cv&ccc august event...

A u g u s t N e w s l e t t e rV o l u m e 8 I s s u e 8

Table of Contents

August Events

Page 2

September Events

Page 3

Pat Gongloff

Page 4

CV&CCC Officers

Page 5

CV&CCC

August Birthdays

& New Members

Page 6 - 9

C-8 To RewriteHistory

Page 10

Wilwood releases 1997 - 2013 Front

Brake Package

Page 11 - 12

Update on 2019 Corvete ZR 1

Page 13 - 21

Dan Binks Makes Corvette Racing

Faster

Page 22 - 25

Upcoming Shows

CV&CCC August Event Schedule

CV&CCC Monthly Breakfast August 12th 9:00 a.m.

Anastasia’s 2494 N. Heritage Oaks Path Hernando, Florida

Please R.S.V.P. Calendar no later than August 10th

CV&CCC Portillo’s Rib Night Cruise In August 14th 5:30 p.m.

We will meet at Applebee’s at the S.W. Corner of CR581 and State Road 44

at 3:30 p.m. with a 3:45 p.m. departure to meet our members who live in

Brooksville at Coney Island at 4:15 p.m. and then on to Portillo’s in Tampa.


CV&CCC Dinner Cruise In August 19th 6:15

City Fire “Brownwood” The Villages, Florida We will depart from the Cadence Bank lot on the southeast corner of State

Road 44 and U.S. 41 at 5:30 p.m. on August 19th for the short 30-minute ride

to City Fire. Afterwards we can catch some Live Entertainment on the

“Square” or see a movie at the Beautiful Brownwood Theatre.


CV&CCC Skyview Brunch August 27, 2017 1:00 p.m.

Sunday Brunch for all CV&CCC Members along with C.C.M.C. Members &

the Touch of Class Corvette Club at Terra Vista at 1:00. The main entrance to

Terra Vista is located on Highway 486 and Forest Ridge Boulevard in

Hernando.


CV&CCC 3rd Quarter Meeting August 27, 2017 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Citrus Hills Activity Center 240 W. Fenway Drive Hernando

Guest Speaker General Manager Mike Crynock from Love Chevrolet! Please R.S.V.P. Calendar no later than August 20th

Looking forward to seeing everyone at brunch on the 27th !

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CV&CCC September Events

C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b

CV&CCC Monthly Breakfast September 9th 9:00 a.m.

Boulevard Bistro 9576 N. Citrus Springs Boulevard Citrus Springs

R.S.V.P. Online Calendar no later than September 1st

CV&CCC Road Rally & Mystery Cruise September 23rd 10:30 a.m.

We will meet at the Citrus County Fairgrounds at 10:30 a.m.

CV&CCC Grand Prix & Luncheon September 30th 11:00 a.m.

Citrus Vettes & Camaros Car Club, C.C.M.C. & Touch of Class

Fall Go Kart Racing Grand Prix September 30, 2017

Time 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Bushnell Motorsports Park 5821 Pit Road

Bushnell, Florida

(2) 8 Lap Heat Races for the women and (1) Championship Race 10 Lap

for the women.

(2) 8 Lap Heat Races for the men and (1) 10 Lap Championship Race for

the men.

Top 3 in each heat race qualify for the Championship race.

Trophies awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Championship Race in each division

$55.00 single $ 110.00 per couple to race

Lunch to follow at Stumpknockers in downtown Inverness

In Memory of Pat Gongloff

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CV&CCC Officers


Citrus Vettes & Camaros Car Club Officers

President Mac McGarry (352) 697-0054

E-Mail: [email protected]

Vice President Steve Simons (352) 228-0394


Secretary Jim Muzeni (732) 597-0316


Treasurer Brandon Sohl (352) 249-3130


Communications Director Robert Greene


New Website: cv-ccc.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cvccc/

August CV&CCC Birthday’s

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Happy Birthday to the following CV&CCC Members:

August 2

Elaine McDaniel

August 7

Ken Mette Beth Richardson

August 12

Linda Bowers Reiner Claussen Bill Kaupp

August 18

Richard Kroos

August 22

Beverley McGarry Paul Schwack

August 25

Shari Miller Val Stratton

August 26

Barbara Buchner

August 29

Steve Simons Jackie McDermott

Welcome New CV&CCC Members

Joe & Terry Allen

Bob & Marj Balogh

Joe & Martha Chretien

Robert & Doreen Gay

Ed & Tricia Klein

Don & Char Rumberger

Warren Smith

Gary & Cheryl Stoothoff

Mike & Margaret Weaver

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C8 To Rewrite History and Rules Of Sports Car Segment?


