Feb 13, 2018, 00:00 AM by Paul Immediato

Most guests who show a car at Carlisle have the need for speed, though many choose to simply show rather than go. There are a select few; however, that like to do both. At this year’s Corvettes at Carlisle, presented by Corvette America, Carlisle Events and the Cumberland Valley Corvette Club are joining forces to offer a safe, yet competitive outlet for those who have the “drive” to go fast.

The event itself runs August 23-26, 2018 and welcomes over 5,000 Corvettes spanning every generation of the brand. Of course, only a hand full of those speed machines will hit the track, but for those that do, it’ll be a new and improved experience.

Autocross is sponsored by Lingenfelter Performance and supported by the Cumberland Valley Corvette Club in 2018. In past years, Autocross was a few days of driving the course for a $20 fee and logging times. It was an effective way to test a driver’s skill and push the car to extremes, but with fun and competition in mind, some tweaks have been made.

All-New this year, Friday and Saturday morning will host practice and qualifying sessions, with mid-morning Saturday hosting the competition itself. It’s open to all registered Fun Field guests and the $20 fee remains.
With times gleaned from the practice/qualifying laps, the top 8 cars will return for the championship round. In bracket form, 8 becomes 4, 4 becomes 2 and then those 2 will compete until there’s a clear-cut King of Auto-X! The winner and their Corvette will be recognized on the stage later in the day and be awarded a prize pack, including $1,000 CASH via Lingenfelter Performance. All of the honors take place as part of the Saturday stage activities which help wrap the on-site fun.

“Corvettes get better and better each year,” noted event manager and co-owner of Carlisle Events Lance Miller. “They accelerate quicker, stop on a dime and handle like a million-dollar exotic. The demand to drive your Corvette to the limit continues to grow and we at Corvettes at Carlisle understand this,” continued Miller. “That’s why we incorporated the autocross. In fact, new this year we’ll have more of a competition associated with autocross happening Friday and Saturday. It’s a competition, it’s for fun and best of all, it sponsored by Lingenfelter Performance and supported by our friends at the CVCC! Not only is it fun to do but it’s fun to watch – we’re excited to add the shootout to the schedule and look forward to seeing more Corvettes on the track than ever before!”

Registration for the 2018 event is now open as is the ability to buy single day tickets. Complete info on both can be found at CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.