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2008/2009 Banquet Details
12/13/08 - Here is the pertinent detail for the 7th Annual Awards Banquet presented by CCW for the 2008 East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge and presented by Yank Converters American Racing Headers Pro 8 Shootout presented by Carroll's Rod & Racecraft and Cartek Racing Pro 10 presented by J & M Motorsports and The Vette Doctor's Pro 11 presented by Russ DeLibero Emerald Financial Resources If you wish to spend the night, I have held a block of rooms. You must call the hotel to book with your credit card. The rate is $109 for king size bed room. Please use "Corvette Challenge" to get the rate.

For those who are new to the banquet, the evening is about 2 hours of award and sponsor presentations broken up by dinner, raffles, an auction to benefit Toys for Teens and Tots and FREE items drawn from your ticket stubs. The hotel has a bar we can adjourn to after the banquet.

2009 Pro 10 Index Change
11/25/2008 - Beginning 2009, the Pro 10.0 will have two indexes. Corvettes will compete as either a 10.00 or 10.50 index car. Racers will compete together in one Pro 10 class. It will be a mixed index class meaning pairings can be 10.00 v. 10.00 or 10.50 v. 10.50 or 10.00 v. 10.50. A handicapped Pro .500 tree will be used when cars are in different indexes. Expanding the index opens the class to additional racers and full fields of 16 Corvettes. The change should also eliminate the empty bye runs we experienced at several races in 2008 providing more competitive racing. More details will be forthcoming.

If you wish to discuss the change, please visit The Corvette Forum.

Four Classes In the Finale; Three Winners; Young (CC and P10), Farley (P11) and Conway (P8) Win
11/22/08 - We almost did not get this one in either! It was cold and windy and Raceway Park ran the program on the 1/8 mile instead of the 1/4 for safety reasons. Our indexes were reduced from 11.50 to 7.40, 10.0 to 6.40 and 6.50 to 5.45 to accommodate the shortened track. Chris Young went six rounds to defeat Rich Shuleski in the Corvette Challenge and at the same time went three rounds in the Pro 10.0 to defeat David Harris in that final to become to first driver to win two classes in one day. Rob Farley won his second uncontested final this season in 11.50 as both his potential opponents were eliminated the prior round for going under the 7.40 index. Mike Conway also won an uncontested final as Mark Shaw was unable to make the call due to engine failure.

Articles will be coming quickly. Preliminary points are updated. Congratulations to our 2009 Champions (preliminary) to Jeanne Linke (Corvette Challenge), Rob Farley (Official 11.50), Wayne Keegan (Pro 10.0) and Mark Shaw (Pro 8 Shootout). Official announcement made once points are confirmed next week.
Click for Pro 10.0 Article | Corvette Challenge Article | Pro 11.50 Article | Pro 8 Shootout Article.

Official Word. Only Pro 11.50 To be Made Up Nov 22
11/17/08 - Given we currently running Corvette Challenge, Pro 8 and Pro 10 on November 22, 2008, the only class we will be able to add to the schedule will be the final Pro 11.50 race. We will go short 1 race each for Corvette Challenge bracket class and Pro 8 Shootout. We will finish our season Saturday, Nov 22, 2008 with our 9th CC points race, our 4th Pro 8 points race and our fifth Pro 10 and Pro 11.50 races. Look forward to seeing you all again this weekend.
Rained Out Again II
11/15/08 - Different week, same result. We are officially rained out today. We do not have a confirmed make up plan. We will likely not make up the Corvette Challenge and Pro 8 race since we are already booked for those for the final weekend of the year but will likely make up the 11.50 race next weekend, Saturday November 22, 2008 since there is none scheduled for the 22nd. I will get you final word soon.
Rained Out Again
11/08/08 - Well, it happened again. Rained out for the umpteenth time this year. Today's race moves once again. The new date will be November 22, 2008, the final day of the season. This, unfortunately, means the Top 16 will once again move and this time to the beginning of next season. All of today's classes move to the 22nd. See you all next week.
Final Pass For Leo Barnaby III's Corvette
11/06/08 - Hey everyone...

We are planning to take Leo’s car for one last pass down the quarter mile at his home track. It will be at Englishtown Raceway Park on Saturday Nov 8th at 2pm. Friends, family, and all supporters are welcome to attend. Our family deeply appreciates all the support and never grow tired of hearing 'Leo" stories from his customers, his competitors and spectators. The Corvette Challenge race is also scheduled for that day. The rain date is planned for Sat Nov 15th at 2pm if necessary.

We have been overwhelmed with gratitude over the Paul Major's donation of his Orlando winnings to Jenna’s scholarship fund.

Thanks again for all your support!

Ken Barnaby

Corvette Challenge, Pro 11.5 and Pro 8 Postponed to November 15
10/25/08 - Raceway Park has officially rained out all racing activities for the today, October, 25, 2008. Our new makeup date is now Saturday, November 15, 2008. This will be a single session day with gates scheduled to open at 9 AM which mean about 8:30 for us. This will become our final points day of the season.
Please Call the Track Hotline for Updates
10/24/08 - Sorry but as of now, we are still on for the Corvette Challenge and Pro 8. I know the forecast does not look good but stranger things have happened. If you do head out or want to sit back and wait, please remember, Raceway Park has a hotline where a recording will be update if they do cancel/postpone our event.

Raceway Park hotline is
732.446.7800

A Message From Ken Barnaby
10/24/08 - Hello Everyone.

