While most Corvette Clubs are familiar with and/or participated in an SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) driving event there is one driving event that the Las Vegas Corvettes Association, aka Vegas Vettes, has been participating in for the past 15 years. This event is the Silver State Classic Challenge (SSCC) open road race, which is held twice a year on a 90-mile stretch of public highway, Nevada State Route 318 from Lund to Hiko, Nevada. In May the event is called the Nevada Open Road Challenge (NORC) and in September it is the SSCC.

Silver State Classic Challenge, Inc, a non-profit corporation, has been putting on the races since 1988 and the September 2012 SSCC was the 25th anniversary event. It was a milestone event, not just because of the 25th running, but because during the NORC on May 20, 2012 the 12-year old world record was broken. Joe Peruto, driving a 2006 NASCAR chassis, Dodge Charger averaged 217.557 MPH for the 90-mile course in the Unlimited Category. Can you imagine covering 90 miles on a public highway in 25 minutes? Additionally, the State of Nevada has decided to name Highway 318, the Silver State Classic Challenge Highway.

The goal is to average as close to your selected miles per hour as possible. The cars are run in classes at five mile per hour increments to 150 mph, then 10 MPH separation to the 180 MPH class. The class is determined by the vehicles safety equipment, the driver's experience and the driver/navigator comfort level. There is also an Unlimited Division, where the goal is to go as fast as possible, for very experienced drivers, over 21 years of age, with full race-equipped cars. Vehicles are started at one minute intervals, beginning with the 150 mph class and working down to the 95 mph class. Once the last 95 mph class vehicle clears the course, the Unlimited Division and the higher speed brackets over 150 MPH, at five or more minute intervals, are run as the final group.

Since the very beginning, Corvettes have been the most popular car to run in the events. Any where from 28 to 77 Corvettes per event have done either the NORC or SSCC. In 2000 a 1984 Corvette set the record with an average speed of 201.96 MPH. Corvettes have participated in all speed divisions, from 95 to 180 MPH plus the Unlimited Division. There is also the Team Challenge competitions, where teams are formed that have between seven and ten cars. Some teams are formed up in Ely during registration or at the car show, while some teams are from car clubs. Vegas Vettes usually has two teams and in the past race one team was from Canada.

While a couple of members had run in early SSCCs, large scale Vegas Vettes participation began in 1997 when a 1984 Corvette was race prepared by several members, and entered along with three other Vegas Vettes members cars. Besides running in the 1997 SSCC race, then Club president Larry Duis became club chairman for the SSCC events and thus started the association with SSCC that continues to this day.

Over the years, the SSCC has grown, from the single driving event on Sunday to a 4-day event starting in Las Vegas on Thursday with tech inspections, a driving school for first timers, a press luncheon, followed by a cocktail party up in Ely, Nevada. Ely, a small Nevada town of 4255 folks becomes the center of SSCC activities for the next three days. Two additional driving events, the half-mile and one-mile shootouts are held on a 1.9 mile portion of Nevada Highway 490 on Friday and Saturday respectively. A parade of all race cars through downtown Ely is held on Friday afternoon. You'll see some of the race cars have guest riders - young children from Ely. After the parade there is a welcome party in the Ely Community Center. On Saturday morning there is a car show of all the race cars in the City Park with the winners selected by a group of Ely residents. Tech inspections are also conducted in the City Park on Saturday.

As you can imagine, it takes a lot of people, mostly volunteers, and resources to put on these two events each year. Securing a 90-mile section of highway that goes through three Nevada counties requires many course workers, communications and emergency personnel and equipment. Every access to Highway 318 must be secured and every portion of the highway must be in sight of a course worker who can relay information via radio to emergency personnel. Marshalling cars for the shootouts and car show; administrative duties; and most importantly, car safety inspections just before the events near the starting line are all done by volunteers.

In 1997, in addition to participating in the SSCC driving events, the Las Vegas Corvettes Association began volunteering to assist in race operations, running the Saturday car show and added safety enhancements. Ten years ago, after a club member's car ran off the highway due to a tire failure, LVCA stepped up and began performing cockpit and tire safety checks just before the starting line. For the cockpit check, one person on either side of the car opens the doors and checks for and removes any loose articles and makes sure the driver's and navigator's safety belts and helmet straps are adjusted properly.


After the cockpit check, the car moves forward to where four members perform the tire check. With one inspector at each wheel, the car is slowly moved forward one complete tire rotation. Additionally the inspectors look for any problems underneath the car, such as leaking fluids or a loose part. If nails or screws are found, and result in a leak when pulled out, it eliminates the entry - you do not want a tire failure at 100+ MPH. After the tire check, the car moves up to the starting line where they leave, in one minute intervals.


Racers are competing against the clock - attempting to cross the finish line with an average speed that exactly matches the entrants speed class. You've got to be close. For example, the winning entry in the 145 MPH class in May 2012, finished the race with an average speed of 144.9995 MPH, 6th place's average was 144.9768 MPH!

During the May 2012 NORC there were nine Vegas Vettes cars in the race and 24 volunteers in Ely for the Thursday through Sunday events. Of the 108 entries, 39 were Corvettes. Out of the 11 classes, from 100 to 170 MPH, in which there were Corvettes competing, Corvettes took 20 of the 33 possible top 3 awards, five of the 20 were Vegas Vettes. The 130 MPH class consisted entirely of Corvettes! Although the half-mile shootout was won by a Lamborghini and followed by a couple of Vipers, the highest speed for a Corvette in this event was 149.3 MPH. The one-mile shootout was won by a Viper followed by the record breaking Charger, but in 3rd place was a 2010 Corvette at 164.7 MPH. The fastest Corvette in the 90-mile open road rally was a 2002 Z06 with an average speed of 174.3143 MPH!


Come join Vegas Vettes at the next Silver State Classic Challenge event - you'll love all the activities culminating with the road race on Sunday. All the information regarding the events can be found at www.sscc.us. Vegas Vettes results and pictures going back 10 years are posted on this website.

Team Vegas Vettes
Members of LVCA, West Coast Region NCCC