instruction given to each of us around the track. She was equally excited for the next day’s events.
We learned later that they were judging us all day on day one – setting up the next day groups so you will drive to your potential and not with drivers that are below or above your limits.
Second day – They broke up the 22 drivers into 2 groups. We stayed with our group while Group “A” hit the track, and we were in the classroom while they drove. I realized later that I made the fast group – not the top, but middle range. I must have done something right.
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "15
me a new perspective and confidence to use them in everyday driving.Dry Oval and Wet Figure 8: Each of these drills began with classroom instruction to
teach how to corner, brake and balance your car, and scan your surroundings to get ready to accelerate. With all the drills and instruction you were now ready to put on a helmet and get on
classroom lessons and drills. We entered our cars, different cars than before, to now follow the lead car and take our first look and feel on the 2.2 mile track.
getting in, we needed to give the thumbs up to make
commands. They again made sure we were sitting properly and had the proper hand position. This was my first run on the track – my wife was in the instructor’s car. We took it out slow (paddle shifted) to about 40 mph and hit the first turn with a couple of cars in front of me and a couple behind me. During the laps, we changed position so each of us moved up to be directly
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Once classroom review was over, it was time to hit the track. I was psyched! No more breezing around turns – now they would start to push us. We started our run and got to 4th gear at around 60. Each run got faster and tighter than before. My confidence grew and I hit each run with more energy and less fear. I recall hearing the instructor saying to me that I was hitting the apex perfectly and unwinding and hitting the accelerator – I was at a point a few times that I was closing the distance from me to the driver in front so I had slow down a bit to keep the 6 – 8 car lengths that was mandatory. On one run I hit the chicane perfectly – and was picking up speed and got it to about 80 and saw the apex cone approaching me faster than I ever saw before. I thought I was going straight into the desert, but my training kicked in and I braked and downshifted into the turn, balanced the car, got ready to upshift and accelerate. I look through the side window as instructed through the turn to pick up the next cone for the next turn.
Each run got better than the next. My speed increased and confidence grew. If you screwed up, you knew what you did wrong and corrected on the next turn. In the middle of the morning they had us ride with an instructor for a few runs on the track – they hit speeds that I knew I would never achieve (but they are professionals – they teach actual race car drivers how to hit the turns properly) and they made the turns with such ease and with so little movement of the steering wheel. It was impressive and a blast!! Now I really knew what my wife had been experiencing on all her runs in the shotgun seat. She continually says even after we got home, “That was amazing”!! Of course, she drove with a pro.
We spent all day racing, and at 4:00 PM we had a graduation ceremony and received certificates. We said our goodbyes, and Jo-Ann and I got back into our rental car and headed back to Vegas to catch a 10PM flight back to NY. On the way to Vegas I remembered that there was a pizza place, “Naked Pizza”, on the outskirts of Vegas that was featured on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”. We stopped for a bite, and Jo-Ann loved their crispy pepperoni that was generously added to the pizza.
This article only begins to describe how great this program was. It was a truly enjoyable and educational experience. I recommend it to every Corvette owner, especially C7 owners who qualify for the discounted pricing. Even at full price, it is a great program. Before leaving Spring Mountain, I arranged with one of the hosts, Melinda Hastings, to provide some special attention to LICOA Members. If anyone is interested in attending the driving school, you can call 800-391-6891, and speak to Melinda (Ext. 238). She will handle all bookings for our club. She can also be reached at [email protected]. I hope you enjoyed reading about our experience as much as we enjoyed being there. It was amazing and a real highlight of C7 Corvette ownership! •
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "16
