CAROLINA CORVETTES - EARLY HISTORY

CCI had its beginnings as the Corvette Club of Greenville SC, sponsored by Mike Persia Chevrolet.

Sam Henderson was President and John Holcombe was Vice President.

The roots of CCI grew from the Poinsettia Drive in on Buncombe St. Presently the Cline Company.

Local drive ins were popular hang outs for high school kids in the 60's.

Palmetto - Laurens Rd

Carolina - Buncombe Rd

Lil Rebel –SC 291

Clock - Wade Hampton Blvd

Rainbow - Poinsett Highway

Como’s - Augusta Rd.

The only drive In that had a moniker conceived by its Regulars was the Poinsettia or Seta for short. That name was the PMF's or Poinsettia Motors Fellowship.  The PMF name was widely known, so this prompted other drive ins like the Clock to come up with the CBA's or Clock Bad Asses. But they never took off like the PMF's.  The PMF's venture into Hot Rodding began at the Greer Jaycee Drag Strip in the early Sixties.  After High School and/or college graduation we went to work and were able to purchase used sports cars.  Corvettes became the ride of choice.  Other Vette owners would stop and hang out with us, so we decided to form a Corvette Club.  There had been one in Greenville but it didn't last. ( It didn’t have the classy foundation that the PMF's brought to the table.) 

There were three Charter Members at that first meeting that retained their membership over the years.

They were made dues exempt Lifetime CCI Club Members in the eighties.

Sam Henderson

Fitz Williams and wife Cindy

Alan Blackmon

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION :

 Regional NCCC Champions and 8th in the Nation for 3 years. ' 70 ' 71 ' 72

Official song of early CCI - Rocky Top

CCI Meeting Places:

Mike Persia Chevrolet

Rex O'Steen Chevrolet

Shakeys Pizza

Pizza Hut

Shoneys

various other Steak Houses, Restaurants

                Kevin Whittaker Chevrolet

Annual Club Social Events:

Six Flags

Water Skiing and Camping at Apple Island - Lake Hartwell

Halloween Parties

                Chimney Rock Hill Climb

Snow Skiing- Sapphire Valley

THE BIGGIE - Annual Labor Day Beach Trip to the VC at OD.

We stayed at the Village Cottage for about 6 years until it was torn down.

Speed Events:

Speed Events were held anywhere we could find a parking lot on Sundays. (Most stores were closed on Sundays back then with the Blue Laws.  Other Speed Event locations:

Greenville Pickens Speed Way in 1970

Downtown Airport

Spartanburg Airport

Paris Mountain State Park for Hill Climbs

Stone Mfg. (now Cherrydale)

Southern Sectional:

The Greatest Events of the early CCI were the Southern Sectionals put on at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We were probably the first Club in the NCCC to get a 1.5 mile Super Speed Way for a Sectional Speed event.  The Yankees loved coming down here to run the Big Oval and the road course.   To get the track for our events, we would take about 10 members up to the NASCAR spring race and work Staff jobs for the event such as:   Pits,  Entrance Gates, and the best job was the VIP tower with the food and air conditioning.

Charities Supported:

                GARC - Greenville Association for Retarded Children

Boys Home of the South

Written January 21, 2007