Will Cooksey Lays it Down at Carlisle!

[Rob]

One of the events at Corvettes at Carlisle is the burnout contest held in front of the grandstands. It's an excellent opportunity to show everyone what your Vette can do.

During my travels around the GM Engineering tent I found a silver Z06 with a couple interesting buttons in the center console and a small instruction sheet taped above the center HVAC vents.

The button closest to the driver enables the Line Lock. The button closest to the passenger disengages the traction control system.

As the burnout contest started various Corvettes came and literally filled a large portion of the Fairgrounds with tire smoke.

Low and behold a silver C6 Z06 rolls up next with Bowling Green Plant Manager, Will Cooksey behind the wheel.

His burnout was definitely one of the most impressive and below, you can see what the inside of a runflat tire looks like!

The runflat tire literally came apart after a LONG LONG burnout and punctured the passenger side rear quarter over the wheel.

For the next 24 hours, passersby stood in shock and awe at the results.

Below, you can see Will recuperating after this strenuous feat:

otfl

Ok, now that all of that is out of the way, in all seriousness, Will had both knees replaced a few weeks ago so it was much easier for him to get around in the golf cart, and let me tell you, the intense heat and humidity didn't help either! There were many times I wish I had a cart this weekend!!

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't say, do not do this at home! Do not take your Z06 and attempt to liquify the rear tires. The Z06 you see above is a Chevrolet Engineering vehicle. It was built strictly for testing, and will be examined, repaired and continue with being tested.

In answer to some of the comments I heard around regarding this Z06, NO, this Z06 will not be up for sale to the public or auctioned off. Once Chevrolet Engineering is finished conducting their testing, the car will be destroyed.

Yes, it's sad to know that Corvettes are intentionally destroyed, but these vehicles lead very hard lives as test vehicles and they do so in order to make the Corvettes that you and I drive, THAT much better.

Last but not least, all is not lost. Will donated the rear quarter panel to Lance Miller and Corvettes at Carlisle in order to be auctioned off in order to benefit Amyloidosis Research.

This silent auction supports Amyloidosis research. Chip Miller, co-founder of Carlisle Events, passed away from complications related to primary Amyloidosis in March 2004. The rare plasma cell disorder affects the body's primary organs. To find out more information, click here.

All in all, it was a great show. I spoke with Will afterwards, and as I said goodbye and walked away, I heard an irate woman walk up to Will and say, "ARE YOU THE ONE THAT CREATED THAT MESS?!"

Will, hope you recover quickly from your double knee replacement and hopefully, that woman didn't beat you with her pocketbook!! :L

Related Video: http://vettetube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=64bfb90db9e32851ebf9

 

[Zippy]

Excellent write up Rob! Thanks!

Most people don't know that Wil is an experienced drag racer, and he loves to race.
And how cool to donate the fender for the cahrity auction. First class!

Zippy

 

[Bobsvette]

This Z-O6 got it's ass kicked

 

[Eddie 70]

Gotta love it. You can't beat a manager that will get out there and play like that. I am guessing he had a ball doing that. Good for him.

 

[Mac]

Great write-up, Rob! I hope Wil recovers quickly from his surgery.

-Mac

 

[gmjunkie]

I don't know,but I don't think I want to Tic Off the Corvette Gods!!hnoeshnoeshnoes Taken last night about Dark!!

 

[bossvette]

:eek :eek wow good thing I didn't go this year it would have been worse with all the bad luck following me around; any details?

 

[gmjunkie]

:eek :eek wow good thing I didn't go this year it would have been worse with all the bad luck following me around; any details?

This is all I have at this time from
wishuwerehere82 (Pete)

The weekend at Corvettes at carlisle has been abruptly interrupted by a major thunderstorm that has sent car covers and barrels flying, vendor tents collapsing, and some major damage to Corvettes in the 1957 reuinion tent.

Just as the Corvette parade was finishing, the rain and hail started, with torrential deluges for about 20 minutes around 7:00. When all was finished, about half the vendors tents have been blown away, and emergency crews were taking care of injured people that were hit with flying structures, tent stakes, and other objects. Trees are down across roads, and power has been out for several hours, since dark in most of the town.

I just talked to Tom(MM-C5) he said that Guy,Remo and Stepinwolf are alright!!
But it tore the heck out of things!!

 

[Marim]

This year we went but Maple stayed home in the Garage. We left a liitle late but arrived in enough time to walk the fair grounds & catch the parade. After the parade was over the skys just opened up. It was a long wet & windy drive home yesterday, I felt like the storm followed us from Carlisle to home!!

 

[67HEAVEN]

Damn!

Maybe this should be in the Global Warming thread.

 

[gmjunkie]

Damn!

Maybe this should be in the Global Warming thread.

I didn't know where to put it where people would see it when it came across the Junk'n-Tosh!!!I tried the News,But it wouldn't let me!!

 

[67HEAVEN]

Just a little joke, Junk. Thanks for posting the photos.