Pat Leone 1-Aug Michael Guiffre 10-Aug Greg Dilimetin 20-AugRobert Robus 2-Aug Clifford Nagel 11-Aug Wayne Goonan 21-AugSandy Verbeeck 3-Aug Shaun Brady 13-Aug Len Williams 22-Aug
Bob Catanuto 4-Aug Raymond Carlson 13-Aug Kenneth DeMatteo 27-AugPaul Israelson 4-Aug Martin Czajkowski 14-Aug Mark Tulley 28-Aug
Al Pope 4-Aug James B. Shand 15-Aug Richard Massa 29-AugTed Ucinski 7-Aug Chris Waters 17-Aug Lawrence Szybkowski 29-Aug
Caroline Monastero 18-Aug
The Corvette Courier August 2016
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Calendar of Events for the 2016 Car YearAll events subject to change
Date Show / Event Chair Co-Chair Co-Chair Co-Chair Jan 30 Charity Bowl Lyn Chin Ed Stichweh
Feb 7 Valentines Day brunch Joanne Yakkey Bobby Yakkey John DiBlasi Diane DiBlasi
Feb 27 Atlantic City Bus Trip (Classic Car Auction) Lloyd Rosen Tom Donato Bob Spinicchia Phil Kalmus
Mar 19 Tech Session (Long Island Detailers) Tony Savino Vinny Bruno
Apr 3 Judging Tech Session Rick Erdody Gene Doyle Daniel Rodriguez
May 14 Newsday Field of Wheels Geno Albanese Tom Donato
May 15 Atlantic Spring Show Mike Arrigo Pete Slavska Joe Emmart
May 21 VA Bagel Run Dennis Morril Vinny Cappasso Geno Albanese
May 30 Memorial Day Parade (rained out) Lloyd Rosen
Jun 4 Bristal Display Jimmy Shand Lyn Chin Ed Bradley
Jun 12 Centurion Cruisers Geno Albanese Joanne Yakkey
Jun 18 East End Cruise and Dinner Gregg Von Urff Chuck Lasalla
Jul 10, 17(rd) Huntington Summer Show John Vogt Vinney Bruno Harry Loomis Don Moore
Jul 21 Flynn's Dinner Cruise Ed Stichweh John DiBlasi
Jul 29-31 Summer Get Away Doug Tons Mitch Drenckhahn
Aug 7 LICOA Picnic Frank Sarli Gene Doyle Ralph Rega Tom Donato
Aug 25-28 Corvettes at Carlisle Geno Albanese Tom Donato Ed Stichweh Rick Erdody
9/11, 10/16(rd) Atlantic Fall Show (All Chevy Show) Sergio Srica Ralph Rega Geno Albanese Bobby Yakkey
9/18, 10/2(rd) VA Show Dennis Morril Vinny Cappasso Geno Albanese
Sep 24 Cruise to the Show (Vettes at Eisenhower) Lloyd Rosen Bob Pandy Cora Pandy
Oct 1, 8(rd) Vettes & Jets Lloyd Rosen Phil Kalmus Sergio Srica Bob Spinicchia
10/23, 11/6(rd) Huntington Fall Show Rich Magalik
Nov ? LICOA Fall Grand Prix Lloyd Rosen
Dec ? VA Holiday Bagel Run Dennis Morril Vinny Cappasso Geno Albanese
Dec 17 Awards Dinner Joanne Yakkey Geno Albanese Bobby Yakkey Julie Albanese
Cruise Night - Thursdays @ 6:00 pmBurger City
1900 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page �18
LICOA 2016 Summer Weekend Getawayby Douglas Tons, Chair
With rain threatening for the weekend, 34 brave LICOA members and guests risked their Corvettes melting when wet and headed for the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.
In the early morning of Friday, July 29, we met at the Montville Diner in Pine Brook, NJ, for a very nice breakfast (they were ready for us with one huge table) and left promptly at 9:00 am under clearing skies.
Our caravan of 18 Corvettes travelled from northern New Jersey, through the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside and into western New York. With two planned rest stops along the way, we arrived in Horseheads, NY, at 1:30 pm and lunched at the local Cracker Barrel before heading to our hotels for check-in.
On Friday night, the group all headed about a half hour north from Horseheads to Watkins Glen for a 3 hour cruise (no, not on the Minnow) on Seneca Lake aboard the Seneca Legacy that included a very nice dinner. The views were absolutely beautiful and the weather was picture perfect!
On Saturday, all 18 Corvettes headed back to Watkins Glen and the famed road course of the same name for “Laps and Lunch”. Union arrival, our group was escorted to the front of the line and taken as a group around the track. Before leading us onto the track, one of the officials asked me if we wanted the slow or fast laps, and of course, I replied “ Corvette Speed please”. And that’s what we got! After two laps, we stopped at the start/finish line for pictures and then we could swap drivers if we wished (my wife Mary and Mitch’s fiancé, Helen, climbed behind the wheels) and then we took another quick lap. Lunch was served overlooking the race track allowing us to watch some other sport cars taking laps. As the members entered for lunch, the smiles and grins on their faces confirmed “that was a hit!” Mike F. was kind enough to provide this video of his lap around the track using his C7’s PDR.
Saturday afternoon, some members took the short drive to Corning to visit the Museum of Glass while others did some shopping. Saturday night’s planned dinner was on the covered deck at the Seneca Harbor Station Restaurant overlooking Seneca Lake and was enjoyed by all that attended.
