Opening Weekend Corvette Event @ Watkins Glen, April 23rd & 24th

[oldracerjon]

Following last year’s successful Opening Weekend activities the International Motor Racing Research (IMRRC) Center has partnered with the Registry of Corvette Race Cars and Watkins Glen International (WGI) to make to make the 2010 event even better.

IMRRC and The Registry of Corvette Race Cars have organized a two day Spring Corvette Event as feature event of the weekend. WGI has expanded the popular “track laps” to both Saturday & Sunday and has announced that event proceeds will go to the Hillside Children’s Foundation in Rochester, NY. Registry co-founder Jan Hyde points out that Watkins Glen is significant to Corvette aficionados as it was on his 1951 visit to the Glen that the fabled GM stylist Harley Earl (served as race Grand Marshal) conceived the original idea for the Corvette.

Among the confirmed guests for the weekend are Ralph Kramer, Senior Editor of Corvette Enthusiast and former Chevrolet PR Director, Eric Curran driver of the Whelen Motorsports World Challenge GT Corvette, along with Jerry Thompson & Tony DeLorenzo drivers of the fabled Owens-Corning Corvette in the 1970s. Registration information and program updates can be found at the Registry website,Registry of Corvette Race Cars, and Hyde stated that registration is limited and is filling up quickly.

Saturday’s activities start with guided laps around the historic 6.6 mile road circuit. Historic race and Corvette related videos will be shown from 9AM till 12noon. The Center Conversation program will start at 1PM and will feature a panel of Corvette experts who will discuss various aspects of Corvette racing and history. Throughout the day there will be a display of Corvette race cars along with a display of photos featuring Corvettes in action at the Glen over the years. SCX Slot Cars and Slot Car Magazine will also have a track set up to allow fans to try their hand racing at Corvette C6R slot cars.
Sunday, the focus moves to the famed Watkins Glen International race track. A Corvette Coral featuring Corvette race cars, including a replica of the, Owens-Corning and the Whelen Engineering car, along with numerous street Corvettes will allow fans a chance to view the iconic American sports car up close. Race fans are reminded that Sunday is also the final day to purchase discounted tickets for the 2010 WGI racing season.

About the registry of Corvette Race Cars
The Registry of Corvette Race Cars is an on-line publisher and archive featuring the largest database of Corvette race cars in the world. Its proprietary system classifies Corvette race cars of every model year, according to the series and periods in which they raced. The website, registryofcorvetteracecars.com, also features an extensive on-line photographic collection that is continually growing.

About the International Motor Racing Research Center
The International Motor racing Research Center, in its eleventh year of operation, is located in Watkins Glen, NY, and functions as both a research library and an archive. This one-of-a-kind facility is supported entirely by donations from enthusiasts who support the Center’s central mission of collecting, preserving, and presenting the heritage of motor sport. Its core collection includes more than 3,000 reference books, hundreds of films, race posters and programs, periodicals, club records and thousands of photographs. Additional information about the Center, its programs, and services can be found at the website, International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen NY (racingarchives.org).

For further information contact:
Jon McKnight, Director of Marketing & Development, The International Motor Racing Research Center, 607.535 9044, oldracerjon@gmail.com

Jan Hyde, Co founder, the Registry of Corvette Race Cars, 718.802.1104, jhyde@nyc.rr.com