TThehe CCorvetterorvetter Volume 71 Issue 3- March 2019 Kenneth Bradley

1st Lieutenant - Air Force 1935 - 2019

Corvette Club of Texas P. O B o x 3 6 0 2 2 - D a l l a s T X , 7 5 2 3 5 -1 0 2 2 www.corvettecluboft exas.org

Sponsored by Friendly Chevrolet 2754 N. Stemmons Fwy - Dallas TX, 75207 The Corvetter March 2019 On the Cover: Ken Bradley Upcoming Events Before attending any event listed in this calendar please double check with the organizers for any last minute changes. CCT is not responsible for the accuracy of any listing except of CCT events. For NCCC events check http://www.corvettesnccc.org/ 2019 Mar 9 Cowtown Corvette Club practice autocross Monthly Meeting Held every third Friday of the month, At Burleson, TX. All are welcome to drive on a low speed course. at 7:00 p.m. at Friendly Chevrolet, 2754 Mar. 15 CCT Board Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 06:30 PM North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas. All members, visitors and Corvette owners The board meeting is held at the Friendly Chevrolet snack bar one half hour before are welcome. Following each CCT the general meeting. All members are welcome. membership meeting, a CCT aft er club social event is hosted by a CCT member, Mar. 15 CCT Membership Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 07:00 PM starting at approximately 8:30 p.m. The general membership meeting is held in the Friendly Chevrolet second fl oor

Monthly Board Meeting meeting room. Bring a raffl e gift and get a free raffl e ticket. All are welcome to join Held before the monthly Membership us at an after meeting dinner at a diff erent restaurant each month. Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Friendly Mar. 30 Tour of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum 9:15 AM Chevrolet. All members are invited to attend. Meet for breakfast at Darren’s American Grill then a guided tour of the fl ight museum in Addison

Our Friendly Rep! Mar 16 -17 First NCCC Autocross of 2019

Friendly Chevrolet’s representative In Waco, TX. to the Corvette Club of Texas is still pending. When you need to replace your Apr. 07 CCT Sunday Supper Club 05:30 PM Corvette with a new C7, or when you are At Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine in Southlake upgrading the family car for a new one, be sure and give Friendly a call at 214- Apr. 19 CCT Board Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 06:30 PM 920-1900. The board meeting is held at the Friendly Chevrolet snack bar one half hour before

the general meeting. All members are welcome. Apr. 19 CCT Membership Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 07:00 PM The general membership meeting is held in the Friendly Chevrolet second fl oor

meeting room. Bring a raffl e gift and get a free raffl e ticket. All are welcome to join The Corvetter us at an after meeting dinner at a diff erent restaurant each month. Volume 71 Issue 3 May. 17 CCT Board Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 06:30 PM Th e Corvetter, the offi cial newsletter of the Corvette Club of Texas (CCT), is published The board meeting is held at the Friendly Chevrolet snack bar one half hour before monthly by Th e Corvette Club of Texas P.O. Box 36022, Dallas, Texas 75235-1022 for the exclusive the general meeting. All members are welcome. use of its members and invited guests. Initial distribution is done electronically by e-mail. A May. 17 CCT Membership Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 07:00 PM small number of paper copies are delivered via First Class mail or by hand when necessary. Th e The general membership meeting is held in the Friendly Chevrolet second fl oor newsletter is also available on the CCT web site: www.corvettecluboft exas.org Subscriptions to Th e meeting room. Bring a raffl e gift and get a free raffl e ticket. All are welcome to join Corvetter are free to CCT members. us at an after meeting dinner at a diff erent restaurant each month. © 2019 Corvette Club of Texas. All rights reserved. Reprints of original material are available on a per Jun. 21 CCT Board Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 06:30 PM article basis only with written permission of a CCT The board meeting is held at the Friendly Chevrolet snack bar one half hour before offi cer, the author or the Editor. the general meeting. All members are welcome. Previously copyrighted material if any retains the original author’s copyright. Please send all Jun. 21 CCT Membership Meeting at Friendly Chevrolet 07:00 PM submissions via e-mail to the editor at jwagner@ gte.net. All submissions become intellectual The general membership meeting is held in the Friendly Chevrolet second fl oor property of Th e Corvetter. meeting room. Bring a raffl e gift and get a free raffl e ticket. All are welcome to join