 

[Rob]

This morning at the hotel in Mechanicsburg, the girl behind the desk asked us if we had heard of the tornado that hit the fairgrounds. We didn't know anything about this!!! Thanks for the update. I hope those that were hurt recover quickly.

 

[Rob]

Storm shortens Corvette parade


By Heather Stauffer
The Carlisle Sentinel
August 26, 2007
Last updated: Sunday, August 26, 2007 12:33 AM EDT

For 15 minutes they lived the dream, those drivers in the Corvettes at Carlisle parade: Gleaming cars, screaming spectators, the air filled with the fragrance of exhaust.

Then came the rain. And just like that, before the first fat drops turned to pelting sheets, Larry Gilbert's prayers weren't answered.

Before the parade, as he sat in his shining cascade green 1957 Corvette, the top down beneath gray skies, the Maryland resident said he heard it was raining on Interstate 81.

He was hoping and praying it didn't rain, he said, but if it did, “You're going to see us pull over to the side of the road real quick” and put up the tops.

The other half of “us” was his wife, Mary Lou Gilbert. Her car, parked directly behind his, was its mirror image - same year, same colors, same American flag waving from the back.

“We have twins,” she said happily. “His and hers.”

Wherever they take them, said Mary Lou Gilbert, the duo draws stares, and it's not uncommon for people to come up to them and say, “Didn't I see you two at ___?”

No other twin sets

The answer is probably yes, she said: In all the 'Vette events they've been to, she has yet to see another couple with a comparable pair of cars.
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Being a twin is especially fun during parades, she said: “They want us to rev the engines, they want us to race, they always want to know who's the fastest.”

And, she said, her husband is usually in for a bit of ribbing when people discover the one thing about the cars that isn't identical: While hers is a four-speed, his is automatic. That's because they got his first, about three and a half years ago. By the time Mary Lou turned 57 two years ago, she knew exactly what she wanted: A '57 Corvette to match his.

“When we found her, she did not look like this,” said Mary Lou Gilbert, standing near the car that she now says is cleaner than her kitchen. But one complete overhaul later, they were ready to parade.

And parade they did, cruising side by side down Clay Street near the front of pack, beaming proudly and jokingly expressing dissatisfaction when a man with a video camera stopped in front of Mary Lou's car, causing her to fall behind her husband.

The crowd loved it, rows of people on either side of the street clapping as the two approached.

But then, the crowd loved everything: The newest models, also near the front of the lineup; the ones with the antique license plates; the ones that revved their engines; and especially the ones that hung back momentarily and then did a quick hop between the gas and the brake, speeding off trailing smoke.

“Smoke those babies!” they yelled, cameras at the ready. “Do it, do it, do it!”

Some yielded to their requests, grinning proudly. Others merely smiled and drove on.

One who could easily have gratified them was Paul Drula, a Maryland resident whose black 1957 racing Corvette plates bore the words “inthe7s,” a reference to how fast it once went on a quarter-mile drag racing strip.

Drula, a law enforcement officer who doesn't use the 'Vette on the job, said that back then, it had a 1,000-horsepower engine. These days, he said, it's half that - 500 - but still has plenty of kick. It's a lot of fun, he said, and he frequents as many parades and shows as he can.
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So all was fine and exuberant, and the cars passed on their way to downtown Carlisle, and reluctantly the assembled spectators dispersed.

“It was pretty nice,” said Michael Bailey, a Virginia resident who has been coming to the show for several years. He couldn't pick a favorite, he said. Beside him, Morgan Bailey had been videotaping the procession so he could sit back and watch it again later, mining it for ideas for his own Corvette.

Slightly more daring was Greg O'Reilly, a North Carolina resident who filmed from the middle of the street until police told him to move.

“This is my 16th year,” he said excitedly, explaining that he follows the same procedure every year. It's worth it, he said, because of the great footage he gets.

And then, just as the cars moved out of sight, the clouds spilled the first drops and everyone headed rapidly toward shelter.

Not too long after the storm worsened, two men were pushing one of the cars toward a gas station, while others parked by the side of the street or headed back toward the fairgrounds. Would-be spectators huddled in doorways, and it soon became apparent that despite the brave beginning, this was one parade that couldn't survive a storm.

 

[1965RRR]

Tree Limb Damage...

Sad day for quite a few owners including the guy in the Blue C3 behind me as we were leaving the Fair Grounds.
The storm was intense, small branches where flying everywhere but we were gridlocked in traffic. I pulled up to gain the protection of a berm from the flying debris. The Blue C3 behind me was under a tree and didn't move up. Unfortunately, the tree he was under broke loose and a limb went through his driver side t-top. I thought the worse and had 911 on my cell phone. Thank Goodness I saw him get out of his car and he seemed to be OK. The rain was blowing sideways left to right. It was not a good place to be.
My concern goes out to all who weren't as lucky.

