GM Test Track
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Brisbane Queensland
GM Test Track
I have not heard reports that GM are or have used the NCM track for testing prototype or new corvettes. Strange because being such a high class facility and right next to the factory one would assume it was their go to track.
Can anyone tell me if Corvettes are being tested by GM on the NCM track?
Can anyone tell me if Corvettes are being tested by GM on the NCM track?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2017
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From: Georgetown CA
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There was an ask tadge question about tracks that they use for testing and he mentioned that they do use it but not as much as others. Some of it has to do with scheduling as well as with having historical data to compare against.
They also have their own track in Michigan I think that they use.
They also have their own track in Michigan I think that they use.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2016
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From: Bainbridge Island WA
Part of Tadge's answer was that they need tracks with a wide variety of conditions and ones where they have a lot of stored data for comparison. That includes tracks with Michigan winters. I wouldn't expect their testing protocols to increase at Spring Mountain at all. It's way to open and busy with lots of cameras they'd rather not be exposed to.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Scottsdale AZ
GM used to have their hot weather test track in Mesa, AZ. It wasn't secret enough. GM cut a deal with the army to put a test track in a military range outside of Yuma AZ...no prying eyes there except by satellite.
Team Owner
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From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
When I went to Spring Mountain (Bragg-Smith) in 2001, GM had just finished some testing there, I believe it was a Z06 and they lost an engine because someone forgot to put the oil cap on.
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From: DFW Area TX
GM has three proving grounds with multiple test tracks in each that they own or co-own:
Desert Proving Ground Yuma - co-built and leased by General Motors located within the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds, near Yuma, Arizona has 40 miles of roadway. One of the main reasons that this site was chosen was the already imposed no fly zone which helps prevent unwanted photography of pre-production prototypes undergoing testing. The facility is also used by the US Army for their own testing requirements.
Milford Proving Grounds - the industry's first dedicated automobile testing facility when it opened in 1924. It is located in Milford, Michigan and covers 4,000 acres. The proving ground includes the equivalent of 132 mi (212 km) of roads representative of conditions found on public roadways and other specialty surfaces for vehicle testing. Some roads are open only to drivers who have passed special performance driving training.
Cupuán Proving Ground - General Motors Proving Ground Cupuan del Rio is situated between Lázaro Cárdenas and Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. The facility opened in 2006 and features a circle track, several off-road courses, and is primarily used for testing HVAC systems.
Desert Proving Ground Yuma - co-built and leased by General Motors located within the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds, near Yuma, Arizona has 40 miles of roadway. One of the main reasons that this site was chosen was the already imposed no fly zone which helps prevent unwanted photography of pre-production prototypes undergoing testing. The facility is also used by the US Army for their own testing requirements.
Milford Proving Grounds - the industry's first dedicated automobile testing facility when it opened in 1924. It is located in Milford, Michigan and covers 4,000 acres. The proving ground includes the equivalent of 132 mi (212 km) of roads representative of conditions found on public roadways and other specialty surfaces for vehicle testing. Some roads are open only to drivers who have passed special performance driving training.
Cupuán Proving Ground - General Motors Proving Ground Cupuan del Rio is situated between Lázaro Cárdenas and Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. The facility opened in 2006 and features a circle track, several off-road courses, and is primarily used for testing HVAC systems.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Brisbane Queensland
GM has three proving grounds with multiple test tracks in each that they own or co-own:
Desert Proving Ground Yuma - co-built and leased by General Motors located within the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds, near Yuma, Arizona has 40 miles of roadway. One of the main reasons that this site was chosen was the already imposed no fly zone which helps prevent unwanted photography of pre-production prototypes undergoing testing. The facility is also used by the US Army for their own testing requirements.
Milford Proving Grounds - the industry's first dedicated automobile testing facility when it opened in 1924. It is located in Milford, Michigan and covers 4,000 acres. The proving ground includes the equivalent of 132 mi (212 km) of roads representative of conditions found on public roadways and other specialty surfaces for vehicle testing. Some roads are open only to drivers who have passed special performance driving training.
Cupuán Proving Ground - General Motors Proving Ground Cupuan del Rio is situated between Lázaro Cárdenas and Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. The facility opened in 2006 and features a circle track, several off-road courses, and is primarily used for testing HVAC systems.
Desert Proving Ground Yuma - co-built and leased by General Motors located within the US Army's Yuma Proving Grounds, near Yuma, Arizona has 40 miles of roadway. One of the main reasons that this site was chosen was the already imposed no fly zone which helps prevent unwanted photography of pre-production prototypes undergoing testing. The facility is also used by the US Army for their own testing requirements.
Milford Proving Grounds - the industry's first dedicated automobile testing facility when it opened in 1924. It is located in Milford, Michigan and covers 4,000 acres. The proving ground includes the equivalent of 132 mi (212 km) of roads representative of conditions found on public roadways and other specialty surfaces for vehicle testing. Some roads are open only to drivers who have passed special performance driving training.
Cupuán Proving Ground - General Motors Proving Ground Cupuan del Rio is situated between Lázaro Cárdenas and Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. The facility opened in 2006 and features a circle track, several off-road courses, and is primarily used for testing HVAC systems.
