Late Model Racecraft Corvette ZR1 Runs a 9.00 at 157

Corvette ZR1 features a 1,200-horsepower upgrade package, a stock transmission tune and sticky tires.

The C7 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the quickest, fastest and most powerful production car that General Motors has ever offered to the general public, but for some people, 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque just isn’t enough. Up until a few months ago, owners didn’t have a choice, as the engine computer encryption system had been preventing aftermarket tuning upgrades, but since the computer has been unlocked, shops around the country are making big power.

One of those shops is forum sponsor Late Model Racecraft and since the LT5 engine encryption was cracked, LMR has been quick to develop big power packages that are leading to 8-second quarter mile times. In the video above from the Late Model Racecraft YouTube channel, we get to watch as they get as close as possible to the 8s without actually running in the 8s.

LMR1200HP Corvette ZR1

While we know that this Corvette is fitted with the Late Model Racecraft LMR1200HP package, which lifts the output from 755 to 1,200 horsepower, there don’t seem to be details on what all is included in that package. The LMR website doesn’t list the package and in looking through social media posts or video details, there is no mod list.

That being said, we can guess that this car likely has some head work, a new camshaft, headers, full exhaust, fuel system upgrades and either an aftermarket supercharger or a modified stock supercharger – fitted with a smaller pulley up top and on the crank. We have reached out to LMR for more details and we will update this piece when we hear back, but we don’t need a mod list to appreciate a blistering quarter mile blast.

Shooting for 8s

In the video above, the LMR-built C7 Corvette ZR1 is trying to get into the 8-second range with the components of the LMR1200HP package, a set of sticky rear tires and the big aero package. After a good, hard launch, the new ZR1 blasts down the track, stopping the Houston Raceway timers with a 9.009 at 157.71 miles per hour.

While this is a bit short of the 8-second run that the team was hoping for, we can’t ignore the fact that this Corvette has the extreme aero package that includes the huge rear wing. That rear wing begins adding drag and slowing the car down around 60 miles per hour while offering no advantage on the drag strip, so if they had taken the wing off prior to the run, there is a good chance that this new Corvette would have gotten into the 8s.

We imagine that on their next time to the track, this LMR-built Corvette will run in the 8-second range, but in the meantime, crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com