Corvettes rendezvous in Whitefish
Rain and clouds blocked the shine for
the Corvette Show and Shine on Saturday morning, but the steady
drizzle wasn’t enough to keep hundreds of sports-car fanatics
indoors.
An estimated 120 Corvettes from as far
away as southern California converged in Whitefish last weekend for
the 40th annual Big Sky Corvette meet and convention. Models from
the 1950s to the 2000s were parked along Central Avenue from First
Street to Depot Park as the public was welcomed to mingle with the
owners.
Steve Stevens and Dave Bratt took a
week to drive 1,700 miles from California to attend the event. The
duo followed only two-lane roads the entire way to avoid the
Interstate.
They went to the Corvette convention in
Great Falls last year and plan to attend others in Oregon later
this summer.
“They’re like vacations for us,”
Stevens said.
Whitefish was a great choice for the
convention, he said, because smaller towns seem to take notice and
appreciate the club’s presence more than larger cities.
Stevens drives a red 2002 Corvette that
he calls a “California car” because it mostly stays inside a garage
unless the weather is nice — except for this rainy trip, of
course.
Bratt drove his silver 2005 C6 up from
California. He also owns a 2002 model.
“If I had a bigger garage I’d have even
more Corvettes,” Bratt joked.
He said the 2000 models are his
favorite because of their smooth ride and comfort, although if he
could have an early model he’d go for a vintage 1964.
Dave and Suzette Keller came over from
Whidbey Island, Wash. to attend their second convention. The
Kellers are a Corvette family, Dave says.
He drives a candy-apple red 2006 C6,
Suzette has a 1999 convertible and their daughter has a 2003 50th
anniversary Z06. They all get together and go driving on most
Sundays.
Dave is drawn to Corvettes because it’s
“America’s sports car.”
“You can spend $200,000 on a
Lamborghini or get a Corvette that’s just as nice for a lot less,”
he said.
The couple enjoys coming to conventions
for the social aspect.
“We meet new friends every time we go
to a show,” Dave said.
They brought Dave’s 2006 Corvette to
Whitefish, which Suzette says has “more power than a normal person
needs.”
Dave wouldn’t go on record for his top
speed, but notes that the manufacture says it will go 198 mph.
“It sends 505 [horsepower] to the rear
wheels,” he said.
It’s actually a nice car for road
trips, he noted, with the gas mileage coming in at 30 mpg — if he
keeps it at 75 mph.
“It’ tough to keep the pedal steady
though,” he joked.
The three-day convention included the
Show and Shine downtown and a “Funkhana” at Grouse Mountain Lodge
on Saturday. An autocross was held at Raceway Park on Sunday.