Most of the group headed home on Sunday, while a few of us lingered and visited Corning, returning home on Monday.
The weather cooperated throughout the weekend, always clearing in time for our outdoor activities.Mitch D. and I would like to thank all the members who attended and hope everyone had a good time.
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page �19
LICOA GENERAL MEETING RECORDED MINUTES Aug. 3rd, 2016
President, Tom Donato called the meeting to order at 7:10PM and Bob Spinicchia led the membership in reciting the pledge along with a moment of silence for our sick and departed family members, Honorary Member, Julius Freeman and for the men and women in the armed forces. Tom made the following announcements:
1. The weather looks good for the picnic. Tom said expecting approximately 100 people to attend the Annual Picnic on August 7. If you have not signed up and would like to attend, contact Tom.
2. Tom asked if we had any new members: Yes 3. Judging sheets for the past 2 shows are on the table. 4. Our Thursday Night Cruise Night has been poorly attended, mostly due to weather and also due to the boat trip. The
owner, Johnny, is great to us. 5. Asked who saw the trailer at Huntington - it looks great and Ed did a great job with the graphics. Tom also made an
announcement that a member who wishes to be anonymous donated to buy another pole and flag for the trailer. Treasurer, John DiBlasi spoke about how much it cost to have the trailer fixed.
6. Tom said that the C7 artwork for jackets is done and that the club is picking up the cost of the artwork. Ed sent the artwork to Accuplus where they will convert the artwork into embroidery patterns. Either convertible or the coupe. Contact Accuplus for pricing information for any embroidery you want done.
7. Tom spoke about the upcoming Board of Directors’ election. We will send out a nomination ballots which the Secretary must receive back by Oct. 5th. Candidates will be announced at the Nov. 2nd meeting.
Joe Martin spoke about the passing of LICOA’S Honorary Member, Julius Freeman. Flynn’s Annual Boat Trip and Dinner, Chairman, Ed Stichweh, said it was a nice night. Went out on the Moon Chaser out of Captree to the restaurant. Approximately 26 members and spouses participated. Treasurer, John DiBlasi announced that LICOA picked up the ferry fare for the members. Summer Get Away – Chairman Mitch Drenckhahn said that there was a lot of rain. Dinner cruise was nice and the weather cleared up for each event and we were able to get out on the track. John DiBlasi said to give a lot of thanks to Doug and Mitch for planning a great event. Report of Officers: VP, & Internet Chair, Ed Stichweh: Website is up and running. Can view photos for the 2 recent events on the website. Any member not receiving emails should contact Ed. New members can have photos of their car and/or plate up on the website. Send as a Jpeg. Sec., Lyn Chin: Lyn asked everyone to sign in. Treasurer, John DiBlasi: Report delivered. Governor, Bob Spinicchia: Bob spoke about the different cruise night locations and gave build statistics regarding the Corvette (i.e, colors, record selling years and the 2nd biggest introduction of the Corvette). 1st Alternate & By law Commissioner, Gene Doyle: Absent. 2nd Alternate, Mike Arrigo: Absent. Report of Appointed Officers: Membership Chair, Geno Albanese: 320 paid members. Geno also reminded the membership that a new member would now pay $30.00 until the end of January, 2017. Newsletter Editor, Lloyd Rosen: The August issue is almost done. Lloyd announced that the classified section is free to all members who want to sell Corvette related items. Ads will run for 3 months. Please notify Lloyd if the item has been sold so he can remove the ad. After 3 months, the ad will be removed unless you request it continue in the Courier for another 3 months. Geno asked about how decisions are made about contents of the Courier. Lloyd explained there is a file size limitation. Ed said the smaller the file the better. Tom said that Lloyd is the Editor and has final say. Senior Judge, Rick Erdody and Gene Doyle: Rick Erdody said had 8 members that judged the Huntington show and it was one of the most competitive shows that we held. Rick said we will need more judges for the September show and that we will do qualifying in place. Tom said