’65 Corvette owner earns National Top Flight award

By Detroit Steel - October 9, 2014

Jay Kirn text

I think it’s safe to say that Jay Kirn of Perryville, Missouri is feeling like a winner — and rightfully so. The auto body shop owner is also the proud owner of a 1965 Corvette, which was recently recognized by the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) with a National Top Flight award and a Bloomington Gold Corvette award.

I guess you could say those three years Jay spent tediously working on his baby have really paid off.

Now, in case you didn’t know, a National Top Flight award doesn’t come easy. Created by the NCRS in 1974, cars must go through an extremely tough judging process on everything from the car’s exterior restoration to the chassis in order to earn the coveted Corvette credential. In fact, anything under 93 percent of 4,500 available points won’t make the cut.

To date, only 14,508 have earned the “NCRS Top Flight” recognition in the 40 years or so the award has been around. That, my friends, is pretty exclusive company.

Jay: I’m sure I join everyone here at Corvette Forum in saying, “Congrats and well done.”