A Monumental Time For The NCM: Superstars, Supercars, and Super Growth

There’s always something electric in the air when the National Corvette Museum lights up the R8C Delivery Bay—but this week, Bowling Green hit another gear entirely. For the uninitiated, checking off RPO R8C when ordering a new Corvette isn’t just a delivery option—it’s a full-blown rite of passage. Think: your Corvette under the spotlight, your name on the signs, a VIP walking tour, personalized plaques, a gold decal tucked inside the door jamb, and the world watching live as the cover comes off your dream machine. It’s the ultimate Corvette “welcome home,” and this week, two of the most recognizable names in American motorsports and automotive entertainment stepped onto Corvette Boulevard to make it even bigger.

First up was IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden, who rolled in like he owned the place—because, well, he now owns one of its brightest stars: a Competition Yellow 2026 Corvette ZR1. Then came YouTube turbo wizard Cleetus McFarland, whose long-awaited first museum delivery drew massive fanfare both in person and online, with his reveal video smashing past a million views in a single day. Two wildly different personalities, one common thread: both chose to take delivery like Corvette royalty, reinforcing the R8C Program’s reputation as the most iconic delivery experience in the performance-car world.

And just when the excitement seemed maxed out, the NCM closes out our NCM news by breaking ground on a 66,000-square-foot expansion that will redefine how Corvette history is preserved and shared. With a facility designed for the next century of vehicle conservation—and public tours set to double the number of Corvettes visitors can see—this wasn’t just a ceremonial shovel turn. It was a statement: Corvette’s past, present, and future have never been more alive in Bowling Green.

What’s Inside Today’s NCM Coverage

Josef Newgarden Takes the Wheel of a Competition Yellow 2026 ZR1 at the NCM
Infamous Enthusiast Cleetus McFarland’s First Museum Delivery
NCM Expansion: A Groundbreaking of Historic Proportions

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1 — Josef Newgarden Takes the Wheel of a Competition Yellow 2026 ZR1 at the NCM

IndyCar ace Josef Newgarden isn’t just stacking trophies—he’s stacking Corvettes. The National Corvette Museum rolled out the red carpet this week as the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner took R8C delivery of his 2026 Corvette ZR1 Coupe, a Competition Yellow standout dressed in body-color split window trim, visible carbon-fiber wheels, yellow calipers, stealth badging, and a full carbon-fiber aero suite. Inside, a Jet Black cabin with yellow stitching and belts underscores the race-bred theme. For Newgarden, this is familiar territory: he previously picked up a 2020 Stingray during the C8’s launch year, a visit that famously gave enthusiasts the first-ever public look inside the Assembly Plant just before COVID shut everything down.

Now a back-to-back Indy 500 winner and a Rolex 24 at Daytona champion, Newgarden returned to Bowling Green for a delivery that feels equal parts celebration and homecoming. NCM framed the moment perfectly, noting how the R8C program connects owners to Corvette heritage by placing each delivery inside a curated museum experience—complete with guided tours, personalized plaques, and the iconic photo on Corvette Boulevard. And with Newgarden stepping into a twin-turbo LT7 ZR1, the most capable Corvette chassis ever built, the symbolism writes itself: a driver who lives by downforce, balance, and response taking ownership of a car engineered with the same priorities.

From the NCM:

“Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Chevrolet driver Josef Newgarden visited the National Corvette Museum today to take delivery of his 2026 Competition Yellow Corvette ZR1. The R8C Museum Delivery program connects owners to the Corvette legacy by placing each delivery inside the Museum’s curated experience. Newgarden is a Champion in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where downforce, balance, and engine response guide every decision. The ZR1 reflects those priorities with its twin‑turbo V8 that powers the most capable Corvette chassis to date. The handoff took place on Corvette Boulevard, where legends take the wheel.”

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Full-Resolution Pictures From The Post

All photos are credited to the National Corvette Museum.

2 — Infamous Enthusiast Cleetus McFarland’s First Museum Delivery

Cleetus McFarland—known to the DMV as Lawrence Garrett Mitchell but to 4.6 million YouTube subscribers as the guy who built his brand bolting turbos onto anything with wheels—has spent the last 15 years pushing machines (and algorithms) to their limits. His knack for forced induction has turned him into a bona fide turbo whisperer, and his recent foray into NASCAR’s ARCA series only cemented his reputation as a wide-open-throttle kind of driver. That’s why his May 2025 deep-dive on the 2025 ZR1 hit so hard: pair Cleetus with GM engineer Dustin Gardner, add the ZR1’s twin-turbo tech, and you get a gear-head masterclass that’s now racked up more than 2.1 million views.

Fast-forward to this week, and Cleetus finally got to live the dream he’s been hinting at for years—an official R8C delivery at the National Corvette Museum. Stepping up to his own 2026 Corvette ZR1, he was all smiles and pure adrenaline: “I’ve dreamed of doing a museum delivery one day and to do it for a BRAND SPANKING NEW ZR1 was unreal… can’t wait to share the car more with you all!” For a guy who’s already wrung out the ZR1 on camera, taking the keys to his personal twin-turbo monster feels like the next chapter in a story Corvette fans have been watching unfold in real time.

We have Cleetus’s Facebook post and a new YouTube video he just dropped. In just one day, his video has garnered a mind-boggling 1,074,574 views, 66,000 likes, and 4,155 comments!

From Cleetus McFarland:

“Just dropped a video picking up our new 2026 ZR1! I’ve dreamed of doing a museum delivery one day and to do it for a BRAND SPANKING NEW ZR1 was unreal. Thank you guys so much for these opportunities, can’t wait to share the car more with you all!”

Join Cleetus’s viral Facebook post by clicking anywhere below:

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Full-Resolution Pictures From The Post

Bonus Video: Picking Up Our BRAND NEW Corvette ZR1 (1,064 Horsepower)

3 — NCM Expansion: A Groundbreaking of Historic Proportions

The National Corvette Museum just put a shovel in the ground for what may be the most significant expansion in its history—a brand-new 66,000-square-foot collections facility designed to preserve, protect, and showcase the Corvette story on a scale never seen before. Museum leadership called it a “massive leap forward,” and they’re not exaggerating. This project isn’t simply about adding square footage; it’s about building with intention—creating a purpose-built home where vehicles, artifacts, and decades of Corvette history can finally be safeguarded with the space, tools, and infrastructure they deserve.

What makes this expansion truly exciting is how it reshapes the museum’s future. The new facility will allow the NCM to say “yes” to more historically important donations, tell more complete stories, and display more vehicles of national and global significance—including icons like Neil Armstrong’s 1967 Corvette. For decades, the museum has been limited by how much it could show the public at a time. This facility changes that equation overnight.

And the best part? Corvette fans won’t be left peeking through the glass. Beginning in early 2027, the NCM will open the facility to guided public tours. That means going from the museum’s usual 55–60 displayed Corvettes to an incredible 100–120 cars available to see on day one, more than double the current experience. It’s a monumental boost for the museum’s exhibitions, education programs, and mission to share America’s sports car with the world. None of it would be possible without the generosity of donors who believe in preserving Corvette’s legacy for generations to come.

Want a deeper look? Here are both videos from the NCM–a shorter highlights video or the full-length one if you have the time!