Corvettes at Carlisle 2016: Celebrity judgeship takes Poetic turn

One of the more memorable sights at Corvettes at Carlisle 2016. (Anthony C. Hayes)

If there is anything sweeter for a reporter than covering a story of special interest, it is being invited to participate in a palpable way. That’s what happened to this reporter this weekend when the Baltimore Post-Examiner not only covered but also judged classic Chevrolets at the 35th annual Corvettes at Carlisle.

Corvettes at Carlisle is the largest Corvette happening of its kind. The event runs for four days – rain or shine – at the fairgrounds in nearby Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Not simply a car show, Corvettes at Carlisle features an expansive flea market of Corvette parts, manufacturer displays, new parts vendor tents, special guest speakers, a Miss Carlisle competition, and a whole lot more. For the tire kickers, of course, there are rows upon rows of remarkable Corvettes.

The Chevrolet Corvette – America’s Sports Car – premiered in 1953. Touted as the car of the future for its fiberglass design, the Corvette has evolved through seven different base configurations. Models from every year can be seen by fans at Corvettes at Carlisle. A radical mid-engine design, set to bow in 2018, will mark the C8 Corvette, creating a new icon for the next generation.

Lance Miller, co-owner of Corvettes at Carlisle and the son of founding promoter Chip Miller, told the Baltimore Post-Examiner he was thrilled with the turnout for this year’s event.

“I was a young kid when my dad started it. His main focus was to bring people together to have a good time. The event has evolved over the years and become more massive. The first year, there were two rows of Corvettes. When I say two rows, I mean there were no more than 50 cars here. Very small, but very quaint. Everybody had a great time, and it grew into what you find here today.”

Miller said this year, he expects to see some 60,000 people come through the gates. And they’re not just from the greater Pennsylvania area.

“I’ve spoken with people from Germany and Australia. The Germans said they had come specifically for this event. Talk about the ultimate compliment! People like this are planning a huge trip just to come here.

“We’ve tried to make it a one stop shop for everything Corvette. Lingenfelter Performance is here, as are members of Team Chevrolet. Where else can you meet with the program managers, designers, engineers of a project? You certainly cannot do that with your I-Phone. We also have exhaust manufacturers on site, who are actually doing installations of their custom exhaust systems. And we have a women’s oasis where you can bring your wife for shopping or a relaxing massage. It’s really one big party for anyone who owns or just loves Corvettes.”

What does Miller have planned for the 2017 edition of Corvettes at Carlisle?

“Well, L88 Corvettes were a big deal in the Corvette lineage. Some of the most expensive Corvettes at auction (cars in the four million dollar range) are L88’s. So next year, we’ll be featuring the L88. I know many of the owners, and they are urging their fellow L88 owners to bring their cars here. It should be a really nice display of these highly prized Corvettes. We’re talking about seeing the best of the best.”

Mark Hopple is a Pennsylvania resident whose construction work often brings him to Baltimore. Hopple drove his rare 1963 split-window Corvette coupe to Carlisle.

“I bought this Corvette about 8 years ago. It’s a great car, with the original engine and a leather interior. It’s had a complete frame-off restoration, and the guy who did it did a beautiful job.”

Hopple told us Chevrolet made 10,000 Corvette coupes in 1963 and manufactured an equal number of convertibles that year. The split window design is unique to the 1963 model year; apparently for an unintended reason.

“When you look into the rear view mirror, everything you see is very distorted. Bad idea, but aesthetically, it’s great.”

Arriving on Saturday, in time to attend the VIP and Celebrity Guest luncheon with staff contributors Lady Camilla and John Dutcher, we wondered aloud about the responsibilities of being a Celebrity Judge. Jodi Morrison – Lance Miller’s right arm for the event – briefly explained the procedure but said that, ultimately, parameters were up to the judges. In a contest where practically anything goes, the judges awarded prizes for everything from pristine survivors and meticulously restored classics, to custom make-overs and inspired alterations.

One Vette which immediately caught this judge’s eye was an immaculate blue C2 Stingray convertible. The owner was away, but an album on the seat told the story of the car’s careful restoration. Was the car award-worthy? It would seem so, as another judge had placed his certificate in the window sometime before we arrived.

Baltimore area resident Jeff Scruggs told us he was serving for his 4th year as a celebrity judge. Scruggs said, along with being a Corvette enthusiast, he was in Carlisle representing two different organizations. One: the 21,000 strong Facebook fan page, Corvette International. The other: The Baltimore County Corvette Club in Owings Mills, Maryland.

“I’m practically here in the neighborhood. Lance and his staff do a wonderful job putting on this show. It’s certainly one of the best of any kind in the area, and a great time of fellowship. It’s almost a national holiday for Corvette enthusiasts.

“Being a celebrity judge, I have the opportunity to find the cars which are unique and really stand out. People here can show their pride of ownership.”

Scruggs’ pick for 2016 was the eye-popping custom pink 2013 Corvette owned by Tracie Jones of Mannheim, Pennsylvania.

“The color stands out, more than anything else,” explained Scruggs. “This is a beautiful custom paint job. When your readers see pictures of this car, they’ll know what I mean when I say pride in ownership. That’s what I look for. This is a car that stands out. Fantastic.”

We continued around the field, meeting owners and taking in the sight of hundreds of outstanding machines. With so many beautiful Corvettes on display, which car would win this judge over? In the end, one modified Corvette with an admittedly macabre motif won us over: a 1969 Mako Shark – towing a matching casket.

“This is a 1969 Corvette with an Eckler’s Can Am II body kit,” said winner Randy Hammitt, a retired water system manager from Thomasville, North Carolina. “It has a 350 engine with a tuned port injection, matched to a Tremec 5-speed transmission. It’s got a hidden hitch and a later model (C4 generation) front and rear suspension. I got the louvers out of Alaska. A lot of this stuff is getting hard to find anymore. And I’m pulling a homemade trailer made out of a casket from Rockwell, North Carolina. It’s a single couch (solid top) casket.

The shark modifications to the C3 Corvette were pretty wild, but what inspired Hammitt’s curious choice of a casket trailer?

“I measured my tent and it’s about the same size as a casket. That’s where we carry our club’s easy-up tent, along with our chairs and personal luggage. A casket is really not that expensive, if you buy it from a manufacturer and not a funeral home. Also, these things are made to seal tight, so if you put your stuff in it, it doesn’t get wet. This being a single couch design, instead of the two door model, makes everything a whole lot better. Plus it gets tons of looks going up and down the road. I painted it to match the car, naturally, and equipped it with LED lights all around. I also have a black Corvette station wagon back home which tows a matching black casket. I’m 60 years old and have had Corvettes since I was 16. No kids, so instead, I have four Corvettes.”

To this reporter’s eye, not only was Hammitt’s design unique, but we knew it would go over famously with readers of the Baltimore Post-Examiner. Signing the soft-spoken North Carolinian’s Celebrity Choice Award, we duly noted, “Edgar Allan Poe would be proud of this car.”

 

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Still to come: a photo roundup of Corvettes at Carlisle 2016 by staff contributors John Dutcher and Lady Camille. And a very special report on the custom pink Corvette owned by Tracie Jones.