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Welcome 2012! Well folks, like we always say when something is a great success, "How do we top that?" Our 30th Anniversary Homecoming was a smashing success and we also enjoyed reading many of your comments afterwards. We are always listening and therefore we believe we have made some changes and additions which we think will make the 2012 Homecoming even better. Unfortunately again this year, the Corvette Assembly Plant is scheduled for down time for the entire month of July but we have some other ideas in store for you! We are currently in touch with several of BG's premiere manufacturers and attractions including Trace Die cast, Quick Fuel Technologies and RC Components. Trace Die Cast will show how automotive parts are conceived from a drawing, then a foundry casting, then processed and machined, and finally to production. Trace makes the bell housing for the current Corvette. Quick Fuel is becoming a leading carburetor manufacturer and offers some of the best products for the street and track. RC makes some of the highest quality motorcycle accessories on the market. All of these tours are limited as far as group size (20-30) so we will be adding these tours to the registration forms for your early registration. Don't miss these opportunities to see how these unique products are designed, manufactured and brought to market. Register early! Last year we intended to introduce a Saturday night party but due to several circumstances, we elected to hold that until 2012. We did have many positive comments regarding the idea, so, we WILL have a Saturday night awards party complete with food, live music and awards. We will stage the party inside the air conditioned Convention Center for your comfort. We are also re-organizing our parade/road tour for Friday Night. Our current plans will be to visit the countryside then return to the downtown square where you will enjoy several outdoor concerts, an Irish Pub, and many other eateries in the area. We are putting together a discount coupon package for all participants from many local merchants and restaurants for your entire visit. We will be hosting at least two Corvette clubs including the ICCC (International Council of Corvette Clubs) of which former Corvette Assembly Plant Manager Wil Cooksey is the President. The most recent addition to join us is the Grand Sport Registry folks who own those beautiful blue and white '96's. Special guest speakers and invitees are scheduled for both. Our 75+ vendor list is also growing and we have had many new inquiries along with many returning vendors including Corvette America, and Corvette interior and top specialist Al Knoch. Last year Al's specialists stayed busy all weekend restoring interiors and tops and this is your rare opportunity to have the best in the business do your interior replacements or repairs "while you wait". You must call ahead and make reservations so call us and we'll give you the particulars. Don't miss this chance to have the experts come to you. We also have confirmation that the "Fudge Lady" will return (most popular request), Astro Tops will be on hand to repair/replace your Corvette's glass tops, GM, Clocks by Roger, Ferris Wheels, and this year we have heard from B&B Exhaust who may be on hand to install their products on-site. Our vendors are an important part of Homecoming and we welcome all from the garage cleaner to the major manufacturers. They offer everything from radio controlled cars to massages, to custom car drawings and we will continue to strive to increase our vendor fleet at each Homecoming. For any vendor inquiries please feel free to contact jimvandorn@corvettehomecoming.com. Don't forget that with your pre-registration (prior to June 15th, 2012) you will receive discounts on the regular entry fees. Stay tuned for more updates. |
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Was it a Mack or a Peterbuilt? While I’m sitting here recovering from an unbelievable weekend, I just want to take a few minutes and thank all of you who came to this year’s 30th Corvette Homecoming anniversary. Without you, there would be no anniversaries and Vera and I want to sincerely thank all of you who made this year’s event one of the best ever. When I came out of the hotel and found the parking area so full, I had a moment. I remembered back to years ago when it wasn’t so well attended, wasn’t so comfortable, and we were struggling just to keep the show going. There weren’t big rigs and some of the largest and best known companies in our hobby in our parking lot and ballroom. There weren’t hundreds of folks walking around with bags full of vendor’s wares. But there is a reason for all that now. #1 Reason? YOU! Whether you were a vendor or volunteer, a participant or a spectator, a judge or being judged, YOU ALL made this a record event and we thank you, thank you, and thank you. We were proud to have some 40 XLR’s attend and they also know they have a standing invitation for all future Homecomings. We had a record number of vendors and most were very pleased with your support. In fact, we already have reservations for next year from many of them! But we did have several complaints we would like to address at this time. The fudge lady would have been here if not for a wedding. We will make every effort to make sure her calendar is clear for next year! We are also proud of our Grand Marshal, Lance Miller of Corvettes of Carlisle who received both the key to the city and honorary title of Kentucky Colonel by our Governor Steve Beshear. Lance gave a terrific seminar of “The Quest”; his campaign of the 1960 Corvette which competed at LeMans some 50 years ago. And let’s not forget the great 2012 Corvette introduction by Bowling Green’s Plant Engineer, Tom Hill. Anything and everything you wanted to know about today’s Corvette not to mention a few hints about Corvettes future as well. This year we also tried something for the ladies and many of you commented the seminar by Linda Alagna (The Pampered Chef) was a smash hit. All I know is it sure smelled good! For all the rest of you I want to personally invite you to next year’s event. We are already working on some new ideas and concepts but we also want to improve on our current show so we are going to ask all of you for a favor. If you would please send us an email letting us know what you liked, disliked, comments or needed improvements, we will make every effort to use those ideas to improve future shows. In addition, we are also adding a section on our website for your comments so please do not hesitate to send in your favorite thoughts and ideas. In closing I want to say this. From the bottom of our hearts, Vera and I want to thank each and every one of you who volunteered your time, your family members and even your neighbors to make this such a well-organized event. Some of you came from far away and many of you stood long hours, all day long in a single place, but you never complained and for the first time ever, we did not receive ONE SINGLE complaint for anyone including the entire parking lot, gate staff and/or judges. Well done my friends, very well done.
