C6 Z06 - Track Day 3! Advanced Run Group

[@harrybosch1357]

These are some of the best C6 Z06 vids I've come across. As a prospective owner this is interesting stuff. Keep it up.

[@GridForgeMFG]

Thanks so much Harry!

[@danziger69]

Nice video and good commentary!

[@Veyronp87]

cool to see the C6 Z06 is still quicker on track than a C8! car is aging beautifully

[@GridForgeMFG]

Yeah even with Randy Pobst behind the wheel the C6Z is 3 seconds faster than a Z51 C8 around Laguna Seca! Once the C8Z rolls up to a track day though I’m gonna be left in its dust lol.

[@billyfoster3223]

@@GridForgeMFG Oh, yeah?! Front engine cars are more forgiving than mid engines ones! That's why Ferrari stopped the Testarossa and made the 550 and 575 Maranello! But, check C8 Z06 and compare!🛠️

[@billyfoster3223]

Hey, I'm relatively young, Gen X, but I'm kinda old school with my vehicles! Was that was as a kid in school, too!😄

[@austinhaas7577]

Love the commentary Mike

[@jwb4bb]

Nice vid! I'm the guy in the Orange GS running in intermediate. I'm running Hawk HP+ pads and R888R's. I was able to glean a lot from your commentary, I'm sure it will help, my next time out!

[@GridForgeMFG]

Haha thank you! Look forward to meeting you again in the spring. I will also be at the rest of the Salina Autocrosses this year.

[@tomatobob1]

Jay I track a C6Z/Z07 and prior to that I tracked base C6. I have over 50 track days with both cars. Not sure of your complete setup but the HP+ Hawks are not enough pad for R888R’s. On my Base C6 I ran R888’s with Carbotech XP12 Front XP10 rear. Use a good Dot 4 brake fluid. Personally I use Castrol SRF. It’s pricey but boiling brake fluid is not fun either.

[@sayeedrehan]

Quick question I also have a 11 GS 6spd and would like to track it. Coming from my C6z the Suspension feels too soft for my liking esp for track use. Did you do any upgrades as far as suspension?

[@jwb4bb]

@@tomatobob1 Thanks for the intel, I just upgraded to AP Radicals on the front running Ferodo DS2500, with Toyo R888Rs and so far so good with Dot 4 fluid. So far so good, but I'd now like to add the APs on the rear too! It never ends!

[@djsonicc]

Took me a minute to realize this is at Heartland lol Great track, great video

[@MatthiasNyberg]

Fun fact; the GT3 RS was only 0.1 seconds faster than the C6 Z06 around Topgear's test track.

[@TheTmshuman]

I’ve since ruined my Z with a YSi and tsp 427 but when I used to track it on the road course, my biggest complaint was steering ratio. It’s too slow and numb. Also understeer is a problem. I’m on R888Rs now and the stick like glue when hot.

[@GridForgeMFG]

Yeah I’m hoping to eliminate a lot of the understeer with a full track alignment this winter. I will keep you updated on how it turns out!

[@josepuig2514]

Also try the DR steering rack delrin bushing. It eliminated a lot of the numbness from the steering in my car

[@GoatedOne201]

Have you had the heads fixed ?

[@billbob9570]

great vid good at explaining

[@GridForgeMFG]

Thanks so much!

[@SophSoundsENT]

were you worried about oil or cooling temps or the stock setup was sufficient ?

[@GridForgeMFG]

I am not worried about the oil temperature. Mobile 1 will keep lubricating and operating well up to 450-500F. The downside of oil getting this hot is it breaks down faster, so you should just change it more often to keep everything fresh. I change the oil every 2000-3000 miles with the track driving I do. You’re not the first person to mention this though! I have been working on a video talking about this topic, using lab testing of my oil to talk about what are “safe” conditions and how often you should change oil when doing hard track work. Stick around to see that one this spring!

[@SophSoundsENT]

@@GridForgeMFG thanks for the input - im getting heads cam on mine and curious if I’ll run into cooling issues on the track. I prob will do a lower thermostat but from what I’ve read the car should be similar to stock in terms of temps

[@GridForgeMFG]

@@SophSoundsENT Yeah any time you’re adding hp you’re adding more heat into the system so just monitor it! I don’t hear a lot of talk from Z owners about any overheating with HCI upgrades though. Your cars gonna be a beast, enjoy it!