Well we were overwhelmed with support at Leo's viewing yesterday! The number of racers, competitors, customers, friends, family and strangers that came to say nice things about him was more than we could handle at times.

I will be heading to RP Friday night for the 8.50 index race. They will be doing a memorial trip up the return road for Leo after the last qualifier. Then Saturday Wayne, Bobby, Me and the rest of the crew will bring the car to RP for the last Corvette Challenge race. Then hopefully before the track closes this year we would like to plan a Sunday when we can take a memorial trip down the strip with a 'Leo Special' smokey burnout.

Thanks again to all you guys. We never knew you all cared so damn much.

Ken Barnaby

Leo Barnaby III Killed in an Automobile Accident
Leo Barnaby III 10/21/08 - It is with great sadness that we report the passing of friend, racer, race car fabricator and sponsor, Leo Barnaby III. Leo was the founder of Neverlift Motorsports and has supported our series for years, not just as a sponsor, but as a colleague, team member, fan and friend. A tragic accident on the night of October 19, 2008, leading to head injuries led to his death. We are very sorry and will miss Leo forever.
Rob Farley Officially 11.50 Index Champion
Pro 11.50 Champion 2008 09/27/08 - Our 11.50 article is up and we are happy to announce our first Champion of the 2008 season. Rob Farley has acquired enough points to be our 2008 Vette Doctors 11.50 index Champion. He did it on the strength of three consecutive wins in the class and with an average qualifying ET of 11.56 to date. To read the 11.50 article from Sep 20, click here.
Corvette Challenge Event 9 Article Now Ready
09/24/08 - The article for the September 20 Corvette Challenge won by Eric Fischer is now ready. Click the link to read the article for Event 9.
Pro 8 Shootout Article Ready
09/21/08 - Our Pro 8 Shootout article is now complete. All videos for all classes are also complete. Still waiting on pictures so please hang in there. Click for Pro 8 article by clicking on the Pro 8 article and going to the bottom you will see links to four videos so you can seem them from there.
Fischer, Shaw and Farley Winners All
09/20/08 - Eric Fischer was able take the win in the Corvette Challenge over Ray Sztabnik who went to his first Corvette Challenge final today. Mark Shaw was able to get his car back together and came out of his temporary retirement to take yet another win in the Pro 8 Shootout upsetting the return of Angelo Valla who was the number one qualifier. In our Vette Doctors 11.50 index, Rob Farley took it again this time over Paul Bogdan in the final. Farley also went on to win the E-town Index 11.0 class while Pro 8 racer, David Shen won the 10.0 E-town index class. Details to follow. Discussions can be found on the Corvette Forum Drag Racing sections. Preliminary points updated. Videos, pictures and articles to follow.
Angelo Valla Returning to American Racing Headers Pro 8 Shootout Sep 20
09/16/08 - We have just confirmed Angelo Valla will be returning to Raceway Park on Saturday, September 20 to compete in the American Racing Headers Pro 8 Shootout. It has been nearly two years since we see the Blue Corvette driven by Angelo Valla, our 2006 Pro 8 Shootout Champion. The last time we saw Angelo he was dipping into the sevens and tapping the wall in the final race of 2006. Angelo was fine and it after nearly two years, he is ready to come back. With three races left in 2008, Angela could pull an upset in the Championship as current points leader Mark Shaw's vehicle is down for the remainder of the season. Don't miss the return of Angelo Valla to the Pro 8 Shootout. Gates open at 9:30 AM with first round of qualifying happening around 11:00. Don't miss it.
Announcing Aug 2 Rainout Makeup Date Nov 8, Top 16 to Nov 22.
09/15/08 - Thank you all for your patience. We now have a makeup date for our Aug 2nd Corvette Challenge/Pro 10.0 rainout. This race will now be held Nov 8, 2008. It is a single session day with gates opening approximately 8 AM. This has been a very difficult season with rain and we apologize for any inconvenience. It will be a full schedule that day at Raceway Park so please be prepared. This in turn will move the Top 16 Gamblers invitational to November 22, 2008. Please make note of the date changes.
Join Fellow Corvette Challenge Racers in Memphis
09/13/08 - Several racers are headed to Memphis for the 2nd Annual GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout October 9-12, 2008. The event features 4 fun filled days of partying and racing in the LSX realm. If you have a C5 or C5 or a GM bodied car with any LS based GM third generation motor, you are good to go. The event features 2 heads up classes with our own Paul Major competing in the Drag Radial class. I addition there are two mixed index classes, one for cars and one for trucks and SUV's. You can also enter a True Street competion where you drive 30 miles then make three hot laps. You can enter the Dyno Challenge or even a car show Saturday and/or Sunday. Free party with giveaways at the host hotel Thursday night for early arrivers and a NMCA/Nitto racer appreciation meal on Friday is on the house too. More details can found on http://www.nmcadigital.com/lsx/. Click on the video on the right for preview based on last year's action. Currently I will be heading down with Paul and Bob Trieschmann. Rob Farley and Jay McCardle are strongly considering the trip. If you want to chat about the event, go to The Corvette Forum.
Do you have a 10-second Corvette?
09/07/08 - Attention Pro 10.0 and racers that have a 10-second Corvette that might not be in the Pro 10.0 right now. We are considering some changes for the 2009 season for our 10 second class. We need your input on a poll in the Corvette Forum. It is very important we receive your feedback. It does require signing up for the forum. If you wish to not do this, please read the questions and email me your choices. Thanks for your feedback.
Click to view and vote in the Poll.
2008 and 2007 National Corvette Challenge Tee Shirt Sale
09/06/08 - We have some left over tee shirts from the 2007 and 2008 National Corvette Challenges. If you would like to purchase one or more, please contact me via email or use the paypal link below for purchase. We have 2008, M, L, XL, XXL (very few of the smaller ones) and 2007 XL and XXL. Money collected from the sale will be used to cover a small shortage from 2008 and the balance carried to 2009. Prices are as follow.
Article Monday is DONE!
09/01/08 - A holiday for most but not for me. We now have three new articles for you to read. We start with Saturday's Pro 10 Article with a final that could have clinched a championship but left the door open for a battle at the next race. Thanks for reading.

