Chevrolet

In the biggest commercial deal of his career, Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken has agreed to become a national spokesman for Chevrolet trucks -- lending his image of durability to vehicles General Motors Corp. promotes as tough "Like a Rock."The two-year deal, scheduled to be announced today, calls for a series of television and print ads featuring Ripken. Ripken's fees will be about $500,000 over the two years, according to a source familiar with the arrangement.Ira S. Rainess, general counsel for the Tufton Group, a Baltimore County firm that coordinates Ripken's commercial contracts, declined to discuss the fees other than to say the deal is worth six figures but under $700,000.

In the spirit of community collaboration and teamwork taught through youth sports, Adams Chevrolet Inc. is supporting Havre de Grace Little League through the Chevy Youth Baseball Program. This sponsorship will include both monetary and equipment donations during this spring youth baseball season. Chevy Youth Baseball is a grassroots initiative that establishes a positive relationship between local dealers and the communities they serve. Adams Chevrolet Inc. is sponsoring Havre de Grace Little League as a part of Chevrolet's nationwide commitment to support youth sports, one community at a time.

Chevrolet's venerable Cavalier subcompact might not conjure up images of sporty fun in most people's minds.After all, this line of cars, introduced in the 1982 model year as Chevy's new entry-level model, was designed for economy and practicality.However, en route to becoming the nation's third-best-selling automobile and Chevy's top seller, the Cavalier went somewhat upscale.The sportiest -- and most California-looking -- of the Cavaliers were the RS and Z24 convertibles. But as Chevy contemplated phasing out the Cavalier line by replacing it with the new Corsica/Beretta line that debuted in the 1989 model year, those convertibles disappeared.

Over the years I have always found the letters to the editor to be at times informative and at times uninformed. It's a credit to The Sun's editors that often they allow both sides of an argument to be heard, and I believe most readers appreciate this effort. Personally I've always limited myself to reading the letters and either nodding my head in agreement or shaking my head in disbelief. However, this morning I found myself rereading two or three times a letter titled "Here's to the venomous secessionists" (Nov.

Howard County police are searching for a blue Chevrolet Lumina that might have been involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision on U.S. 1 about 9:40 p.m. May 4. David Allen Overmiller, 58, of Jessup was riding his bike to his son's Elkridge home when a car struck him. He was found lying in the southbound lanes and died at Maryland Shock Trauma Center several hours later, police said. Police believe that the Lumina was built between 1995 and 2000. The department is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Beginning tomorrow area motorists can earn credits used to "buy" computers and other education equipment for local schools by cruising about town in a shiny new Corvette or checking out the Chevy Corsica.It's all part of a national General Motors Corp. promotion called "Driving for Education," a takeoff on Giant Food Inc.'s popular "Apples for the Students" program that had students turning in cash register receipts to earn computers for their schools.Instead of collecting cash register receipts, it is hoped that students will push parents and nudge neighbors to go to their Chevrolet dealer and test drive a new car.Participating dealers (there are 10 in the metropolitan area)

DETROIT -- Gary Kovacic was putting the finishing touches on plans for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu two years ago when his boss raised the bar. What would it take to make the car better than the competing Camry that Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. had just put on sale, General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Officer G. Richard Wagoner Jr. wanted to know. The question forced Kovacic and his engineering team to put two months into a part-by-part comparison of their car with the Camry and to propose hundreds of design upgrades.

A Baltimore County Circuit Court judge has ruled that thousands of people who bought vehicles from Jerry's Chevrolet can join a suit alleging that the Carney dealership slapped bogus charges on its customers. Baltimore County Circuit Judge Robert N. Dugan certified as a class action the suit that was filed against Jerry's last summer by Catherine M. Duffy, a Carney resident. She claims that she was assessed a $595 charge for "Karcraft Finish Protection" when she bought a Chevrolet Blazer from the dealership in 1997 but that she received no services in return.

Anderson Automotive Group has taken another step in building an automotive mall in Baltimore.The company acquired Luby Chevrolet and Geo, a 42-year-old franchise on East Monument Street, and has moved it to its cluster of dealerships at Howard and 25th streets. The acquisition, which was completed earlier this week, also includes Luby Honda."We're trying to be a Baltimore auto park or an auto mall," said Bruce R. Mortimer, president of Anderson, a business that already included Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Volkswagen and GMC Trucks.

HAMPTON, Ga. -- As Fords continued to dominate qualifying in NASCAR's Winston Cup series, Mark Martin and Dick Trickle stole the spotlight yesterday while sweeping the front row for tomorrow's Motorcraft 500.Trickle, Rookie of the Year two years ago as a 48-year-old, was a major surprise when he turned a lap of 179.664 mph to break the Atlanta Motor Speedway qualifying record of 179.499 set by Rusty Wallace in November 1988.But Martin, known for his prowess in qualifying, put his Roush Racing Thunderbird on the pole minutes later with a lap of 179.923 on the 1.522-mile oval.

