Corvettes rendezvous in Whitefish

Rain and clouds blocked the shine for

the Corvette Show and Shine on Saturday morning, but the steady

drizzle wasn’t enough to keep hundreds of sports-car fanatics

indoors.

An estimated 120 Corvettes from as far

away as southern California converged in Whitefish last weekend for

the 40th annual Big Sky Corvette meet and convention. Models from

the 1950s to the 2000s were parked along Central Avenue from First

Street to Depot Park as the public was welcomed to mingle with the

owners.

Steve Stevens and Dave Bratt took a

week to drive 1,700 miles from California to attend the event. The

duo followed only two-lane roads the entire way to avoid the

Interstate.

They went to the Corvette convention in

Great Falls last year and plan to attend others in Oregon later

this summer.

“They’re like vacations for us,”

Stevens said.

Whitefish was a great choice for the

convention, he said, because smaller towns seem to take notice and

appreciate the club’s presence more than larger cities.

Stevens drives a red 2002 Corvette that

he calls a “California car” because it mostly stays inside a garage

unless the weather is nice — except for this rainy trip, of

course.

Bratt drove his silver 2005 C6 up from

California. He also owns a 2002 model.

“If I had a bigger garage I’d have even

more Corvettes,” Bratt joked.

He said the 2000 models are his

favorite because of their smooth ride and comfort, although if he

could have an early model he’d go for a vintage 1964.

Dave and Suzette Keller came over from

Whidbey Island, Wash. to attend their second convention. The

Kellers are a Corvette family, Dave says.

He drives a candy-apple red 2006 C6,

Suzette has a 1999 convertible and their daughter has a 2003 50th

anniversary Z06. They all get together and go driving on most

Sundays.

Dave is drawn to Corvettes because it’s

“America’s sports car.”

“You can spend $200,000 on a

Lamborghini or get a Corvette that’s just as nice for a lot less,”

he said.

The couple enjoys coming to conventions

for the social aspect.

“We meet new friends every time we go

to a show,” Dave said.

They brought Dave’s 2006 Corvette to

Whitefish, which Suzette says has “more power than a normal person

needs.”

Dave wouldn’t go on record for his top

speed, but notes that the manufacture says it will go 198 mph.

“It sends 505 [horsepower] to the rear

wheels,” he said.

It’s actually a nice car for road

trips, he noted, with the gas mileage coming in at 30 mpg — if he

keeps it at 75 mph.

“It’ tough to keep the pedal steady

though,” he joked.

The three-day convention included the

Show and Shine downtown and a “Funkhana” at Grouse Mountain Lodge

on Saturday. An autocross was held at Raceway Park on Sunday.