The news cycle for GM’s mysterious mid-engine car is on an endless loop these days with etched-in-stone talking points that barely budge. Getting any update from GM or peripheral Corvette sycophants has been hopelessly fruitless so we automotive scribes have been relegated to treading water on the waves of the internet grasping at any piece of news like a chunk of driftwood that might float us to the promised land. For now, let’s say this mid-engine car from GM is a Corvette. Some folks think it’s a Cadillac but that’s a different battle for another day. The boilerplate that has emerged for the notion of a C8–mostly from speculation–is as follows: a range-topping, mid-engine supercar with a multi-valve V8 engine and benefitting from a clean-sheet chassis design leveraging everything GM engineering can muster. A “Halo” car that represents the pinnacle of mighty General Motors Design. What if all that’s wrong? What if the new mid-engine Corvette isn’t a halo car but an “affordable” stablemate to the existing C7? The first salvo of Corvette as a multi-model franchise? What if GM is not only going to maintain its slot as the world’s leading sports car maker, but defend it’s position AND gobble up more market share by adding a revolutionary supercar sibling to the “standard” Corvette? One that would maintain the current pricing structure of the C7 but literally re-writes the rules–and history for performance cars forever? GM owns almost 50% of the sports car market in the $75-100k segment. It’s sales are almost THREE times that of second place Porsche 911. If you count Camaro sales, GM’s grip on the performance market tightens even more. It’s been said that GM makes $10k for every Suburban SUV sold, so a Corvette, with a similar MSRP, probably is as big a cash cow for GM. For the record, GM sold over 40,000 Corvettes in 2016 and around 32,000 in 2017. Serious numbers and profit.

http://carsalesbase.com/us-sales-2017-q1-sports-large-exotics-segment/

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How would YOU like to get in front of GM President Dan Amman, GM CEO Mary Barra, and GMNA President Mark Ruess down at the “Silver Silos” on the Detroit river and propose throwing ALL THAT out the window with a new-fangled, mid-engine design that might alienate a huge swath of faithful Corvette buyers? A “tough” meeting indeed. Current events regarding General Motors are key here as well. After the US auto titan pulled out of multiple overseas markets–including South Africa, India and friggin’ Europe GM President Dan Amman stated, “We will remain in markets only where we are strong or could be strong…” Based on that, and the previously mentioned sales figures, it’s clear why GM chose to invest two-thirds of a billion dollars into Bowling Green and it’s segment-leading, sports car enterprise. For long time auto mag followers, Don Sherman’s take on all this is the next best thing to a full on reveal of the damn car. His musings about the C8, which originally appear on insurance gurus Hagerty’s website, are interesting and support the idea of a chicken in every pot and a mid-engine supercar in every driveway. Sherman says, “Considering that Chevy currently owns more than 40 percent of the $50-100,000 sports car market, flipping the switch from C7 to a radically different and more-expensive C8 would be insanity. Instead, building both Corvettes concurrently will allow the faithful to decide which best suits their fantasies. With 500 or so horsepower on tap and a base price below $70,000, the 2020 C8 should revolutionize the supercar category. As this new platform matures, Chevy will add alternatives to today’s LT1 including an all-wheel-drive hybrid (possibly called E-Ray) and a twin-turbo DOHC V-8 hammering out a remarkable 1,000 horsepower.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2017/06/27/corvette-dreams



A warning: Don’t trust the spy photos of camouflaged C8 mules undergoing winter development tests. To hide the real design from our curious eyes, those prototypes were constructed by Chevy’s racing partner, Pratt & Miller Engineering, using Daytona Prototype exterior panels. When your task is nurturing wild Corvette dreams, chicanery is to be expected. The delicious dilemma due in 18 months is what Corvette shoppers with $70,000 burning a hole in their wallet will choose. Will it be a Corvette Grand Sport with a traditional powertrain layout or the mid-engine C8? Ladies and gentlemen, start your deliberation engines.” So, for all you die-hard, old-school ‘Vette fans, would an attainable, state-of-the-art mid-engine supercar put to rest any reservations about the future of Corvette? Is there room for two Corvette models, standing shoulder to shoulder and offering buyers two flavors of General Motors fire power? Maybe Chevy’s new ad slogan should be, “Baseball, Hot dogs, Supercars and Chevrolet?”

