MONTHLY MEETING LOCATION

(1st wednesday of each month)

August 5th Location is 👇

6:30 PM - Board Meeting   /   7:30 PM General Club Meeting

Visitors are Welcome - come early, socialize, and enjoy dinner prior to the meeting

Watch your email and the calendar on the home page for info about meetings

Kim West 

I would like to thank everyone who brought a toy(s) for the Toy Drive supporting Cook’s Children’s Hospital. It was amazing to see so many toys. 

Other than being very hot, the 4th of July Parade was so much fun. Thanks to the West Cliff neighborhood and Carol Savage for invited CTV to participate. We enjoyed throwing candy and wishing everyone Happy 4th. There are lots of photos on the web site. 

The cruise to Clifton was a ton of fun. Thank you, Larry for being the cruise master and organizing. The theatre is so quant and unique. It was built in 1916. Check out the photos on the website of the theatre and car museum

Things are slowing down in August but gearing up in September and October. Get ready for the Fall Roundup, the Brazos River Corvette Show, and the Fall Scramble.

I’m happy to announce the CTV annual car show is happening on November 7th. The show will be at StreetSide Classics. Please be sure to read Derick’s email introducing himself and Crystal from July 5th. He also sent out an email inviting all to the first CS meeting. Derick is working on getting the show organized. This is a great committee to serve on. The show is a huge undertaking and there is something for everyone to help with it. Please contact Derick if you would like to be on the committee. 

Our hearts are heavy with the loss of Larry Curry. His dedication and love for CTV will be greatly missed. I will miss his smile and great stories. He did live a fun and interesting life. 

The newsletter will be taken care of by Doug McMahan until we can elect and new editor. Thank you Doug for stepping in.  I will take nominations at the August membership meeting. If you are interested or have questions, please contact me.

Kim West

President
kdcwest@sbcglobal.net

Lee Ann Parker

I have been hit hard from the passing of two dear friends in our CTV group. 

Bernyce was my mentor (she never would have accepted that job as she never gave me any pointers in Auto Cross) but she was just the same, I watched her and tried to beat her any chance I could. Most importantly she was my racing buddy. She was a very hard nut to crack but I was determined to get her to talk to me and eventually we became friends.  We were always trying to beat each other’s time. I knew if I did beat her when I would see her shaking her head after checking the timing board results.  Then she would turn it up and she would beat me the next autocross.  I have missed not having her race the past year. I will think of her often and miss her forever.  She made quite the impression on me.  She was truly one of a kind, and I am glad to be able to call her my friend.

Larry Currey, I will miss his smiling face and that sparkle in his eye. He was so onery and always up to something. He loved to tease me, and I loved that!  

He would be one of the first with a kind word of encouragement. 

But most of all I will miss seeing him on the starting line at an auto cross event, with his hat and head set on and with two points of his finger you knew it was time to start the race. I am glad to be able to call him my friend.

***

Now back to CTV Social business:

Wow what a great trip we had on Saturday July 11, 2026. We met at Cracker Barrel and Larry Schaapveld led us on a nice cruise to Clifton, TX where we watched F-1 the movie. The movie theater was beautiful, and the AC was cold, with some popcorn and other snacks we settle in to watch our private showing of the movie. After the movie we visited a local car museum, then headed to Meridian for dinner at the Cactus Grill before heading home.  Thank you, Larry, for organizing the wonderful cruise for us. We had 19 Corvettes and one metal car (Red’s corvette was in the shop). 35 CTV members and one guest and were joined by our Cen-Tex Corvette Club from Waco. 

A great time was had by all.  

Our Next social will be on Wednesday August 12, 2026. I am planning a get together for an early dinner in the middle of the week. Let’s meet at Kincaid’s Hamburger’s on Overton Ridge (near Hulen Mall). (extra parking in the lot across the street)  Let’s meet for an early dinner at 4:30 pm. Everyone can place their own food order, and we will have some reserved tables for us to eat and visit together for a while.  They have Great hamburgers and wonderful onion rings.  If you haven’t been in a while here’s your chance. 

Saturday September 19, 2026. 

We are planning a family picnic at Randy and Cathy Baker’s home on Eagle Mountain Lake. We will have two boats available to give rides on the lake.  We will have some yard game to play like corn hole and Ping Pong and more. Bring your lawn chairs. I will be ordering the main meat item/dish, I will be asking you to bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share with the group. More details to come as we get closer.