Sisto Joseph Averno Sr., a guard who played on the Baltimore Colts in the 1950s and went on to sell Chevrolets for 57 years, died of complications from Parkinson's disease Monday at Northwest Hospital. He was 86 and lived in Pikesville. Born in Paterson, N.J., he was the son of Roberto Averno and Elvira Isabella Salerno. While a student at Paterson High School, he played football and was scouted by colleges. He won athletic scholarships, but he forged a birth certificate so he could enlist in the Navy during World War II. He was assigned to the South Pacific and served as a gunner's mate aboard a destroyer.

An article in the Aug. 24, 1961, edition of the Herald Argus and Baltimore Countian reported on the arrival of a new, modern ambulance for the area. The new $7,000 Catonsville ambulance, a one-ton Chevrolet panel body truck chassis converted into an ambulance, is far superior to the old Cadillac which cost nearly $10,000, according to Deputy Fire Chief Lee Cockey . It is more durable, the metal is heavier, repairs will be cheaper, it will require less time in the shop and in all respects will be less worrisome, Chief Cockey said.

Irvin Conrad Tillman Sr., a retired businessman and thoroughbred horse breeder, died Aug. 1 of heart failure at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla. The former Towson resident was 91. Mr. Tillman, the son of a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad locomotive engineer and a homemaker, was born in Baltimore and raised on 40th Street in Hampden. He was a 1937 graduate of Forest Park High School and earned a bachelor's degree in 1941 in electrical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University.

DOVER, Del. - -The high banks of Dover International Speedway did on Sunday what the free market has been unable to: turn General Motors into a world-beater. Over the waning laps of the Autism Speaks 400, two of NASCAR's best drivers staged a thrilling battle of wits and horsepower in their high-octane Chevrolets, reducing the rest of the field of Fords, Dodges and Toyotas to distant afterthoughts. It was dazzling stuff, with Jimmie Johnson, who clearly had the superior car and engine, frantically making up ground after a botched pit stop dropped him from first to eighth with 35 laps remaining.

Mae W. Scott, an avid gardener who also enjoyed restoring vintage Chevrolets, died Jan. 7 of lung cancer at St. Joseph Medical Center. She was 70. Mae Wales was born in St. Paul, Minn., and raised in Arlington, Va., where she graduated from Marymount High School. She studied for two years at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., before marrying William Scott in 1957 and moving to Lutherville. She had been an active member and served as president of the York Manor Garden Club and had been an active member and Eucharistic minister at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Roman Catholic Church in Timonium.

Police reports in Baltimore city and county: Northwestern Baltimore Shooting A man was in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center on Thursday night after he was shot in the face and a leg by an unknown assailant in the 2700 block of N. Longwood St. near Piedmont Avenue in the Hanlon-Longwood neighborhood. Police responding to a 911 call about 9 p.m. found the man lying in the street. The man's name was withheld pending notification of family members. Western Baltimore Shooting Police responding to a report of a man shot in the 1000 block of Vine St. in the Poppleton community about 6:40 p.m. Wednesday found the victim, 29, bleeding from gunshot wounds to the lower right side of his back.

Allstate 400 Indianapolis Lap length: 2.5 miles (Car number in parentheses) 1. (41) Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 184.207 mph. 2. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 183.494. 3. (12) Ryan Newman, Dodge, 183.475. 4. (8) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 183.419. 5. (9) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 183.374. 6. (2) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 183.079. 7. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 183.050. 8. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 183.024. 9. (25) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 183.012. 10. (11) Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet, 182.804. 11. (96)

Daytona Beach, Fla. -- Five years after the death of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt at Daytona International Speedway, the pain is still with Richard Childress, Earnhardt's friend and the owner of the black No. 3 Chevy he made famous. But Childress and his race team are focused and ready to go after a victory today in the Daytona 500. Daytona 500 Today, 2:30 p.m., chs. 11, 4 Daytona 500 Site -- Daytona Beach, Fla. When -- Today, 2:30 p.m. TV -- Chs. 11, 4 (1:30 p.m.) Track -- Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)

Baltimore North side Three officers hurt in collision with car Three city police officers responding to a fellow officer's call for assistance and the driver of a Chevrolet compact car were injured yesterday when their vehicles collided near the former site of Memorial Stadium, police said. The officers were taken by city Fire Department ambulances to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, were they were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, said Major Dennis Smith, deputy commander of the Northern District.

General Motors Corp.'s worst-case labor scenario came true yesterday when workers at a Kansas City, Kan., factory that builds the hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu walked off the job. GM had hoped to avoid a strike at the Fairfax Assembly plant, which is one of two U.S. factories that have been scrambling to keep up with the demand for the Malibu, arguably the automaker's most critical vehicle on the market. The United Auto Workers launched the walkout yesterday morning after a strike deadline passed with no new labor deal for the plant's 2,600 workers.