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Wilwood Releases 1997-2013 Corvette Competition Front Brake Package


New from Wilwood the competition front brake package for 1997-2013 Corvettes. This bolt-on brake system works great at autocross and club-level road course events. See more details below. Official Release: Wilwood has released a newly configured competition front brake package for 1997-2013 Corvettes competing in autocross and intermediate club-level road course events. The kit is fortified for competition with black anodized Aerolite 6R radial mount calipers equipped with stainless steel pistons and internal damping springs, and accepts a wider 20mm thick brake pad. 14.00″ diameter two-piece rotor assemblies featuring Spec37 alloy SV-GT directional vane competition rotors mount to the OE hubs with weight-saving aluminum hats. BP-40 compound Smart Pads provide fast response and high friction throughout their entire temperature range. These fully bolt-on kits include mounting brackets, hardware and a detailed installation guide. Features:

• Black anodized Aerolite 6R radial mount calipers

• Stainless steel pistons and internal damping springs

• BP-40 compound Smart Pads

http://www.wilwood.com/

Update on 2019 Corvette ZR1

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Oh hey there, here’s yet article of Chevy’s top-of-the-line C7 ZR1 and it’s in fine–and raucously loud form. We talked about the 2020 C8 Corvette recently, so we thought we’d run an update on the big kahuna C7 by you. Recently, seasoned car journo Don Sherman talked about when we might see the ZR1, accuracy of LT5 RPO leak and even what the window sticker might be on this beast. We saw this over on Hagerty’s website and thought it was interesting, Mr. Sherman says, “My educated guess is that the 2018 ZR1 will break cover at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America race track in conjunction with the August 6 Continental Tire Road Race event. The photo op of the street ZR1s juxtaposed with Corvette C7.R racers is too golden an opportunity for Chevy to squander. The new ZR1 engine will benefit from the same direct fuel injection and variable valve timing found in the Corvette Z06’s 6.2-liter LT4 V-8. Factoring in a significantly larger Eaton Twin Vortices Series supercharger and higher capacity air-to-liquid intercoolers should enable 750 horsepower. While speculation associated the LT5 badge GM has registered for this engine with a DOHC design, that was, in my judgment, either a smoke screen or an “accidental” document error. This year’s ZR1 will also be armed with special features to optimize its aero performance: a means of accurately controlling each corner’s ride height to take maximum advantage of a variable front splitter and an active rear wing flying high and wide. In March of this year, GM applied for a patent that describes this equipment in intimate detail. Considering that 2013 ZR1 list prices began at $112,000, I expect the 2018 edition will cost about $135,000. That sounds like a heap of cash for a Chevy until you consider value. Then it’s Ferrari and Lamborghini-beating performance at less than half the price.”

http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/2020-corvette-c8-to-rewrite-history-and-rules-of-sports-car-segment/

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2017/06/27/corvette-dreams

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Update on 2019 Corvette ZR1


Dan Binks Makes Corvette Racing…Faster


Nearly sixty years ago, a relatively new American sports car, with an American team entered the 24 Hours of LeMans for the first time. Almost sixty years later, the legendary Corvette has had a storied history in racing throughout the world and has had numerous victories in the iconic 24 endurance classic. From the C1s of Briggs Cunningham in the beginning to John Greenwood to Pratt & Miller, who carry the flag today, the Corvette has become one of the most recognized marques and has seen amazing success in raising the consciousness of the racers, the fans, the dreamers…