Joe & Vera Pruitt |
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Corvettes - I Luv BG Well folks it's finally here. Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in lovely Bowling Green. Come on in and enjoy all of the fun and festivities. Entries are still coming in and we are looking to see the best show ever. Be safe. The following are the details for our parade - road tour on July 15, 2011 Parade Assembly: Parade Route: 17.4 Miles Joe & Vera Pruitt |
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It's almost Homecoming time! When we first began planning for our 30th birthday, we couldn't help remembering back to that very first Corvette that came off the line here in Bowling Green. Most of you already know that we are lucky enough to have that very car here for its own 30th birthday, but what would a birthday be without a party? Well, this year we will unveil another first. Shortly after our awards ceremony on Saturday afternoon, we will be hosting our very first "Hasta La Vista!" party (which means until we meet again). There will be plenty of mouth-watering AUTHENTIC Mexican food-shredded beef tacos, burritos, homemade taco shells, Spanish rice, and real Mexican beans. There will be plenty of delicious food and drinks which will make for a great evening and end to a special event. So that we have plenty to go around, we must know inadvance. You may register at the show on Thursday, Friday, or you can e-mail me at joepruitt@corvettehomecoming.com for a reservation. A $10 donation per person will be accepted at the front of the food line. And what about our little birthday car? Well, there's quite a story behind #0001. You see it was actually raffled off during the festivities and one lucky girl had the winning ticket. Connie Ferrell couldn't believe her eyes when she read the numbers she held in her hand! Connie, also, couldn't believe the phone call she received when we asked her to once again meet up with her first and only Corvette #1. But Connie won't be alone for we will, also, have none other than the man who handed her the keys-Joe Campbell-owner of Campbell Chevrolet in Bowling Green who will assist in the celebration. GM engineer and co-founder of Corvette Homecoming, Tom Hill and Sam Hall, co-founder of Corvette Homecoming and owner of Golden Farley Men's Clothing will be there to oversee the festivities. And to make sure all is well, we have a very special surprise. We have just received confirmation the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and former Mayor of Bowling Green, Elaine Walker, will, also, be attending this year's festivities. Secretary Walker will discuss how the last 30 years of Corvette has impacted Kentucky and the City of Bowling Green. Our current Mayor, Joe Denning, will join us as well and will add to Secretary Walker's comments. Our cousins, the Cadillac XLR's will be joining us for our weekend festivities. We are looking forward to having them celebrate the 30th with us. As always, retired and active General Motors employees will be judging the cars. Our official schedule of Events is out as of July 1, 2011. Highlights so far are: Golf tournament, car shows galore, the "Iconic 30" Corvette display and unveiling for each year of Bowling Green production, photo opportunity with the very first production Corvette off the Bowling Green line, the very last production Corvette from St. Louis, our heavily attended "A Touch of Class" meet and greet (invitation only), vendors, music, Road Tour, seminars, and even a cooking school are just a few of the activities, but let's not forget the fantastic display of Bowling Green built Corvettes beginning with historic #0001. And after all that, an evening of great food and live music! Did you hear???? NCH was given an Honorable mention by the Kentucky Travel Industry for Events in Kentucky this Summer. We told you this has been the best kept secret in Bowling Green so get the word out about this show to everyone you know. Don't forget the show dates: July 14 - 16, 2011 and remember it is Thursday through Saturday this year. Get your hotel reservations made and don't forget to mention that you are attending the National Corvette Homecoming Show. The First Annual Corvette Homecoming Golf Classic will be held at the: CrossWinds Golf Course Directly behind Holiday Inn and SloanConvention Center July 14th, 2011 Tee off will be at 8:00 am (cdst) Bring your own team or singles will be paired to form a 4 man team based on handicap, USGA rules will apply (except when local rules apply), All Participants will tee from yellow tees. Prizes for men & women's --longest drive, closest to the pin, etc. Entry Fee $50.00 per person and includes cart and tee package. Signup before July 10th. Prize money contingent on number of participants. First Place Team Questions please call Harold White at 270-799-0551. For secure online registration click here. Harold still has available tee times. We still have some open slots for Corvettes for the Iconic 30 ('84, '86, '89, '90, 2000, 2006, 2009). So please contact us today at joepruitt@corvettehomecoming.com to talk about displaying your car as one of the Iconic 30. See ya real soon! |