What you read them already? Want more? Cannot find prior articles? No problem. Click for Article Archive.

Louis Calicchia Wins Event 8 and Jay McCardle Stops the Streak in Pro 10
08/30/08 - It is 2003 all over again with Louis Calicchia capturing his first win since 2003 Event 11 and doing it in his son's car and over the current points leader, Jeanne Linke, to boot! It turned out to be a beautiful day after overnight rain was dried from the track. In the Pro 10.0 class, Jay McCardle stopped Wayne Keegan's consecutive when streak at three by defeating Wayne in their second meeting in the final of the year. Stay tuned for pictures, a few videos and full articles. For now, preliminary points have been updated and you can see them by clicking here.
Corvette Challenge Article for Event 7, August 9 is Ready
08/22/08 - Once again, sorry for the delay. The Corvette Challenge article is now ready from our last race August 9, won by Bob Trieschmann, (with the exception of the ladder). The 11.50 and Pro 8 articles are not done yet...sorry. For the article click here.
Preliminary Corvette Challenge Points
08/10/08 - Had a few minutes to do the preliminary Corvette Challenge (bracket) points this morning. They are now updated and Jeanne Linke is back in the lead with a 2 point lead over both Ralph Savarese (1st round exit) and Bob Trieschmann (event winner). Getting tight at the top!. Standings.
Trieschmann, Conway and Farley Take Wins
08/09/08 - A beautiful day for racing and we were running three of our classes. In the Corvette Challenge, Bob Trieschmann scored his second win of the season as he defeated Shawn Cavanagh in the final. In the Pro 8 Shootout, Mike Conway was racing the C4 and he defeated Mark Shaw in the final in which Shaw dipped into the 8.8 range for the first time. In the Pro 11.50, it was Rob Farley taking his second win of the season and this one on a single as both potential opponents in the semi-final round drove quicker than 11.50 and were not eligible to advance. Farley later went on to win the EFI Radial Tire class (combined 1 and 2) when Doug Bereczki went red. The other two EFI classes had one of us in the final too, yours truly, Edgar Perez. I was out-gunned in the Quick Time 8 and lost a heart breaker in the Slick Tire class.

More detail will follow later this week and some video next weekend, time permitting. Please check back. In the mean time, visit the Corvette Forum Drag Racing section to congratulate the drivers.

Aug 2nd Race Postponed by Rain
08/02/08 - As of 1:30 pm today, Raceway Park has cancelled all drag racing activities for the day. Our ECS Corvette Challenge and Cartek Pro 10.0 races will be made up a date to be announced next week. It looks like rain got us again. Sorry all.
Two Articles now Ready
07/27/08 - July 12 articles are in process. We have two ready so far. The Vette Doctors Pro 11.50 is ready as is our East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge article. The American Racing Header Pro 8 Shootout article is next.
Perez, Farley and Shaw are Winner in Event 6
07/12/08 - It was a great day for racing, meaning no rain, and we had a very successful day. Three winners in three classes and congratulations go to all. In the East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge, Edgar Perez returns to winner circle for the first time since 2003 Event 10. I was lucky enough to spin less than Eric Fischer in the final for the win. In the Vette Doctors Pro 11.50, Rob Farley proved that practice makes perfect when he took the win over Paul Bogdan who is enjoying a very successful season both in the 11.50 and the bracket races. We were finally able to get in an American Racing Headers Pro 8 Shootout and 5 drivers made it out to battle on the quarter mile. Once again Mark Shaw showed that you do not have to have the quickest car to win when he was able to take the win over Bill Maloney as he had problems with his shifter. Shaw took the win despite Maloney having out-qualified him at 8.55 to his 9.12.

Big congrats to all the winners and big thank you for those who made it out today. I have updated the points for all three classes (these are preliminary). See them all at the 2008 Standings page. We have video (sorry no brackets...I was a little busy) and many pictures from Mike Roberts and Chris Young coming for this event but it will take some time as I am going racing at Maple Grove in the NA Shootout. In the meantime, chat with you fellow racers on The Corvette Forum Drag Racing section. Check back for more during the week.

New Race, Same Winner, Savarese win Event 5 and Keegan wins Pro 10 Race 3
06/28/08 - If it were not for rain, we would not know when to go race. Two rain delays today but we got the race in! Ralph Savarese made a move to the points lead when he defeated Jeanne Linke early on (in their third meeting this year) and went on to defeat Rob Farley in the battle of two former champions. Savarese took the win by .00038, (that's right, three zeros). In the Pro 10.0 it was Wayne Keegan again, this time over Joe Latona in his first final. Keegan went dead on again in the second round side-by-side dead-ons with Chris Young.