For Dan Binks, veteran Pratt & Miller crew chief, known in the racing world as ‘the man who gets it done,’ his passion has transcended the past, present, and into the future. This team boss has been all over the world with the Corvette team. Binks’ racing history in racing goes back much further, with numerous successes, most notably in IMSA, WEC, and Trans Am. Just ask four-time Trans-Am champion Tommy Kendall who greatly benefitted from working with Binks many years ago, “For my money, he is the greatest crew chief of all time.” He has also published a terrific book, in the past two years, with co-author and childhood friend, Norm DeWitt, called “Making it Faster: Tales from the Endless Search for Speed” a worthy read for anyone who seeks to learn about an illustrious technical racing career with great secrets of attaining that next tenth of a second. We had the opportunity to catch up with Binks and the Pratt & Miller Corvette Racing Team, competing with the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Challenge at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

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Born in San Diego, California, Binks was raised in an active racing family. From a very early age, he was exposed to the sport as both mom and dad were enthusiasts. His dad, Phil, raced an MGTD and later an Austin-Healey Sprite. His mom actually met his dad when they struck up a conversation about Sprites at Del-Mar raceway. Young Dan watched his dad working on the machinery in the garage and took an early interest. “There are not many times in my career that I didn’t make the right choice. I don’t know how it would have been different but it really could not be any better,” states Binks. He has become a highly sought-after mechanic, fabricator and restorer by many in the industry. Amongst the many stops on his journey in motorsport, Binks has worked with Clayton Cunningham on the IMSA GTU championship-winning RX7s for Jack Baldwin and Tommy Kendall; the Cars and Concepts Beretta GTUs for Kendall in both IMSA and Trans-Am; the GTP Intrepid program for Pratt and Miller again with driver Tommy Kendall; then to Jack Roush where he and Kendall scored 3 Trans-Am championships in a row.



He has since returned to Pratt and Miller where he has been successfully running the Corvettes with ex-F1 star Jan Magnussen and a plethora of co-drivers including current driver Antonio Garcia.

“This is not a one guy sport,” declares Binks. “This is a fifty-guy sport. the challenge is how do you get everybody pulling the rope in the same direction despite all the egos. With Pratt and Miller and Corvette Racing has done well is let everybody do their job to the best they can and with fifty people all going in the right direction, we can win a lot of races. in this day and age it is harder than ever.” His role as crew chief is a busy one. Like the maestro conductor of the symphony, he lends help to those who need it and keeps the team focused on preparation, set ups and changes during the race. All data is shared between the two cars. “I just make sure that if we are doing any changes during a race, that everyone knows what they are doing and if there’s a problem I try to help them. I actually changed tires up until last year. Kyle Millay does all the engineering debriefs with the drivers. In the old days, I would do the set up, but with computer simulations, we leave that to the engineers. Both cars and groups need work together. With two cars, we get double track time. If we get one Corvette into victory circle, we all win. Long Beach was a perfect example. One car got in trouble the other one won. If that’s your bad day, it’s not that bad.”

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The namesakes of Pratt and Miller have taken winning very seriously for several decades. “We believe in our commitment to our customers… we have to win,” states Jim Miller. While Gary Pratt says, “The success and the passion that we have for motorsports permeates throughout the entire building.” Considering the eight LeMans victories and numerous championships, clearly the passion of the founders reverberates with everyone in the 300-strong staff, from the engineers and drivers to the guy who sweeps the floor. Beyond the Corvette Program, Pratt and Miller has other race build and military contracts. In letting each person do their job, Pratt and Miller has built upon each success. The personal mantra of Binks matches the company’s approach: “Do the best job every time, no matter what somebody else thinks, Dan said. “When you are working for people and they say it should be done this way or that way or whatever, do it the best way you know how, Street racing is difficult at best for GT cars. The circuits are narrow and crowded. At Long Beach, 35 cars in three different classes, representing three different speeds, started the race. Trying to run your race while avoiding collisions with faster and slower cars through the narrow k-rail and tire barriers is high pressure for the drivers, who depend on a chief to orchestrate the team to set up the car to meet these stringent demands. don’t make compromises it will work out.” “For me the differences are substantial. When you go to Sebring or LeMans or Daytona the car has ninety percent new parts on it. For a race like Long Beach, you put all the parts you don’t want anymore. This is because, while you’re hoping it won’t happen, you know the cars are going to get smashed. This year our car made it three quarters of a lap before the front was smashed in…” Banks Laughs. “So, we use our old parts, knowing that the car is not going 3000 miles and they are expendable. VIR (Virginia International Raceway) ends up being a demo derby too. We changed three noses in one race.”