[@SophSoundsENT]

@@GridForgeMFG thanks - can’t wait

[@ClaytonYatescarenthusiast]

What track you on? Cool to see people getting to the point of moving to a better tire. The supercar 3r is good for the price. There's a few others but for track days I don't love the cup like everyone else. I run the rt660 Falken. Several lap records and it wears well plus keeps you in the 200 tw classes. Is it faster than cup2 or cup2r? no haha but driver alone can change that. A car on the limit with rt660 will destroy a cup2 at 75%. Just food for thought. You can never go wrong with any top tires.

[@GridForgeMFG]

Hey Clayton thanks for the comment! I was running at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, KS. It’s my local track and I’m loving it. I’ve loved the PS4S but it just gives up a little bit too much on track. Since I’ve switched to the Sport Cup 2 I’ve been a lot faster, even winning some local Autocross event (check out the videos on my channel!). And the RT660’s are definitely a tremendous tire. I heavily considered them because they are far more competitive at autocross, as the don’t need the same heat as the Sport Cup 2’s do for optimal grip. I have heard from some other corvette owners that they tend to overheat during track days, and don’t have the same long term consistency as the Michelin’s. We’re splitting hairs at these point here. I’m sure I’d be happy with the RT660 and I may still try them this summer once the Michelins are gone (won’t take long at this rate haha)!

[@ClaytonYatescarenthusiast]

@@GridForgeMFG yeah the rt660s are more a time attack or auto x tire that will work good for track days. Are you pax first? I auto x in Vegas, and nationals. Then I do optima ultimate street car. Watch the last couple episodes on optima network. 2021 season. I'm in the willow springs, Vegas, Utah, and finals episodes. Finals was my best race. It's the white 2016 camaro ss. Fun series to watch you'll love it since you're into real world racing. Free on roku or prime just get optima network which is free then go to optima ultimate street car challenge. Have fun! Be safe!

[@GridForgeMFG]

@@ClaytonYatescarenthusiast Usually PAX top 5, sometimes just happen to be in the fastest car. I will check that stuff out too! From what’s on your channel it seems like you really have your SS dialed in (both from setup and great driving), bravo!

[@user-Dr.]

I agree, I've been tracking for many years, and I think the supercar 3r tire is the best street tire on the track and I have been through a lot of different kind of tires, they are fast and predictable, and seem to last a little longer, especially for the price.

[@emmanueltembo9406]

What do your coolant temps get up to?

[@GridForgeMFG]

They always sat right at 220.

[@EpicTrauma]

Very nice runs man, the Z06 is a beast on the track! 29-30psi hot so what were you running cold pressures to start off with?

[@GridForgeMFG]

I’m starting pretty low. About 24-ish. I’m just careful on the first lap or two knowing the pressures are low. I’m able to keep closer values at autocross because I can adjust after each run. Usually they will increase about +8psi during all of that. I notice in general that if the tires are greater than 32-33psi grip levels start to fall off and the car washes out.

[@EpicTrauma]

Very useful info thank you. 👍

[@MaxwellReviresco]

Just bought a C6 Z06. Thanks for your inputs. Looking to get to the track next season with my PS4S. I can't wait. Just hitting back roads and etc, I feel like I want diff gearing. I like the involvement side of driving, and I feel like it's a one or two gear kind of a car...which is cool and all, but I like adjustable gear options for altering car behavior. If that makes any sense. Thoughts might change once I actually get some track time though too. Have you heard anyone talking about gearing on track?

[@GridForgeMFG]

Yeah man you’ll have a blast! I will say that the gearing is a lot better on track, as the speeds are so much greater. Unfortunately though as a “driver involvement” kind of car the Z06 is lacking in the transmission department. The only thing I’ve ever heard of is with track nuts switching to a sequential trans… although that’s going to cost A LOT of money. As I’ve had the car longer I no longer notice the tall gearing. It’s kinda something that you just get used to. If anything I have come to enjoy the feeling of it. Check out the forums though! Some people may have info on changing the gearing for better involvement!

[@MaxwellReviresco]

@@GridForgeMFG That's crazy. This car has been my dream car when it came out... I'm a N/A loving, driver dependent driver involvement type of guy... lol, & you just said how I felt after hitting the back roads. Nothing "wrong with it", but as ppl who like our driver involvement... gear choices for options on driving style makes it more of an active style of driving I guess. That's what I like, personally. So I feel the Z06 has the motor & potential, just have to see about gearing as I start down that path of improvements! 👊.

[@MaxwellReviresco]

@@GridForgeMFG Oh and yeah, sequential trans...I'm good, lol. I like earning it myself. 🤘🙏

[@twinturbo1995]

im stuck between getting a GT350 and C6 z06

[@zackadams419]

Were you brake pads just totally worn out at the end there? Lol great and entertaining video btw. Loved the commentary so I can learn new things

[@GridForgeMFG]

Haha that’s actually what they do all the time. There’s a lot metal in the pads so they just spark when they get hot and you brake really hard. Can’t see it during the day but at night it’s visible. It only happens when I STAND on the brakes.