Preliminary points are updated and the Cartek Racing Pro 10 Race Article is ready.

Announcing Pro 11.50 Presenting Sponsor, Russ DeLibero, Emerald Financial Services
Russ DeLibero Emerald Financial Resources 06/20/08 - We would like to announce our new Pro 11.50 presenting sponsor, Russ DeLibero Emerald Financial Resources. At Emerald Financial Resources, we help our clients accumulate and preserve wealth through a variety of solutions, helping them prepare for life’s many changing needs. Whether it’s planning for a more secure retirement, estate planning, or college education funding, our stringent code of ethics places the client’s needs above all others and demands uncompromising integrity in every aspect of our business conduct.

Russ is one of our racers. He started racing 9 years ago with my 1972 GTO. From there, he raced with several different cars, eventually leading up to the purchase of a 2002 Z06 back in 2004. Russ has been to a few races with the Z06. The Corvette has seen many transformations from a cam only car, to cam/n2o, to 383 stroker/n2o, to 383 stroker 76mm single turbo, to now a 383 stroker with an 88mm turbo. He also has a 2000 Coupe that he raced in event #4 this year. Russ hopes to be a steady participant and may race Pro 10.0 and Pro 11.50. One thing is for sure, Russ has been to Raceway Park as a racer and a spectator for 25+ years and planning on doing so for the next 25+ years.

Big thanks to Russ for stepping up to present the 11.50 index.

Announcing Schedule Change to Make up for our May 31 Rainout
06/17/08 - We would like to announce the makeup date for the rained out May 31st race. The day's scheduled Corvette Challenge, Pro 8 Shootout and Pro 11.50 will move to October 25, 2008. This date was previously our Top 16 race date and makeup of our Pro 8 Shootout from April 12th. The Top 16 and the April 12 Pro 8 Shootout will now move to November 8, 2008. Sorry for any inconvenience. We were unable to schedule these events any sooner. Please make note on your Calendars.
  1. October 25 is now a Corvette Challenge, Pro 8 Shootout and Pro 11.50 date. All classes to earn points.
  2. November 8 is a new date for our Top 16 Corvette Challenge race and our make-up for the Pro 8 Shootout April race which has completed one qualifying pass and any new entries will only receive 1 qualifying pass.
Welcome to M & B Performance and ECSRacing.com. Our New 10.00 Supporting Sponsors
06/17/08 - We are happy to announce two new supporting sponsors for 2008 for the Cartek Racing Pro 10.0 Index class. Join us welcoming these new supporting sponsor to the our Pro 10.0 Index class.

M & B Performance

M & B Performance M & B Performance, located in Hillsborough, NJ, is a shop co-owned by Bob Trieschmann. Bob is a former Corvette Challenge Champion, is a regular participant and a coordinator. Bob has been a supporter of our series for years and now is a supporter again with his new business venture. We know Bob has a stream of vehicles such as his Corvettes and Impalas and turbo Buicks. Bob has partnered with Mike Bogdan. Mike is an ASE Certified A Technician. He also owns a 50th Anniversary Electron Blue Corvette Z06. M & B Performance does all types of work, from general auto repair to performance work for both domestic and foreign vehicles. At M & B Performance, "Performance is Our Business". Contact Bob (908) 347-1821 or Mike (908) 347-8081 for your performance needs.

ECSRacing.com

ECS Racing East Coast Supercharging is our Title sponsors of the Corvette Challenge and we owe them a great debt for their support. In addition to their performance business, ECS also promotes motorsports, not just drag racing but also high speed driving events on road course throughout the. Information about these various events can be found on ECSRacing.com. We thank ECS for the continued and expanded support now with ECSRacing.com as a supporting sponsor of the Pro 10.0 Index race. Check out the site and maybe sign up for some of the event promoted there as well.

Not Again!!! Rain In The Forecast
05/30/08 - There is a possibility that tomorrow's race will be called due to rain. We suggest you call Raceway Park before leaving home and during your trip in case the message is updated. The phone number is 732.446.7800. If it is rained out, we will have a make-up date that has not yet been determined. Check back later in the evening for updates here or the Raceway Park hotline.
Announcing 2008 Increased Payouts for Pro 10.0 and Pro 11.5
05/26/08 - It is with great pleasure that we would like to announce increased payouts for our Pro 10.0 and Pro 11.50 16-car field classes. We have been working hard to meet our sponsorship targets for 2008 and we are happy to say with the help our racers and sponsors we have met those targets and can hereby announce an increase in payout for each Pro 10.0 and Pro 11.50. Payouts are as follows for 2008: Racers earning these payouts thus far this season will be contacted by Raceway Park so that you can receive differences owed to you. Once again, thank you for supporting the Corvette Challenge its heads-up classes and a huge thank you to our sponsors. Look for a sponsor announcement later today.
Event 3 and Pro 11.50 Articles Ready
05/17/08 - We have been very busy this month and writing articles have fallen a little behind. Get ready because we have articles for you to read this weekend. Why try to go out and enjoy the sun and work on the lawn when you can be ready Corvette Challenge articles?
Please do enjoy our Event 3 race wrap up where Jeanne Linke wins over Dave Buddnedorff.
If Index racing is your thing then the first official points race is finally done. Please enjoy our Pro 11.50 article where John Panuzzo defeats Ellis Gray.
Introducing New 2008 Sponsors
05/05/08 - We would like to take this opportunity, while we are between races, to welcome our new sponsors for the 2008 season for the Corvette Challenge and its Pro Class. Some of our new sponsors are returning sponsors in new categories and some adding additional businesses.

