cornfedbill
05-16-2025, 09:12 AM
A couple of weeks ago my son (my navigator) and I participated in the Big Bend Open Road Race from Fort Stockton to Sanderson, Texas and back (118 miles total). This was our first time competing in this open road race, after many years competing in the Sandhills Open Road Challenge and the Loup 2 Loup Open Road Race (both in Nebraska).
This event is much more open and faster than the races in Nebraska. The road is also wider and smoother. We competed in the 125 mph target speed class and placed 4th with an average speed of 125.041 mph. I guess I was a bit too heavy on the throttle.
So far Millie, my 2000 Corvette, has a stock drivetrain because I was focused on safety, suspension and brakes this year.
Modifications include:
- Vararam Cold Air intake
- C6 Z06 14" front and 13" rear rotors
- Hawk pads HPS 5.0 pads
- Brembo 4-piston front calipers (from a Cadillac ATS)
- Goodridge braided stainless brake lines
- Upgraded to 18" front wheels along with wider stock diameter tires to clear the new brakes
- Custom fabricated rollbar
- 2" lowered OEM sport seats for additional helmet clearance
- 6-point Crow cam-lock safety harnesses
- C6 Z06 shocks all around
- Steel sway bar links to replace the factory nylon ones
- Slightly lowered
- TrackSpec hood louvers to reduce air pressure and lift
- Other stuff I cannot remember...
We had an absolute blast. Millie was stable and begged for more. The only problem we had was the loose nut behind the wheel that panicked and lifted on some of the blind corners when I should have held steady.
I know the car has more in her. We looked at the data logs and found that we were only in the 0.6-0.7g average on the hardest corners with momentary spikes up to 0.9g.
Future mods include a FAST LSXR 102 intake, heads, cam and Speed Engineering headers and 3" exhaust for the engine, Z06 rear brake ducts, and Doug Rippie Motorsports brake duct extensions for the front. I need to do more research to get the right aero package to keep air out from under the car, and something to hold the tail down better.
We hope to return in October for the Big Bend 2.0 race in the 130 mph target speed class.
217210217211217213
(https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO0Q438Bx61wVqqgh-WfPbkfL8oe8PEh59QMZU4)
This event is much more open and faster than the races in Nebraska. The road is also wider and smoother. We competed in the 125 mph target speed class and placed 4th with an average speed of 125.041 mph. I guess I was a bit too heavy on the throttle.
So far Millie, my 2000 Corvette, has a stock drivetrain because I was focused on safety, suspension and brakes this year.
Modifications include:
- Vararam Cold Air intake
- C6 Z06 14" front and 13" rear rotors
- Hawk pads HPS 5.0 pads
- Brembo 4-piston front calipers (from a Cadillac ATS)
- Goodridge braided stainless brake lines
- Upgraded to 18" front wheels along with wider stock diameter tires to clear the new brakes
- Custom fabricated rollbar
- 2" lowered OEM sport seats for additional helmet clearance
- 6-point Crow cam-lock safety harnesses
- C6 Z06 shocks all around
- Steel sway bar links to replace the factory nylon ones
- Slightly lowered
- TrackSpec hood louvers to reduce air pressure and lift
- Other stuff I cannot remember...
We had an absolute blast. Millie was stable and begged for more. The only problem we had was the loose nut behind the wheel that panicked and lifted on some of the blind corners when I should have held steady.
I know the car has more in her. We looked at the data logs and found that we were only in the 0.6-0.7g average on the hardest corners with momentary spikes up to 0.9g.
Future mods include a FAST LSXR 102 intake, heads, cam and Speed Engineering headers and 3" exhaust for the engine, Z06 rear brake ducts, and Doug Rippie Motorsports brake duct extensions for the front. I need to do more research to get the right aero package to keep air out from under the car, and something to hold the tail down better.
We hope to return in October for the Big Bend 2.0 race in the 130 mph target speed class.
217210217211217213
(https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO0Q438Bx61wVqqgh-WfPbkfL8oe8PEh59QMZU4)