CHEVROLETTER June 2021 Vol 2021 Issue 06.0 Director’s Report May 2021 As I write this, I should be wiping down the 38 getting ready for the Garden City memorial Day parade. The problem is that it is 49 degrees and wet and windy and the parade has been cancelled for a second time! June does have a few events scheduled that should get us feeling a little more like 2019. Hopefully we can make one or two of these events a club activity. Our supreme leader in Albany wants to get us back to normal as soon as possible and that means more car events. I have spoken to Oyster Bay and am told we may be opening up town meeting halls very soon. As of this writing there was no decision but I am optimistic that our next meeting will be inside the building and not sitting on the sidewalk in front of it. I will send out current information about the hall as soon as I know anything. Finally we can get back to coffee and donuts ! On June 13th, the Vanderbilt Region of the AACA will hold an outdoor swap meet and car corral in Ronkonkoma. Normally this group does the Brush Barn swap meet in Smithtown but this year’s was cancelled due to covid. These events are usually not too big but given the lack of other events it might be worth a trip. April 29th is the Queens Region show at Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence. Queens region members have always attended our events and we ask our members to return the courtesy if at all possible. Rock Hall is not the easiest place to find, at least not for a Suffolk guy like me so make sure you know the best route to get there. Paul’s Rods and Restos is a high end hot rod shop in Deer Park that turns out some amazing cars. Their attention to detail is right up there with some of the shops you see on TV. Every Saturday morning they host an open house called “cars and coffee”. Paul’s is located at 131 Brook Ave, Deer Park and the open house is from 9 am to 12 pm. I think it would be very cool to meet and take a run over there some nice Saturday. Even if you are a purist, you can appreciate the work they do and their facilities which I hear are amazing. It is time to start thinking about a club summer party !! Normally we have our party later in July or early August at a members’ house. The club supplies all the food and drink and people usually bring deserts or salads. If any member would like to offer their backyard for a party please let me know. A pool is not a requirement but shade of some sort would be nice. If anyone is interested please contact me and we will work out the details. See you all soon. Chris 1 Meeting Highlights May 2021 Calendar Of Events May 2021 As the pandemic is subsiding to safer to levels and more people are being vaccinated, our club meetings will start again on the second Monday of the month and our club breakfasts will be the first Thursday of the month. Emails will go out prior to events to confirm or reschedule Tentative Club Events 2021 All Dates are Tentative and may change or be cancelled June 3rd- Club Breakfast = has been canceled due to the rain expected June 13th- Vanderbilt Cup Region Outdoor Flea Market and Car Corral. Lake Ronkonkoma. 631-588-7599 June 14th- Regular Club Meeting, Details to come later June 19th- AutoMat Car Show, Hicksville, 8am-2 pm, Free June 25-27- GM Carlisle June 27th- Queens Region VCCA Show at Rock Hall Museum Howie 516-662-9379 – see flyer below June 27th- Morgan Park Car show Gold Coast Cruisers 516-381-6543 July 18th- Spring Dust-Off 2021, Oldsmobile club, open to all makes and years. Merrick Fireman’s Training Center. Bob 516-641-6464 after 6 pm August 1st – Long Island Region Summer Party August 9th- Long Island Region Open meeting and car display at Oyster Bay meeting hall August 29th- 56th Annual Robert J.Bohaty Car Show, Hecksher Park, Huntington Village. 631-252-9997 October 5-9- Hershey AACA swap meet and Saturday car show. Many members attend this event and the club has a booth in the red field for members to stop by and relax Cruise Nights 2021 Wednesday- Milleridge Inn Thursday- Kings Park Key Food Shopping Center Indian Head Road, 5 pm-9pm Friday- Bohemia Old K Mart lot, west side Sunrise Highway, starts April 5th 5pm till dark see article As we move farther into 2021 dates will be added, moved or removed so feel free to contact the club Director for current information 2 Calendar Of Events from Queens County Region June 27 2021 3 Long Island Region VCCA – Non-Chevrolet History We want to congratulate – Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) Helio Castroneves Castroneves joined