Save the date:

Mark your calendar for our Christmas party… December 5, 2026, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. I have reserved the Matador rooms at Pappasito’s Cantina in Fort Worth for our Christmas party. Yes, it is at noon, we are going to try a daytime even this year. It is centrally located close to Downtown Fort Worth off I-30 it has a wonderful parking lot for all our cars. Their Mexican food is delicious, and the drinks are cold. Please plan to join us for this event.  

(we will be collecting “Toy’s for Tots” again so be looking for a some unique and fun toys for the kids).

Lee Ann Parker

VP/Socials 

Norman Walker

Membership stands at 114 members!

It saddens me to report the loss of two Cowtown members, Bernyce Molenda and Larry Currey. Both will be sorely missed!

The next NCCC event will be the Freedom 250 Fundraiser in Brenham on July 25th. There will be two car shows and two rallyes. The flyer can be found here:http://www.ncccswregion.org/2026/SW-063-008.pdf

OCCC is hosting a 14-event autocross September 19 and 20; in Drumright, OK - the flyer can be found here http://ncccswregion.org/2026/SW-468-004.pdf. 

The next Cowtown Vettes event will be the next weekend, September 26 and 27. 

This 14 autocross event is scheduled to be held at Herman Clark Stadium parking lot. This is across the street from our previous location at TCCC. 

The flyer can be found here http://www.ncccswregion.org/2026/SW-540-Flyer-2026-AX.pdf 

The car show is back on. New member Derick Kneeland has volunteered to chair the car show committee.

Save the wave!                                                                                                                  

Norman Walker

CTV NCCC Governor

Vicki Currey

Please consider taking an active role in Cowtown Vettes in 2026.

CTV Secretary

Just a reminder, the Membership and Board minutes are located in the Members Only section on the CTV Website.

If you have any questions about the minutes, please feel free to contact me.

Timing Chair

If you are interested in learning timing for CTV’s autocrosses, come spend some time in the trailer and join in the excitement!

Vicki Currey
vfrostcurrey@live.com 

Steve Parker

Just a reminder, the Monthly reports are located in the Members Only section on the CTV Website.

If you have any questions about the reports... please feel free to contact me.

Steve Parker

stevenp1954@gmail.com 

Doug McMahan

With Larry's passing, we lost a great friend and a member that would step up for whatever needed done. I recall several years back, when I was looking for someone to take over as webmaster, we talked and Larry said I can do that and I'd like the challenge. He then stepped up as "starter" at the NCCC autocrosses. Then we moved the Low-Down to the web only, he stepped up to make that happen. He was the type that would say “Git-R-Done!” and he would. He was a great guy and he will be missed - cheers my friend, until we meet again! 

We lost another good friend just previous to Larry, Bernyce Molenda, the cousin of Sylvia Hoaldridge and a member of Cowtown. You've seen her at our NCCC events and with Syliva at some of the cruises.

Our monthly sideshows are focused around sharing photos & videos from Events, Socials, Member's Sharing their Corvette Activities, a few funny "Toons", Back in History, and various other Corvette happenings around the country. Please provide any submissions for the slideshow to me no later than noon, the Monday before the Membership Meetings.

If you have been working on or updating your Corvette with cool items of interest …or if you have taken a trip in your Corvette and have some photos or videos to share with membership, please send those to me and I’ll include them in the monthly slideshow.  Cowtown’s Microsoft O365 account allows us to use OneDrive, which makes it much easier for you to provide high-resolution photos from events for the web and/or monthly slideshow. If you would like to share photos, please take them in high-resolution; if not, they can’t be used on the meeting screen(s) since they would show grainy / blurry. Please contact me and I’ll provide you with more information and the OneDrive link to share your photos – basically use the highest resolution option you can set on your camera or smartphone.

When you receive a CTV-ALL eMail blast, we would request that you please only reply to the originator when you are replying to that email. When you opt to reply, simply select Reply on the email, then remove the CTV-All entry and replace it with the email address of the originator. If you are sending CTV-ALL emails, please include your email address in the body of the email so you have that address handy.

If you are not receiving CTV-ALL emails, please get with me so we can either add you or figure out why you aren’t receiving them.

