During a recent one-on-one tour at Lingenfelter’s Michigan facility, I had a chance to get a more candid take on what he thinks about the new Stingray and what his team is doing to get more power out of the car.

Chevy is counting on the C7 to change the perception of the Corvette in Southern California. Can the C7 achieve that goal?

Corvette Racing seems to have finally found its stride with the C7.R, earning a first- and third-place finish in the new Chevy race car this past weekend in Long Beach. Driving the No. 3 Corvette, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen took the top spot in the GT Le Mans class of the Patrón Sports Car Showcase, giving Corvette Racing its first win in the C7.R.

I knew the interior of the new Corvette Stingray would be impressive when I first heard General Motors Design Chief, Ed Welburn rave over it before the car’s official debut last year; however, I’m not even sure Welburn imagined the C7’s cockpit would get as much praise as it’s getting now.

I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to catch the new Captain America movie yet, which features the Black Widow driving a C7, but it’s certainly worth that 3D ticket price … and those expensive snacks at the theater that border on legalized extortion. In fact, my only real complaint is that the all-black Corvette driven by Scarlett Johansson who stars as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the film, didn’t get more screen time with the actress.

Corvette Racing roars into Long Beach this weekend for the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase with one nice win already under its belt. The team, looking to find its groove for the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, was recently named RACER Magazine’s 2013 Team of the Year in worldwide motorsports. The editorial team of the popular racing publication selected Corvette Racing for the award based on the team’s winning the 2013 American Le Mans Series GT championship.

Chances are if you own a new Corvette Stingray you’ve been itching for a couple of pointers on how to get the most out of your baby’s performance capabilities … that is unless you already consider yourself in the ranks of greats like Mario Andretti. Either way, Chevy wants to help you get a better handle on how to get the most out of your new Corvette Stingray by offering a reduced rate to 2014 Corvette owners who attend the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School.