Bridgestone Offers Three New Tire ModelsLast February, the Bridgestone National Tour Team stopped by our offices in Tampa to display three new models to its vast Bridgestone lineup: the Bridgestone Turanza EL 400, Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza, and Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval, featuring UNI-T and UNI-T AQII technologies. The mobile team set up a wet course where the tires were tested on Chevrolet Impalas, Toyota 4Runners, and a Pontiac GTO. Corvette owners will be pleased with at least two of these products. Turanza's more streetable performance characteristics offer more road-friendly etiquette, as the Firehawks are more situated toward the high-performance series driver. Lower in profile and made of a composite material aimed at offering improved traction and handling, the Firehawk series is specifically geared toward the all-American sports car.
Professional driving instructors guided us through a series of performance evaluations, and we learned how each tire's attributes compare with competitive tires in the marketplace. Pairing up against their competitors on identical vehicles, drivers were able to test the tire's behavior as they weaved between orange caution cones. The two-day driving exercise ended with a media race, where participants were pitted against each other and the instructors to make the fastest combined time around the course in the GTO. With much humility, this reporter returned home with not only the Fastest Lap award, but also the satisfaction of stomping two of the four instructors' times. -Kevin Shaw
Pennsylvania Prepares For Corvettes At Carlisle This AugustOne of the nation's largest Corvette reunions is back for 2005. As a Corvette owner or enthusiast, there are certain places one needs to see, and Carlisle is one of them. With new categories, themes, and events, this year's Corvettes at Carlisle looks to be better than ever. Starting on August 26 and running through the 28th, the 50th anniversary of the '55 Corvette celebration will feature a special tent with 10 handpicked examples on display, representing the wide array of colors and options available that year. Following the example of father-and-son team Chip and Lance Miller, Parent-Child cars-projects shared between generations-will be the basis of the Chip's Choice award this year. Not only will the car be judged for appearance, but also for the bonding and memories shared through the Corvette. Along with Chip's Choice, the NCCC Judged Show will offer a Best of Show with a $500 purse, as well as a $100 reward for Best of Concours Prepared, Best Modified, Best Street Prepared, Best Wash & Show, and Best Custom/Race Prepared.
In addition, NCRS will have a full gallery of restored Corvettes in its collection. The exhibit will display a variety of meticulously restored vehicles that will help explain the NCRS and its goals and purposes. The 21-car collection will have one Corvette from each of the 16 NCRS judging classes, along with a Duntov Mark of Excellence Award winner, a McLellan Mark of Excellence Award winner, an NCRS-Chevrolet Bowtie Award recipient for Preservation Excellence, an American Heritage Award recipient, and a Sportsman Award Corvette. Since Chip Miller, cofounder of the Carlisle events, died from complications related to amyloidosis, a benefit auction will be held in his honor donating its proceeds to amyloid research. You can donate an item to be auctioned at the Hospitality Tent or beside the Mecum Auction Tent anytime Friday or Saturday by 9 a.m. On Saturday at noon, Corvettes at Carlisle wants every driver to start their engines and give a good, hard rev for a minute in memory of Chip Miller, followed by a moment of silence.
Carlisle is also presenting a ZR-1 reunion for 10th- and 15th-year vehicles (the last and first production years) and a car giveaway. Corvettes at Carlisle is always a crowd pleaser and a vital part of the Corvette enthusiast's year. For more information, see www.carsatcarlisle.com.