Romar Fabrication - Let's start with a welcome back to Romar Racing. Romar was the presenting sponsor of the 2005 season. Based in Walden, NY, Romar's list of services include water jet coating, welding, machining and race fabrication. They offer dyno services, and upgrades for your Corvette as well as other performance vehicles and trucks. Visit their website at www.romarracing.com.

CorvetteGuys.comCorvetteGuys.com - CorvetteGuys.com joins the family of Corvette Challenge Supporting sponsors this year. They are associated with current sponsors, wheelhq.com. We are happy to have these two companies supporting our series. You will find that Corvette Guys offers a full line of Corvette products to jaz up your Corvette. You will also find Corvette Guys is a sponsor on our favorite message boards, www.corvetteforum.com. Check out the website and their current specials at www.CorvetteGuys.com.

Lucid Diagnostic Imaging Services, LLC - Big thanks go out to Lucid Diagnostics who jumped on board with Team Panuzzo in 2008 to sponsor the John Panuzzo Jr. Memorial Award which was in jeopardy of not returning this year. Lucid Diagnostics has been an associate sponsor of the Pro 8 and Pro 10.0 classes and now is supporting the Corvette Challenge. Paul Ziajski continues to support our series in spite of having sold his turbocharged C5 years ago. Thanks for the support. Check out Lucid Diagnostics at www.lucid-echo.com.

J&M Motorsports - We are happy to announce that J and M Motorsports is joining the Corvette Challenge family of sponsors as the 2008 Pro 10.0 Presenting sponsor. J and M Motorsports is celebrating its 14th year of proudly creating successful relationships, and race proven results between customer and builder. Located in Manchester, Connecticut their facilities and staff have the cutting edge expertise to fulfill the most elaborate creations. "Countless hours and years of consistent dedication have brought our clientele the performance and customer satisfaction that far exceeds their expectations." You will find J and M's handy work on our current Pro 8 Shootout Champion’s Corvette, Mark Shaw. Thanks for the for the support gentlemen. Visit J and M at www.jandmmotorsports.com.

Wild Rover Racing - Wild Rover Racing is another fine example of racers supporting racers. Wild Rover Racing joins us as a supporting sponsor of our newest heads-up index class, the Pro 11.50. The class has taken off like wild fire, or say wild rover and looks to be very competitive in 2008. We would like to thank Joe Donnelly for his support with Wild Rover Racing.

- Also joining our family of associate sponsors for the Pro 11.50 class is DeFelice Chevrolet. We are happy to have a local Chevrolet dealership supporting our series. Based in Point Pleasant, NJ, DeFelice is a full service Chevrolet dealership with both new and used inventory and a full service department to keep you Corvette healthy. It is also the home of one of racers, Tommy Michalkowski. We would like to thank the DeFelice family and Phil, who leads the part department and was a key member in joining DeFelice with the Corvette Challenge. Check out the inventory and specials as well as the parts department at www.defelicechevy.com

We are just a few additional sponsors away from reaching our 2008 sponsorship goals. If you would like to help support the series and find a way to promote you business, please contact us for a proposal. Click to view the sponsorship page.

First of Four Articles Ready
04/30/08 - The first of four articles from this past weekend is now available. Click to read Cartek Racing Pro 10.0 Race 2 article.
Four Winners. 3 Classes, Linke and Savarese win the CC, Keegan Repeats in 10.0 and Panuzzo Wins 11.50
04/26/08 - To say it was a long day or racing would be an understatement. The rain held off from hurting our makeup rain race and we completed all four races. In the first session, it was Jeanne Linke hitting the tree and the dial while collecting red light gifts along the way to win Event 3 of the Corvette Challenge against first time finalist Dave Buddendorff who had to slow with a flat tire mid track (you made the right call Dave). In the Pro 10.0, in a field of 11, it was Wayne Keegan with the win with two dead-on runs on the way with one being perfect 10.000. Jay McCardle was our runner-up as he struggled with tires all day. In the evening Corvette Challenge Linke came within two rounds of pulling off a back-to-back. It was not to be, Ralph Savarese took his first event win of the season as he defeated Ralph Blauvelt in the final. In our makeup 11.50 race, John Panuzzo, driving Dennis Kazimir's Corvette walked his way to the final with two competition singles thanks to double breakouts and took the win over Ellis Gray.

Preliminary points are now on the sight. Seven penalties were assessed in Pro 11.50 and 3 in Pro 10.0. Click to review Preliminary Standings.

Complete articles will take some time as there are four races to cover. Check back often.

Congratulate the drivers and chat with participants on the Corvette Forum Drag Racing Section

Racing is On!
04/26/08 - Looks like we will be able to get today's racing in. Hopefully we will see you at one or both of our sessions.
Looking For Help with Sponsorships
04/24/08 - Looks like we will need a little help meeting our sponsorship targets for our three Pro class’s folks. We need your help by either sponsoring or helping provide a lead for a sponsor. We have recently signed three new sponsors and will likely sign a fourth on Saturday. However, several sponsors did not return in 2008 so net/net, we have gone backwards. We are where we would have expected to be at this point.

We are in need of a Presenting Sponsor in Pro 10.0 and Pro 11.50. We are also in need of Associate sponsors in each class, 2 for Pro 8 and Pro 10 each and one for Pro 11.50.

