‘Ring time?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 10,445
Likes: 4,403
From: Northern VA
"Ask Tadge" Producer
Corvette has a number of hot shoes on the team including but not limited to Alex MacDonald and some of the guys that now report to him. They're not lacking for track talent in the least, even with Jim's retirement.
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 39,057
Likes: 17,925
From: DFW Area TX
Not "legend". Absolutely true. Quoted from Jim Mero himself:
Jim Mero interview with Road & Track - published June 27, 2019.
R&T: You went back in spring of 2015 with another Z06.
JM: We just said, “Let’s put the 100-octane calibration in the car and see where we’re at.” That’s when we ran a 7:10.
R&T: Why was that time never publicized?
JM: Because we didn’t have this 100-octane calibration available for sale at that time—it still needed to be validated. They didn’t want to go forward with the lap.
JM: We just said, “Let’s put the 100-octane calibration in the car and see where we’re at.” That’s when we ran a 7:10.
R&T: Why was that time never publicized?
JM: Because we didn’t have this 100-octane calibration available for sale at that time—it still needed to be validated. They didn’t want to go forward with the lap.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 6,516
Likes: 4,840
From: One Hour From Boston!
I want to know why anyone thinks the Ring Time is meaningful.
If you (the new owner--non race driving professional) were to get in the car with the as delivered tires, you would not be able to get within 30 seconds of the posted time, maybe even 60 seconds of the posted time.
After doing 20-30 laps, you might have the tire air pressures optimized, but still be 30 seconds from the factory posted time.
If you (the new owner--non race driving professional) were to get in the car with the as delivered tires, you would not be able to get within 30 seconds of the posted time, maybe even 60 seconds of the posted time.
After doing 20-30 laps, you might have the tire air pressures optimized, but still be 30 seconds from the factory posted time.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 791
Likes: 679
From: New York Sitaye
Green Hell is a good benchmark because it is such a long crazy track, that it can really test cars of differing power and handling performance. There are a handful of drivers that know the track blindfolded, so they really are testing the cars against other cars.
Why is Chevy holding back? How do you sell a car that is sold out for at least a year? Why bother? Even the car mags are looking in the forums for news because GM isn't feeding them anything.
GMis going to milk this as long as they can. They are setting up a perfect timeline for the the roll out. They announce the coupe, next month pricing, next month builds begin, next month convertible announced, next month instrument testing, then delivery begins, ect ect. By next summer, cars will be on the road, convertible sales will begin and then, maybe GM starts advertising the car. As soon as hype settles, expect the hi-po versions to show up.
Why is Chevy holding back? How do you sell a car that is sold out for at least a year? Why bother? Even the car mags are looking in the forums for news because GM isn't feeding them anything.
GMis going to milk this as long as they can. They are setting up a perfect timeline for the the roll out. They announce the coupe, next month pricing, next month builds begin, next month convertible announced, next month instrument testing, then delivery begins, ect ect. By next summer, cars will be on the road, convertible sales will begin and then, maybe GM starts advertising the car. As soon as hype settles, expect the hi-po versions to show up.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 373
Likes: 119
Tadge said they have a time. But it's not, "their priority." Whatever that means. Because the rest of the manufacturers have a ring time out, it seems, like, before they even release the car. You could figure that it's somewhere between the 7:10 of the C7 Z06, and the 7:33 time of the C7 Stingray. I would guess its somewhere in the middle of those two times. There is no way it's going to get around the track in under the z06 time. There just isn't enough power in the midrange to get the car to top speed, in the straights.
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Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 377
Likes: 153
From: Fayetteville, GA
Does anybody actually buy a car based on the 'ring time? I'd be very surprised if it took 2 hands to count the # of people who have had that number influence what car they purchase. Now, they may use that number to justify a purchase they're going to make anyway, but it's not changing any minds. The number is completely irrelevant for anything other than enthusiast bragging rights. I've got 21 laps on the ring and for a normal human driving the ring when it's available to the general public the number is even dumber. Most of us (me included) don't have the *****, knowledge of the track, or driving skill to extract anything near a car's potential, and even if you did there are fast cars, slow cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles that will hinder your progress at every step. Seriously, the number is meaningless.