Thanks to our friends at CorvetteBlogger.com, we now have our hands on the official Corvette Stingray Track Preparation Guide, which details the steps recommended to get your brand new C7 ready for the rigors of race or track day duty.

Quote:

Chevy provides a pair of brake cooling rings with the Z51, which they recommend installing with safety wire before tracking the car. The rings help redirect air from the front ducts more efficiently through the core of the rotors. Chevy says they have to be removed for normal driving, since the dissimilar metals will corrode if left in contact

2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-124-medium“The 2014 Corvette Stingray with the Z51 Performance Package has been designed and engineered to be a world-class sports car for the track. But before unleashing its acceleration, cornering and braking capability, there are several key procedures and steps that must be taken in order to properly experience its track prowess.”

The guide is divided into five sections, starting with break-in; time periods for gentle use of the throttle and brakes are detailed, and owners are cautioned not to drive the car in track or competitive driving events until there’s at least 1,500 miles on the clock.

Chevy provides a pair of brake cooling rings with the Z51, which they recommend installing with safety wire before tracking the car. The rings help redirect air from the front ducts more efficiently through the core of the rotors. Chevy says they have to be removed for normal driving, since the dissimilar metals will corrode if left in contact.
Chevy provides a pair of brake cooling rings with the Z51, which they recommend installing with safety wire before tracking the car. The rings help redirect air from the front ducts more efficiently through the core of the rotors. Chevy says they have to be removed for normal driving, since the dissimilar metals will corrode if left in contact.

Step two is seasoning the brakes, a series of medium and hard brake applications, a cool down period, and more medium applications. Per Chevy, “The brake burnish procedure is specific to the Z51 brake package and should not be run on any other models as damage may result. When this procedure is performed as instructed, it will not damage the brakes. The brake pads will smoke and produce an odor (emphasis ours). The braking force and pedal travel may increase. After the procedure, the brake pads may appear white at the rotor contact. Perform this procedure only on dry pavement and in a safe manner and in compliance with all local and state ordinances/laws regarding motor vehicle operation.”

Step three includes tire pressure adjustment, with a recommended pressure of just 26 PSI and the suggestion, “drive at a maximum speed of 174 MPH.” Alignment is also specced out, with additional camber compared to the normal factory setting, and they recommend removing the aero panel/license plate holder to “improve engine performance.”

The fourth step details fluid changes – frequent freshening of the factory fill Mobil 1 15W50 engine juice is recommended, and a changeover to DOT4 brake fluid with a boiling point higher than 534 degrees F is in order, with a swap back to factory spec fluid once you return to the street. Even with the Z51′s differential cooler, Chevy also recommends replacing the axle lube every 24 hours of track use.

Finally, step five covers how to use the Driver Mode Selector and Performance Traction Management to get your Stingray in the right frame of mind for use in wheel-to-wheel combat. The guide then ends with a checklist of things to do before resuming normal street driving:

After driving your Corvette Stingray (with the Z51 Performance Package) on the track, it is important to return the vehicle back to the original factory settings with the proper fluids before normal street driving.

•Remove the brake rotor cooling rings
•Return the tire pressure settings to factory (see the Tire and Loading Information label located below the door latch with the door open)
•Return the wheel alignment settings to factory
•Reattach the front license plate bracket/aero panel (if removed)
•Replace oil (use only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specification of the proper SAE viscosity grade)
•Replace brake fluid (DOT3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid)
•Replace rear axle fluid (DEXRON® LS Gear Oil)
•Rotate the Driver Mode Selector out of Track mode