While it may be difficult to prove a return for your business investment in racing sponsorships, you cannot dispute the importance of brand recognition and the Corvette Challenge and its Pro classes are continuing strong averaging over 70 cars per event over the last 3 years.

Our [url]www.corvettechallenge.info[/url] website has averaged 282 unique visits per day over the past 50 weeks and has served up [B]5.5 Million[/B] hits in that time serving over 100 GB of data and these do not include the video numbers at all. Our sponsor logos appear on every page displayed.

Please contact me if you are interested or if you can help by providing a solid lead. I will provide you a three page proposal that will outline the benefits you will receive from Raceway Park and The Corvette Challenge

Thank you.
Edgar Perez

Do You Golf?
04/16/08 - Did you know one our sponsors, Marchese Homes, has a town house rental in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that is perfect for a weeklong getaway or a golf vacation. The town house is located at the Myrtlewood Villas they are nestled along the lush, rolling fairways of Myrtlewood Golf Club, yet conveniently located one mile from Broadway at the Beach. Myrtlewood Villas offers easy access to golf, a variety of entertainment, restaurants, and many of the area’s most popular attractions. Of the primary business is Home Improvements. Michael Marchese has been in the building business since 1985 and incorporated Marchese Homes in 2001. He has personally been responsible for the construction of 15 custom homes within the last 5 years. Visit the web site for more information http://www.marchesehomes.com/ and support those who support The Corvette Challenge.
Event 3 Postponed Due to Intermittent Rain
04/12/08 - The forecast earlier in the week was dismal but by the time Saturday morning rolled around the track was dry and the sun was shining. The call was to go with drag racing as planned. While underway we suffered a couple of short delays. As it began to rain and the radar called for continued start and stop, Raceway Park made the call to postpone the racing activities. Today's race which featured Corvette Challenge, Pro 8 Shootout and Pro 11.50 will be made up as follows. Please note the different dates for makeups above. Also, official word on ladders will be posted here Monday so please revisit the site.
American Racing Headers Pro 8 Shootout
04/12/08 - We would like to welcome American Racing Headers out our family of sponsors. ARH as the new title sponsor for the Pro 8 Shootout. You will find not only find American Racing Headers on several of the Pro 8 Shootout competitor cars but also on many Corvette Challenge cars. ARH is committed to maintaining a higher standard in performance and quality through relentless product testing and tireless pursuit of for perfection. Join us in welcoming ARH to the Corvette Challenge. Big thanks to Nick for the support of this class For more on this class click here.
Cartek Racing Pro 10.0 Index
04/12/08 - Cartek Racing returns as the title sponsor of the very popular 10.0 Index racing class. Beginning its third season, this class grows to a 16 car field in 2008. Big thanks to Julio and Dave at Cartek for the continued support. For more on this class click here.
Event 2 Article Now Complete
04/04/08 - Big thanks to Doug Bereczki for taking the writer's cramp duties for the 2nd Corvette Challenge of the season, our first points race. The Pro 10.0 article is still in the works though qualifying is wrapped up so you can peak at that if you like. Please make sure to verify your points with what you think you have earned and report any issues. Also, visit www.racewaypark.com and validate there as well, (I check but occasionally miss something). Click for Event 2 results.
Bob Trieschmann Wins Event 2 and Wayne Keegan wins Pro 10.0 Race 1
03/29/08 - We had a beautiful day of racing today with nice attendance. Seven rounds for the Corvette Challenge and Bob Trieschmann, former Champion, took the event win over John Trescott in yet another runner-up for John. In the Pro 10.0, it was the first 16-car field and three contenders needed as they all went to the bottom with sub 10.0 runs. Our two finalists were two of those. Wayne Keegan won the first Pro 10.0 race of the season in a very close finish, thousandths of a second, as Mark Shaw, current Pro 8 Shootout Champion, was the runner-up. In an interesting fact, all three class champion cars from 2007 were in the Pro 10.0 as Shaw, Pro 8 Champ, David Shen, Pro 10 champ and Chris Young entered Ralph Savarese's car, Corvette Challenge champ, in the Pro 10.0 class. Preliminary points are updated. Congratulate Corvette Challenge racers and also Pro 10.0 drivers.
Pardon the Service Interruptions
03/29/08 - Our web server hosting company is undergoing a huge move from one location to another. The promise is of new faster better servers so let us know if you don't see an improvement. If you visit this weekend and the site does not come up in its entirety, please try again later. Thanks.
Announcing the Dennis Blair Memorial Award for Corvette Challenge Racers
03/28/08 - For the 2008 season, Raceway Park security officer Tim Blair, who has supported the Corvette Challenge since its inception, organizes the 50/50 at our races and brings us great auction and raffle items for our banquets, will be awarding the Dennis Blair Memorial Award in 2008 to our race winners. The Blair family will be awarding $50 to each points race winner in 2008 and an additional $400 to the Top 16 Invitational Gamblers event winner at the end of the season. Also the Top 16 runner-up will also receive $100 from the Blair family in memory of Dennis Blair. We would like to give thanks to Tim and his family for recognizing our racers while paying tribute to Dennis Blair. This award applies to any Corvette Challenge (bracket) racer during the 10 points date (need not be a points racer) and for Top 16 those qualified for the Top 16 race. Be sure and thank Tim when you see him.

This is one of the many cash and award payouts of this series. To see all others, visit the Rules & Prizes page.

