[PICS] Corvettes at Carlisle Still Going Strong After 40 Years

Corvettes at Carlisle turned 40 last weekend, and thousands of Corvette fans stopped by to say happy birthday. And what a party it was! In a Facebook post last Saturday afternoon, Corvettes at Carlisle reported a record of 2,926 registered Corvettes making the 40th show, the biggest show yet.

Attendees were treated to sunny skies and temperatures near 90 degrees all weekend long as Carlisle returned to full throttle after a couple of Covid-impacted years. Thanks to recently opened borders, even our Canadian Corvette friends were able to attend for the first time since 2019.

In usual form, there were many events to enjoy throughout the weekend. The 2023 Corvette Z06 stole the show inside the packed Chevrolet tent. Two more Z06’s sat right across the aisle in the traditional traveling Z06 display we’ve seen at many events this year. The Corvette team was also back en mass to answer questions in their tent plus Tadge Juechter, Josh Holder, Harlan Charles, and Kirk Bennion led Z06 walkaround throughout the weekend.

Out near the turnpike, drivers challenged the autocross course while the NCCC car show competitors pimped their rides for the persnickety judges. Elsewhere the NCRS Gallery paid tribute to some of their various award winners, and Chip’s Choice featured a cool display of Pratt Miller Corvette racers from the C5, C6, and C7 eras.

We also loved the 35th anniversary Callaway display adjacent to the ZR1 Registry. We don’t recall seeing that many Callaways and ZR1s (or C4s for that matter) in one location before. If you needed a break from perusing Corvettes, attendees could attend any of the myriads of seminars. Topics this year ranged from the Corvette Today podcast to Vehicle Dynamics. As always, Paul Koerner and his Corvette Mechanic team diagnosed Corvettes and talked about Corvettes all weekend long. The rolling exhaust contest returned for its 3rd lap of Carlisle.

What about parts? Anyone looking for restoration, performance, or appearance items could wander the rows and rows and rows of vendors in the midway or swap meet. There were so many items available, we surmise that someone could have built an entire Corvette by grabbing various parts from around the fairgrounds. Many of our great sponsors were there, including ACS Composites, American Hydrocarbon, C8RallyDriver, Corvette Central, Ciocca Corvette, Mike Furman, NCM Insurance, and Zip Corvette.

If an actual Corvette was on your shopping list, there were plenty to choose from in the for sale lot. If your checkbook had other ideas, one could enter any of the various Corvette giveaways set up throughout the grounds with the hope of scoring a Corvette at a more reasonable price.

The show wrapped up Saturday night with its traditional grand finale – the downtown parade and street party in downtown Carlisle. This is such a cool event. We love seeing all the local residents and show attendees come out to see the cars as they file into town and park along the side of the road. It’s the perfect send off to a weekend full of Corvettes and friends.

As it turns 40, Corvettes at Carlisle continues to roll along as one of the top Corvette events in the country. With a diverse docket of things to do, spacious fairgrounds, and dedicated Corvettes fans, we’re looking forward to the next 40 years of Corvettes at Carlisle.

If you couldn’t make the show this year, raise a glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy our gallery from the 2022 Corvettes at Carlisle show below. What was your favorite aspect of this year’s show?

Tell us in the comments below.

Source:
Photos by Steve Burns and Keith Cornett

Related:
[GALLERY] Midyear Monday – 2022 Corvettes at Carlisle Edition
[PICS] Callaway Shows a Prototype C8 Corvette Stingray with a Supercharger at Carlisle
[VIDEO] Corvette Team’s 70th Anniversary 2023 Corvette Z06 Walk-Around at Carlisle