As both a participant and a Show Chairman for both judged and participants choice Corvette shows, the clean and shine shows are always more challenging. Think about it... There are usually 150+ beautiful Corvettes competing for a few trophies. Some are obviously better prepped than others in terms of cleanliness, etc., some have more mods (if there is no modded category) than others which provide a different initial impact to the judges, and even where the car is parked compared to others can have an impact.

I had a similar issue effect me at a couple clean and shine shows over the years. On both occasions, judges came back because is was my car vs. another car for the final slot. I lost the first one (C5 convertible) because I had a smear of wax near my rear view tail light that I didn't polish off. I lost the second one (C7 Z06 Coupe) after the judge asked me to move my driver's seat forward. When I did there were two small leaves (from the tree I was parked under at the show) behind my seat. I guess I could have argued that the other car I was being judged against were not parked under trees but why?! It's only a car show and I already have enough trophies in the garage that will end up in a garbage can after I'm 6' under ground.

When it comes to clean and shine shows, the judges are really looking for ways to judge you out of the competition vs. judging you in to an award and it's a tough job to pick only a few winners.

 

I go to car shows just to check out all the different type of autos. My Z is just a plain ole street beast not to be mistaken for a beauty queen. lol.

 

I don’t allow anyone to judge my car. I usually only enter to assure a good parking spot.
This is the result of an incident over 30 years ago when a NCRS national judge found original
items on my car that were missing on his. Needless to say, he scored higher on his car then mine.
Now if I bother at all, I just pay the entry fee for ez parking.
Not interested in anybody else and what they think of my car.

 

That's one of the reasons I enjoy modifying and personalizing my Corvettes. In looking back at the various Corvette shows I have attending and participated in, it's usually the NCRS garage queen owners that have most of the issues at judged shows. I remember one show where my modified 2004 C5 convertible was parked next to a 03' Anniversary Edition convertible and before I even got a chance to say hello to the owner, she ran off to a judge, pulled them over to our parked cars, and questioned why my car was being judged in the same category as her car. "Nice to meet you...."

I like to go to Corvette shows to see other Corvettes since I see mine every day so I walk around and don't usually camp out next to mine the entire show. Shows are also a good excuse for me to give the car a good detail a few times per year and since most of them donate proceeds to a worthwhile cause, I don't mind paying the registration fee and getting another t-shirt to add to my collection. Trophies are nice, but it's more about seeing other Corvettes, cars, and meeting other people. If I want to see only stock, I will go to a dealership. Corvette shows are where you can see some really nice custom work.

 

When I showed my '98 Valkyrie in '99 - 2004 the judges at Americade at Lake George N.Y went on their hands and knees with white gloves feeling under the motorcycles fenders and under the engines for dirt.
Rich

 

This past weekend in Ocean City, MD, was Corvette weekend, I managed to snag the First Place award in C7's. The host club, Free State Corvette Club, changed their voting criteria in the 3 fun shows, which really changed how folks won anything, usually the club with the most participants received a good bit of the awards, but not this year, some disappointed folks from one large club garnered a few.

You could only vote for one car in each generation and one in a modified catagory.
You could not vote for yourself, and the one that hurt the big clubs, you could not vote for another car in your club. The vote tabulation software was set up to identify who voted for what, no loop holes, very refreshing to not see the good ol' boys crowd walk away with anything.............

My particulat club beat out the usual club favorite this year for most registered participants, and we won the Spirit Award.

 

I love it !!

 

I stopped entering in judged events when I learned just how arbitrary the judging really is. Do it for fun, or don't do it at all. It's not worth the stressing over if you don't win. Most awards are just dust catchers anyway.

 

When judging....I always try to find the "New Guy" in the "Hobby"...and make sure he/she gets something regardless. It means a lot to the "newbies"...they are the future of the hobby that will continue the love ,affection and comradery that we have developed over the decades following and pushing our favorite car: America's "Only True Sports Car"!!

When ever my wife and other members wander into a Walgreens or other store that has the Model Corvettes on the end caps...we always buy a few and hand them out to the kids that come to the shows with their parents. You never know...you just might plant that "Seed" that last a lifetime.

As I often say " If you park your car...and don't look back and smile...you probably bought the wrong car....

 

My neck always hurts !! Been treated for whiplash numerous times.
Rich

 

Guess why I quit messing with the things decades ago. They just cannot be taken seriously.

 

No hate / disrespect but when i see car showing I'm thinking I’m gonna see a built C7 win not a stock one.

 

I go to have fun and hang out with people that have the same interest in Corvettes and cars as I do. All the local shows in my area have two classes, and some have three. Stock, Modified and occasionally Custom. I normally don't even have mine judged mainly because I don't want any trophies any longer. Even when I did, I did not get upset if I came home without one. If you are going to attend car shows go for the fun and if you win, great. I get more out of the people walking around and checking my car out and talking about it or even taking picture. Of course, all this was based on my C6, as I have only had my C7 for about 4 weeks and it is a bone stock '15 3LT Velocity Yellow, while my C6 was a 2007 3LT and modified.


New C7

 

It's always a roll of the dice at these judged shows. One that sticks out in my mind was a local show hosted by a Corvette club....the club's members were the judges & their cars were entered in the show too, you can imagine how that show turned out

 

My club, started in 1970, has an annual all car show for our charity, club member's cars are on display only with DO NOT JUDGE placards prominently displayed. Judging results are fair and it seems to work well.

 

We run the DO NOT JUDGE cards too. I just consider it a donation to some worthy cause.

I've had the inside lip of the fenders inspected, inside of gas door, and other ridiculous places to get past a tie breaker!

ELmer

 

ChiefBoats I was at that event this weekend too. My C7 was in the modified class. I didn't even both going to the awards ceramony as my car isn't reallty a show car and is rarely clean enough to ever go to a show. Haha

What car was yours? I voted for the Carbon 65 C7 in that class to be honest.

This was my car in the modified class. Odd that there were only 10 cars in the modified class from every generation of Corvettes.

 

We have done a special show for many years on the Pier in St. Petersburg and then when it closed in the park at the entrance to the pier until the city just started charging too much for the park. Our cars were never at the pier and that was due to space limits, but in the park, they were display only because we did the judging, and we knew there would be issue if we had our cars in competition with everyone else. This coming show, we will have a car show promoter doing everything including using his judges, but we worked it out with him that we will be in the show with our cars, and besides his judges doing all the judging we will pay extra for a set of trophies just for our members that way there will be no real question on are cars winning and taking trophies from other show cars.

 

NCRS. Nothing else really matters.

 

NCRS. Nothing else really matters.