Ollenburger drives off with coveted award
Sports reporter
Wayne Ollenburger of Hillsboro doesn't have to go to the world's largest Corvette show ever again.
He's done all he can do.
Ollenburger was one of 22 Corvette owners to win the top honor of Benchmark at the Bloomington Gold car show in St. Charles, Ill., in June.
About 220 cars vied for the elite honor: according to the show's web site, all Corvettes leave the showroom as Benchmarks and it's up to the owners to keep them that way.
"I was so nervous," Ollenburger said, when he was on stage to find out if he took the top award.
Although humble and never wanting to look too far ahead, Ollenburger felt good about his red 1980 version with 1,909 actual miles.
"A few people told me, 'Something is definitely wrong if you don't win,'" he said.
In order to win, Ollenburger had to earn a Survivor award and Gold certificate.
To "survive" his car had to pass the tests in un-restored engine compartment, chassis, interior, and exterior categories.
Earning the Gold certificate meant having his car appear within 95 percent of how it did when it left the factory.
Ollenburger bought the car from a cousin who died, and he feels an obligation to keep it in near-perfect shape.
He's had offers on the car as high as $35,000, but turned them down.
"I like to play with it," he said with a laugh. "I've still got a lot of kid in me."
Although he insisted he doesn't like to brag, Ollenburger is proud to have won the award.
"It feels good," he said. "If I hadn't of won I probably would have cried like a baby."