[@massimilianozeni1848]

ciao. good driving, good video and comment. damn the vette pick up speed fast. pity there are so many rules in track days in the USA. In Italy basically it is just up to you, no particular rules :) I had PS 4 on my S2000 and they were pretty good for a road tire. The AD08rs (european ecological version) were a huge step back. Now I will try the A052 since the cup 2 are not available in OEM tire size unfortunately (you can't change size in my country) . My car is much less powerful though and torque less compared to your beast but coilovers and camber paid a huge dividend, I think it should be the same for your vette, turn in and front traction is so much better with more camber and stiffer spring now and the car is even easier to drive after being corner balanced. How much is a set of cup 2 for the Z06 in the US tax included? how is the steering in the C6 Z06? ciao

[@GridForgeMFG]

Hey thanks for the comment! Each event has their own rules, some have a lot some have very little. I was in one that probably has the most rules because it was inexpensive. Just installed Bilsteins and got a track alignment so I’m excited to see the difference in a few weeks on track! A set of tires for the corvette (for any 200ish tread wear) will range from $1500 USD to $2200. The cup 2’s are about $2000 a set.

[@massimilianozeni1848]

@@GridForgeMFG Looking forward to hear what are your impressions then. I went with Ohlins and a little more than 2 degree of camber all around, car was corner balanced and it transformed.Good choice with the Bilsteins!. Thanks for the feedback. Ciao

[@moonrider99]

Pfadt racing alignment specs? I can't find them anywhere...

[@GridForgeMFG]

If you google “Pfadt Racing C6 Alignment” it should pop up. If it works you can also try using this link: www.billswebspace.com/CorvetteAlignmentGuideRev20110912.pdf

[@AarenPho]

What were your front and rear tire sizes for this run? Trying to prepare for Gridlife’s HPDE

[@GridForgeMFG]

Hi Aaren, In short, I am running 315/30R19 rear and 265/35R18 front on a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2. I would recommend you check out a video I made called “Selecting A Tire For Your Performance Car”. If you skip to 6:20 I talk about some important sizing information (as those Cup 2’s I’m on now are no longer in production). I will be switching to Falken RT660’s as soon as my current Cup 2’s die. - Mike

[@AarenPho]

@@GridForgeMFG Debating really hard on staggering my wheel setup like yours with 18 front and 19 rear for my C6Z as well man, it's still my weekend car as well so I'm in the option of something streetable as well. On top of that I'm 18x10 front and 18x12 rear

[@GridForgeMFG]

@@AarenPho Other than looks I don’t think there’s much value to going to 19” in the rear, plus tires are slightly more expensive with the larger setup anyways. My car is also not my daily, and it doesn’t get many road miles. I went to a fairly aggressive alignment setup and it helped the car A LOT with grip too. When you switch to a stickier compound it’s best to get an alignment that can take advantage of the stick. If you haven’t already, check out the “Corvette Pfadt Alignment Recommendations” on google.

[@cfield314]

What’s your take on the cup2’s?

[@GridForgeMFG]

All in all awesome tires, I really enjoyed my time on them. Big *dry* grip compared to some higher TW “summer tires” like PS4S or Continental Sport Contact. They are definitely a more technologically advanced tire than something like an RT660, R888R, or Supercar 3R. They come at a higher price too though, and I can’t necessarily say I thought it was worth it. Another thought is that they’re 180TW, and many competitions limit you at 200TW+, so keep in mind that you’ll be in a race tire class in many cases. I now run on slicks for HPDE’s and PS4S for daily use. Slicks make way more grip than a Cup2 could dream of, and I don’t need to worry about having a compromised 180TW tire in inclement weather.

[@07slowbalt]

Did you address the factory valve issue on your Z06? Any other mods? Its running pretty healthy.

[@GridForgeMFG]

Hey thanks for the comment. I have not addressed the valve issue. If I ever do HCI i will do it while I’m in there, but the motor has been strong from the past 15 years / 70k miles so I’m not worried about a random failure at this point. Car is totally stock! Even has the factory air box! Looking at doing some projects this winter so stick around.

[@tomatobob1]

@@GridForgeMFG Glad you have not had an issue yet. Don’t discount the valve issue. At 24k miles I had the heads pulled. All the intake valves were way out of spec. Some of the exhaust were out as well. Wasn’t cheap to fix but better than $18k for a crate motor that still had head issue.