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Announcing a VERY FIRST! Well folks, it's all a matter of FIRSTS and LASTS! FIRST, I want to say that our 30th Anniversary Homecoming celebration has once again blossomed into the best show yet. Grand Marshal Lance Miller of Corvettes of Carlisle will be bringing the 1960 #3 LeMans winning Corvette, former Plant Manager Wil Cooksey and Homecoming founders Tom Hill (GM Engineer) and local businessman Sam Hall are all scheduled to appear. We've got more vendors, more registrations and more community interest than I can remember. But there's much more! Let's not forget the Corvette's cousin, the Cadillac XLR and we have over 50 Cadillac XLR's RSVP'd with more calling in. These unique two-seaters share much in common with the Corvette so the more the merrier! Immediately after last year's Homecoming, we began to organize this year's 30th event and came up with the idea of an iconic display of each and every year produced at the Bowling Green plant. 1981-2011. With few exceptions, our display is nearly complete but we still need a few 80's and '90's models to fill all our slots. Your Corvette doesn't have to be a show car, just a clean example of your model year. Contact us immediately so we can get your registration packets together. Remember, as an "Iconic 30" participant, you receive a complimentary car cover and $50 Gift Certificate from Corvette America, a shirt, plaque, tickets to our VIP Meet & Greet, admission for two for the weekend, and you will also have the privilege of participating in a very special occasion. It seems like just the other day when the very first production Corvette, a Beige over Dark Bronze two-tone, came off the new Bowling Green assembly line. There were celebrations and fanfare and it was truly a memorable event. But it's been a whole 30 years since then but Déjà vu. We are very proud to announce that leading off our 30 car display, will be the very FIRST production Corvette off the line at Bowling Green. VIN #00001 will be unveiled at our Meet & Greet and will be on display to celebrate its very own 30th Birthday. But not to be left out, for this very rare occasion only, we will also have the LAST Corvette off the St Louis assembly line as well! Both of these cars have no miles and look like they've been in a time capsule for all these years. Is this cool or what? But we're not done yet. During the event, these two historic "bookends" will be made available so you can have your Corvette professionally photographed with them for a once in a lifetime photo opportunity. As an Iconic 30 participant, you will receive a complimentary 4X6 photographed complete with Homecoming's 30th logo. Other sizes from print to poster may also be ordered and 20% of all proceeds will benefit our charities. But our 30th is also the beginning of more FIRSTS. We will have a terrific road tour Friday night which will fill the Kentucky hillsides with Corvettes and XLR's, then end up at Bowling Green's historic Town Square where local merchants and eateries will open their doors to you with specials galore. Live music with some of Bowling Green's finest performing on the square. A golf tournament is scheduled Thursday. And this year will be another first: a very unique and beautiful BEST OF SHOW AWARD presented by Quick Fuel Technologies. This awesome award is made from a huge 1050cfm DOUBLE PUMPER carburetor which is all chrome, polished and anodized. Move all your other awards over for this one folks! We are also happy to offer the interior experts of AL KNOCH who will again be on hand for all your upholstery and top needs. Last year Al's experts did everything from full interiors to convertible tops during the weekend for our guests. Why let someone learn on your car? No way! I'll let the guys who have done thousands of interiors do mine! Call ahead for reservations NOW! We are also extremely pleased to welcome Corvette America, Corvettes of Houston, Meguiar's, The GM Store, nostalgic memorabilia, artwork, jewelry, swapping, old parts, new parts, wheels, body parts, For Sale corral, photography and much, much more. Our vendor fleet grows by the year and this year is no exception. As always, we have extended invitations to all current plant employees and retirees as well so there should be plenty of memories and bench racing to go around. And remember, Corvette Homecoming supports several Corvette related charities including the Warren County Sheriff's "Reach for your Dreams" drug prevention program, the "Corvettes Conquer Cancer" cancer research program. The time is quickly approaching so don't hesitate any longer. Make your Homecoming reservation today.
