[V8Vairs] DEI Car Show, The Championship (long)

[Rick & Janet Norris]

Well sportsfans,

In the return to DEI with the V8 Vair we did not win, but what a great week
end! The weather in North Carolina could not have been better. We went down
for the Saturday show on Friday, taking out time and enjoying the drive
through the mountains. Bright blue skies and cool temps. Saturday morning we,
along with a lot of other contestants were lined up along the road at Dale
Earnhardt Incorporated race shops, just outside of Mooresville. At eight sharp
the gate was opened and in we went. There were a lot of closed trailers (All
the Vettes) and one really big rig! It is always a hoot to watch people when
they see the Corvair. Most recognize it as such but they aren't certain. Then
when I fired it up everyone was looking! You have to imagine the concrete
canyon behind Dale Jr.'s shop with a high concrete wall all around the
compound. It makes for some great acoustics!
We got the car to our assigned spot in the far corner in front of Juniors
building and set up our area. All I really had to do was wipe it down, open
all the panels and sit back while the guys with the blackest of black cars
were cleaning on them all day. I had to thank my wife again for convincing me
to paint it white!
This show was for all the people who had won in their class from all the shows
during the summer. We had won in the Late Models show in the Modified class.
The other classes were Restored and Original.
Needless to say, these were some very nice cars.
To top it all off the Grand Marshall was Chuck Hanson, the tall dark haired
one from Horse Power TV. He was the Grand Marshall for the earlier show for
Chevelle's. Chuck cane around to all the cars for photo ops and talk. He
really liked the Vair and especially the way I hid my CD player behind the
fold down front stock radio face plate. He took a bunch of pictures of it. He
really is a cool car guy just like you see on the tube.
Of course we all got to eat lunch in the four A rated Trophy Room restaurant
at DEI. The winners however got to come back for the Championship banquet
later that evening. We, on the other hand at Burgler Kink!
One contestant, however would have won our Corvair Convention hard luck award.
He was an unfortunate Corvette owner with a real nice enclosed trailer pulled
by an equally nice big SUV all the way from Chicago. I sat unfortunate because
he had left the keys to the late model Vette back home in Chicago! They tried
everything short of breaking the glass to no Avail. No Local dealers had any
blanks! He loaded up and headed back home. I can't even imagine what a
disappointment that had to be. I think I would have stopped at the first bar I
came to!
We returned home today (Sunday) with no trophy but a fine experience to close
out a great car show season. On the way back we had one little scare. The
first big hill you have to climb is at the foot of the Virginia/North Carolina
state line. It's called Fancy Gap Mountain, a long, steep and windy grade. All
was going well until about the last quarter mile. The Big Red Dodge was
hunkered down and roaring up the hill when I see a big fog of smoke behind me.
It looked like something on my truck let go but she was still pulling hard and
no gauges were in the red. It turned out to be a leak in my tranny which was
being blown on to the hot exhaust pipe by the high gusty winds. Just a small
amount of ATF will make a LOT of smoke!
I kept a check on the level but all was okay. Whatta week end!

Rick Norris
First President CORSA 1971
Email rickjanet@charter.net
Web Site http://webpages.charter.net/corvairalley
V8 Vairs Web Site http://www.v8vairs.com