A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977) Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) in the elite club of four-time Indy 500 winners. Non Chevrolet history since he won the race with a Honda engine! Pos No. Driver Team Engine Laps Time/Retired 1 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda 200 2:37:19.3846 Hélio Castroneves W 2 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 200 +0.4928 Álex Palou 3 22 Team Penske Chevrolet 200 +0.5626 Simon Pagenaud W 4 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet 200 +0.9409 Patricio O'Ward 5 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 200 +1.2424 Ed Carpenter 6 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 200 +9.0876 Santino Ferrucci 7 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 200 +13.4359 Sage Karam 8 Chevrolet 21 Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing 200 +14.2415 9 86 Juan Pablo Montoya W Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet 200 +14.8808 10 48 Tony Kanaan W Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 200 +15.4428 4 Long Island Region VCCA – Chevrolet History The Indy 500 is being held last month and the first family of racing at the brickyard was the brothers Louis, Gaston and Arthur. “Chevroletter” we will highlight their stories. Gaston Chevrolet (4 October 1892 – 25 November 1920) was a French racecar driver and automobile manufacturer. Born near Beaune, in the Côte-d'Or region of France where his Swiss parents had emigrated to a few years earlier, he was the younger brother of Louis (1878–1941) <see May 2021 Issue>, founder of the Chevrolet car company) and Arthur Chevrolet (1884–1946). After brother Louis immigrated to the United States and earned enough money, he sent for Gaston and Arthur to join him. Once there, Gaston worked as an automotive mechanic and joined his brothers in auto racing. In 1916, the year after older brother Louis left the Chevrolet car company, Gaston Chevrolet became a partner with Louis and Arthur in the new Frontenac Motor Corporation. Driving a Frontenac race car, Chevrolet competed in the 1919 Indianapolis 500, finishing in tenth place while brother Louis finished seventh. Chevrolet broke the dominance of European built cars in the 1920 Indianapolis 500, winning the race in a redesigned Monroe-Frontenac. In the process, he became the first driver in the history of the 500-mile race to go the distance without making a tire change. 5 Long Island Region VCCA – Chevrolet History Gaston was unable to defend his win because of his death later that year. Chevrolet was the last Frenchman to win the Indianapolis 500 until Simon Pagenaud won the 2019 Indianapolis 500, 99 years after the 1920 race. Following his May 31, 1920 victory at Indianapolis, Chevrolet raced in several more events. He won a 100-mile match race against top racers Tommy Milton (driving a Chevrolet race car) and Ralph Mulford. With the coming of winter in late 1920, racing moved to the West Coast. While competing in the last race of the season on the board track at the Beverly Hills Speedway, Chevrolet was killed when his Frontenac crashed on lap 146 of the 200 lap race. He connected with Eddie O'Donnell’s car and both cars went over the embankment. Chevrolet died instantly along with O’Donnell’s riding mechanics while O’Donnell died the next day from a skull fracture. Despite the crash, Chevrolet had accumulated enough points during the race and through the season to win the 1920 title of "Speed King of the Year" (the AAA National Champion).[ Chevrolet is considered by accredited historians and contemporary accounts as the 1920 National Champion despite later revisionist publications retrospectively listing Tommy Milton as such Chevrolet is interred next to his brother Louis in the Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. 6 Long Island Region VCCA - CLASSIFIED AD ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale - ForSale 1955 Chevrolet Belair TWO DOOR HARDTOP - SHORELINE BEIGE AND GYPSY RED RESTORED TO ORIGINAL STOCK CONDITION VCCA SENIOR AND SENIOR RESTORATION AWARDS THE CAR HAS THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CORRECT POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. SEEK AND SCAN RADIO (IN WORKING ORDER) ROCKER PANEL AND DOOR FENDERS AND GAS TANK WITH SHIELDS ORIGINAL FACTORY REAR SPEAKER AND FADE SWITCH ON DASH BOARD REAR BUMPER ACCESSORY GUARDS AND FRONT ACCESSORY BUMPER GUARDS INCLUDING WHEEL GUARD. POWER PACK ENGINE DUAL ALUMINIZED EXHAUST. CHEVROLET RARE WIRE WHEEL COVERS. TINTED GLASS ORIGINAL GM WINDSHIELD WASHERS IN PERFECT CONDITION CIADELLA INTERIOR AND CARPET....ORIGINAL REPLACEMENT.