us at an after meeting dinner at a diff erent restaurant each month. 2 The Corvetter March 2019 Offi cers From the Editor President Bob Kee 903-286-5757 [email protected] We just got back from the celebration of Vice President Mike Garrison [email protected] life of Ken Bradley, a CCT charter member, past president, current board member and Treasurer Jim Iuele 817-428-1300 [email protected] club historian, who passed away on the Secretary Melissa Leslie 214-566-6244 [email protected] last day in January. There were very nice NCCC Governor Paul Wolter 817-478-6096 [email protected] chapel and grave side ceremonies that were both well attended by CCT members and Board Members other guests. The short caravan from the chapel to the grave site included at least 14 John Crisler Term ends 12-2021 817-281-4028 [email protected] Corvettes including Ken’s red C6 driven by Pat Kimminau Term ends 12-2021 817-656-5355 [email protected] his grandson. Had to be quite a sight to the onlookers we passed on the way. James Powdrill Term ends 12-2019 214-558-0095 [email protected] Open Term ends 12-2019 All of guests were invited to an after ceremony gathering at Wizards Sports Café nearby. This was well attended by Jeanette Staff Chairpersons and Ken’s family and guests, But only Activities TBA three CCT members showed up, besides Jeanette: Charles (and his daughter), Charities Coordinator Pat Kimminau 817-478-6096 [email protected] Paulette and I. If nothing else you all missed Club Merchandise Mary Wolter 817-478-6096 [email protected] one of the best burger and fries I’ve had in a long time. But you may have also Membership Mary Wolter 817-478-6096 [email protected] missed the opportunity to visit informally Property Mary Wolter 817-478-6096 [email protected] with Jeanette, perhaps for the last time at a Historian Ken Bradley 214-348-0775 [email protected] CCT gathering. Of course we all hope she will continue to come to CCT meetings and Newsletter Joe Wagner 817-282-1355 [email protected] events. It goes without saying that she will Photographer Charles Whitaker 972-239-0485 whitaker@fl ash.net always be welcome. Raffl e Joann Powdrill 214-725-0092 [email protected] Webmaster Joe Wagner 817-282-1355 [email protected] Joe Wagner NCM Ambassador James Powdrill 214-558-0095 [email protected]

After Meeting Drive & Eat CCT Event Coordinator Sign up at a meeting or email [email protected] Sign up with the CCT Activities Chair or any offi cer. Month Host Month Coordinator

January 18th, 2019 Mike & Debbie January 2019 Open

February 15th James & Joann February Open March 15th Bob & Paula March Mike & Debbie April 19th Bob & Darlie April Paulette May 17th Jeff & Sharon May Open

June 21st Open June Open

July 19th Paul & Mary July Open August 16th James & Joann August Open September 20th Carey & Melissa September Open October 18th Open October Open

November 15th Ray and Pat November Open December No meeting in Dec. December Open

3 The Corvetter March 2019 CCT General Membership Meeting Minutes February 15, 2019

Bob Kee called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM just after a spectacular sunset that many of us commented on witnessing on our way to the meeting. J

A dinner announcement was made. Thanks to James and Joann Powdrill for arranging dinner.

Information was shared regarding funeral services for founding member, Ken Bradley.

Minutes from the January meeting were approved by Mike Garrison and seconded by Paul Wolter.

Jim Iuele talked about the annual Haltom City Car Show. Jim has a confl ict and cannot attend this year but others are invited to do so. It is also an option for CCT to make a donation. More information will be coming.

Paul Wolter gave an NCCC report and mentioned specifi c upcoming activities including “Cars and Coff ee” and “Good Guys Car Show”. See newsletter for details of all upcoming events.

Mary Wolter shared that Jeff Rosen is doing an excellent job with the CCT Facebook page. Many thanks to Jeff ! Unfortunately, Jeff was not there to hear all of our kind words. He was in Vegas having a wonderful time without us. (You go, Jeff !)

Gilbert Crouch asked if CCT members might be planning to go to the annual convention. There was some discussion among members regarding this event and other upcoming opportunities including the National Corvette Museum anniversary celebration in August 2019. Just a reminder to make reservations early and secure hotel accommodations if planning to attend.

Bob Kee, asked that we look into securing a place for our CCT Christmas party before it gets too late to fi nd a suitable place. Calls will be made and information shared with the club in March.

Mike and Debbie Garrison shared information regarding a club breakfast followed by a guided tour of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison. Date: Saturday, March 30th. Please see newsletter for details.

Paulette Wagner announced a quarterly CCT dinner event that she has organized on Sunday, April 7. Check the newsletter and watch your email for details and to RSVP.

