Hendrick Sponsors MATTHEWS ALIVE!

Discover Matthews this Labor Day weekend at Matthews Alive! This four day event is held from August 29th through September 1st in Historic Downtown Matthews at Stumptown Park (120 S. Trade Street). The primary mission of Matthews Alive! is to host a four day family oriented festival, which is run by volunteers, and give our local non-profit organizations the chance to raise money. All festival proceeds are returned back to the local community through these non-profit organizations. Come out and enjoy the parade, arts & crafts, food & entertainment, and the famous quilt show. Take a stroll down the Midway area which is full of games and rides for kids of all ages. For you race fans, check out the #88 AMP & #48 Lowe's Hendrick Motorsports cars on display at Matthews Alive! Local sponsors include Presbyterian Hospital Matthews, the Town of Matthews, Hendrick Automotive Group, Lowes Foods, Windstream, WJZY/WMYT, K-104.7, Wendy's, Bojangles, The Charlotte Observer, and many others. Visit http://www.matthewsalive.org/ for more information about this fun-filled weekend!

This Is My Truck…Chevy Silverado

No other TV commercial in recent times portrays such a sense of accomplishment and American pride than the new Chevy Silverado commercial that was first aired during the 2008 Summer Olympics. This commercial featured 7 men and the story of their Silverados. From Gary Wolfe, a social worker, who uses his Silverado with 204,738 miles to help people move from shelters to permanent housing, to Calvin Vincent, a contractor, whose 30 year old Silverado has over 2 million miles, these gentlemen couldn’t have done it without their good ol’ American trucks. The most inspirational story was about New York Firefighter Craig Monahan and his truck with 140,230 miles. Monahan and his Silverado, which now displays the old fire truck’s “Ladder 5”sign, were on-sight during the tragedy of 9/11. Monahan crawled into the wreck to search for 11 missing firefighters from his firehouse. When returning to his truck, Craig noticed that surrounding vehicles were torched by the fire. With his truck’s front end melted, interior singed, and steering wheel partially melted, the truck’s engine started right up. Monahan kept his faithful truck after 9/11 and it drew quite a crowd wherever he drove it. “Every time we got in the truck, they were just cheering,” Monahan said. “It was American spirit at its best. You can’t keep us down!” When Chevrolet called Monahan to use his truck for a commercial during the 2008 Olympics, he willingly agreed because he felt that it was a great message for people to hear and see what it represents. Monahan donated his compensation to another FDNY family, which proves again that Craig Monahan is a genuine American hero. Whether it has over 2 million miles like Calvin Vincent’s truck, or only 13,810 miles as 2008 US Paralympian Joe McCarthy’s Silverado, Craig Monahan’s message is quite clear…“If that truck could keep going, we could all keep going.” A special thanks to Brad Miller (Dog Musher, 242,326 miles), Gary Wolfe (Social Worker, 204,738 miles), Ronnie Lee Osterholt (Rodeo Announcer, 380,603 miles), Craig Monahan (Firefighter, 140,230 miles), Calvin Vincent (Contractor, 2,048,402 miles), Armando Pardo (Foreman, 780,149 miles), and Joe McCarthy (08 US Paralympian, 13,810 miles) for their inspirational stories featuring truly the “most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the road,” Chevy Silverados.

The American Supercar 2009 Corvette ZR1 Unleashed

Chevrolet presents the revolutionary American supercar 2009 Corvette ZR1. This all-new sports car is a unique performer like no other. By introducing this incredible stalwart, Chevrolet sets a stunning new benchmark for high performance sports cars. The new supercar is a perfect fusion of balancing performance, stand class-leading fuel economy and sporty exteriors. The Corvette ZR1 is the fastest and most powerful Corvette ever produced offering a top speed of 205 mph. The new LS9 6.2L small-block engine is the power plant that supports the ZR1's performance capability. The LS9 supercharged V8 cranks out 638 horsepower. With Eaton TVS Supercharger and intercooler, it produces 604 lb.-ft of torque. The LS9 engine is backed by a new, stronger six-speed manual transmission and a twin-disc clutch that provide exceptional clamping power, while maintaining an easy clutch effort. The exterior features of the car are exclusively designed to enhance high-speed stability and driver control. The ZR1's interiors feature high-quality materials, craftsmanship and functionality to perfectly match with its sporty exteriors. This American supercar offers advanced technology and engineering refinement. Visit City Chevrolet located at 5101 E. Independence Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28212 to know more about this incredible power plant.

