Coldmale

An interesting thought, worthy of some attention I believe.

At my local track, we have 3 types of 1 make racing. Auzzie V8s, Porsche Mobil Cup cars and Speedcars (Asia). All these classes are full spec, ie, they all have 650Hp motors, full race slicks, lightweight stripped out shells and aerodynamics

On the circuit they all do laps around 2min and 6 secs, give or take.

Now my '07-Z06 car is road legal, with all internals, carpets, no aerodynamics, stock brakes, MSPC tires and a 520rwhp motor (say 610Hp engine). I do have coilovers etc.

My best lap time is 2min and 25 secs

The difference is 20 seconds. Their top speed is 285km/hr, mine is 265. I can brake at 1g deceleration and corner at 1.25g.

How would that lap time improve if I:-
a) put on race slicks
b) put on an aerodynamic package
c) installed Brembo brakes
d) took driving lessons
e) shed 600 lbs of weight (from the car)

Could I ever hope to get to say 2min and 10secs and stay road legal?

Lets get some opinions here

Thanks

John

AU N EGL

John

Great question

a full built race car is more then slicks, brakes and aero.

Of your items above, I would skip the aero. But better brakes, brake cooling, Bigger radiator, better tires, Seats harness, and lots of driving schools / training.

Part of everyone's challenge is having a great track car, yet keeping it road legal. Guess what, that does not happen. Your car is one or the other. never both.

Safety is an issue that many do not address. ie a roll cage, fire suppression plus other safety items. Any speeds in any corvette, can be dangerous to its occupants. Just hitting a concrete wall can . . Well you get the idea.

Best Option IMO? Two cars. A full race prepared car, and a street car. Or enjoy the car you have at resionable speeds.

Driving schools and contact patches are always the best modifications anyone can make.

Good Luck

WNeal

I tried having a dedicated track car and garage queen car, all in one.
It Did Not Work

Once I had to start cutting on the car for tire clearance, it was all over, gutted out, cage, fire system, suspension, coolers. It never ends.

You can certainly keep your car streetable and reduce your times but there is a limit. Probably the most important one being safety.

I would start with more seat time, more seat time and a bit more seat time before making a bunch of heavy duty mods to the car. This alone will make you faster and safer at the same time.

Coldmale

Guys - Thats all great, but bear this in mind

1. Cash is not really an issue, but there are not enough events here to warrant a track only car. By the same token, practice is also restricted

2. Installing a cage, fire supression is fine, but it wont get the lap times down other than the feeling of self presevation (which I dont suffer from)

3. This whole thing as about personel bests. Bettering yesterdays time and all that. What I am attempting to determine is what that target time should reasistically be. Its certainly not 2:05. But is it 2:10, or 2:15 or only 2:20

4. Last seasons best, 2:40 was in a 300rwhp C5, so 200rwhp got me 15 seconds. Another 50 rwhp will likley get me 1 maybe 2 secs at most.

OK. Lets keep the ideas coming

John

SouthernSon

Agree whole heartedly. After you come up to speed with more experience, you will appreciate more what changes you do to the car. And appreciation is very important because IT GETS EXPENSIVE.
Plus, you learn more about setup that way because you can compare more quantitatively the changes done if you have the experience to realize/feel it. Of course, I am still learning, do not understand 100% what all the changes have done to my car's handling (no one does, really) but I do have a basic understanding and feel for most things in my setup.

mikahb

Not sure anybody here will be able to give you as specific an answer as you're hoping for. If this were a track like - say - VIR, there would be lots of guys who could tell you what a C6Z could run with various mods. On the track you're talking about, chances are there are fewer people here with experience to draw from.

The single biggest factor in getting lap times down is the driver, no doubt about it. Without seeing your driving, the track, etc., it's really hard to say how much time you're leaving out there.

Can you give some insight (either with a video, or just a description) on how close you are driving the car to the limit? Electronic nannies on or off, tire/brake wear, etc.?

jhester

Short of driver improvement the next best bang-for-the-buck are improving your tires.

There are only 4 places the car touches the road and they are all a tire.

After you have sorted yourself, and put on the best (legal-for-your-application) tires, weight and brakes would be my next suggestion. Short of tires, weight redux is the only modification that helps you braking into a corner, at mid corner, and accelerating out of a corner.

Just my $0.02, I am sure others will have differing opinions. (This opinion comes from more vehicle dynamics work than first-hand driving)

L98Terror

The best time for a C6R GT1 car around Mid Ohio is a 1:18(Pro), Danny Popp (amateur) has turned a 1:26 in his ST1/TTU C5 on Hoosier A6s.

So figure 8 seconds, the track you are talking about is longer so figure 10 seconds.

IMO now those cars you mentioned aren't Factory C6Rs an you are not Danny Popp, but with a properly set up car and a lot of prictice I would guess you cound get within 10 seconds in a streetable car on sticker A6s or full slicks.

I would bet it is possible to get close, if you want fly me over there I'll take a few laps and let you know what you are leaving on the table before you do any mods

AU N EGL

and John

a cage does stiffen the whole car up to make it stonger. Which will inturn help lower your lap times.

Mostly Driver training and tires.

John Shiels

full and properly done aero helps so if $$$ is not a concern do it.

az55

Your highest return will come from high quality instruction and practice.

Then lighten the car and put good rubber on it.

Corner balance the car.

Once you can drive the car to it's limits......

BUY A RACECAR! (after all, money is not a problem)

Cheers,
CV

longdaddy

if you can take 600lbs out of the car, it would make a huge difference.

C6-CYa

John, what track do you run at mate? Just interested.

I run mostly at Hallett up in OK and when I ran with Hoosier A6's my lap time dropped from 1:32 to 1:26. It's just that those tyres are just so darn sticky!

Pick up some spare rims and throw some A6's on, and you will be amazed. Five minutes to swap them over at the track and it makes the circuit so much more fun.

Steve

davidfarmer

I agree, 600lbs would do wonders. Full carbon body, lexan, 5.5" clutch, MUCH gutting would be required, but 600lbs would make you much faster. That alone combined with splitter/wing would shave lots of time off.

Of course you wouldn't have much of a street car at that point........

parkerracing

Biggest bang for the buck...practice, practice, practice. Next biggest, tires. Next biggest, brakes. If $$$ is no object, you can build a track rat that can outperform any of those cars because the only rule is your bank statement. In the end, you'll take a financial spanking on that one due to its singular nature (but it WILL be fun in the meantime)/:\