03-17-2019, 01:59 PM | #1 | |
Drives: Fastish Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Florida
Posts: 228
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Switched to ZLE from a race prepped C6Z06- 2nd outing, now I am happy...
Long or short story- I have been competing in time trial for the past 4 years in a fully prepared C6z running in NASA's TT1 (6:1 power to weight ratio). The corvette is everything you want it to be on the track. Fast, agile, does everything well. I won the NASA East Coast championships at Sebring in the car, and also set the track record for TT1 (2:13.4 if you are wondering... )Financially, well, its all out of pocket, and that gets old eventually.... I think I am generally a "decent" track driver.
I also instruct with most of the large organizations and happened to be instructing one day at a very small local track that we use to test/tune/shakedown cars. A few of us had joked that wouldn't it be nice to have a fast car, that runs well, and is under warranty. We teased about the new ZLE maybe being that car. I'm 6'5, 275#'s. I don't have a lot of sports car options... At the track that day while we were joking, One of the guys there had a 6th gen ZL1 non LE. We started talking, he said he had been running the track a bunch, and haven't had a single issue with it. I asked to sit in it... I fit.,.. well...That was a saturday. Sunday I came home with the HyperBlue ZLE leftover 18 from a local dealer that you may have seen pictures of running BC Forged wheels on here I took the car to the local track (the FIRM) in Gainesville florida about 3 weeks ago. Now in my C6z, on Hoosiers, I am running a 1:14.8 there and one of the fastest fendered cars there. I saw two other competent drivers run a ZLE there stock, with a fastest time of 1:15.8 Generally under 1:17 is "fast" on this short track, so I wasn't worried the car wouldn't be competitive. My first time out I was horrible, my best was a 1:17.0 I worried I made a mistake buying this car. I was bone stock, track alignment, and Castrol SRF in the brakes. I hated the brake feel, wasn't confidence inspiring, my gear selections seemed all wrong. I was in a slump. I decided to change pads and give it another go. I swapped to HTC 70/60 combo, no other changes. Tires at 1800 miles, and damn near done. Yesterday I had some open track, so I started running the car.... It clicked, I ran a 1:15.03 after a string of 1:15xxx laps. Car still has more in it, tires don't... Being .2 off of my vette is pretty damn awesome in a stock car weighing 700#'s more, making less power than the vette as well.. Next up- Harness and Hoho's ! Gonna play with pads or maybe end up doing a BBK as I am not in love with the Hawks, but they are way better than the stock pads for me. I go back to sebring in April to really test this car, granted the camaro is a TT2 car (8:1 power to weight) but I think it may do very well in its division... If you read this long, or just scrolled down, here is the PDR of that lap. .8 faster than the other ZLE's that have been there...and more to come, although likely won't be tracking much more on stock tires... HOHO time! https://youtu.be/a2nHwmpVdhY |
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03-17-2019, 03:23 PM | #2 |
Drives: ISO ss 1le Join Date: May 2018
Location: FL
Posts: 764
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Slow
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03-17-2019, 03:36 PM | #3 |
Drives: Grandad's C2 L89 Join Date: May 2017
Location: 20*51.50N 156*29.60W
Posts: 1,711
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Thanks for sharing.
Best of luck at Sebring. Keep us posted. Are you holding on to the C6?
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2018 ZL1 1LE sw/PDR
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03-17-2019, 03:38 PM | #4 |
Drives: Fastish Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Florida
Posts: 228
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03-17-2019, 04:01 PM | #5 |
Owning SSes for 50 Years
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Testimonials like this really make me smile. Chevy is building better than world class cars and proving it on a regular basis.
Loved your video.
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The new ride: 2023 Camaro, LT1, Sharkskin Grey
Previous Performance Cars: 1966 Chevelle SS 4M, 2010 Corvette 6M 1968 Dodge Charger R/T Auto 2012 1SS 6M 1982 Corvette Auto 2010 1SS 6A 1984 Corvette Auto 2016 2SS 8A 1999 Camaro Auto 2017 HBM 1SS 1le 2002 C5 Corvette 6M 2018 2SS 2006 Corvette Auto 2023 Camaro LT1 |
03-17-2019, 04:11 PM | #6 |
Drives: ISO ss 1le Join Date: May 2018
Location: FL
Posts: 764
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03-17-2019, 05:13 PM | #7 | |
Drives: 2013 Camaro 1LE Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Verona, WI
Posts: 1,924
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Quote:
I have been looking to get into a C5Z or C6Z/GS for awhile now just to help shed the weight. But sometimes it's hard to convince myself to go that route when I could buy a 6th gen ZLE and have a warranty and 90%+ of the performance of a C6Z (after the C6Z has been track prepped).
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03-17-2019, 05:56 PM | #8 | |
Drives: Fastish Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Florida
Posts: 228
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Quote:
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03-17-2019, 06:03 PM | #9 |
CamaroFans.com
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You really need to join us at Camaro Fest IX this year. We're doing 2 days at NCM and could use another instructor.
Great write-up! |
03-17-2019, 08:32 PM | #10 |
I was chatting with some of the Autocross guys at Buckingham and they told me you got a ZLE....enjoy it!
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03-17-2019, 08:41 PM | #11 |
Drives: Fastish Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Florida
Posts: 228
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03-18-2019, 12:49 PM | #12 | |
Drives: 2013 Camaro 1LE Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Verona, WI
Posts: 1,924
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Quote:
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03-19-2019, 04:54 PM | #13 |
Shifts under load
Drives: 2020 Camaro 1SS 1LE rally green Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Fuquay-Varina, NC
Posts: 1,295
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Do you happen to know my friend Brian Armstrong? He lives in Savannah and has run a ton at Roebling Road, has been to Sebring, and some other southeastern tracks. He instructs with a few different groups.
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24 Audi S3 prem plus, sport package
HPDE - southeast - JTI- solo, PCA- blue. 22 Suzuki GSX-S 1000GT blue |
03-19-2019, 05:53 PM | #14 |
Drives: Fastish Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Florida
Posts: 228
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