Joann Powdrill conducted the club raffl e.

Pat Kimminau took pieces from the trophy case to polish and shine. Thank you, Pat, for making us look so good!

The meeting was adjourned.

Submitted by: Debbie Garrison

4 The Corvetter March 2019 CCT Sunday Supper Club will meet on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 5:30pm at:

Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine 2001 W Southlake Blvd #103

Southlake, TX 76092

(682) 477-4040

www.delucca.com

You will not fi nd a menu at Delucca. The “Brazilian Gaucho-style” system is described here: https://www.delucca. com/menus/ This is a fun and fi lling dining event. You can enjoy their ‘foodie’ varieties as well as ask for your regular favorites. Even dessert pizzas are part of the deal!

One price does not include beverages, tax or tip.

Watch a 5 minute video: https://www.wfaa.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/good-morning-texas/ delucca-gaucho-pizza-wine/287-b032010c-421f-49c3-8574-c1cd175655f2

Send an RSVP to [email protected] or call 817-253-4030. Always call or text with last minute changes, please.

Saturday, March 30th CCT Dine and Drive Hosts: Mike and Debbie Garrison 9:15 Meet for breakfast at Darren’s American Grill Address: 7602 N. Jupiter Rd, Garland, 75044 h p://www.darrensamericangrill.com 11:30 Guided Tour of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum Address: 4572 Claire Chennault, Addison, 75001 Cost: $12 adults, $8 for military and seniors (65 and older) The Cavanaugh Flight Museum is a non-profi t educational organization devoted to promoting aviation studies and to perpetuating America’s aviation heritage; the museum fulfi ls its mission by restoring, operating, maintaining and displaying historically-signifi cant, vintage aircraft, and by collecting materials related to the history of aviation.

If you can’t come to breakfast and the museum, consider just attending the one event that fi ts into your schedule that day. The museum looks like it may be interesting for kids of all ages. Feel free to bring your grandchildren along for this CCT Dine and Drive day! Please RSVP to Debbie / Mike Garrison by Wed. March 27th 214-533-6111 or [email protected] 5 The Corvetter March 2019

Ken Bradley By Charles Whitaker Ken Bradley was a founding member of the Corvette Club of Texas in 1958, President of the club in 1964 & 1965 and very active in the club. He was a close friend of mine for the last 25 years. He passed away on January 31, 2019.

6 The Corvetter March 2019

7 The Corvetter March 2019

February 2019 By Charles Whitaker The Corvette Club of Texas meeting was held on February 15, 2019 at Friendly Chevrolet in Dallas, Texas. There were 21 Members present. Our president, Bob Kee conducted the meeting. Jim Iuele reported on the treasury status.

Announcements about Ken Bradley’s funeral were covered including visitation, funeral and burial. Paul Wolter reported on Corvette activities that are coming up. This raised our hopes for fun this coming spring and summer and Paul’s presentation turned into a round- robin discussion of everyone’s favorite events. Here is a list:

• Paul Wolter covered the NCCC Section results

• Paul also covered the TMS Car Show “Cars & Coff ee” on Sunday, but it will be over when you read this

• There was a discussion about the new Loran 58 high performance car

• The Daytona 500 NASCAR race and if you missed it, it was a real wreck fest

• There is a Corvette World event on every 1st Saturday

• Several people highlighted Jeff Rosen’s CCT Facebook pages

• Jim Iuele said that the Haltom City Car Show is on April 6th

8 The Corvetter March 2019 • Charles Whitaker reported that the Heights Baptist car show is also on March 6th

• The Caravan arrangements were discussed for the National Corvette Museum

• Debbie Garrison pasted out fl yers for a CCT Dine and Drive on Saturday, March 30th

• Several members said that we should plan our Christmas Party at Dunston’s Steak House

Joann Powdrill conducted the raffl e and there were 6 prizes. The winners are shown below.

Charles Whitaker picked Debbie’s Fudge Brownies Mike Garrison got Beringer White Zinfandel

9 The Corvetter March 2019

Bob Mischel drew a Subway gi card Coila Edson got a Route US 66 sign

Jim Iuele found a Boulangerie candy from Paris John Crisler was really excited with beau ful fl owers

The after-meeting dinner was held at Pappa’s BBQ on Loop 12. Joann and James were surprised that they were hosting our dinner, but it all worked out and all had fun. The food is always good and this is our “go-to” place when quick arrangements are needed.