Top 16 and Event 1 Articles are ready!
03/25/08 - Articles for the first two races of the season are now ready. Please be sure to read the articles for coverage of these races. Thanks to Eric Fischer and Ralph Savarese for authoring the articles. Click for non-points Corvette Challenge and click for the 2007 Top 16 race run on March 15, 2008
Joe Latona Takes Event 1 and Ralph Savarese Win Top 16 Again!
03/15/08 - We got our 10th season underway today to the tune of light turnout but did not stop us from racing. Joe Latona took on Ellis Gray in the final of the non-points race and they went heads-up dialed 10.80. Latona cam out on top with his first Corvette Challenge win! In the 2007 Top 16 race, Ralph Savarese made his way to the grand staring out the 2008 season in his usual winning ways. This is Ralph’s second Top 16 win taking it 2004 as well. Congratulate the driver on The Corvette Forum.

Sorry I had to bail on you all today. I should have results faxed to me and will write articles when I have them. If you took pictures or video, please email them to me or links where you placed them. Thanks.

Final Ladder for Top 16
03/15/08 - The Ladder for the Top 16 is done. If a driver cannot make it, the ladder will not be redrawn. The first alternate will take the vacated spot. If we need another we go down the list. Best of luck to all. click for ladder.
Autostart and Deep Staging
Beginning with the first race of the 2008 season, all East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge and the Pro classes will be on Autostart (Pro classes have always been on autostart) and deep staging will no longer result in the manual starting the tree by the Raceway Park starting line official. What does this mean?
  1. Autostart - Autostart will be activated when one driver has lit both their pre-stage and stage bulbs, and the second driver lights their pre-stage bulb. When three sets of stage bulbs are lit, a timer in the computer will begin counting down. The un-staged driver will have 10 seconds to fully stage their car. Failing to stage the car within the 10 seconds will result in a disqualification of that driver. Once both drivers are fully staged, the tree will start automatically between 1.2 and 1.7 seconds. The starting line official will not override the autostart, which used to be the case when one or both drivers wanted to deep stage.
  2. Deep Staging - Raceway Park will still allow deep staging; however will no longer hold the tree for a deep staging driver. This means if a driver wishes to stage deep, he/she must get in and stage first. Since Raceway Park will no longer hold the tree, there is no longer a need to write "DEEP" on your car as it will not be acknowledged. If you must go deep be aware when the tree has all four sets of stage lights on, you are on the 1.2 to 1.7 clock (see above).
  3. Courtesy Staging - Corvette Challenge racers are expected to be courteous to their opponents as we have always been. Drivers should wait until both have lit the pre-stage bulbs before fully staging. If you intend to go deep, since it is no longer written on your car, please advise your opponent that you wish to do this so that you each can factor this into staging.
The items stated above are the result of NHRA Division 1 changes for ET race program of which we are a part of.
Congratulations Eric Fischer, Goat Slayer
03/04/08 - Sorry for the late update. As you know we were huntin' GTO at Atco on March 9th. It was opening day for the track and the high winds forced us to run 1/8th mile only. That did not stop the Corvettes from winning both bracket classes, the street tire class and the slick/drag radial class. The winner of the Drag Radial class was our very own Eric Fischer. It turned out he was in the final with another Corvette racer, John Hadyniak. In the heads-up match-up, Jay McCardle (Pro 10.0 racer) was the runner-up to at '67 GTO. For more detail and to congratulate the drivers visit The Corvette Forum.
Attention 2007 Top 16 Racers - Preliminary Ladder
03/11/08 - Our 2008 season gets underway Saturday, May 15, 2008 and with that our 2007 Top 16 racers will compete in the Top 16 Gamblers Invitational. We have had one of our Top 16 qualifiers with draw so Ken Tyler has now in the show. Keep in mind, Anthony Abbruzze is now the 1st alternate and Michael Archibald is the second. If you are on the list in the ladder as a racer or alternate, and cannot make it, please let me know. The ladder will be frozen Friday evening meaning rankings will not be updated Saturday. If a driver on the ladder cannot make it Saturday, the next alternate will be placed in the vacated spot. Top 16 racers remember we fund our own $1,000 payout so please bring $75 that I will collect in the staging lanes for this Gamblers style race. To see the pairings as of now, click for ladder.
Two Weeks To Go!
03/01/08 - Here are a few reminders before we start the season on March 15, 2008. Our 10th season opens up in two weeks with our annual Corvette Challenge Warm-up race. The Corvette Challenge race is open to all Corvettes and is a non-points race. We will host our postponed 2007 Top 16 Gamblers Invitational on this day as well. Participants in the Top 16 will pay the normal Corvette Challenge entry fee and will have a dedicated lane. I will collect the additional $75 buy-in for the Invitational race before first round in the staging lanes. The Top 16 winner will earn $1,000! The runner-up will earn #200. All non Top 16 racers will compete for the normal Corvette Challenge payout.

If you have not signed up for points, you can do so at track timing tower any day that you are. Corvette Challenge bracket racers must be sure to sign up before first round of the first points race, March 29, 2008 to earn a bonus point. Points drivers will be entered in a "Team" for the participation in the Team Challenge Cup so the sooner you register, the sooner you will know what team you are on. Team Captains will be last year's top-10 points earners and they will each select one co-captain and the remainder of the team will be assigned based on last year's points and rookies will be assigned randomly.

