Lessons We Can All Learn from the C8 Z06 Totaled at Virginia International Raceway

A C8 Z06 totaled in a wreck at VIR thankfully didn’t cause any injuries, but it does leave us all with some important lessons learned.

The C8 Z06 is an incredible track weapon. This car was developed to set blistering lap times. Sadly, many of these cars are being bought as investments to be flipped for a profit. Or they live a garage queen life and never face anything more challenging than a freeway onramp. However, there are a few folks out there who drive the C8 Z06 the way it was designed to be driven. Pushed to the limit on a racetrack trying to shave tenths of seconds from a lap. Major props to those that are out there doing that. And one of those folks doing the right thing is Corvette Forum member NXTFAZE. He was setting some blistering lap times at Virginia International Raceway recently. Sadly, a track accident left his C8 Z06 totaled. On a much happier note, he was unharmed.

The accident was captured and posted on the steelankles YouTube channel. There is also a forum thread called C8 Z06 at VIR 1.58.9 lap that also covers the event. Another round of props to the driver for the way he is handling the situation. He has been open and upfront about what happened and sharing the experience. While a Z06 totaled on track is not something any of us ever want to see, there are some good lessons here that we can all take away from what happened. And the driver sharing the video and talking about the event are what makes these lessons possible.

Hold the Criticism

First of all, the driver of this Z06 is doing things that most owners won’t. There should be respect for just that. Yet the first reaction many have when they see a video like this is to think that the driver must be an idiot. But sometimes bad stuff just happens. Especially on a racetrack. In this case, it appears the tire blew out.

I have been an HPDE instructor, so I have a fair amount of track experience. But I am not a driving deity. If I was, I would be battling Max Verstappen for the points lead right now, and not typing up an article on my laptop. But even the best drivers in the world crash on occasion. And then learn from it. It seems like the driver of the wrecked Z06 is doing exactly that.

Safety

The best news here is that the driver was unharmed. That is a testament to the safety of the car itself and the safety equipment used. If you are going to be pushing your Corvette on track then buy and use the best safety equipment available. If you have a cheap head, then buy a cheap helmet. But if you are dropping over six figures for a car it makes no sense to not spend a few grand more getting the best gear you can. And if you are going to track the car often upgrading to racing seats with a proper harness is also a wise investment. You might not ever need it, but better to be safe than sorry.

Track Insurance

A C8 Z06 totaled at the track can be a massive financial hit. Your regular insurance policy is not going to cover you. So, if you can’t afford to comfortably write off your track car then you should seriously consider track insurance. They will come with a sizable deductible but covering $15K out of pocket for a deductible is a lot easier to swallow than writing off a $150K car. The car in this video was insured and the driver is already working on getting a replacement Z06. Without that coverage, this would be a far sadder story.

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