Richard Ames

Porsche has GT Cup, Lambo has Super Torfero Series. Does Corvette has anything similar? My Google etc searches have not turned up anything.

V4kerker

No.

flash911

There was that C7 series out at Spring Mountain, right? Or did it die off?

raff

Back in the day there was the Corvette Challenge


http://www.superchevy.com/events/vem...tte-challenge/

http://showyourcorvette.com/history.php

TrackAire

I don't know why there isn't a spec series for the 2001-2004 C5 Z06. Add in some safety gear, very mild suspension upgrades, basic cooling upgrades, mild brake upgrade, a spec wheel (maybe 18 x 10.5 Speedlines square) and a spec tire. Engine, trans, rear end, all stock. Must have minimum weight, say 3200 lbs. No aero, stock body. Boom, you're done. Would be a ton of fun starting out with car that has a sexy shape and very good performance from the factory.

The SCCA has done something similar with the Spec Mustang series....2005 to 2009 Mustang GT's, spec suspension, spec brakes, spec wheels, max 315 rwhp, etc.
http://cdn.growassets.net/user_files...pdf?1447340348

z28lt1

There was supposed to be starting this year
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300170616.html

But I don't believe that it actually got going yet. In the C7 forum, someone from Spring Mountain said they were still working on it, I believe.

acrace

Seems to me that there are two types of spec series.

One is the pro-level type of spec series . . . as the OP said there is the Porsche Cup series, Lamborghini series, and you can add the Ferrari Challenge. Corvette Challenge from the late 80s was similar. Pro type tracks, often as a support series to pro series like F1 or IndyCar or the like. These series are factory supported, typically with specially available vehicles from the OEM.

The second is a club type. Spec Mustang as mentioned is a SF regional only series. In the mid to late 2000s there was TCC (Touring Challenge for Corvette) that ran as a supplemental class to some SCCA CenDiv/GLD regionals.

History says that spec classes in organizations like NASA or SCCA tend to be the brainchild of an individual or a handful of individuals, sometimes with factory or aftermarket support helping to drive it (Spec Miata for example), but oftentimes no support. Take an existing ruleset and make some minor tweaks (like spec tires) so there is an existing base of cars, and by force of personality and contacts get it added to a race schedule.

I'd love to see a revival of the old Corvette Challenge . . . young up and coming pros mixed with veterans, with factory built spec cars. Somehow GM hasn't rationalized the marketing value. Can't fault the investment and publicity of the ALMS/IMSA/LeMans program though. And GM typically hasn't been too involved with amateur road race classes, unless there is someone internally motivated (think Camaro 1LE or Solstice Z0K, but those were not for spec series, but SCCA national or low level pro (Firehawk Series) stuff.

StreetSpeed

Count me in if it ever happens. I'd happily trade in my ST2 money pit for a stock spec Vette class.

TrackAire

I do have a chuckle when people tell me they run in a "stock" or spec class. When I started autocrossing in the late 80's a national level autocrosser that ran a Camaro in F-stock told me "It takes a lot of money to make this car stock!"

One of the facts he told me was since you had to run stock springs, he had a friend that worked at GM go through tons of Camaro springs to measure four of the shortage springs they could find due to manufacturing tolerances being so loose. So if he had a Camaro that was technically "stock" but 1/2" lower than me, how does somebody that does not have contacts inside GM compete? After that conversation I went home and started modding my Camaro to move to E Street Prepared, lol.

The reality is if it a big class, the guy with the most money will usually do very well since they can afford the newest tires and blueprint the hell out of everything within the rules.....if they're not cheating to begin with. Even as small as the spec Mustang class is, there is plenty of cheating going on.....and for what?, a $12.00 trophy and an ego boost.

But as you know, that is racing.

rfn026

Racing has to be a profit center for the corporation. That works for Porsche and Mazda. The Ferrari and Lambo series are a way to boost dealer profits. All of the cars in both series are serviced by the dealer network. Not many Corvette owners are willing to spend over $1 million a year on spec racing.

Chevrolet has tried this a couple of times and it just never worked.We had the Corvette Challenge series and it only lasted 2 years. GM tried again with the C5 Box Cars. That only lasted 1 year.

I don't look for anything to happen in the near future.

Richard Newton
Historic Racing Images

Scooter70

That was SCCA T1 during those years. If you weren't in a Z06 you weren't going to win anything. When the C6 came out, everyone started moving to the new cars. That's racing... the top guys always have to have the latest car.

theseal

Thats not racing. Its bad rules. Scca deliberately sets up incredibly bad rules, it is a terrible organization full of nice people, but they single handedly prevented road racing from ever reaching its potential in the us.

Spec c5z would be great, probably spec c5 even better. The proposed class would be by far the best class the scca or even nasa has ever had, especially if they kept the power to grip ratio up. (Ie really stable, long lasting cost effective tires that dont have so much grip as to overwhelm the power)

theseal

This is more for autocross than road racing, but i bought an old dps car in august, aligned it, put tires on it in september and won a national championship by over .6 seconds on the rest of the field. There was nothing whatsoever special about that car. I sold it, bought a new camaro, aligned it, put tires on it, and only got 5th the next year, but that nationals was screwed. I had significant car problems. A functiooning car could have won.

Now, on a road race, 5 hp, .5 more negative camber, 50 lbs less weight, and .5" ride height can add up to a big advantage, but you get around that by rules.

For spec, if you set dyno curves, are smart about programming, set weights, ride height, and camber rules, you start getting cars pretty darned equal pretty quickly.

Basil2000

I was at spring mountain in February and was told C7 series is not going to happen. May have not had enough interest. I would have seriously considered selling my z and doing that series.

BrianCunningham

TCC Touring Challenge for Corvettes

Ran for years
Ex Challenge cars & World Challenge (SPEED. SPEEDVSION) cars

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-near-you.html

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...kins-glen.html

You CAN start a spec series
that's how a lot of the current ones came to be

Bill Dearborn

In the mid 90s I was a member of the BMW CCA and NCCC. BMW CCA was in the process of setting up their Club Racing Series which is still going strong. I took the idea to my NCCC Regional Competition Director a couple of times but it was rebuffed by the committee. 5 years later I was the Regional Competition Director and got the same result from the committee. They were too interested in adding classes and restrictions to their Autocross Series that only a few people participated in. So now we have Corvette Racers all over the country competing in NASA and SCCA but not as a group of Corvettes. BMW CCA has an active Club Racing Series with people traveling around the country to participate. Some of them also participate in NASA and SCCA races. One organization is headed to the dust heap as its members die off and the other is growing as it brings new younger members into the fold.

The GVC Chapter of BMW CCA runs an annual race weekend that usually has 40 to 50 cars participating. It runs concurrent with their HPDE and it is a lot of fun watching 50 BMWs head for Turn 1 at the Glen.

Bill

eogel

My son and I ran in Touring Challenge for Corvettes for a number of years. It was a great series and ranged from stock C4 up to a couple of levels of modification. The "Touring" part was racing at a variety of tracks in the eastern half of the country. Very enjoyable.