Thanks to Friendly Chevrolet and Mark Eddins for supporting the club, providing a place for us to meet and selling us such great Corvettes. Thanks to Bob Kee, our president, Mike Garrison, our vice-president and to Joe Wagner for another great newsletter last month and to Paulette for sponsoring dinning events. Thanks to Paul Wolter for being our NCCC Governor and telling us about the upcoming events and to Mary Wolter for doing so many things including being our Membership Person and to Debbie Garrison for organizing exciting events for us.

Lastly, but most important, thanks to the Corvette club members that join in our activities. It takes a lot of work from a lot of people to run the club. All of these eff orts are what make our club such a nice organization.

10 The Corvetter March 2019 Governor’s Report. (Prepared by Paul Wolter) It’s amazing that March is already here, and it’s time to do outside tasks like gardening, fertilizing and mowing the lawn, being able to wash your vehicles in the warmer outside temperatures, maintaining the swimming pool, etc. For those NCCC members who race their Corvettes the season has started for autocrossing, drag racing, funkhanas and car shows. Racers in the SW Region will be autocrossing in Waco on the 16th/17th of this month. Mary and I will be going to Waco Saturday afternoon for the fi rst Governor’s meeting of the year where I will present the fi rst quarter 2019 Treasurer’s Reports. The meeting will be held at a Mexican restaurant beginning at 6:30PM and we will return to Arlington later after the meeting.

The 60th NCCC annual convention will be held in Denver, CO. July 7 – 12, 2019. Convention registration opened on February 2nd. Room reservations are not on the Convention registration form. Starting February 11th, you will be able to call the hotel to make your reservation. You will be required to provide your convention number which is assigned to you by the Convention Treasurer once she has confi rmed payment is received. PayPal confi rms payment right away, so is this would be your best choice for method of payment.

The Rocky Mountain Region has lots of fun things planned for attendees and some great venues for competition. Denver (and the surrounding area) is a wonderful place to visit, with something to off er everyone, no matter what your interests are. You will be close to the mountains with their beautiful scenery, historic mining towns, resorts, casinos and curvy roads just perfect for cruising in a Corvette.

The SWR NCCC 2019 fi rst choice weekend events and National meetings that are being held March thru November are listed on the SWR website at http://www.ncccswregion.org/schedule.html . The fi rst autocross is being held in Waco on March 16 – 17. On March 9th the Cowtown Corvette Club is hosting a practice autocross in Burleson that is open to anyone who would like to drive their Corvette on a low speed autocross course. Or, if you want to just come by and watch that is also doable.

NASCAR Season. (Prepared by Paul Wolter)

Last month the NASCAR race season opener was the historic Daytona 500. The opened its infi eld to campers and other fans to hang out in the infi eld to watch the Daytona 500 on the huge Big Hoss screen. Campers began moving in the setting up their camping trailers and began socializing with each other several days prior to the event. TMS hosted this event at no charge, thus anyone could drive their vehicle into the infi eld and watch the inaugural race. I have included several pictures of the TMS infi eld of the watch party.

The fi rst race at Texas Motor Speedway is being held March 29th -31st. The Speedway Club has already sent us our garage tour schedule for the event. We take Speedway Club members and/or their guests on a 1-hour tour of the garage compound and take them inside the garage where the teams are preparing and having their race cars teched by NASCAR offi cials. When infractions are discovered the team is required to fi x the situation and go through tech again before they are allowed to race. If the team is unable to fi x the car to comply with the rule book the team brings out the backup car, which is also teched by the offi cials. We go to the track several days prior to the races and do volunteer work for Speedway Children Charity fund raising events.

11 The Corvetter March 2019

TMS Infi eld Watching Daytona 500 Race Daytona 500 Race was a Fan Sellout

Cars Racing Three Wide Will Soon be Bump Drafting at 198 MPH and Crashes Later Destroyed Half the Cars

12 The Corvetter March 2019 Texas Motor Speedway History from www.racingcircuits.com Texas Motor Speedway is a high-banked superspeedway built by Bruton Smith's , Inc. It has garnered a reputation as one of the fastest circuits in the country and hosts two NASCAR races and a popular round of the IndyCar Series.

Smith fi rst announced plans for a new oval circuit in November 1994, concluding a short three month search for a site when land between Fort Worth and Denton County was chosen for the $250 million development. The location at the intersection of Interstate 35 West and Texas State Highway 114 made it an ideal spot with great access for spectators. Plans were set for a 160,000-seat facility enclosing 24-degree turns with 205 executive skybox suites.