he has put out a request to the NY 5th Gen Camaro club to help with the judging like they did last year at the All Chevy Show. Ed also said that he has designed a T-shirt for the show. Free shirt to the 1st 100 entrants. Qualifying Judges, Harry Hendrickson, Jeff Claxton, Ed Bradley & Bob Spinicchia: No report. Merchandise Chair, Tom Benson: Happy Anniversary to the Bensons, married 47 years. Karen Benson said have baseball T-shirts, white shirt with different color sleeves that are on display and can be ordered. Still have a couple of golf shirts and a few hooded sweatshirts in stock. Received news hats and already sold 4, so will order more hats. Equipment, Gene Albanese & Scott Stange: No report. Show Coordinators, Joanne Yakkey & Sergio Srica: Yakkey absent. Sergio said the Atlantic Show is in progress. We need judges. There will be a band, Chevy girls, and raffle – 50/50. A portion of the raffle will go to the 1st Responders. EMRA REP. Jim Shand, Ed Bradley, Vice Chairman: Absent. NCM Delegate, Dennis Morril & Gene Albanese: Geno said that we have some articles in the NCM Club Enthusiast’s Display, Ed said that the LICOA’s parking lot banner should be up at NCM. Good & Welfare, Bob Spinicchia: Bob said thank you to Joe Martin for speaking about Julius. And our condolences to Sergio Srica on the passing of his father. Sergio said thank you to everyone for their support. Historian, Bob Pandy: Absent. VA Liaison, Geno Albanese and Dennis Morrill: Dennis Morrill said that the VA Car show is Sept. 18. Please make your check payable to American Legion Post. $25.00 preregistration includes lunch. There will be a band and a color guard. Mangano Show. Phil Kalmus asked if the club is doing something to help out at the show. Geno said need a couple of guys to help set up. Tom said to send in your application. We will announce a meeting place for caravan to the show. 50/50 sold by Diane DiBlasi and Phyllis Thomas $110.00 to Winner, Sergio Srica Meeting Concluded at 9:00 PM Next General Meeting: Sept. 7 (see Page 3 for location)
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "20
HUNTINGTON CHEVROLET SUMMER SHOWJOHN VOGT and VINNIE BRUNO, Co-Chairs
This was LICOA's first show at Huntington Chevy's recently opened beautiful new dealership. The weather cooperated, sunny but not too humid, and helped to make the show a success. Although the attendance was a bit light compared to some of our previous shows, 31 judged cars and 22 display cars, this actually worked to our advantage as the available parking is somewhat limited compared to the previous location. The light turnout helped alleviate the parking anxiety we had.
Two changes were instituted for this show and appeared to be well received. First, the participants were instructed to park immediately upon arrival and wait by their vehicle to be qualified, and then allowed to register. This eliminated a line spilling out onto Jericho Turnpike and also long wait times for those only displaying. Second, the raffle was separated into two raffles; the 50/50 as usual, and a separate raffle ticket for those who entered their vehicles, either judged or displayed, to win several great prizes.
Much thanks to Joanne Y. & Rich E. for walking us through as first-time chairs. Additional thanks to my wife, Eileen, for helping to emcee, to Gene D. and the judging team, to Tom D., Sergio S., Ed S., Lloyd R., and of course all the other members who pitched in to help and make the show a success. Special thanks to Huntington Chevy for their continuing support of our club, and last but not least, to the culinary delights supplied by the Cake Lady.
Congratulations to all of the winners, particularly Rich Massa for Best in Show and Sal Carrao for Dealer’s Choice. Each participant, I'm sure, went home happy, as everyone won something.
More pictures of the Huntington Show are available on our website: www.licoa.org
See you all at our next judged show on Sept. 11 at Atlantic Chevy!
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page 20
RememberClub Merchandise is always available.
Sweats, Tees, Jackets and many other items. Come to a meeting and speak to our
Merchandise Team.
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page �21
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page �22
“Cars, Customs and Street Rods for the Vets” 12th Annual Event!
