Track Day Hero: C8 Z06 Is a Passing Machine at Circuit of The Americas

This video has us reaching for our helmets and racing suits as we watch a C8 Z06 dominate at a recent track day. 

Much has already been said about the incredible C8 Z06. And we have seen plenty of video reviews of the car driving on the street. But let’s be honest, the only place a car like this can truly be tested is on a racetrack. You can not even begin to exploit the capabilities of this car on the street. At anything close to street legal speeds, you are not going fast enough for the aero bits on the Z07 package to even come into play. A Z06 with the Z07 package is a track car par excellence. With the help of a recent video of a track day held at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) we really learn what this car is all about.

The owner and driver of this Z06 is Austin Everett. He posted an in-car video of his recent track day to his Speed Phenom YouTube channel. First, major props to Everett for driving his Z06 on the track. It is what the car was designed and built for. Sure, a Z06 can be fun to take to your local Starbucks as well. But that is like using a three-year-old Thoroughbred horse for a stroll down a bridle path. The Z06 is a track weapon. And thanks to this video we can see just how powerful a weapon it is. Of course, driver talent comes into play. Max Verstappen driving a Toyota Prius would probably lap me in a Z06. So, some of this display we may be able to chalk up to Everett being more skilled. But the performance of the car can’t be denied.

The Sound

Yes, we have heard plenty of sound clips of the C8 Z06 by now. But nothing beats the sound this car makes at full chat on a racetrack. Close your eyes and there is no way you would believe this is a CORVETTE making that sound. The downshifts are glorious. The redline seems impossibly high. And the upshifts are nearly instant. The car making this noise is built in Kentucky. You don’t need a passport to visit the factory. It is right here in the USA. Incredible.

The Passing

Maybe Chevy should change the name from the Corvette Z06 to the Corvette Point Me By. OK, that name sucks, but you get the idea. The Z06 is a passing machine at this track day. It gobbles up everything it is sharing a track with that day. A Porsche Cayman GT4 can not even put up a fight. A 991.1 generation Porsche 911 GT3 gets left in the dust. Even a Ferrari 488 Challenge racecar gives the mighty Z06 a point-by. And the speed differential is astonishing. If you look in the rearview mirror of the Z06 after it overtakes another car you see that other car fade into the distance. Nothing can hang with Everett in his Z06.

Track Day Considerations

Are there any concerns with the Z06 on a track day? Aside from your fellow drivers getting tired of pointing you by there aren’t many. A couple things Everett comments on in the video are the tires and brakes. I am not sure how many track days are on the tires and brake pads on this car. I don’t know his camber settings either. But he complained that his pads were going and his tires were losing grip. If you are tracking this car a lot, make sure you get the camber settings right to preserve the tires as long as possible. A set of Sport Cup 2 tires are going to cost you about $2,500 for this car. You will want them to last as long as possible.

Speaking of expensive. The carbon ceramic brakes with the Z07 package are great. But if you are going to heavily track the car you may want to look into swapping them out for traditional iron rotors. Carbon brakes are quite expensive to replace compared to iron. Do your own research, but it is something to be mindful of. Of course, no one ever said that tracking a car would be cheap.

One other thing that Everett doesn’t mention but I think is worth calling out for those that plan to track the Z06 is the cooling. The Z06 openings are much larger than they are on the Stingray. That is great for cooling. However, it also increases the risk of damage on track. Bits of tire, stones, and so forth have much greater risk of striking a radiator on the Z06. It may be worth looking into grille screens to reduce the likelihood of damage.

What a Car

The C8 Z06 is a dominating track day car. The view above is likely the only one you will see if you are in anything else. Yes, COTA is a track that is made for the Z06. It is a wide track with long straights. All the turns flow well together, and it allows the Z06 to flex its muscle. But even on more technical tracks the Z06 would be tough to hang with. Chevy set out to build a track-ready Corvette and we can see now that they clearly achieved that goal.

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