(Photos by Jeff Lee) – There’s no denying that the Corvette nameplate is one of the most deeply seated in the American high performance automotive world. From sports car racing to the drags and the famed salt of Bonneville, Corvettes can be found anywhere that people are driving fast. There are people who have dedicated their lives to collecting, documenting, hunting, and preserving Corvettes from all of their various generations and lots of those guys were hanging out in Carlisle, PA at the recent “Corvettes at Carlisle” show. BangShift contributor Jeff Lee was at the event with his dad promoting their Hammerhead IRS housings which they make for a couple different models of cars. (Learn about Hammerhead here)
While he was cruising the show, Jeff shot a bunch of photos and has shared them with us. This gallery is a great cross section of who and what showed up. There were plenty of late model C6 and C6 Corvettes, lots of buzz about the C7s that were getting ready to hit the streets and open the next chapter in Corvette history, and there were a ton of old Vettes in forms ranging from crusty barn find and wild street freak (both seen below!). Sure the Corvette crowd can get bagged on, but lots of these guys are hardcore gearheads and hot rodders. This gallery proves it!
HIT THE LINK BELOW TO SEE ALL OF JEFF’S GREAT PHOTOS!
EVENT GALLERY: 
Makes me miss my C4.
This was my first Carlisle ever. We were displaying the HammerHead with Tray Walden of Street Shop http://www.streetshopinc.com who makes custom Corvette chassis’ based on C4/5/6 Corvettes. We are working with them on transitioning to putting the HammerHead into all their chassis’ instead of the now hard to find C4/Viper Dana 44’s. We got really great feedback and people are very excited about this and other potential Corvette applications.
There were plenty of real gearheads and it seems that the C5/C6 is keeping the Corvette name alive and very healthy. It is probably the most accessible Corvette for the masses and affordable sports car around with all the modern comforts and insane performance (especially the Z06 & ZR1). I counted at least 20 C7’s on the grounds. The GM Engineer and Corvette Racing tents were buzzing with people asking so many questions. The Powertrain engineer even claimed 33 MPG to the crowd on his trip to PA.
But it was an interesting event and crowd. Not our usual scene. Not to pass judgement on the Corvette fans, but at times I felt like I was transported via Hot Tub Time Machine back to the 1980’s seeing full blown Pro Street Vettes and dudes with semi mullets in Miami Vice pastel Corvette club polo shirts with popped collars, aviator glasses and white Corvette frat boy style hats. Dad and I even overheard a 20 minute conversation at our lunch table where 2 couples were arguing and in complete disbelief that one of their daily drivers an Infiniti of some sort didn’t come standard with ventilated seats, and the other half of this conversation was a lady who drives a BMW (which I am happy to report DOES have ventilated seats THANK GOD!) and makes her husband park his new Camaro in the garage because its embarrassing compared to her silver yuppie yawn mobile. Dad and I shut our mouths and did not look up at each other for fear of laughing hysterically in their faces. #FirstWorldProblems
But I digress. To each their own. The Corvette Clan was great. I love Corvettes and it was a really great time and to see so many of them in one place at one time all hanging out. Like Martha Stewart says, that’s a very good thing.
Did wish to see some Corvettes racing though. Autocross maybe?
This is a shout-out to Leo “Shep” Shepard, U.S.M.C. retired.
“Shep-Dog”, I always enjoyed talking with you and hope you enjoyed Carlisle this year, as always.
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