Even on a slower day, this video shows the stunning scope of Corvettes at Carlisle 2018.
Each year, thousands of Chevrolet Corvette coupes and convertibles from every generation flock to Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the event known simply as Corvettes at Carlisle. With its location, this event is a long trip for folks on the west coast of the United States, but many people come from far away to behold this stunning spread of Chevy sports cars.
If you have never been to a Corvettes at Carlisle event and you are wondering whether or not it is worth the trip, you are in luck. This video from the CarSmartsTV YouTube channel offers a great look at what a Carlisle event entails, even on the day that has the smallest crowd and the fewest cars. Granted, this clip shows only a handful of the thousands of cars on hand, but watch the video and multiply what you see by a thousand or so, and that is how big Corvettes at Carlisle is each year.
Right to the Action
The video begins with Steve Saffier from CartSmartsTV explaining that he and his camera have come to Corvettes at Carlisle 2018 on Thursday. He points out that traffic is light and during the video, we can see that cars are getting tucked into the spots where they will be on display for the next few days, but even during move-in-day, this event is massive.
The Walk-Around
There is no information provided in this video, nor is there any sort of narration while the camera moves from car to car. It is literally six-straight minutes of different Corvettes from Carlisle 2018. This includes flawlessly restored classics and restomods with late model engines, as well as plenty of late model Corvettes showing off the latest high performance technology.
In the course of the video, we get to see stock and modified cars from every generation of the legendary Chevy sports car. As mentioned above, this is only a tiny portion of the show, so if you love the Corvette, this is an event that you absolutely must attend at some point. It is four days of Corvette-themed activities, including the sprawling car show and a gigantic swap meet area with parts from every generation.
At the end of the video, Steve points out that even on the lightest day of the event, one day isn’t enough to see everything. He recommends at least two days, but most people who have been to Carlisle will tell you that it is best to make a weekend of it and come out to the fairgrounds each day of the event.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