I was under the impression (seems wrongly) that one of the primary reasons for construction of the NCM track was for use as a testing ground for the Corvette?
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From: DFW Area TX
From the NCM Motorsports Park website:
HISTORY OF PROJECT
The idea of building a Motorsports Park to complete the Corvette Museum experience began in 2007. The success of our High Performance Driving Events (HPDE) and feedback from enthusiasts who enjoyed exercising their cars, got the attention of Museum Executive Director Wendell Strode. When an opportunity came up to obtain some property adjacent to the existing NCM campus, the suggestion was first made to use it for a track, until it was decided that there wasn’t enough room there to do it properly. Still, it seemed like a good idea worth pursuing later.
At that time the Museum expansion was the priority so the track plan went on the back burner. This changed when a nearby property owner with 20 acres on the other side of the interstate, contacted the Museum offering to sell her land for future growth. An adjoining 50 acres came available as well adding up to 70 acres. Strode and the Museum Board of Directors agreed that the land should be purchased as it would be a good investment even if the track didn’t wind up getting the support it needed to be built.
When the expansion was complete, the strong business case for a Motorsports Park prompted the NCM leadership to bring in track designer Alan Wilson (Miller Motorsports Park, NOLA Motorsports Park, Barber Motorsports Park and others) as a consultant, along with others who determined that more property would be needed to make this the world-class facility it had the potential to be. A total of 184 acres were eventually purchased and as member support grew, so did the momentum and excitement. Track designer Steve Crawford (Thunder Hill, Ridge Motorsports Park) was hired to design the road course with input from Corvette Racing, resulting in a multiple, reconfigurable, track layout with features from Le Mans, making the NCM Motorsports Park the track that every motorsports enthusiast would want to drive.
The idea of building a Motorsports Park to complete the Corvette Museum experience began in 2007. The success of our High Performance Driving Events (HPDE) and feedback from enthusiasts who enjoyed exercising their cars, got the attention of Museum Executive Director Wendell Strode. When an opportunity came up to obtain some property adjacent to the existing NCM campus, the suggestion was first made to use it for a track, until it was decided that there wasn’t enough room there to do it properly. Still, it seemed like a good idea worth pursuing later.
At that time the Museum expansion was the priority so the track plan went on the back burner. This changed when a nearby property owner with 20 acres on the other side of the interstate, contacted the Museum offering to sell her land for future growth. An adjoining 50 acres came available as well adding up to 70 acres. Strode and the Museum Board of Directors agreed that the land should be purchased as it would be a good investment even if the track didn’t wind up getting the support it needed to be built.
When the expansion was complete, the strong business case for a Motorsports Park prompted the NCM leadership to bring in track designer Alan Wilson (Miller Motorsports Park, NOLA Motorsports Park, Barber Motorsports Park and others) as a consultant, along with others who determined that more property would be needed to make this the world-class facility it had the potential to be. A total of 184 acres were eventually purchased and as member support grew, so did the momentum and excitement. Track designer Steve Crawford (Thunder Hill, Ridge Motorsports Park) was hired to design the road course with input from Corvette Racing, resulting in a multiple, reconfigurable, track layout with features from Le Mans, making the NCM Motorsports Park the track that every motorsports enthusiast would want to drive.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Brisbane Queensland
Thanks but I am aware of the ownership status, I was referring to written articles by the press and NCM during early fund raising activities.
Le Mans Master
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GM has plenty of "test" tracks in Yuma and Milford.
However these are not the same as "tracks" that you would be familiar with.
Vehicle testing can be extremely boring, but the most important surfaces are a "pad" (GM calls the one at MPG "Black Lake"), a straightaway (like the EW or NS Straightaways at MPG), a "handling course" similar to the "Lutz Ring" or Milford Circuit (this is the one that most resembles a track), and a variety of NVH, grade, and other "specialty" roads (like a wash out trough).
Corvette being a performance car also goes to regular tracks, a favorite of the team is VIR.
However these are not the same as "tracks" that you would be familiar with.
Vehicle testing can be extremely boring, but the most important surfaces are a "pad" (GM calls the one at MPG "Black Lake"), a straightaway (like the EW or NS Straightaways at MPG), a "handling course" similar to the "Lutz Ring" or Milford Circuit (this is the one that most resembles a track), and a variety of NVH, grade, and other "specialty" roads (like a wash out trough).
Corvette being a performance car also goes to regular tracks, a favorite of the team is VIR.
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From: DFW Area TX
The purpose of the ownership status was to point out the fact that it would not make sense for an entity (the NCM) not owned by GM to build a track for which "one of the primary reasons for the construction of the NCM track was for use as a testing ground for the Corvette". If GM felt they needed a track to specifically test the Corvette, they would build it themselves.
Le Mans Master
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The purpose of the ownership status was to point out the fact that it would not make sense for an entity (the NCM) not owned by GM to build a track for which "one of the primary reasons for the construction of the NCM track was for use as a testing ground for the Corvette". If GM felt they needed a track to specifically test the Corvette, they would build it themselves.
It makes no financial sense for GM to build a full scale track to test a few models. This is why they rent out tracks. GM did provide feedback to the NCM in terms of design which would make the track desirable for any OEM (and specifically for GM) to rent it out to test cars there.