Corvette C7 ZR1 Smokes Speed Record But Goes Viral For Melting Its Derriere

Every year since 1998, hard-core enthusiasts have convened in the Spring and Fall at a 59-mile stretch of highway near Texas’s Big Bend National Park to push the laws of physics and their luck to the extreme. The Big Bend Open Road Race is not for the timid at heart–we are talking two loops, 118 miles, and top speeds in excess of 215 mph, so blistering fast the chase planes lose sight.

This Fall, a man obsessed with speed, John Anhalt, pushed his modified 2019 Corvette ZR1 to its physical limits — literally — for 41 minutes of white-knuckle driving. John’s been chasing a record set in 2013 by Tom Whalen, who, coincidentally, took another Corvette — his LS7-swapped 2002 Z06 — to the remote Texas location and ripped through the 118 miles at an average speed of 172.249 mph.

What We Have Lined Up For You

The New Record
The Before, The After, & The Four-Year Journey
The Viral Facebook Post From LSX Magazine
YouTube: Two Flybys & The Chase Plane That Could Not Keep Up

The New Record

John took his remarkable C7 ZR1, reported to be pushing 1000 horsepower, and eeked out the new unlimited class record by posting an average speed of 173.004 over the 118 miles, with a top speed of 219 mph. What type of modifications did it take for John (and his navigator Kelli Hughes) to melt the record and his rear bumper in the process? According to the reporting we’ve curated, his ZR1 featured “a modified top end with improved cylinder heads and a supercharger, as well as headers and straight pipes.” The heat from 1000 horsepower exiting through the headers and straight pipes certainly explains the transformation of the rear bumper.

John was overflowing with appreciation when he made this post on BBORR’s Facebook page: “This was a team effort. Kelli Hughes and the entire Tint World team deserves (sic) the credit. . .I could not have done it without their support and everyone’s effort to make this a safe and successful race. It took two to brake (sic) Tom Whalen’s record, he did it solo.”

The Before

John Anhalt with his 2019 ZR1! Image sourced from LSX Magazine

The After

Setting the new record came at a cost! Photo sourced from LSX Magazine

The Four-Year Journey

From John’s Facebook:

“4 years later… Our four year journey resulted in the new BBORR Unlimited Record. 173.004 mph avg for 118 miles”

A four-year journey that just took a C7 switch to realize! Photo Credit: John Anhalt

The Viral Facebook Post From LSX Magazine

This remarkable feat and its aftermath have been taking the internet by storm, but nothing illustrated the viral aspect better than LSX Magazine’s Facebook post. Look at these numbers!