All Clubs - All Cars - Display for our Veterans -
Hosted by- Long Island Corvette Owners Association (LICOA) Sunday – September 18, 2016 - 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM
Staging Starts at 7:30 AM
Rain date Sunday – October 2, 2016 Come and Participate in the Car and Bike Display at the Northport VA
Complex – 79 Middleville Road, Northport, NY LIE to Exit 53N (Sunken Meadow Pkwy) North to Exit SM5 (Rte 25A West). Westbound on 25A for appx. 2.5 miles, (Norwood Plaza on the right). Take next left (at traffic light) onto Rinaldo Road look for signage to VA Medical Center
Northport. Follow signs for Display Staging Area! -Proceeds Provide Support for our Veterans -
- Food Available-All prepared on site! - - Music and Fun for All! - Open to All Vehicles -
Veterans Donation - $25.00 per vehicle Pre-Registration (by September 7th) Includes One Meal Ticket
After September7th and Day of Show $25.00, Lunch Meal Tickets Available for $7.00. All Proceeds will be used for the Support and Needs of our Veterans –
Please make checks payable to “The American Legion Eastport Post 1545” All Display Cars Welcomed! All Clubs Welcomed! Meet and Greet the
Veterans and Fellow Car Enthusiasts! 50/50 Chances Sold, Trophies Awarded by the Veterans
For Additional Information please contact Dennis - 631-774-2898, Rick- 516-578-8694, Gino-516-263-9597, Bobby 516-763-3137, Joanne 516-790-2350
Registration Tear-off ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please return to: VA Display, LICOA P.O. Box 191, East Meadow, NY 11554
Please allow for mail to arrive by 9/7/16 Name- ________________________________________________________________________________ Phone __________ _______________________________________ Type Car __________________________________________Year __________________ E-Mail: __________________________________________ Club: _____________________________
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "23
In Memorium With great sadness, LICOA notes the
passing of an honored long-time member and friend, Julius Freeman. Julius passed at the age of 89 on July 22, 2016 with great
dignity, just as he lived his life.
We offer our condolences to those loved ones Julius has left behind, especially his
wife of 53 years, Dorothywife of 53 years, Dorothywife of 53 years, Dorothy, and their children.
Rest in Peace, Julius.
2016 EMRA Event Schedule - Jim Shand, Representative
NJMP Lightning & Thunderbolt – August 6 and 7
Pocono “North” – September 10 and 11
Autumn Blitz at Lime Rock Park - October 8
Summit Point Circuit, Summit Point, WV – October 29 and 30
For more information, go to http://www.emraracing.org
The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "24
The Corvette Courier August 2016
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August 2016
American Airpower:1230 New Hwy.,Farmingdale, NY 11735(631) 293-6398
Hosted by:Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc.October 1, 201610:30 AM -2:30 PM(Rain Date October 8, 2016)
“ W h e r e H o r s e p o w e rM e e t s A i r p o w e r ”
Display Your Corvette - among the impressive exhibits at the American Airpower Museum,
at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.
Museum Donation - $25.00 per vehicle includes museum admission for driver and
passenger, add $3.00 for a commemorative 8x10 photo print. Please make checks payable to:
“Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc.”. All Display Corvettes Welcome!
50/50 Chances Sold - “People’s Choice” Trophies Awarded - Get a Photo of your car with a
plane from the exhibit! For additional information please contact:
Lloyd R.: [email protected], Phil K.: 516-286-2252, Sergio S.: 516-850-3783, Bob S.
P L E A S E J O I N U S A T O U R 3 R D A N N U A L
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American Airpower Museum – October 1, 2016 (Rain Date October 8, 2016)
We will be meeting at 9:00 AM in front of Bagel Factory at Airport Plaza in Farmingdale (at
the south-east corner of Route 110 and Conklin Avenue), to line up our cars and then
caravan to the museum. Feel free to arrive earlier for breakfast at the Bagel Factory!
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The Corvette Courier August 2016
Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page "25Long Island Corvette Owners Association, Inc. Page 25
To place an ad, email the newsletter editor
FOR SALE- 2015 C7 Steering Wheel - virtually new - $90. Rick 516-578-8694. 10/16
FOR SALE: C6 Corvette Indoor Car Cover: Still in box, never used, with lock & cable, Mid-American brand. $60. Please direct any and all calls/questions to Wayne
Cox after 5 pm at 516-671-3104. 10/16
FOR SALE: 2007 Corvette Coupe, 10000 miles, 6 speed. $29,950. Contact information is email [email protected] or call 718 225-4740 ask for Susan. 10/16
FOR SALE: Corvette Diecast Collection : Selling Almost 2000 Diecast And Promo Corvettes. All Scales From 1:83 To 1:12. Over $30,000 Invested, Have All The Boxes. Will Take $7950.00. Contact Bill At [email protected], 631-525-7110. 10/16
FOR SALE: cargo shades for C6 Z06 - $25. Contact LICOA Member Ed H. on 516-220-5179. 10/16
FOR SALE: used (3 days) solid color 2016 Daytona sunburst orange roof - $1,800; clear sill plate protector for C5 - $35.00; 2016 factory stingray mats - $125; C5 original factory six speed shifter - used make an offer; C5 Mass air sensor-used make an offer. Contact Steve at 631-269-4893. 10/16
Classified listings are free for LICOA Members
