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W3WN
02-05-2017, 09:50 PM
Well, I did mention in a Political thread that I had a story about a Black Corvette.

This is a true story, and yes, I do have pictures. They're not digitized and I have to find them, but I do have them.

This was about 15 years ago at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. (When I find the pictures, I'll be able to tell you exactly when). The corner workers still came in to the "main" area near the Paddock for lunch; I came in on one of the flatbed rescue vehicles from Corner 18. On our way in, we get diverted to go past Start/Finish and proceed to the "straight" part of the track between Start/Finish and Corner 1. A car in the Patron's Parade had gone off course.

Huh? Didn't make sense, the Patron's Parade (made up of people who had donated $100 or more for the privilege of driving a lap around the track) proceeded at about 10 MPH.

So we get there, and sure enough, there is what's left of a 1969 Corvette Stingray off course, down the hill a bit and into the trees. Pretty badly banged up. The owner is sitting on the curb holding his head, talking to two Pittsburgh cops; his wife is standing next to him, bawling.

Seems that this was their honeymoon! And he'd had a toast or two too many, but figured he was OK to drive. Something went wrong, the cops speculated he hit the gas instead of the brake, lost control, and...

Now, I had my camera with me, started taking a few pictures. The bride started crying "Please! No press! Please! It's my honeymoon!" And so on. So I stopped. Until they got the car on the flatbed (and the couple was being checked out by paramedics at the ambulance that was summoned, just in case), I did snap one more.

Heard later that the damage, especially to the body, was bad but the car was repairable. And it was.

And... the man did NOT receive a ticket! Even though it happened on a City road, the PVGP was a closed course for the weekend, so (one of the cops told me) they decided that for the duration, it didn't count as a "public" street - else they'd have to ticket all the drivers for speeding and reckless driving! They also took pity on the newlyweds - and yes, that wasn't a story, they were. (I suspect the cops figured the embarrassment and the cost of repairs was enough punishment, too.)

It was a pretty car, too. I don't believe it, or them, have been back since.