Groundbreaking began in April 1995, when Smith was joined by NASCAR drivers Bobby Labonte and Jeff Gordon and at special ceremony to turn the fi rst soil. Construction proper began in August and the major works were largely complete by February 1996. The four turn oval featured a front stretch which was slightly off set from pit road, similar in design to . The four turns featured dual banking, with a high bank of 24 degrees and a lower bank of 8 degrees to accommodate stock cars and open-wheel Indy-style cars.

The Texas 500 for NASCAR's Winston Cup was scheduled for its fi rst running in April 1997, but it was to prove a diffi cult birth, when heavy rains in the run up to the race fl ooded parking lots and forced the cancellation of qualifying. Track manager Eddie Gossage received help from the Texas Department of Transportation, which closed down a portion of Texas State Highway 170 to use it as a parking lot. Although this meant fans had somewhere to park, they still had to make it into the local area and the roads were soon overwhelmed. By 8am on race day traffi c on Interstate 35W was backed up some 16 miles south of the track and many struggled to arrive in time for the green fl ag.

Those that made it to the circuit that day witnessed something of a crash-fest, with a 13 car pile up on lap one and a track record of 73 laps run under caution. Late in the race, Jeff Burton took the lead, and led the fi nal 58 laps of the race to win his fi rst career Cup race. Drivers had been critical of the circuit's narrow groove and were concerned by a large hump between turns one and two. Responding to the criticism, Gossage repaved the section of sagging track between the oval turns and also widened pit road by 12 feet and the front stretch dog leg by 5 feet.

In June the circuit played host to the fi rst-ever night-time IndyCar race, the True Value 500k Indy Racing League event. The race would end in controversy and a skirmish between team owner A.J. Foyt and driver Arie Luyendyk. Billy Boat, Foyt's driver, was celebrating the apparent win in Victory Lane when Luyendyk came in to protest the offi cial results and claim he was the winner. USAC offi cials investigated the protest and made a decision regarding the race winner the next day, stripping Boat of the win and declaring Luyendyk the winner due to malfunctioning timing and scoring equipment.

Controversy seemed to be the watchword again in year two. There were still problems with the track surface; issues with drainage led to occasional 'weepers' as damp patches emerged around the course, while the jury was still out for many on its dual banking confi guration. Bruton Smith conceded further changes were needed and spent around $4 million on improvements. These involved the reconstruction of all four banked corners, leaving them with improved drainage and uniform banking of 24 degrees. In addition, the transitions onto and off the banked corners was greatly improved.

The changes were complete in time for the June 1998 Indy Racing League event and immediately found favour with the drivers. Billy Boat drove to victory – and this time kept his win. NASCAR drivers too were complementary about the changes when they paid their fi rst visit since the renovations in 1999 and it seemed the controversies of the fi rst few years were over. History, however, would prove otherwise.

In June 2000, construction began on a new infi eld road course in preparation for the Grand Prix of Texas, a round of the ALMS sportscar series, scheduled for Labor Day weekend. The course featured a temporary chicane at the end of the front stretch – fast, but just wide enough for cars to pass single fi le – with a new infi eld course incorporating the full banking at either end. The race proved something of a fi nancial disaster for the speedway – a paltry crowd turned up in sweltering 111 degree heat. Things barely improved in 2001 and the experiment was not repeated again.

In 2001, the track announced a new race for the Champ Car World Series, the Firestone Firehawk 600. This was due to be held on April 29. During practice and qualifying, the circuit's reputation for speed proved well founded, with Paul Tracy setting a lap record of 239.552 mph. These speeds were way in excess of anything seen during the IRL or NASCAR events, subjecting the drivers to sustained loadings of more than 5G. Of the 25 drivers, 21 complained of dizziness and disorientation and with the possibility of drivers blacking out on the track, CART cancelled the race two hours before the scheduled start. The Champ Cars never returned.

After years of unsuccessful lobbying of NASCAR, Smith eventually got a second date as a result of a lawsuit brought by one of the shareholders of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. against NASCAR. It alleged violations of anti-trust laws and a reneging of a promise that Texas would get a second race. Whatever the truth, NASCAR settled out of court as part of a general restructuring and sold on Motor Speedway to Smith, he in turn transferred its sole NASCAR event to TMS from 2005 onwards. 13