By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | April 24, 2009
Driver Walt Ogden drives his 71 Stringray Corvette through a speed course in the Solano Community College parking lot Sunday. Photo by Adam Smith
VACAVILLE - To Corvette lovers, just driving the popular shark-like sports cars is wonderful.
Driving them very fast, roaring through the straightaways and growling through the curves of a twisty half-mile course, is even better.
'It is poor man's racing with a great sports car that has a lot of horsepower and great handling,' said Dan Barber, Corvette lover and member of the Vaca Valley Vettes Club.
Last weekend's two-day autocross gathering in Solano Community College's parking lot was a high point for Vaca Valley Vettes members who put their cars through racing paces and talked Corvettes with fellow enthusiasts.
'We have a large mix of six different clubs and some people who simply own a Corvette and want to race,' Vaca Valley Vettes Club President Pam Walter said.
More than 100 Corvettes spent each day racing through the course, some clocked finishing times of little more than half-a-minute. Corvettes driven off the street mingled with vintage Corvettes carefully modified for racing.
All the drivers were fitted with helmets and harnesses 'because without a full harness, you can get banged around,' Barber said.
Barber called the experience 'a pure adrenaline rush' when he got out on the track with his car during one of several 'runs' held during the day.
Everyone present shared in the work as well as the driving. Drivers who raced in one run then swapped to become announcers, course handlers and judges for the next run.
Club member Ken Albers calls the autocross an intense experience where the driver has to read the course quickly to avoid knocking down cones and receive deductions to his time score.
Vaca Valley Vettes and other area clubs have held all-Corvette autocrosses since 2006 in SCC's parking lot. The first year, more than 100 Corvettes showed up.
The main reason for clubs such as the Vaca Valley Vettes is 'to promote the Corvette and drive them,' said club secretary Mike Walter, who has both a 1974 and 2007 Corvette.
It has grown from eight Corvette enthusiasts in 1998 to about 90 members who gather to drive, race and talk.
The group does more than just enjoy their cars with dinner drives and autocross meets. They also offer a scholarship for high school graduates who are interested in studying automotive engineering.
See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.
