If you are pushing your C8 Z06 on racetracks consistently it is going to get pricey but there are some ways that you can mitigate that cost.
The C8 Z06 is an amazing track day weapon. But if you think the dealer markups to buy one are bad, wait until you hear how expensive they are to maintain. Although that should not be too much of a surprise to anyone that has spent any time on a track. It is an expensive habit. There is a famous saying which is: “to make a small fortune in racing, you have to start with a big one.” Driving on a track is a thrill but you need to bring money. And don’t be fooled into thinking that a Corvette will cost less to run than the European exotics. In fact, you may find the opposite to be true. This is why most hardcore track rats will run old Corvettes, or Miatas or Hondas at the track. The consumables are much less expensive than on a newer exotic.
Austin Everett from the Speed Phenom YouTube channel is finding this out firsthand. To his credit, he got the Z06 to pound around racetracks. And he is doing just that. It is fantastic to see the Z06 get used this way instead of sitting in a climate-controlled garage. Everett is proving just how capable the Z06 is on a track. He is also learning some valuable lessons regarding concerns over tracking this car. Such as burning through expensive brakes, and tires. As well as debris hitting the radiators. All things I anticipated when I wrote about this car a month ago. Nostradamus I am not. The Z06 with the Z07 package has expensive wear items so it was easy to see this coming. In fact, Everett states that running his Z06 on track is costing him far more than running his $300,000 McLaren 600LT. But there are ways to mitigate costs.
C8 Z06 Track Performance
It must be said that overall the C8 Z06 has been incredible on the track in the hands of Everett. The car has been reliable, and fast. Very fast. But the car has already eaten $10,000 worth of tires. I don’t know how many track miles Everett has on the car at this point but it seems soon to be on the fourth set of tires already. What is worse is the condition of the brakes. The pads are shot, and they are $2,000 to replace. Everett also seems to think the rotors are shot too. That would raise the bill to $20,000. If the carbon rotors are rough, they will quickly destroy any new pads, so he needs to have those rotors inspected properly before he does any brake work.
Suggestions
If you have a C8 Z06 and you plan to do a lot of track days with it, and you are not made of money, I would suggest a couple modifications. First, order a set of grill guards. It is cheap insurance to protect the radiators. I believe Scrape Armor makes a set for the Z06. Second, if you have the carbon ceramic rotors I would pull them off the car and store them in your garage. Look up competition brake kits from AP Racing and install them. Then you can downsize the wheels to 18-inchers. You will have more tire options; they will be cheaper, and the brakes will last longer and be cheaper to replace. Before you dismiss this idea as some sort of ‘downgrade’ consider that the $735,000 C8 Z06 GT3.R is running this AP Racing brake and 18-inch wheel setup.
Summary
The C8 Z06 is phenomenal on the track. And if you are only going to do two or three track days a year there is no need to change any equipment from stock. The car will be fine and turn faster lap times than just about anything else out there. But if you get addicted to the experience and want to run your C8 Z06 on track often and more economically consider the suggestions above. You won’t lose any performance and you will be saving money in the long run.
Keyword: Pay to Play: The C8 Z06 Is Amazing Around a Track but Also Extremely Expensive to Maintain