Joe & Vera Pruitt |
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A Great Homecoming Planned For You! Before we know it, it will be time for the next National Corvette Homecoming!! And have we got a celebration planned for you!! It was way back in 1981 that a couple of Corvette plant employees thought it would fun to host a “homecoming” event here in Bowling Green. So what are we going to do for our 30th Birthday? Well, we think you are going to have the time of your life!! Thanks to many of your terrific suggestions, we are going to make some changes that we feel will enhance your Homecoming experience even more than before. First of all, we have moved the entire show up one day. Next year we will be opening the Convention Center on Thursday instead of Friday. And, in order to make the move in a bit more organized, we’ll be opening to vendors only from 7:00am until Noon. All vendor’s trailers and vehicles will then be removed and all indoor cars (Sans Pareil and Show & Shine classes) will be allowed to park and setup for the remainder of the day. What are you going to do in the meantime? We are hereby announcing the first annual, National Corvette Homecoming Golf Tournament!! The tournament will be held at Crosswinds Golf Course, located right next door to the Convention Center’s parking lot. The format is yet to be determined but rest assured we will accommodate twosomes, foursomes and mixed teams your choice. Bag tags and gifts with every registration, cash prizes and trophies for winners. Well folks, we told you this year was going to be one heck of a birthday party and we've been busy putting all the details together. Homecoming's 30th is a big one and one we share with the Corvette Assembly plant. This year we will offer a new Road Tour, GM new vehicle debut and one of our most anticipated events, a 30 year Corvette display, one for every year since the Corvette plant's opening and the very first Homecoming! Click here for the details on “The Iconic 30”. Last year we offered another first with our “Touch of Class” semi-formal Meet & Greet event where all of the event VIP’s and local celebrities are available. This event will be held Thursday evening and is an ”invitation only” event. All early registrations receive an invitation. Over 250 folks attended last year and with early registrations coming in as we speak, we look forward to an even larger event to celebrate our 30th. Dress nice and enjoy the chance to get up front and personal with our guests. Did someone say VIP? We want to welcome Lance Miller from Corvettes at Carlisle as this year’s Grand Marshal. Lance will be sharing some of his experiences including an inside look at the Carlisle event as well as his experiences helping his Dad, Corvette Hall of Fame inductee Chip Miller, organizer the Carlisle event, one of the best shows in the country. Lance may be bringing one of the Miller’s special Corvettes from their collection for display. We are also greatly pleased to invite our Corvette “cousins”, the Cadillac XLR group to attend our 30th and they have responded with great enthusiasm. We will have their notables, engineers, designers, etc on hand for some very unique and interesting seminars. We are looking forward to offering our Corvette hospitality to the XLR group, after all, we share much of the same heritage. On Friday we are honored to have a real expert talk about the XLR. His name is John Spencer. Don’t miss this informative discussion about these fantastic cars. We have been overwhelmed by the high number of XLR owners who will be attending the NCH this year. The more the merrier and we are glad to be your host. Click here if you want to display your XLR at our show!
1977 Graduate of Purdue University Engineering School 36 Year Veteran of General Motors Transferred to Bowling Green KY, Corvette Assembly Plant in 1982 Responsibilities have included Environmental Manager, Site Facilities Manager, Central Engineering Manager, Facilities Conversion Manager C4 to C5 Corvette, Manufacturing Engineering Superintendent, Production Superintendent, ***Vehicle Launch Manager Cadillac XLR, *** Vehicle Launch Manager C6 Corvette (Base, Convertible, Z06 and ZR1), Currently Manufacturing Integration Manager Current and Future Corvette Programs NCM HPDE Participant and Driving Instructor Live in Bowling Green with wife Kim John R. Spencer Other VIP’s have been invited including other notables in the Corvette hobby. The parade is scheduled for Friday night and we have a surprise for you in store. At the end of the parade we will be parking downtown in Bowling Green where you will have several restaurants and bars to choose from and two live music concerts in the parks. Many downtown merchants will be open offering discounts on food, drinks and merchandise. We will be doing our best to bring you the best Corvette Homecoming ever so mark your calendars today, and better yet, pre-register today and receive your invitation to “A Touch of Class”. Hurry, attendance will be limited. For those of you wondering what Homecoming is all about, or for those who are already attendees, we are proud to offer a broadcast quality 12 minute, DVD promotional video featuring past Homecomings and highlighting the various activities. To order, the cost is $5 via our online order form below, or send a check for $5 to NCH, 188 Crockett Dr, Bowling Green, KY, 42101. Joe & Vera Pruitt |
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John Spencer, Manufacturing Integration Manager, Current and Future Corvette Programs