Chip and Bill created Carlisle Events
in order to effectively manage this
growth. Their next major decision was
to create a permanent home for the
company. In 1981, they purchased the
82-acre Carlisle Fairground site and
made it the company’s headquarters.
This purchase allowed them to make the
Fairgrounds a more compatible location
for their automotive events. During the
’80s and ’90s, the company continued to
expand their schedule.
In 2013, Carlisle Events introduced
itself to the Florida market by host-
ing events in Zephyrhills. Now, with
Florida’s rapid growth, the company
moved to the larger Sun ’n Fun com-
plex in Lakeland, Florida. This year’s
Lakeland Winter AutoFest was held on
February 22-24, 2019, and was packed
with Corvettes and visitors.
The 41st NCRS Winter Regional Meet
was part of the Winter AutoFest activi-
ties and certified NCRS judges judged
42 Corvettes. A large hangar was used
by the experts for the judging. A total
of 4,500 points are available for judges
to award to a Corvette. Ninety-four
percent (4,230) of those points are the
minimum required to qualify for a Top
Flight certificate. Of the 42 Corvettes
judged, 17 received Top Flight certifi-
cates. For owners who didn’t reach their
goal they now have a good guideline on
what needs correcting. People attend-
ing the show were welcome to visit the
NCRS building, and many did. It was
a great opportunity to closely inspect
these factory-correct, historic Corvettes.
In addition to the NCRS event, the
show featured a Corvette Fun Field,
Corvette Celebrity Judging, vendor
displays and seven Corvette related
seminars. There was a food mid-
way, automotive flea market and a
for sale car corral where buyers could
purchase their perfect Corvette.
The Winter AutoFest will return to
Lakeland on February 21-23, 2020. To
get the latest show information visit
http://www.carlisleevents.com.
Co-founder Chip Miller passed away
in 2004. His son Lance Miller became
co-owner and works with co-founder/
co-owner Bill Miller Jr. to manage the
company. Lance wants to continue
his dad’s “Life is Good” mentality and
Jose Jorge Valencia received a Top Flight
award for his Silver Pearl with red stinger
1967 427 coupe.The Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auc-
tion was a popular stop for buyers and
spectators. Lots of interesting cars and
trucks crossed the block throughout the
weekend, and many found new homes.James Davis brought his Harvest Gold
V-8–powered 1955 Corvette to the 41st
NCRS Winter Regional Meet. James
received a Sportsman award for display-
ing his classic.Roger and Connie Lester have traveled around the U.S. in their 1962 Corvette. The
custom trailer provides plenty of extra room for their luggage.The Lakeland Sun ’n Fun airport pro-
vides ample parking for the many Cor-
vettes that visited the event this year.The Corvette vs. Cobra
War seminar discussed
how each brand battled
each other. Two cars
were available for inspec-
tion. They were the Fabu-
lous Restorations Owens/
Corning L88 Corvette
replica and Dr. Gingold’s
1965 427-cid Cobra.38 VETTE 19.11
[LIFESTYLE]
WINTER AUTOFEST