2013 Corvette on auction at Barrett-Jackson Saturday; sale benefits Drive to End Hunger

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The first Corvette 427 Convertible offered to the public will go to the highest bidder at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction on Saturday, Jan. 21. Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports, including team owner Rick Hendrick and four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, are teaming up for the auction of the car. Proceeds from the sale will benefit AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger initiative.

The Corvette 427, which was issued in celebration of the model’s 60^th anniversary, is being considered the fastest and most capable convertible ever created. Fans can watch the bidding live Saturday starting at 4 p.m. ET on SPEED. 

A combination of the original convertible model and the Corvette z06, the Corvette 427 currently does not have a suggested retail price, but United States dealerships plan to offer the car this summer. The vehicle combines luxury with speed. Its 427-cubic-inch engine is capable of 505 horsepower and can achieve a top speed of 190 mph. In performance testing, the Corvette can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds – that’s a 7.2-second improvement on the first Corvette released in 1953. 

Proceeds from the sale of the collector’s edition of the Corvette 427 Convertible will benefit the Drive to End Hunger, Gordon’s primary partner in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The food relief program generates support and awareness about the nearly 9 million Americans over age 50 who face the threat of hunger daily. Click here for more information.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Aug. 3, 2011 – A $250,000 sponsorship agreement with Hendrick Automotive Group will allow Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to offer a complete program of middle school sports for the 2011-12 academic year.

Due to budget cuts, CMS had expected to reduce the number of middle school sports offered in previous years. The Hendrick sponsorship, combined with a contribution from an unidentified donor, provides the remaining amount necessary to fund the full lineup of 13 sports at all 32 middle schools for more than 6,500 students participating in athletics across the district.

“We believe that sports play a crucial role in students’ education and development,” said CMS interim superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh. “Hendrick Automotive Group’s generous support is a great example of how the support of local businesses can make an enormous difference in the lives of children.”

The sponsorship agreement designates HendrickCars.com as an official sponsor of CMS athletics, which offers opportunities for more than 16,000 middle and high school students.

The agreement gives the company naming rights of statistics announced during breaks at high school athletic events; recognition as a title partner in announcements at the end of high school events; and signage that will be displayed at middle and high school athletic events. CMS and Hendrick Automotive Group will explore options for additional promotions, and the arrangement will not change any existing partnership agreements between individual schools’ booster clubs and other organizations.

CMS will use the sponsorship money to help pay coaching stipends, fees for officials and transportation costs for middle school athletics. Students must still pay some sports-participation fees, introduced by CMS for all middle and high school student-athletes last year.

“As someone who participated in sports growing up and has kids who played, I understand the impact those experiences can have on young people,” said Rick Hendrick, chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group.

“The lessons athletics teaches – teamwork, communication, leadership, dedication – are valuable, and they’re carried forward into life and business. We feel this sponsorship fits with our company values, and we’re proud to be associated with everyone who makes it possible for these student-athletes to be successful.”

CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 4, 2011) – Ray Evernham Enterprises (REE) has been retained to consult for the Hendrick Companies, a management company formed in 2005 to oversee strategic initiatives for chairman Rick Hendrick.

Founded in 2008 by successful auto racing crew chief, team owner and broadcaster Ray Evernham, REE will consult on special projects related to Hendrick’s core businesses. In that role, REE’s initial focus will be development of the Hendrick Performance retail brand of high-performance parts, vehicles, products and related services.

“Hendrick Performance parts and cars will have a racing pedigree, and Ray is someone who will help ensure that on behalf of our customers and dealers,” Hendrick said. “He’s assembled a terrific group of people at REE, and I see a lot of opportunities for them to be a valuable resource for our organization on projects like this. I know the kind of high standards Ray sets.”

With Hendrick as car owner, Evernham won three NASCAR Cup championships in the 1990s as crew chief for driver Jeff Gordon. He left the Hendrick organization in 1999 to found his own team, Evernham Motorsports, and most recently was a television analyst for ESPN.

“Rick and I have had many conversations over the years about our passion projects, and there’s so much crossover with what we enjoy working on,” said Evernham, 53, CEO of Ray Evernham Enterprises. “We both sense an opportunity to do some unique things, whether it’s with performance parts and cars, his dealership business (Hendrick Automotive Group) or other ways to build the Hendrick brand.”

Ray Evernham Enterprises is based in Mooresville, N.C. For more information, visit www.RayEvernham.com.