[@samuelharding257]

How is it compared to the C6 ZR1? Idk if anyone has any experience with both but I’m really looking at a ZR1, but ik thag the C6 Z06 is like half the price maybe 2/3s with the Z07 package when they’re out there and is more of a drivers car which is what I’m looking for… idk which one would be what I want

[@GridForgeMFG]

I haven’t driven a ZR1, nor can I afford one. They are definitely faster in every way, but I think the Z06 is a more *fun* car to drive. I would definitely reach out to some owners, there’s a guy on Instagram called thy_sonic_sauce (Shannon Stecklien) who has owned both, he may have some more info!

[@samuelharding257]

@@GridForgeMFG gotcha, I guess my question is how do they differentiate when driving and the power delivery… if it’s hard to know 😂 I test drove a C6 Z06 a few months ago but wasn’t able to really drive it and ive never driven a ZR1 so I’m just trying to get an understanding of the power delivery mainly. I can always say get aftermarket Side skirts etc, hell even the roof and halo to give it the Z07 package but the delivery is what I’m looking for

[@Lucky_Moe]

What year is your Z?

[@GridForgeMFG]

First year, 2006. That’s why I don’t have any steering wheel buttons.

[@Lucky_Moe]

@@GridForgeMFG I was just asking because the 09 and newer have the larger dry sump oil tank. My 08 like yours can suffer from oil starvation in long left hand hand turns

[@GridForgeMFG]

@@Lucky_Moe very interesting. How do you know that it’s oil starving?

[@OrpheussZ06]

Bro, can we talk about the 252+ oil temperature?? Arent you worried about that? That seems incredibly hot considering ive never seen my oil temp past 210 degrees driving in traffic on the hottest days.

[@GridForgeMFG]

Thanks for the comment Orpheuss, In short, no, i am not worried about it. Any sort of high performance driving in a powerful car is going to put a lot of heat into the oil. Without a large amount of modifications to the heat exchangers and oil volume, the oil will get pretty hot. On the warmer days and co-running at AutoX I can see temps as high as 275F+. These high temperatures make the oil thinner and break down the compounds that help lubricate everything. This would be a problem if I was doing “regular” oil changes ever 8,000 miles. Because of l the events I do I change oil every 1,500mi or so, and send samples to Blackstone labs for testing to make sure everything is in order. I plan to make a video soon on oil temps and data from Blackstone talking about what are “safe” conditions to be operating under. It’s all relative though, because driving a car hard on track comes with risks as it relates to all the components that are being stressed.

[@ryshask]

Would be amazing... But that hood is sooooo long. Spoiled by my MR2, fr-s, RX8 etc...

[@landon7114]

This might be a stupid question, but could someone do this at 14-16 years old?

[@GridForgeMFG]

Hey Landon, Here is an excerpt from the SCCA rule book via the track night. Each event organizer will have their own rules, so check in with your organizer for exact rules on each event. PS: I think the best place to get started is at autocross, the rules are a lot less strict and you’ll learn a lot more! “Minor Participation in Track Night events requires pre-approval. For approval to be given, the following must be met: The minor must be a licensed driver and have an Annual Minor Waiver on file with the SCCA National Office. The minor must display some level of sanctioned performance driving experience. Acceptable options include autocross, karting, or track events. A parent or legal guardian must be on site for the event. The vehicle and track must be deemed appropriate for a beginning driver. Provided these criteria are met, approval may be given.”

[@landon7114]

@@GridForgeMFG Thank you so much for taking the time to find that for me! I really appreciate that. I have no previous experience so I would definitely have to look into that. Thanks again for this, it really helps.

[@camonly849]

Curious......how much gas do you go through?

[@GridForgeMFG]

I get about 6mpg on track, about 1/4 tank every 20-30 mins.

[@camonly849]

@@GridForgeMFG not bad really! What tires do you have?

[@GridForgeMFG]

@@camonly849 if I recall I was on Cup 2’s for this track day. I now run on PS4S for the street and a set of dedicated slicks on track.

[@camonly849]

@@GridForgeMFG okay! Have you ever tried goodyear tires?

[@anonymous..-]

Tadge led the z06 astray. Tadge turned the Z06 into a heavy GT cruiser. GM has no clue what iteration means and keeps trying to reinvent the wheel with every model. The C8 Z should have a modernized LS7 and 500 less pounds. The LS is GMs identity. Not the Ferrari wannabe LT6.

[@mrjacobanderson]

Track and street, BMW drivers always think they are fast…