 

[L48]

I don't know how many Vettes were damaged, but I only saw four with damage on the fairgrounds Sunday. Two were in the pics that gmjunkie put up. I talked to the C4 owner and he was handling it well - with the newfound damage the price was down to $2995 - the cheapest complete car I saw there. I also saw a red 71 convertible with some scratches and the hood grille damaged (not sure how the top survived) and there was a black 91 with like 493 miles with a scratch on the side.

My brother heard some people were hurt when trying to hold down the tents. I didn't see it since I was out to dinner when the storm hit and knocked out the power.

Sorry to everyone who was affected by this.

edit: I went by the Z06 over an hour after the tire had blown out and the smell of burnt rubber was still in the air.

 

[Vette79]

You know, I wondered what the story was behind the silver Z06 sitting there with the right rear quarter panel missing. I was so busy shopping and looking at other Vette's that I missed the opportunity to make it to the grand stands. I didn't have much time to work with as my Wife was with me and the heat was almost unbearable.

 

[Rob]

Sentinel Morning Update: Could have been worse

Despite the damage caused by Saturday's storm, mayor says Carlisle was lucky

By staff reports, August 27, 2007
Last updated: Monday, August 27, 2007 7:22 AM EDT

On Saturday night, Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson said the borough got lucky.

Despite storms that left more than 6,000 residents without power and strewed roads and properties with debris, Wilson said he hasn't heard of any serious mishaps or life-threatening injuries.

"We were very fortunate, with the storm, with the wind, with the trees," he said. "I have to commend these emergency service, first responders, police department, special police" for all they did, working through the night to keep people safe. One incident involving arcing electrical wires and a gas leak was taken care of quickly, he said, and another in which part of a roof was blown off a house also ended well.

And utility crews were at their best that night, Wilson said, specifically PPL and UGI.

"PPL has in my opinion taken on the challenge," he said, speaking warmly of their efforts.

At 3 p.m., when he spoke to The Sentinel, he estimated that 95 percent of residents had their power back. A PPL Web site updated at 1 p.m. said that more than 820 people in the greater Harrisburg region were still without power but said they should expect restoration by 8 p.m. Sunday.

"As far as telephone and cable, I didn't see much of those last night," Wilson said. He expected that it could be longer until those services come back, but noted that since so many people now have cell phones, it might not matter much.

Asked if there was any looting while the lights were off, Wilson said, "Absolutely none." Extra patrols probably helped, he said, and so, he suspected, did the fact that news of the outages didn't spread much.

Along with this story from Sentinel reporter Heather Stauffer, here's what else to look for in Sunday's print and on-line editions:

Show goes on ... but Corvettes at Carlisle looked different after the storm Saturday -- The oohs emanating from the crowd around Barbara and Wally Torres' black 2007 Z06 Corvette Sunday afternoon weren't the kind usually heard at Carlisle Events.

That's because the storm Saturday night wreaked its havoc on the car, plunging a tent support pole through the car's rear window.

"We're just grateful we weren't here," said Barbara Torres. When the storm hit shortly after 7 p.m., she said, she and her husband were away from the fairgrounds watching the Corvette parade, then headed out for dinner. Around 10 p.m. they got a call warning them to be prepared for some damage.

When they arrived, she said, it turned out that they needed a forklift to extricate the car. The rear spoiler was also broken, she said, and with all the upheaval the removal process took until about 1:15 a.m.

Repairing the damage would cost about $5,000, she estimated -- "Thank God for insurance," she said -- and while getting new parts shouldn't be difficult, she said they faced a more immediate problem: Getting home to Maryland. The Z06 was what they drove up in, she said, and they were going to have to drive it back that night, shattered window and all.

"It's not anybody's fault," she said. "Nobody knows when these things are going to happen."

But, she said, the storm ensured that this was not their favorite car show ever.

"Thank God for insurance," Barbara Torres said.

 

[garllo]

Sad day for quite a few owners including the guy in the Blue C3 behind me as we were leaving the Fair Grounds.
The storm was intense, small branches where flying everywhere but we were gridlocked in traffic. I pulled up to gain the protection of a berm from the flying debris. The Blue C3 behind me was under a tree and didn't move up. Unfortunately, the tree he was under broke loose and a limb went through his driver side t-top. I thought the worse and had 911 on my cell phone. Thank Goodness I saw him get out of his car and he seemed to be OK. The rain was blowing sideways left to right. It was not a good place to be.
My concern goes out to all who weren't as lucky.

We were in the center of town dodging tree limbs and road work signs. Not a good experience but luckily we came out unscathed ( and undamaged Corvettes)

 

[David Hawkins]

We left before the parade since my 62 has cooling issues (or maybe it doesn't...I've got one of those 'not quite accurate' sending units and I'm just not comfortable with the needle hovering just below 240) and it allowed us to beat the traffic. In Mechanicsburg, we got thunder and some wind, but nothing prepared us for the carnage we saw when we returned to the fairgrounds Sunday. We didn't get there until around 2pm and there were EZ-Up bones all over the place.

Overall a great time, even if I didn't find any screaming deals on the parts I need