Kudos for Bruce!

"I recently had an accident to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Having worked with City Chevrolet's Collision Center in the past, I drove my car immediately to City after the accient. I was met outside by Bruce Nalewajk as soon as I drove onto the lot. I worked with Bruce on repairs to my car from a previous accident. Throughout the entire experience, Bruce kept me up-to-date on the status of the repairs. When I received my car back from the body shop, they had not had time to properly clean the car. Bruce asked me to bring the car back in the following Wednesday and made sure that the car was cleaned appropriately. This demonstrates nothing short of superb customer service, which, as you know, is so severely lacking in so many businesses today. I wouldn't trust my BMW to anyone else! I have and will continue to recommend Bruce and the City Collision Center team to all of my friends when the need arises to have repairs done to their vehicles. Keep up the good work!" Kelly

Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride

The 4th annual Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride is scheduled for Sunday, August 24, 2008. Presented by AutoTrader.com, this 48-mile motorcycle ride will depart Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC at 11:30 am (staging begins at 7:30 am) and will conclude at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. All proceeds will benefit the Hendrick Foundation for Children and go toward the Levine Children's Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center. The cost is $25 per rider, which includes lunch, a t-shirt, and a concert by country music artist Blake Wise. The Richard Petty Driving Experience will provide 3-lap "charity rides" for a $109 donation. Rick Hendrick says, "This couldn't happen without the support we receive from everyone who participates--our riders, volunteers, and corporate partners. It's just so humbling, and we appreciate everyone who comes out to join us for the event. We're raising money for a great cause and having fun doing it." The 2008 Ricky Hendrick Memorial Charity Ride is made possible through its numerous corporate partners, including AutoTrader.com, the Charlotte Knights, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Mac's Speedshop, the National Guard, Pepsi, and WSOC 103.7. For more information and to sign up, please visit www.hendrickcharityride.com

2008 Chevy Malibu...Well-equipped for Safety

While the Malibu is designed to give you a comfortable, confident driving experience, it is, unfortunately, not invisible to accidents. One of City Chevrolet’s customers recently got in an accident in her less-than-7-month-old 2008 Malibu. Another driver ran a red light going close to 55 mph. Fortunately for our customer, she and the at-fault driver of the other vehicle walked away unharmed. As you can see, the crash was concentrated in the front end, thus mangling the engine and totaling the vehicle. What is truly remarkable is that she walked away without a scratch. Chevrolet made the 2008 Malibu with you and your family in mind when it comes to safety. Every model comes standard with six air bags: dual-stage frontal with right-front Passenger Sensing System, head-curtain side-impact (front and rear outboard passengers) and frontal seat-mounted thorax side-impact. All models include four-wheel antilock disc brakes, and on select models, the StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System helps improve vehicle stability, particularly during emergency maneuvers. With OnStar’s Advanced Automatic Crash Notification, in the event that you are involved in a collision (even if the air bags don’t deploy), your vehicle can automatically send a signal to OnStar, where an Advisor will attempt to contact you to see if you need help. The impressive front body structure is what saved our customer. This is designed for a “progressive crush” during a frontal crash. This absorbs and channels crash energy in a controlled manner to help preserve occupant space in the passenger compartment. The safety of the 2008 Chevy Malibu is only one of the many reasons that our customer has decided to replace her totaled vehicle with yet another 2008 Malibu. I would venture to say that it was the most important reason.

Thank goodness for Chevy. 2008 Malibu

Bruce Nalewajk: Outstanding Performance in the Service Department

“Mr. Hart: I am writing this note (belatedly) to praise one of your employees, Bruce Nalewajk. We were unfortunate enough to need body work done on our Lexus two months ago. Mr. Nalewajk went above and beyond our expectations in his attitude, professionalism, and skills to make our experience better than we could ever have hoped for. As a small business owner myself, I know that employees such as Mr. Nalewajk bring tremendous value to an organization, that carries forward into the future to build a satisfied base of customers and repeat business. I hope you can find a way to reward Mr. Nalewajk for his outstanding performance.” Satisfied Customer