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Duo pulls off record time to win Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 29, 2010) – Robert Marock and Scott Vester won the Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown last Wednesday by building their Chevrolet R07 engine in record time. The duo assembled their engine in just 21 minutes and 19 seconds, shattering the 2009 championship time of 22 minutes and 57 seconds. Kurk Lowry, a nine-year veteran from Superior Lexus, and Mike Maiwald, from Hendrick Motorsports, trailed the Marock-Vester team by a little more than two minutes and finished second in the competition.

The event was created nine years ago as a way for Rick Hendrick to recognize the talents of his engine employees within Hendrick Motorsports and the Hendrick Automotive Group. The late Randy Dorton, a legendary engine builder, was instrumental in the development of the competition, which couples 12 individuals from Hendrick Motorsports with 12 individuals from HAG. These 12 teams participate in the build-off to determine the best pair.

The competitors arrived on Tuesday, and seasoned veterans Marock and Vester were teamed together. Marock, who has worked at Honda Cars of Concord for six years, was entering his third engine building competition, while Vester, an engine dyno operator at Hendrick Motorsports, returned as the defending champion.

In this year's showdown, Marock and Vester breezed through their first build round on Wednesday morning, scoring a time of 23 minutes and 25 seconds, which was the fastest of all their competitors and advanced them to the championship round later that day.

Meanwhile Lowry, from Superior Lexus in Kansas City, Mo., and Maiwald were working their way into the championship round. Lowry was a first-time participant in the engine building competition, but Maiwald, like Vester, had experience on his side. Earlier this year in May, Maiwald teamed up with Vester to finish second in the 11th annual MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown. That competition was held in downtown Charlotte during "NASCAR Rev'd Up", which is an event open to fans during the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star weekend in Charlotte, N.C. During that event, Vester and Maiwald competed together as a team and looked to be the champions when their engine quit running 59 seconds into the mandatory one minute run time. They were one second away from victory.

It was standing-room only as the championship round began. Lowry and Maiwald appeared to have the edge over their competition early in the event. But Marock and Vester fought back and took the spotlight near the half-way point in the race. Marock and Vester started their Chevrolet R07 engine and successfully ran it for one minute in just 21 minutes and 19 seconds. Lowry and Maiwald followed roughly two minutes and eight seconds later after encountering issues with the timing setting of the engine.
Vester, who was part of the 2009 championship team, explained the event is a team effort.

"I think really it's getting paired with the right guy," Vester said. "You do your part, but you're only responsible for half of it. You're half, and he's got half, so it's how well you work together. To work together as a team you have to communicate. If you don't communicate, throughout the build you're gonna get way off and you're gonna have a lot of issues."

"It's awesome," Marock said after being awarded his trophy. "First and foremost, the opportunity to come over here to Hendrick Motorsports and share this experience with everyone. It's what Mr. Hendrick does to recognize us that sets him apart. The competition, the winning are just a bonus; everything else is the reason to come. The win is awesome to hold up the Hendrick tradition."

2010 Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown times:
First build:
Lee Hartsell (Hendrick Motorsports) and Jeff Krogmann (Superior Toyota): 28:42
Jerry Hilson (Hendrick Lexus) and Jared Morris (Hendrick Motorsports): 40:19

Second build:
Jeffrey Heinz (Hendrick Chevrolet, N.C.) and Sam Vernatter (Hendrick Motorsports): 26:56
Tom Karas (Hendrick Motorsports) and Chris Ranes (Superior Toyota): 31:03

Third build:
Allen Gates (Darrell Waltrip Honda Volvo) and Jason Ingle (Hendrick Motorsports): 26:10
Scot Hubbard (Lexus of Pleasanton) and Kevin Moler (Hendrick Motorsports): 29:29

Fourth build:
Matt Pennell (Hendrick BMW) and Kevin Webber (Hendrick Motorsports): 28:22
Danny Emerick (Hendrick Motorsports) and William Heimel (Rick Hendrick Chevrolet, Ga.): 29:56

Fifth build:
Robert Marock (Honda Cars of Concord) and Scott Vester (Hendrick Motorsports): 23:25
Gary Stevens (Colonial Chevrolet) and Jay Wiles (Hendrick Motorsports): 43:05

Sixth build:
Kurk Lowry (Superior Lexus) and Mike Maiwald (Hendrick Motorsports): 24:18
Bob Anderson (Hendrick Cadillac, Saab, Spyker) and Shane Parsnow (Hendrick Motorsports): 31:06

Championship build:
Marock and Vester: 21:19
Lowry and Maiwald: 23:27