Fairway Chevy sponsors oldest local Corvette club

Fairway Chevrolet is now the proud sponsor of the Las Vegas Corvettes Association, the oldest standing Corvette club in Las Vegas. Together, they will host events for car enthusiasts, many of which benefit charity.

"This is the 40th year of our dealership being in Las Vegas and the Corvette business has been an important part of it," said Greg Heinrich, dealer principal at Fairway, who owns a collection of 26 rare and vintage Corvettes. "We're pleased to be able to get back with the Corvette club, the premier Corvette club in Las Vegas, and be a part of it and try to help."

Recently, the 240-member club held the fourth annual Corvette Roulette three-day event over Memorial Day weekend to benefit the St. Jude's Ranch for Children.

On June 7, the club will host a charity breakfast to benefit Safe Nest and will participate in a charity ride to raise money for Dave Rooney, a traffic officer with the Metropolitan Police Department who became ill in March.

Larry Leard, who helped found the Corvette club in 1973, said he prefers Corvettes for their world-class performance and Corvettes' surprisingly low gas mileage (26 highway/19 city) makes the cars exempt from the federal gas guzzler tax. Leard owns four Corvettes: a 1964 coupe, two 1984 coupes and a 35th Anniversary Edition 1988.

Club president Connie Gentry said her 1988 Corvette gets 30 to 35 miles per gallon.

Don Kot, new car manager at Fairway Chevrolet, and Heinrich are also club members. Kot owns two convertibles: a 1986 Indy pace car and a 2002.

"You see a car you like and you get one and you've just got to keep one. There are very few Corvette owners who give them up -- they'll either get a new one or keep the old one," Gentry said. "I've only run into a few people who say, 'I used to have a Corvette.'"

For more information, visit the club online at www.vegasvettes.com. Fairway Chevrolet is located at 3100 E. Sahara Ave. and can be reached at 641-1400 or online at www.fairwaychevy.com.