SPEARFISH - Friday's closed-course racing event for the Black Hills Corvette Classic featured varying levels of horsepower from the American-made sports car.

Scores of drivers plied their skills of weaving around orange cones in a Black Hills State University Young Center parking lot. There were 86 cars in six generational classes of Corvettes. Twenty of the drivers were women - a number that continues to grow, said timer John Pesicka of Sioux Falls.

Organizer and driver Glen Hoffer of Brandon said the racing is a fun event, offering plaques - not cash - to the fastest cars. Race safety also is emphasized: Drivers must wear helmets.

Hoffer led a caravan of 210 'Vettes Thursday on Interstate 90 from Sioux Falls to Spearfish, where many other Corvette owners joined the summer event.

"We have folks from 29 states and Canada. It is good to see that," said Hoffer, who drove his 2006 yellow Z06.

Corvette owners say their affection and enthusiasm for such models of the high-performance Chevy sports cars have remained strong, despite financial troubles with Corvette's parent company, General Motors.

"You get a lot for the price," race announcer Doc Walker said. He said a European-made sports car with similar performance standards would cost well over $100,000.

Convention participants will be touring the Black Hills today before the evening awards banquet in Spearfish. The event will name winners of Friday's public "show and shine" display in downtown Spearfish and other honors.