If you change your email or home address, Corvette, or other info – please drop an email to ann.walker@charter.net and myself, to get you updated on the eMail distribution lists.

More information on email distribution lists and the acceptable use of them can be found on our website.

Facebook – if you are on Facebook and not a “friend” of Cowtown Vettes, members cannot include you in tags at events; these tags show your non-club member friends all the fun we are having. Who knows, maybe some of you are in the witness protection program and don’t want to be tagged 🤣 If you are posting, be sure to tag Cowtown Vettes so it appears on our Facebook news feed.

Doug McMahan
Digital / Social Media Chairperson
macsvettes@gmail.com  

Bernyce Molenda

Ann Walker

NEW MEMBERS

VISITORS

CHRIS COBB

The calendar below provides details for meetings, socials, competitive events, car shows, etc. ...and of course Holidays. You can advance forward or backward on the calendar to any month. As events are scheduled, they will be added with details.

14 Low-Speed NCCC Autocrosses - in memory of Larry & Sylvia Hoaldridge

Thanks to Carol Savage for promoting this event each year.

Thanks to Larry Schaapveld for planning and leading the cruise. 

He also arranged for the CenTex Corvette Club to join us for the day

Member's volunteering to work a Christmas in July Part for the kids @ Cook Children's - an annual event - see the Charity article for more information.

Derick Kneeland

Mark Your Calendars – The Cowtown Vettes Car Show is Coming to Streetside Classics!

The excitement is already building for one of our favorite events of the year! We are thrilled to announce that the Cowtown Vettes Car Show will be held on Saturday, November 7, at the incredible Streetside Classics showroom in Arlington.

This year's show promises to be a fantastic day filled with beautiful Corvettes, amazing specialty vehicles, exciting raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow car enthusiasts. Whether you're entering your Corvette, showing off another special vehicle, or simply coming out to enjoy the day, there will be something for everyone. As many of you know, a successful car show doesn't happen overnight. Planning is already underway, and we're looking forward to making this year's event one of the best Cowtown Vettes has ever hosted. Streetside Classics provides an outstanding venue that perfectly showcases the quality and passion our members bring to the Corvette community.

For those I haven't had the opportunity to meet yet, my name is Derick Kneeland and my wife is Crystal Kneeland. While we, are new to the Cowtown Vettes family, we're not new to organizing and hosting car shows. I'm excited to work alongside such a great group of members and help make this year's event something we can all be proud of. We are not in the club directory yet so If you need or want to contact me my email is Kneeland_dc@yahoo.com

As we get closer to November, we'll be sharing more details about registration, awards, event activities, sponsors, and other exciting announcements. Be sure to watch future newsletters, club emails, and our social media pages so you don't miss any updates.

Whether you're a longtime member or recently joined the club, we hope you'll plan to spend the day with us on Saturday, November 7. It's going to be a great opportunity to celebrate our passion for Corvettes, enjoy time with friends, and introduce new enthusiasts to everything that makes Cowtown Vettes such a special organization.

We can't wait to see everyone at Streetside Classics this November. Mark your calendars now—we're looking forward to another unforgettable Cowtown Vettes Car Show!

Derick Kneeland

Car Show Chairperson 

Kneeland_dc@yahoo.com

Robert Geyer

Hello cruisers, 

Well in case you haven't been outside in the last few days, it's hot out there! 😜 Because of the heat I generally do not plan any cruises for July or August.  However I want to thank Larry Schaapveld for putting together the cruise to and movie in Clifton. He had a great turnout and I believe all had a good time. 

With no planned cruises for August, this would be a great time to explore the countryside on your own and collect as many Cruiser points as possible.  Also don't forget to take that perfect picture of your prized Vette for the 'what I saw along the way'  photo contest at the end of the year.

On a  more somber note, I want to recognize both Larry and Vicky Currey for all of their contributions to our club and especially to our Cruiser program.  Their input and help will be missed by all and especially by me. Larry was a great traveler and fun to be with. Together they made every trip special. Larry's laughter and contagious smile will be missed.

Robert Geyer

Your Cruiser Chairperson 

geyerdrill@aol.com 

RIP Larry Currey - you will be missed!

Doug McMahan (interim)

Larry did an awesome job of transitioning the print format Cowtown Low-Down into the digital web online issue. 

