Thursday, August 22, 2013

National Corvette Museum Announces 20th Anniversary Corvette Celebration and Fifth National Corvette Caravan

The National Corvette Museum (NCM) opened in 1994, boasts over 26,000 members, has approximately 150,000 visitors annually and is one of the top five automotive museums in the country (top 10 in the world).  In celebration of the Museum’s 20th Anniversary, the NCM is proud to announce its fifth National Corvette Caravan in August of 2014.

Starting from various cities throughout America, thousands of Corvette enthusiasts will converge on the home of Corvette for three days of exciting Corvette lifestyle, including the grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park. Details for the 20th Anniversary Corvette Celebration and grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park are still in the planning stage, and will be made available via the Museum’s website at: www.corvettemuseum.org.
The Museum’s National Corvette Caravan is being coordinated by Paul Mariano, the National Chair of the 2014 NCM Caravan, in collaboration with Karen Renfrow, NCM Events Manager.  Information and details on caravan routes can be obtained by visiting the 2014 National Corvette Caravan website at www.nationalcorvettecaravan.com. Over 2000 Corvette enthusiasts have already registered for the event as of late July. 
“The Corvette Caravan is just half of the exciting events occurring in August 2014,” says Paul Mariano.  “The thousands of Corvettes coming from all over the United States and Canada will arrive in Bowling Green, KY to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the NCM and the grand opening of the new Motorsports Park.  New routes and exciting events along the way will offer a fresh perspective to the caravan participants and reach areas previously bypassed by the caravans.  “It is a spectacle not to be missed by any Corvette owner or someone wishing to be one,” added Paul. 
The 2014 National Corvette Caravan will be the fifth caravan hosted by the Museum.  Caravan registration is $5 per person.  Lifetime member registration for the 20th Anniversary Corvette Celebration is free, member registration is $15 per person and non-member registration is $25 per person.
“Excitement is in the air as plans become more finalized for both the caravan and the Museum’s 20th Anniversary Celebration,” said NCM Executive Director Wendell Strode.  “We are so thankful to the caravan volunteers and everybody involved in making this celebration a success, especially all Corvette enthusiasts.  Everyone’s support of the Museum and the Corvette is much appreciated and we hope all Corvette enthusiasts will be able to join us in celebrating this important milestone.”
As part of the celebration the Museum will be marking another important moment in history with the grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park.  The Museum broke ground on the facility June 28, 2013 which will include a road course, autocross/skid pad area and more.  Progress of the park can be followed at www.motorsportspark.org and a special email list is available for updates regarding the project.
 Details and information on the 2014 National Corvette Caravan are available online at www.nationalcorvettecaravan.com or by calling (800) 53-VETTE. Information may also be obtained by signing up for the national caravan chat list, which offers regular e-mail updates on the caravan, also via the website.
The National Corvette Museum is a non-profit foundation dedicated to educating the public through the preservation of the Corvette’s past, present, and future heritage. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, the Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Tire Rack Street Survival Teen Driving School Coming to the National Corvette Museum

Special Event Scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2013
Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Car crashes are the leading killer of American teens from ages 15 – 20, with more than 5,000 teens involved in a fatal crash each year and an additional 196,000 injured.

Simple driving errors, avoidable but common among inexperienced teens, cause the majority of fatal accidents.

  • Tire Rack Street Survival®  is a national driver education program that teaches teens the skills they need to stay alive behind the wheel.  Unlike traditional driver’s education programs based on classroom theory and simple maneuvers, the Tire Rack Street Survival®  program improves driver competence through hands-on experiences in real-world driving situations.
  • Students will receive a short classroom session and then will learn, hands-on, how to manage everyday driving hazards, obstacles and challenges in a controlled environment on an advanced driving course to ultimately ‘arrive alive.’
  • Students learn emergency braking and skid control, how to control proper braking, and how to avoid accidents entirely. In select schools, in addition to spending time in the driver’s seat of parked 18-wheeler to fully comprehend its massive blind spots, teenagers witness the violent detonation of an air bag, which reinforces proper hand placement on the steering wheel.
  • Students are taught in their own cars, not specially prepared program vehicles, so the skills they learn can be directly translated to their daily driving experiences. Tire Rack Street Survival®  challenges teenagers to understand how to control a vehicle, rather than just operate one.

Tire Rack Street Survival®  is open to licensed and permitted drivers ages 15 – 21.  Forms, schedules and more information can be found online at www.streetsurvival.org.  The cost is $75 per student and some insurance companies offer premium discounts to graduates. 

The program in entering its 11th year having trained 10,000 new drivers.  93 schools were completed last year and the goal for 2013 is over 100 nationally.

For the 4th year, Michelin North America is supporting the Street Survival program by providing funding for pavement rental for each school throughout the United States.  That is no small task, given that this year the Tire Rack Street Survival schools plan to offer its training to teens all across the U.S.

To view video of the program, please visit http://streetsurvival.org/.
To view pictures from past schools, please visit http://streetsurvival.org/about-street-survival/photo-gallery/.

The National Corvette Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit our website at: www.corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Macy's Greenwood Partners with the National Corvette Museum to Sell Licensed Corvette Merchandise

Macy’s Greenwood has partnered with the National Corvette Museum to offer licensed Corvette merchandise in its new leased department within the store. Customers will find an assortment of Corvette merchandise including gift items, home accessories and apparel for men, women and kids, all retailing from $3 to $116. Macy’s Greenwood is currently the only Macy’s store where licensed Corvette merchandise is available.

Macy’s Greenwood is celebrating the opening of their exclusive National Corvette Museum shop with special events and excitement on Saturday, August 24. A display of Corvettes can be seen at the mall entrance of Macy’s as well as in the parking lot outside of the store on August 24, all courtesy of the Corvettes Limited of Bowling Green car club. Customers will be able to meet the owners and ask questions while enjoying popcorn, Cracker Jacks, DJ music and balloon artistry for the kids. With any Corvette Museum merchandise purchase of $25 or more made on August 24, customers will receive a red plaid picnic blanket, the perfect item for fall tailgating.

"Macy’s is excited to partner with the National Corvette Museum by adding a new selection of merchandise to Macy's Greenwood store for the community to enjoy its Corvette heritage and brand" says Terry Busing, Vice-President Store Manager of Macy’s Greenwood. “This partnership with Macy’s is a great way to creatively showcase our hometown’s American icon, the Corvette, and foster pride in the Bowling Green community for a sports car that is only made here” says Wendell Strode, Executive Director of the National Corvette Museum.

During the launch of the National Corvette Museum shop at Macy’s Greenwood, customers also will be able enjoy Macy’s Shop For a Cause Day, Macy’s biggest one-day charity shopping event supporting national and local nonprofit organizations. Since 2006, Macy’s Shop For a Cause event has raised more than $45 million for local and national charitable efforts. Customers can purchase $5 savings passes from participating charities and 100% of the proceeds of every ticket sold will go back to charity. Customers can also purchase in-store $5 savings passes that will benefit the March of Dimes. The Shop For a Cause savings pass entitles customers to save 25% (or 10%) off almost all of their purchases on Saturday, August 24th*. Customers can also register a chance to win a $500 Macy’s gift card that day. *Exclusions apply, including lease departments such as the National Corvette Museum Shop.