Corvette Shootout Coverage from NMCA Bowling Green

[mark@lsxtv]

Well it is an event within an event and it’s happening this weekend at Beach Bend Raceway in Bowling Green Kentucky. I’m talking about the Corvette Shootout and it’s a a fantastic event designed for – you got it - Corvettes! Whether it’s a C4, C5 or a C6 Corvette you’re welcome to come and tear up a few tires. Competing in the Corvette Shootout will be some of the gnarliest supercharged, turbo-charged, nitrous fed and naturally aspirated Corvettes from around the country.



They’ll be joining the guys from the the 8th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals presented by NOS to put on a Corvette extravaganza on a national level. Operating under Index rules, the overall winner of the Rumble Class will receive a two thousand dollar purse along with a plaque, jacket and NOS nitrous system. The NMCA will also present the following specialty prizes for each generation of Corvette – C4, C5 and C6 (12 Winners Total):



Fastest Naturally Aspirated Plaque and Jacket
Fastest Nitrous Assisted Plaque and Jacket
Fastest Supercharged Plaque and Jacket
Fastest Turbocharged Plaque and Jacket

For those who are in it purely for speed then you’re not left out either, for the fastest individual C4, C5 and C6 you’ll each receive five hundred bucks, a fancy jacket and a plaque.



If you’re into the older models then the NMCA has something for you also – The Nostalgia Vette Challenge. Older Corvette enthusiasts are invited to participate in the Nostalgia Vette Challenge, where you can win bonus cash and prizes for winning an NMCA class with a C1, C2, or C3 Corvette.

It’s going be a great event with a great turnout and if you’re Corvette mad then there’s nowhere in the states you should be this weekend other than Bowling Green Kentucky.

[mark@lsxtv]

We are going to take a look at some of the Corvettes running in the shootout this weekend, starting with ‘The Red Sled". This Corvette is owned by avid Corvette racer and Corvette Shootout promoter Edgar Perez. Despite the weather he is optimistic that we’re going to be in for a great shootout.



This awesome red ’99 Corvette competed and won the ATCO Late Model Shootout last year and thanks to the ‘Vette Doctors, he is able to compete in this exciting event.



Last Saturday Edgar Perez may have doubted that he was going to make it to Bowling Green this weekend after his transmission obliterated itself on its way to make another test run. The ‘Vette Doctors spent Monday and Tuesday making it all better for a very thankful racer.

[mark@lsxtv]

After a very long trip from New Jersey, Rob Farley has managed to arrive in Bowling Green with a very successful and detuned ’98 C5.





Prepared by East Coast Superchargers, this Corvette was the winner of both the Corvette Shootout and True Street sections at the NMCA Nationals in Memphis last year for the LSX Shootout.

Capable of 10’s, Rob has detuned his car to get a consistent 11.50 second quarter mile. His transport truck however hasn’t faired quite so well of late and a loose turbo tube resulted in stops every 300 feet on his journey from Jersey…that’s a lot of stops!!!

[mark@lsxtv]

So the weather stopped the racing for the weekend but it did give us a chance to go and check out some of the other guys who came to compete in the Corvette Shootout. One of the more impressive runs in yesterdays testing came from John Reeese.



Affectionately known as JR by his friends and competitors, he arrived at Beach Bend with his 2000 C5 Coupe ready to take to the track.



He is currently running an F1R ProCharged GM 427 pumping out 1000 horsepower which, believe it or not, is street legal and passes the somewhat relaxed Illinois emissions test (relaxed when compared to California anyway). The car also has the first welded full cage for a C5 in the country. With a quarter mile time of 9.25 @ 149mph this car still uses a Corvette transmission and rear end is good for around 15.5 miles to the gallon.











JR tells us that this car was first raced in 2004 and with an average of 100 runs per year, has lived a very drama free life. It’s a very well put together car and definitely something we’d like to drive to the shops.

[mark@lsxtv]

Danny Nicely came from Knoxville Tennessee with one goal in mind – to prove that his Corvette is the fastest naturally aspirated C5 in the country.





Unfortunately mother nature didn’t share that same goal and sent Danny on a long drive home, but not before we got a chance to have a poke around his car. With a best run of 9.70 @ 144.83mph, the engine was built by Eric Von Hentchel from Von Eric Performance.



Under the hood is a 427 with an LS2 block and LS7 heads, it’s got a hydraulic cam with a GM LS7 intake and throttle body. The transmission and differential are from RPM. Aside from some earlier problems with the rear end, with four to five years of racing under it’s belt and great success in the Carolina Corvette Challenge, this C5 has held up remarkably well. Hopefully we’ll see Danny back in a few weeks to prove his point.