Speed Phenom Reveals Why the C8 Corvette is a Track Weapon

After three Shelby Mustangs, YouTuber Speed Phenom bought a C8 and took it out on track to experience mid-engine glory.

What a time to be a car guy. We live in an era of unparalleled performance. And not only do we have access to all the usual suspects’ of car-media coverage, but we also have YouTubers producing their own content. Crazy car builds. The latest exotics. Car wraps. Mods. Swaps. Detailing. If you can think of it, someone on YouTube is probably doing it. Which brings me to YouTuber Speed Phenom, who’s having a hell of a year.

Phenom, whose first name is Austin, started YouTub focusing on Shelby Mustangs. He began with a 2014 era Shelby GT500 that Shelby American later upgraded into a Super Snake, before snagging a Shelby GT350R and learning how to track it. But Austin’s seen his largest subscriber growth in the past few months when he became the first YouTuber to purchase and film videos with the 2020 Shelby GT500. He was also among the first YouTubers to purchase a 2020 C8 Corvette, and I certainly can’t think of another content creator who was tracking the C8 outside of the GM media drives.

It’s here where Corvette Forum members took notice, posting Austin’s videos in our C8 Forums. Austin was tracking the C8 against his Shelbys as well as Porsches, Ferraris, and McLarens, among others. All while learning the car, testing out tire options, and growing as a track driver. It’s through this lens that I reached out to Austin to interview him about his car passion and experiences owning and tracking the 2020 C8 Corvette.

Corvette Forum: Can you tell us a little bit about your current collection?

Speed Phenom: I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a car collector. I do own three Shelby Mustangs. Each one offers a different flavor of fun. On one end of the spectrum, there’s the 2014 GT500 Super Snake, a high horsepower and raw stick shift machine. That would be the original car of the group, the one I’ve had the longest. I got into Mustangs because I saw the film Need For Speed, and thought the 2014 Shelby was an absolute monster. I ended up falling for the exciting heritage, and things escalated from there.

However, my interests started changing throughout the years… The 2016 Shelby GT350R was introduced, and I thought the flat-plane crank v8 with 8,250 rpm was unbelievable at such a price point. It introduced me to the track side of performance cars, an entirely different world! I was hooked! The new 2020 Shelby GT500 is a step up in terms of speed and performance with that in mind. What really changed everything for me was the C8 Corvette. I’ve always dreamed of owning a mid-engine sports car. Everything I liked about the exotics was incorporated into a Corvette! Well, I did everything I could to get one.

What are your earliest car memories and how did you get into racing?

When I was very young I used to be involved in the off road scene… My family had their off road toys! I was into it. However, over the years I started playing video games like Forza and as a result, got heavily interested in street cars! I had tons of models of Mustangs, Vipers, Corvettes, Ferraris, and so forth!

I originally got into racing because of the Shelby GT350R and the complementary Ford Performance Racing School (GT350 Track Attack) experience. I wanted to further learn how to better myself as a driver. I then signed up for an introductory course with the Skip Barber Racing School and flew to Roebling Road Raceway. The team there was amazing! They put me into a formula car with a sequential manual gearbox and no driving aids! I had never experienced anything quite like it. They put together slaloms and tons of different driving exercises! Things like learning how to heel-toe downshift and even threshold brake with no abs. In some of the tests, they ordered you to lock up the brakes on a fast straight away and try to turn in for a corner! The thrill was unlike anything else.

After some time I managed to put together the funds to attend their SCCA Racing License Program. This time I opted for something more similar to a street car, that being the school’s available Mazda Miatas. I completed their advanced training classes, and then immediately started racing in the Mazdaspeed Summer Championship Series. My first SCCA race weekend was beyond exciting. I set a record lap during qualifying! Overall, I finished second in the championship.

If you could only track one car — either in your collection now or dream collection — what would it be?

The dream car for me to track someday would be the McLaren P1. I’ve always been a major fan of how redefining it was… At the time it used hybrid technology to create a performance car like none other. I think McLarens, in general, are extremely dialed in for track use. As a follow-up and something more achievable, a new 765LT (above) would be another choice!

If we were to talk about my current cars, I would probably lean towards the C8 as my current go-to track weapon. Mainly because of its mid-engine balance.

How has your C8 ownership experience been so far? What are your favorite things about the car?

This car has blown away all of my expectations! After having the chance to experience a Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2, and a few McLarens, this car drives just like them. It feels like an exotic and puts smiles on faces everywhere! The craftsmanship is amazing… It also has every amenity you could imagine. My favorite thing is the design, inside and out. In general, it’s so good that it actually feels underrated!