As interim editor, I was asked and volunteered to publish the Low-Down. I will start with the format he was utilizing, until we have a new elected Editor.

Our Cowtown Bylaws' process of filling the "Elected position" of Low-Down Editor will start with nominations to be taken at the August Membership Meeting; followed by an election in September.

Starting in October, nominations for the 2027 year will be taken. If you are interested and aren't ready to take on the Low-Down Editor position now, think about it for 2027.

To better serve as your interim Editor, I would like to request pictures, articles, etc. Share what would YOU like to see in the monthly Low-Down newsletter?

Doug McMahan

Low-Down Editor (interim)

macsvettes@gmail.com 

Corvette Racing is having a stellar 2026 season

Corvette Racing is having a stellar 2026 season with major victories in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Highlights include a historic LMGT3 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and back-to-back WEC wins.

24 Hours of Le Mans (June 13–14): The No. 33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R driven by Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg, and Jonny Edgar won the LMGT3 class. Despite starting 17th and overcoming an early suspension issue, they surged to secure Corvette’s landmark 10th class win at the legendary French endurance race.

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC): Corvette secured consecutive LMGT3 victories in South America. First, the No. 33 TF Sport team conquered Le Mans, and a month later, the No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette won the Six Hours of São Paulo on July 12.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: During the July 10–12 weekend at the Chevrolet Grand Prix in Canada, the No. 4 Corvette (by Pratt Miller Motorsports) finished fourth in the GTD PRO class. This result maintained Chevrolet's strong position atop the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship standings.

James Swaringen 

Hope everyone is enjoying the new website.  Please let me know if you see any updates or corrections needed.

• • • Remember, we have Classified Ads. There are a few items there for a few days.

    • Document and video describing how to find areas of our new website at  https://www.cowtownvettes.org/about#h.2ko3on5z3v5f

    • After an event, you will find a link to a Google Photo Album on the home page

    • If you have any good pictures you want to add, please email them to webmaster@cowtownvettes.org

    • From the album, you can download photos to keep in your personal photo collections

Also, make sure to follow our Facebook page and like the posts and events.       https://www.facebook.com/cowtownvettes 

James Swaringen - CTV Webmaster 

james@swaringen.us - cell:  817-832-9812

2027 Corvette Orders / Constraints

GM began accepting new 2027 Corvette orders again on Thursday, July 9th and the window will then close on Tuesday, July 14th. This is the fifth order cycle for the 2027 Corvette model year, and it features all six Corvette models now from Stingray to ZR1X – including both Grand Sport and Grand Sport X.

One interesting point about this report is that it gives us an idea of the nature of the constraint. All the Carbon fiber aero is listed as a Model Year Supplier Restriction which is a planned limitation for the model year while the non-aero constraints like the Coupe Engine Appearance Package are caused by a unplanned real-time shortage of that part.

Speaking of the Engine Appearance Packages, there must have been something that really impacted the supplier’s production as they have mostly been unavailable for ordering on a 2027 Corvette. The ZR1 and ZR1X are the only models that do not have a constraint on the B6P Engine Appearance Package, but both models are showing shortages of the Torch Red and Edge Red Brake Calipers. It’s good to see that that they are now just restricting a couple of caliper colors instead of constraining all J59 brake systems.

Read More about production and the contraints

C8 Production Share Breakdown

• Stingray: 42.5% (719 units)

• Grand Sport: 34.9% (590 units)

• Z06: 14.2% (241 units)

• ZR1: 5.3% (91 units)

• ZR1X: 2.8% (48 units)

Have you realized: the 1996 Grand Sport (nicknamed the skunk) is 30 years old, this year?

Below you can find 0-60 second acceleration side-by-side videos for a C8 Grand Sport, ZR1 and E-Ray

Mary Pittman

Do you belong to the National Corvette Museum? The museum is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky just across the street from the GM Assembly Plant where Corvettes are built. The mission of the museum is “to educate worldwide audiences on the evolution of the Corvette -America’s Sport Car- through collection, preservation, and celebration of its legacy”.

The museum hosts a variety of permanent exhibits as well as special rotating exhibits such as the Red, White and Corvette exhibit which celebrates the legacy of the Corvette as America marks 250 years of independence.

The museum facilitates General Motors Assembly Plant Tours and provides volunteers to assist with these tours. Plant tours are only available on select dates. Information can be found on the NCM website.

