Ranger

Sometimes good ETs happen when the weather isn’t particularly favorable, especially when the platform under test is a C6Z. Waynet and I shared that common experience at Cecil County Dragway today.

The Density Altitude (DA) we faced measured 1250-1600 feet with a good barometer of 30.20 but air temps in the mid-high 70s and some humidity, a remnant of the yesterday’s storm. In fact, racing today was delayed 90 minutes while the jet dryers rid the water from the lanes and staging area.

We were joined today by about 400 cars driven by owners jones-ing after rainouts last Sunday, plus this Friday and Saturday. The crowd made for a long day. But patience had its reward.

Waynet will post his report separately and I witnessed his super runs.

I made two full passes that benefited from the experiments I’d been doing through 10 passes the last two days at the track…trying to find a way around the finicky C6Z clutch and the toll exacted by Torque Management.

After hammering the car on the drive up to Cecil…3d gear to redline several times, just to remind the ECU/PCM who’s boss, I cooled the car for about four hours before making the first pass. DA was 1250 feet, as measured on my TAG weather station. Here are the splits.
60'........1.848
330'......4.905
660'......7.370 @ 101.38
1000'.....9.470
1320'...11.244 @ 127.03

Two hour later I made a second pass. DA had risen to 1575 feet. The splits were:
60'........1.830
330'......4.915
660'......7.381 @ 101.31
1000'.....9.484
1320'...11.264 @ 126.91

Rear tires were set to 26 psi actual hot, adjusted in the staging lanes before each pass (psi will elevate in the sun). Fronts were at 42 psi.

Kept the coolant temp below 195. Launch rpm was 3100-3200, with a fast clutch release, followed by a progressive throttle squeeze. Throttle was on the floor at about 20-25 feet off the line. I had heated the tires with a burnout to first smoke. And then staged immediately.

My previous estimate was a lower limit of 11.20, plus or minus .03 for the car bone stock on stock tires. Given today’s passes, I suspect the lower limit to be about 11.15 in ideal conditions. And I’m growing more confident that 10.9X is a realistic aspiration bone stock on drag radials. The DRs help on the launch (had a 1.68 last time out on DRs) and help reduce spin on the 1-2 and 2-3.

Capped the day by making a third pass, only to relive the finikiness of the LS7 clutch. 3200 launch rpm, fast release…just not fast enough. Glazed the clutch. Oh, well…. No harm done. Clutch was as fine once it cooled.

On a closing note, started the day with pristine clutch fluid. Made three passes. Fluid is now very dark amber and in need of a change.

Also should mention that the C6Z hauls azzzz, and a lot of cargo. Today mine carried:
pair of 345.30.18 DRs
large carpet fan for cooling the motor between passes
Honda generator to power the fan
cooler
racing jack
tool box
Detailing supplies
bag of track munchies/drinking water/coffee

Had enough room left for a soft-sided overnight bag.

Enjoyed visiting with waynet, whose report should appear shortly, and his enthusiastic rooting section.

Best regards to all,

Ranger

EDIT: I've added a thumbnail with a jpg image of the timeslip.

Zlicious

And just when I thought I was catching up, you go ahead and pull this off..God, I hate you..

Awesome Ranger, JUST AWESOME!!!

I wish you would get some of these runs on tape for us rookies to study off of.

Mako7

GM should offer you $750k per year for R & D and Test Driving!! [I am serious!!]

Mike Siska

Great runs Ranger!

dgdoc

Ranger - Congrats on yet another fantastic job. Wish I had been there.

11.24 with a 1.848 60' - Wow. Very exciting.

Looks like you've increased the gap between yourself on the rest of the world through a combination of hard work, a scientific approach, and (lets not forget)..... skill.

Everett Ogilvie

Simply Awesome Ranger (as usual)! As we all know, the stock Z06 is for real, especially when one learns to get around the built in "limiters".

That is quite a list of stuff you are able to pack in there as well! Out of everything on your list, I MIGHT be able to pack the soft sided overnight bag in my GT...

Congratulations again on two great runs!

Yogivette

Once again Ranger congrats on pushing the c6 z06 envelope

m3corvette

Ranger, great runs but, you need a trailer my man!

jbp8653

Awesome And you didn't break anything

outnumbered

Congrats Ranger.

Halltech

I think you are being modest and conservative.

I still say the STOCK Z06 car run very high 10s.

Very sweet Ranger. Keep in touch. This is going to get interesting.

Jim Hall

wotz06

Ranger, you set the bar higher still. Congratulations!


Not only for fellow board members... but the rest of the world this car is proving to be the car to beat.

vettemaster1

now that is truly amazing!

Luweegy

Good job Ranger!You have some kinda talent.

Pio

Awesome times!!! how come so many forum members have had issues with driveline breaking and other' s car's hold up so well?

4DCYKEY

Great times...

Ranger

Thanks for the generous words, everyone.

Hope to have an HD video camera next time out to begin trying to document the techniques involved.

I've tried to open a lane of communication with the Corvette engineering staff to provide some feedback on the LS7 clutch and TM. They have not replied. If you have a reliable path, please PM me.

Only one way to know, Jim; keep making passes and see what happens. Those were my 9th and 10th passes on the stock tires, which require more finesse with the clutch to get a good leave. Stay tuned.

My driving style seems immune to wheel hop which is a predominant cause of rear axle/CV joint breakage. My C5Zs didn't break either. I spent alot of time trying to get all my senses wired to what the rear tires are doing, and controling that with the throttle foot, tire psi, and heat to the tires.

and help from you in data aquisition and analysis.

Your GTech Pro RR insights helped. Will probably do more of that myself in the next six weeks.

Thanks again to each of you.

Ranger

Hardtop01

Congrats Ranger.

Bruce

Short-Throw

Ranger,

Way to keep inching off nanoseconds!

Where was your fuel level?

Mike

Ranger

I ran with half a tank, Short-Throw. And I try to never run with less than 3/8 of a tank. Two reasons.
(1) don't want any risk of fuel starvation due to low level at the pick-up during shifts, something that happened to me on the C5Zs.
(2) I've been warned that low fuel levels can cause timing to be pulled.

So half tank for me.

Ranger