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Sitting at the junction of two
interstates that connect
America’s four corners,
Effingham, Illinois, is also
the hub of the Chevrolet
Corvette universe on the
third weekend of Septem-
ber. That’s when some
14,000 corvette owners
from the US and Canada
trek along Rte 45 to Mid
America Motorworks for its
annual funfest fix: a three-
day infusion of Corvette
camaraderie, history, tech
tips, racing seminars and
hobnobbing with Corvette
“celebs”. Enthusiasts can
modify their Corvettes on
the spot, thanks to dozens
of major suppliers willing
to answer questions. One
fun place to hang out is
Install Alley, where one
Vette after another is
loaded with performance
brakes, intake or exhaust
systems in a matter of min-
utes. For nostalgia lovers,
MidAmerica’s 100 plus
acres campus houses an
authentic 1910 gas station
and Corvette museum, its
newest addition being the
1964 World’s Fair General
Motors Styling car. The
crowd on Saturday swells
to around 30,000. Celebs
on hand each year pick
their favorite Corvette, the
owners of which get an
award. But there’s no for-
mal judging or classes. But
the highlight of the week-
end is the free Saturday
night concert, which draws
an audience of about
20,000. The draw in 2006
was REO Speedwagon.
“Funfest has grown each
year since its 1994 incep-
tion, when 350 Corvettes
showed up,” says event
founder and self-described
chief cheerleader Mike
Yager. “This free to all
show has become the big-
gest event of its kind.”
Yager bought a Corvette
when he was 20 and began
selling accessories. His
part time hobby went full
time in 1976 when he cre-
ated MidAmerica, a mail
order company selling
Corvette parts and acces-
Heartbeat in the Heartland
February is Heart Month Try a Hot Chocolate Drink
Ingredients
6 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 ounces unsweet-
ened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. In a large saucepan com-
bine 1 cup of the milk, the
sugar, chocolate, and cin-
namon. Cook and stir over
medium-low heat until
chocolate is melted.
Gradually stir in remaining
milk. Cook and stir until
milk is very hot, almost
boiling. Do not boil.
2. Gradually stir 1 cup of
Continued on last page—-
Happy February
Birthdays
Feb 5 Kathy Webb
Feb 17 Vince Thiel
Feb 18 Robert Prom
Pres: Ed Reilly
VP: Ron Bulthuis
Sec: Cris Drais
Treas: Duane DeWenter
Newsletter: Mary Bulthuis
Volume 1, Issue 2
February, 2007
Heartbeat in the
Heartland
1
The Corvette C7
2
Great Words from Our
President
2
Chili Challenge
3
Our Sponsors
4
Inside this issue:
CENTRAL MINNESOTA CORVETTE ASSOCIATION