The most exciting happening on the NCM campus is the building of the new Collections Facility. The new facility will significantly increase the museum’s ability to their ability to store and exhibit their growing collection of Corvette and Corvette memorabilia. The building is scheduled to be finished in the Fall of 2026.

Check out the museum’s website for all they have to offer including not only exhibits, events, NCM Motor Sport Park, Museum in Motion, car insurance and more.

Mary Pittman, NCM Ambassador

Click to visit the National Corvette Museum website

James Swaringen

We’ve got two exciting events lined up this fall. I hope you’ll join us, either as a participant or a volunteer.

Fall AX - Sept 26-27 *May change  (14 sanctions)

consisting of 14 low-speed autocrosses between Saturday and Sunday. 

LOCATION:  Herman Clark Stadium (FWISD) (5201 Ca Roberson Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76119)

There is a possibility that the location will change.  See www.cowtownvettes.org for updates

EVENT DETAILS:   September 26-27, 2026

■ 6:00 AM - Track setup will be on Saturday before the event and taken down on Sunday after.  We can use your Help

■ 7:30 AM - Safety tech and on-site registration

■ 8:30 AM - Drivers meeting - parade lap, then will start racing

For More Information:   FLYER     ONLINE REGISTRATION     VOLUNTEER TO HELP

Fall Scramble - October 17 (7 sanctions)

1-day event featuring 7 Funkhanas of Valve Cover Races.  Potential 70 NCCC points for all events.

LOCATION:  Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews  (6770 Fossil Bluff Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76137)  

EVENT DETAILS:  Saturday, October 17, 2026.

■     8:00 AM - Setup, Tech, and on-site registration

■     8:30 AM - Drivers Meeting

For More Information:   FLYER     ONLINE REGISTRATION VOLUNTEER TO HELP

James Swaringen

ncccevents@cowtownvettes.org - cell:  817-832-9812

Watch how fun Autocrossing can be.

Donna Forsythe

Hello and welcome to the Logo Merchandise store.

There are lots of great things for sale with the Cowtown logo on them:

Caps.Visors, Sweatshirts, Long Sleeve T-shirts, Short Sleeve T-shirts, Men’s & Women’s Long Sleeve Denim Shirts, Polo shirts Name Tags

(Please note that on all shirt orders, 2XL and up sizes are slightly higher)

If you want your name added to your shirt, Or a Cowtown logo or a certain year Corvette added to your shirt.

We also have stickers, patches and koozies

So stop by the Logo table before and after the meeting to place your order.

You’ll get your order by the next meeting.

Donna Forsythe CTV Logo Mechandise
dforsythe817@gmail.com 

Mary Pittman

April 2026 At our membership meeting on April 8th Cowtown Vettes celebrated 52 years of existence! 

In April of 1974 a group of people met together to enjoy their shared passion for America’s sports car. The only one of that original group that is still active today with CTV is Jerry Lindsey. 

The group which started with about 20 members grew to sometimes over 200 members… as with all things that changed after 2020 and the Covid Pandemic, our numbers are not as large as they once were, but we are still going strong. We have a variety of activities hoping to provide the proverbial “something for everyone”. 

In addition to our monthly business meeting we have NCCC events…ie autocross and drag racing and scrambles, car shows, cruising..ie seeing the countryside in our Corvette, charity events, and socials. 

Come out and enjoy our history and our future. “We came for the cars, but we stay for the people” 

Mary Pittman

Historian

Barb Greenfeder

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ABOUT COWTOWN?

COME TO COWTOWN 101 FOR  ANSWERS!!

COWTOWN 101 will be held August 5, at Mercado Juarez Cafe  (before our Club Meeting) from 6:15 until 7:00 pm. You’ll be asked about what you are interested in getting out of Cowtown as well.  You probably don’t know all the opportunities the Club, the Southwest NCCC Region and the National Council of Corvette Clubs offer. There will be handouts for you to take home to refer to.  We will be ready to help our new and prospective members.  Join us!

Look for the COWTOWN 101 table when you arrive, it will be quieter so we can share information and answer your questions better.  We are looking forward to learning what your interests are!

Barb Greenfeder, Welcome to Cowtown Chair

817-917-0975 - barbc567@gmail.com 

THE END