By J.G. Pasterjak
Feb 11, 2025
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C8 Corvette,
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
In our recent post about Chevrolet dropping the ZR1 configurator, we wondered aloud how many new C8 owners would take their 1064-horsepower, $175,000 wondercar to the track.
Well, if they don’t, Chevy has certainly showed them it’s capable by sending four Corvette development drivers to crush five different lap records at some of America’s favorite tracks.
C8 engineers Chris Barber, Bill Wise, Aaron Link and Brian Wallace took stock (aside from safety gear) C8 ZR1s to Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen, VIR and Road America and utterly obliterated any production car records previously held at these tracks. Wallace hung five seconds on the Porsche GT3 RSs at Road America, for example, and looking at some of their ties and comparing it to other roadgoing cars is almost unfair.
For more examples, Link’s 1:47.74 at VIR would have only him in second place in the 2021 Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge… behind an LPM3-spec Ligier that ran a 1:47.72. Chris Barber’s 1:22.85 at Road Atlanta would also have only been good enough for second… on a TA2 grid.
That’s astounding performance for any car, let alone one with cruise control, air conditioning and a Bose sound system.
2/12/25 6:30 a.m.
At tracks with long straights, big power is The Way to lower lap times. Aero can obviously help a lot, but practicality of a street car limits you there. But big power is like a transporter beam moving you instantly between corners. Every bit where the steering wheel isn't off-center becomes an opportunity.
Here's one of favorite comparos...Triple Threat ND2 vs 720 at COTA. Even in the esses, the 720 finds places to gain time. Yet the basic handling prowess is similar.
2/12/25 9:07 a.m.
It seems like GM is trying to make a statement with this car. I hope the dealers keep the prices relatively low and they sell a bunch. It's nice to see a "more affordable" supercar.
2/12/25 9:31 a.m.
By the way, if you check out Chevy's youtube page they have all the individual lap videos from this project posted. And it really drives home Andy's point that 1000+hp is a pretty handy cheat code. I've seen a lot of grousing on line that these weren't pro racers doing the laps, and if you look at some of the videos you do see a bit of indecisiveness and a few early turn-ins here and there. These guys are all exceptional drivers who are working cars at the limit and beyond all the time, so their car control skills are probably on par with anyone else. But you definitely saw that their track technique could have been sharpened in a few spots.
But honestly that makes these numbers and their personal accomplishments even more impressive for me. To design and build one of the most iconic nameplates in all of sports cardom, then go out and absolutely obliterate track records of your closest competitors, most of which sell for 2, 3, or even 4 times what your creation does has to be a truly remarkable sense of personal and professional validation. I'm super glad they picked these guys to go set these laps and didn't bring in a bunch of pro race ringers.
2/12/25 9:59 a.m.
Anyone know what it ran at NCM? Last I heard, the track record (production based car) is held by a Mustang?
2/12/25 1:09 p.m.
And then there's the downforce.
At Road Atlanta on Trofeo R's, my 720 hits 170 at T9 and begins to drift left as the track bends right over the crest. So you have to feather the throttle all the way down to the braking zone.
The C8 ZR1 stays pinned up and over T9 at WOT, accelerating all the way to 183-ish before 10a braking. Yee-ha!
2/12/25 2:44 p.m.
What are the stock tires? C&D says PS4S but that doesn't sound right to me, is the Z06 on Cup2's?
2/12/25 3:18 p.m.
Cup2R
2/12/25 7:48 p.m.
Having driven a 720S in anger at Sebring, the amount of downforce impressed me. Of course, Sebring is a (relatively) flat track. For the ZR-1 downforce to make that much difference... it must be mind-bending to drive at speed.
2/13/25 10:55 a.m.
I watched the Road America video. So basically they're running 1970 Can-Am lap times. But the "what tire are they using?" question nags at me. Is there THAT big of a difference between the Cup2R tires and whatever they're using to set these records?
2/13/25 1:17 p.m.
The tires they're using to set these records are the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZP tires.
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