Michigan Region NCCC Banquet

What a weekend!! The Lingenfelter Car Collection hosted the Michigan Region NCCC Banquet celebrating the champions from 2023 Race Season. Just over 100 people were in attendance.  Members from the Cleveland Corvette Club, Lakeshore Corvette Club and all over joined the celebration.  

Shout out to Scott Kennedy Regional Men's Champion and Kristen Lingenfelter Regional Champion for the Women.  Last year both were Rookies of the Year and this year both finished FIRST.  Congrats to everyone who raced last year.  There is nothing like the Corvette Family!! 

The Regional Banquet started out with a sanctioned Funkhana Event.  All kinds of activities in the morning at the Car Collection.  Brunch was catered, awards were passed out and everyone had a wonderful time.  Rene and Carolyn went above and beyond putting this event together.  Including three cakes, one for each Regional Champion and one with the NCCC Logo.  

The Apparel Shop was open at the Collection and some shopping was going on including everyone checking out the impressive Corvette Hat Wall, over 100+ Different Corvette Hats in Stock. 

NEW GT3.R Corvette Racing Hats https://teamlingenfelter.com/collections/corvette-hats/products/gt3-r-corvette-racing-cap-black-yellow

Summary of Event from VP Points Director Rene Cardenas:

March 30, 2024 for the Michigan Region Awards Banquet and 7 Funkhanas at the Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton, MI! Well over 100 attendees made it for several hours of a fabulous event that had been in the work for months!

First off, massive amounts of gratitude to Ken and Kristen Lingenfelter for the use of their facility to host our annual awards banquet. 7 Funkhanas were set around inside the Lingenfelter Collection taking advantage of Ken's hospitality by using 7 of his Corvettes for participants about 2 hours before the banquet.

Our MI RE, George Duncan welcomed everyone to start the banquet and introduced our guest speaker, Ken Lingenfelter, who gave us a little history about his amazing collection! He was then followed by a few words from the heart from our very own Sharon Meesseman!

A scrumptious catered lunch was next with tons of desserts! The three cakes were so good, they disappeared in about 10 minutes. The caterers could not cut the cake fast enough to keep up with demand. Half of the door prizes were handed out before the awards presentation. Our MI RCD, Kyle Felts gave out all the 2023 season awards! Congratulations to the winners, Kristen Lingenfelter and Scott Kennedy for their 1st Place Overall placement as well as Corvette Club of Michigan. The remaining door prizes were passed out as there were enough door prizes for everyone in attendance.

Thanks to Ken and Kristen Lingenfelter also provided and handed out door prizes. Each Funkhana had its own two prizes as well as two Scavenger Hunt Grand Prizes for the team that would score the highest combined amount of points that included the scavenger hunt questions plus the score of all 7 Funkhanas. Congratulations to West Ohio Region members, Elaine Dukles Gruhn Heretta and Chuck Heretta for winning the Grand Prizes! At the end of the banquet, all the center table decorations, Corvette models and tire/flower decorations were given away by matching their color to a matching piece of tape on the front leg of most chairs at each table.

Thanks also to the Michigan Region, Calhoun County Corvettes, Corvette Club of Michigan, Grand Valley Corvette Association, Jackson Corvette Club, Lakeshore Corvette Club, Royal Corvettes of Western Michigan, Capital City Corvette Club, Flint Corvette Club, Irish Hills Corvette Club, Kalamazoo Corvette Club, Shiawassee Corvette Club and Michigan Autocross Group for all their donations towards door prizes and/or bringing door prizes. Thanks to Scott Kennedy and Kathryn Kennedy for helping out all day Friday setting the event. Thanks to Angela Hanlin for helping with registration and check-in! Thanks to Jerry Thayer , Bob Hall, Mary Hall , Mark Hanlin, Kathryn Kennedy, Deb Corbin , Susan Butters, Steve Massie, Carol Massie and Chris Jackson for volunteering to work the Funkhanas! I also want to thank the army of helpers that stayed to clean up and pack up everything after the banquet. You know who you are, there were so many of you and I love you all!

Thank you so very much for all your help! At least $600 that I know of was raised and donated to the Lingenfelter Foundation and all proceeds from about 20 teams of Funkhana participants went to the Michigan Region! Thanks to all that attended and making it a wonderful event! Last but not least, I have to thank the driving force behind this this entire event, my better half, Carolyn McLemore, who planned and orchestrated most every aspect of this banquet for all to enjoy! We took on the challenge and we are extremely elated with the end result! We are blessed to be a part of the great and very active NCCC Michigan Region!