Needless to say the Long Beach race was all that and the finish was crazy! The Corvettes were one-two in class ahead of the Ford GT, all in tight formation, as they made the final pass of the Southern California street circuit. Up the road, turning in late for the final hairpin, the 3GT Racing Lexus RCF GT3 of Robert Alon and Jack Hawksworth, began a three-car pile-up that blocked two-thirds of the track, dead-on at the corner’s exit. This caused a traffic jam of race machinery as numerous cars scrambled and stopped, trying to find a way past the melee. The leading Corvette of Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, went just slightly wide and found them-selves completely blocked. This left the door open, as two stopped prototypes found their way through, handing the GTLM victory to Milner and Gavin. Our strategy early on was to stop as soon as we could,” recalls Binks. “We were a little worried we might have to stop right at the end, but with all the yellow (flags), we were able to make it. the last five laps were crazy. The Lexus made a crazy move. We wondered how we were going to get through there. We told Tony, ‘inside, inside!’ He went just a little wide and got blocked… I have won a lot of races and lost a lot of races, but never lost one like that.”

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Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin won over the Ford GT of Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe as the other Corvette managed a path through the mess to take the checker. In the pressroom both Milner and Gavin seemed disappointed despite the victory. Clearly, they were happy with the victory, but disappointed with the finish. “Nobody wants to win like that,” said Binks. They want to fight for the win, not win because of someone else’s stupid move.” Speaking of crazy finishes, Corvette racing had a very exciting and disappointing LeMans 24 race. With just minutes to go, the Corvette was leading the Aston Martin in the GT class at Circuit la Sarthe, when the left front tire began to lose pressure. Third driver Jordan Taylor suddenly shot straight across the dirt in a chicane. What auspiciously looked like a mistake, was actually a tire failure. The Aston managed past the Magnussen/Gavin/Taylor Corvette with a lap to go for the win. Jordan limped the smoking car across the line for third. “Obviously it was a disappointing finish. But if you look at the whole 24-hour race, we weren’t always up front. So leaving with a podium finish is something we can be proud of, said Taylor. “When you come so close, extremely close, that is the frustrating part. I think we showed a never-give-up attitude. We went two minutes down early in the race and fought back from there. A lot of people doubted that we could bring it back. I think everyone executed well and unfortunately it just wasn’t our day.” Binks talks about some of the crazier races he has had throughout his career citing endurance racing at the top of the mayhem.

“A couple of times in France (LeMans) where we had trouble right off the bat and had to work on our car and were able to go again then at the end someone else had trouble and you get by them. It seems at LeMans, that happens a lot.



At twenty hours, you will be neck and neck and you will have a little issue and the other guy will have a little issue and somehow or another you end up on the same lap and you will win one you didn’t expect. That’s not as fulfilling as the times you race all day and kicked everybody’s butt. But it always feels good to win.” Dan Binks is a car guy through and through. His lifelong passion doesn’t end at the conclusion of a workday in the shop or the close of a race weekend. The joy of mechanics and fabricating is never lost on the veteran crew chief. We asked how much of a fan he remains to this day, during a follow up conversation. He chuckled as he sent us a text with a picture of his driveway in Michigan at that very minute. There sat the famed Mazda RX7 GTU and the Roush Trans-Am cars, now in the hands of private customers, being prepared for vintage racing events. It was obvious he just couldn’t keep his hands off of cars. On his days off, he works and prepares race cars for collectors including Bruce Meyer, Tommy Kendall and Colin Comer. He has made numerous friends over the many decades in motorsport. He gets calls from numerous collectors needing work done of familiar cars. “It’s one of those things that… who do you say ‘no’ to?”

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Passion has led to skill, which in turn has led to storied success. Just like the tradition that is Corvette Racing, Binks is a key part of that success. His contagious enthusiasm inspires the car guy in all of us. As he says: “I love race cars more than anything.”

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Flagler County Corvette Club Show


Tampa Bay Vettes Show Stingray Chevrolet


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Citrus Hills Car & Truck Show


C.C.M.C. 20th Anniversary Show


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