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TM
REV IT UP® IS BACK!
World’s Largest Performance Driving School and National Racing Competition,
Features Chevrolet’s Performance Vehicles this Summer
For Only $50, Participants Get More of Everything—Seat
Time, Instruction, Horsepower, Hot Laps and A Chance to Win a Chevy Cobalt SS
Attention thrill seekers, car nuts and racing fans -- Rev
It Up®, the World's Largest Performance Driving School and National Racing
Competition, returns in 2006 with more professional instruction, more adrenaline
crazed excitement, and added horsepower thanks to Chevrolet’s lineup of
performance vehicles.
Rev It Up (RIU), presented by Chevrolet, combines fast
cars, challenging courses and expert trainers for a high-energy experience.
Competitors only need to sign up, show up, listen up to professional racers, and
polish up skills in practice laps driving Chevy vehicles before striding up to
the RIU Competition Course for a shot at the National Championship and a brand
new Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged Coupe.
Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said, “Chevrolet's line
of products make high-performance cars accessible to everyone and Rev It Up gets
race fans off the couch and onto the race course. It’s a perfect fit. From the
Cobalt SS to Corvette, participants will find out why Chevrolet is America’s
best selling brand.”
After receiving training from professional racers,
participants will experience firsthand Chevrolet performance vehicles such as
the 440hp Corvette, 171hp Cobalt SS, 205hp Cobalt SS Supercharged and 303hp
Impala SS.
The six stops currently scheduled on the 2006 tour are:
- Southern California: July 22-23 - El Toro Marine Base
- Dallas: July 29-30 - Lone Star Park
- Miami: August 5-6 - Hialeah Park Racetrack
- Chicago: August 12-13 - Balmoral Park Racetrack
- New York: August 19-20 - Belmont Park Racetrack
- Washington, DC: August 26-27 - FedEx Field
There are a limited number of competition slots available
during each RIU weekend, so pre-registration is very highly suggested. The cost
is $50.00, or $45.00 if you sign up online at least two weeks in advance at
www.RevItUpRacing.com . The first 100
people that register online for each event will be able to enroll for only
$40.00, so act fast. Competitors must be at least 18 years old and have a valid
driver's license. The event moves forward rain or shine. General admission is
free (and open to all ages) for those who just want to check out the action,
root on friends and family, or test drive the line of Chevrolet SS cars on site.
The most exhilarating aspect of RIU is the competition
where drivers show their stuff in a Cobalt SS for two separate laps on the RIU
Competition Course. Upon registration, drivers fill out a questionnaire
regarding their previous driving experience. Their answers dictate which of
four competition divisions they are assigned, and a fifth group is set up just
for female competitors. When racers hit the track, their lap times are indexed
to a benchmark “best”, laid down by a RIU pro driver. The competitor’s time is
then converted to a score. At each of the 2006 RIU stops, racers with the best
score in each of the five groups will receive a new pair of Piloti driving
shoes. The person with the highest score will be named City Champion and
receive a reward (TBA).
Competitors will be able to check back at
www.RevItUpRacing.com to see how their score matches up with others throughout
the United States. When the tour ends in August, the driver with the highest
score overall will be crowned RIU National Champion and walk away with a new
Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged Coupe -- a car that, in a slightly modified form,
has been whipping all others in the Grand-Am Cup’s Street Tuner division.
A RIU visit begins with a brief overview of rules and
regulations. Drivers then have five Skills Clinics which they can attend to
learn more about performance driving. Two of the Skills Clinics are classroom
sessions taught by professionals who have worked at some of the most prestigious
racing schools in the world. Students learn about car control, tire dynamics,
braking techniques and racing line analysis -- talents that will make them
better drivers on either the track or daily commute.
RIU attendees also practice performance driving techniques
on three twisty Driving Clinic Courses outlined with orange cones. Pro
instructors are on hand at all tracks to provide feedback and tips, and laps are
timed so participants can chart their progress or put pressure on compatriots.
Each track is uniquely designed to emphasize specific driving techniques and
utilizes a Corvette, Impala SS or Cobalt SS Supercharged. Students have up to
seven laps they can run on the Driving Clinic Courses, but are allowed only one
lap at the Practice Course Driving Clinic. However, additional laps for this
specific track can be purchased on site.
RIU competition participants can partake of the Skills
Clinics in any order they wish. They can also take advantage of the classroom
sessions and track time before, between or after their two Competition Course
laps.
A special addition this year to the RIU experience is the
inclusion of white-knuckle Hot Laps. For a small additional fee, RIU
competitors or general admission visitors can ride “shotgun” in a 505hp Corvette
Z06 with a professional racer at the wheel. Passengers get to see and feel how
a pro uses masterful car control, pinpoint braking, perfect apex analysis and
maximum throttle to careen a lighting fast car around the track. Not only is
this experience an adrenaline rush, but it is also a tremendous learning tool as
it clearly demonstrates how to execute a fast, safe and accurate lap.
RIU has spiced up the competition even more this year with
a Beat the Pro Challenge. Any driver who manages to beat the RIU pro’s time on
the Competition Course will be rewarded with a racing helmet signed by several
of Chevy’s professional racing drivers. Only one such prize is up for grabs in
each city. However, be forewarned -- the RIU pros are very good and don’t like
to be beat -- but it has happened before.
For those not participating in the competition, there are
plenty of other activities at RIU during a weekend. The very popular racing
kart track will be back to provide wheel-to-wheel excitement for a minimal fee,
and there is a special Chevy SS Drive Course where people can test drive the
entire SS line for free without being hassled by salespeople. The event also
includes food and merchandise vendors, as well as exhibits featuring GM
Accessories, OnStar, XM Satellite Radio and Goodyear Tires.
Grassroots Motorsports Magazine listed RIU as one of the
“20 Things That Rocked Our World in 2003.” David Stokols, president of
Automotive Marketing Consultants which operates the RIU program, believes that
Chevrolet’s backing of this unique motorsports event ensures that RIU will again
“rock some worlds.”
“Chevrolet’s performance vehicles have had tremendous
success in all aspects of automotive competition, and AMCI is very excited to
have the automaker aboard for our Rev It Up program,” Stokols said. “AMCI
designed the RIU program with the intent of having everyone walk away from the
experience with hearts racing, but more importantly, with improved driving
skills to be applied daily. With the 2006 RIU program, I think we’ve fully
accomplished that goal.”
For more information, go to
www.RevItUpRacing.com .
Edited by Madelyn Miller
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is one of America’s most well-known and
successful automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United
States, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and the leader in sales of
vehicles priced $35,000 and above. In addition, Chevrolet delivers
more-than-expected value in every vehicle category, offering cars and trucks
priced from $9,995 to $52,000. Offering dynamic yet timeless designs, Chevy
owners demand great looks that don’t go out of style, high performance per
dollar, and features expected in more expensive vehicles. Chevrolet’s global
headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. For more information,
go to www.chevy.com .
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