Remember the Corvette Challenge will be on auto start which means the starter no longer controls the start of the race. Once one racer is staged and the second racer is pre-staged, the second racer will have to get in quickly or risk being disqualified. The starter will not hold the tree for any racer. Additionally, drivers wishing to deep stage will need to do it in the same allotted time. The starter will not hold the start of the race for any deep stager. There is no need to write "DEEP" on your car any more. While racing in the Corvette Challenge, we ask deep stagers to advise their opponent they are going deep, although it is not required.

hopefully you are making plans to attend the The Zip Products National Corvette Challenge on May 10, 2008.

Announcing Our 2008 Title Sponsors
02/29/08 - It is with great please that The Corvette Challenge and Raceway Park announce you 2008 Class Title Sponsors.

East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge

We are happy to announce the return of East Coast Supercharging as our 2008 Corvette Challenge Title Sponsor of the largest Corvette only racing series in the country. ECS returns for its seventh season as our title sponsor. We owe a great debt of gratitude to ECS for taking this lead role. Thanks for the support. For more on this class click here.

The Vette Doctors Pro 11.50 Index

The Vette Doctors return in 2008 and will be the new sponsors of our newest class, the 11.50 Index. TVD have supported the Corvette Challenge since its inception in 1999 in various capacities and now leads our newest class. In addition to being the title sponsor of the 11.50, The Vette Doctors are introducing a contingency program open to all racers in the 11.50 index. TVD will pay $250 in contingency to any 11.50 race winner in 2008 running their product/work. To be eligible for the contingency, a driver need only spend a minimum of $1,000 in product and service in 2008 and display a Vette Doctors sticker on the car during the entire event won. It does not take a whole lot of work to make today's Corvettes run 11.50 and now the Vette Doctor's will pay you back for winning. For more on this class click here.
2007 Corvette Challenge DVD Available
02/10/08 - A limited supply of 2007 Corvette Challenge DVD's are now available. The DVD includes footage from the 2007 Corvette Challenge, Pro 8 Shootout and Pro 10.0 index classes. The DVD is all wide screen footage so it looks best on a widescreen TV. You can play it on any computer that plays DVD's as well. To order a DVD, or two, click on the Paypal "Buy Now" link on the right. When the button is gone, the DVD's are gone.

Proceeds are used to support your Corvette Challenge web sites.

Good Time Had by Corvette Challenge Racers, Sponsors and Guests At The Banquet
02/03/08 - The 2007 season Banquet was a great success as attendees had a good time. Awards were presented, door prizes given out, a 50/50 winner who handed over the money and most of all, a fun auction was had to raise money for Toy for Teens and Tots. The before-party was good but the after-party was even better, with many attendees extending the night at Yogi's. We hope to have some photos available in the near future and perhaps a highlight video of the night. Thanks to all who helped at the banquet and thank you all for attending. If you did not make this year...start thinking about next year.
Corvette Challenge 2008 DVD Available at the Banquet
01/30/08 - Just received the call that the 2008 Corvette Challenge DVD order is shipping to me 2nd day air so I will have them Friday. I will bring them to the Banquet Saturday. Banquet attendees will have the first chance at obtaining a copy or two. See me at the Banquet for a copy. Only $12 each.
We Have Been Challenged!!! Goat for Lunch!
01/26/06 - GTO and fellow Raceway Park Racer, many of you know, Bruce Katz, has put together a Corvette vs. GTO race at Atco Raceway, Sunday March 9, 2008. Fellow ECS CC racers, Rob Zona, Tom Sabolevsky and Ellis Gray are helping with the event. It is an all bracket race event with two classes, Street Tire (non drag radial, non dot slick) and the Slick Tire/Drag Radial class. Bruce is maintaining a registration list though it is not mandatory to pre-register it is nice to see we outnumber them already :). The event is the weekend before our fist Corvette Challenge race and will be a good tune-up race for us. Hopefully you can attend. For details and to pre-register, click on The Corvette Forum Corvette vs. GTO Race thread.
Final Banquet Count Date Coming Soon
01/18/08 - As the deadline for purchasing Banquet is quickly approaching. No tickets will be sold at the door. We need to have your check by Saturday January 26th. If you have a check in transit this week, please let me know. I have updated the list with all the tickets purchased so far so if you are not on there and need to be please email here for the address to send your check.

Banquet details

Tim Blair has once again gotten us some nice raffle and auction items listed below.

Auction Items

Raffle Items

Congratulations to Pinks All Out Selected Racers
Pinks All Out 01/11/08 - Many of you know about the hottest drag racing shows on television on Speed Channel, Pinks (lose the race, lose your ride!) and the Pinks All Out show which pits the 16 cars with the closest ET to run heads up and you if you don't run all out, you get kicked out. The winner gets $10,000. Well Pinks All Out is coming to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (www.racewaypark.com) July 25 and 26 to shoot a Pinks All Out show and several our Corvette Challenge racers got into the class of eligible drivers of 400 to compete for 16 spots. Congratulations to David Shen, Chris Young, Eric Fischer (and his wife Amy), Bill Fischer Sr. (and his other son Bill Fischer Jr.) Joe Latona, Dave Tortolani, George Smith, Chris Haase, Ellis Gray, Jerry Muniz, Ron Leader and Wayne Keegan. Best of luck to all the selected drivers and maybe we can get you a www.corvettechallenge.info banner to promote the Corvette Challenge and maybe park us all together. You can see Pinks and Pinks All Out video by clicking the Pinks All Out logo.

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