On Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023, I attended an event that transformed my understanding and appreciation of the all-new, mid-engine Z06 Corvette platform forever. I traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to participate in the NCM Motorsports Park’s “Z06 Fast Pack” Experience, and let me tell you, it was an experience I will never forget!
For those who aren’t already aware, the NCM Motorsports Park (MSP) “Z06 Fast Pack” Experience offers guests the opportunity to pilot a new Corvette Z06 in a lead/follow format for four, exhilarating laps around their 3.2-mile racetrack. What’s more, participants return to the track as a passenger in the same Z06 they just drove to experience a “Zero-to-Sixty” launch on the track’s front straightaway followed immediately by a Hot Lap around the track, both executed brilliantly by one of the MSP’s professional drivers. Although the entire experience provides enthusiasts and owners alike with a greater appreciation for the enormously powerful C8 Z06, the add-on features of the Z06 Fast Pack Experience give participants an unparalleled experience that more fully showcases the car’s incredible performance capabilities.
THE CAR
Upon my arrival at the Motorsports Park, I discovered that the track staff had already parked the Z06 I’d be driving near the facility’s temporary registration and classroom areas (much of the track’s primary facilities were damaged by a tornado in December 2022, and repairs (though nearly finished) are still being completed at the time of this publication.) Despite having seen the new mid-engine Z06 on display at other events prior to this one, this was the first opportunity I’d had to get up close to one of these cars without the typical crowds that you’d find at car shows (and other such events). The new Zo6’s exterior aesthetics, though stylistically similar to the C8 Stingray in many respects, were more pronounced, more precise, more AGGRESSIVE. Everything felt purpose-driven and reinforced GM’s design mantra for the Corvette that “form follows function.” There was no denying that every feature of this car did that. Moreover, the car looked MEAN….in the absolute best way possible!
The car had larger bodyside air intakes and a wider stance than its Stingray counterpart. Upon further inspection, I noticed the Z06’s massive brakes and its incredibly wide tires. Improvements had also been made to the car’s aerodynamics, including a more pronounced front splitter and a more integrated rear spoiler, both of which were designed to increase the overall downforce on the car when running wide-open at high speed, thereby maximizing the driver’s ability to maintain control over the Z06 when it mattered most.
Although I could have spent an hour getting lost in the styling of the car’s exterior, it was time to check-in and get ready to begin my Z06 Fast Pack Experience.
THE NCM MOTORSPORTS PARK STAFF
Before I continue, I want to take a moment acknowledge the staff at the NCM Motorsports Park, and to share my observations about the facility itself. Those that read my posts know that I spend a fair amount of my time in Bowling Green, both at the Corvette Museum and at the MSP. What ALWAYS impresses me about these facilities is the professional-yet-welcoming demeanor of everyone who works there, as well as the way both facilities provide an immersive experience that is first-rate from start to finish.
Today’s visit to the NCM MSP was no exception.
From the MSP’s sales marketing manager Morgan Watson and lead car operator/professional driver Griff Tomlin, to the Park’s retail coordinator Tim Vernak and photographer Cole Carroll, the entire team that guided me thru my Z06 Fast Pack Experience were amiable, extremely knowledgeable, and openly enthusiastic about all the programs offered at the track. Where so many venues might simply collect your admission fees, shuffle you thru their experience, and send you on your way, the entire team at the Motorsport Park made me feel welcome and were engaging throughout – even stopping to share cool anecdotes about the track and the cars. It made my entire experience that much better!
In order to operate the new Z06 (or any of the cars available at the track for that matter), the MSP does require that participants complete a minimal amount of liability paperwork. As he has done each and every time I’ve visited the Motorsports Park, Tim Vernak walked me thru all of my paperwork quickly, explaining the options to me (from making sure I understood my obligations should something happen to the car while I was driving it on-track, to walking me thru the optional-but-available track insurance packages).
Once the paperwork was completed, we made our way back to where the Z06 was parked.
Seeing any Corvette up close will make an enthusiast smile, but knowing that I was about to drive a 2023 mid-engine Corvette Z06 made me downright giddy. The staff at the Motorsports Park must have recognized this was a common reaction early on in the development of their various driving programs because they use this time to capture a few portrait pics of the event participants with the car they are about to drive. Cole Carroll, one of the track’s staff photographers, captured these first moments of the experience effortlessly. While Cole is really just getting warmed up, these initial pics are a nice addition to the collection of photographs Cole will shoot on-track throughout the remainder of the experience (and which are made available to every participant for purchase at the completion of any MSP experience.) There’s no question that the expression on my face (see below) is an accurate reflection of how I was feeling before climbing into the Z06, and it definitely represented how I felt at the completion ot the event.
NOT ALL CORVETTES ARE CREATED EQUAL…
With the portrait photography completed, it was time to climb into the car. For this portion of the experience, I invited my good friend and fellow Corvette enthusiast Billy Quinn to join me in the cockpit. Billy owns a 2001 C5 Z06 coupe, and I thought his perspective on the latest iteration of the Z06 platform would offer some additional texture to this article. Additionally, Billy and I have both participated in the C8 Stingray Tour Lap sessions at the NCM Motorsports Park multiple times, and I was genuinely curious if either of us would notice a discernible difference on how the Z06 performed compared to its “base model” counterparts. Afterall, we’d both heard the argument that the Z06, while undeniably more stout than the C8 mid-engine Stingray, only offered consumers a mere 0.3 second difference in its zero-to-sixty time and, at best, marginally higher top-end speeds.
Any-and-ALL doubts were silenced the moment that we were instructed to start the car.
As it the norm before every Tour Lap session at the MSP, one of the lead drivers (Griff Tomlin in this instance) provides an overview of the event, explains the lead/follow format used throughout the experience, and ensures that every driver (and passenger) understands how the car operates, even providing a brief tutorial on some of the car’s creature comforts (such as the location of the driver and passenger AC controls.) When Griff gave us the go-ahead to fire the engine, we discovered the first of MANY “notable differences” right then and there.
The sound of the Z06’s 5.5-liter, flat-plane crank V8 engine firing up during a cold start ignition is something EVERY car enthusiast needs to experience at least once in their lifetime. If the new C8 Stingray’s exhaust note is music to the ear, the Z06’s exhaust note is Beethoven’s freaking fifth symphony! The expression on Billy’s face (and doubtless my own) went from a momentary look of shock and awe as the exhaust roared to life to that same, beaming smile that had first crossed my face a few minutes before.
The Z06 had roared to life and we were now raring to get underway! We just needed to wait a moment longer for Griff to get into the lead car and guide us out onto the track.
While the exterior aesthetics and the exhaust note of the two cars are markedly different, it is interesting how similar the cockpit of the 2023 Corvette Z06 is to that of its base-model counterparts. Had we had more time to explore it in detail, I’m sure we would have found some distinctions between the two. However, given the limited amount of time we were in the car, I will say that the majority of the instrumentation, controls, door panels, seats, etc., seemed largely the same between the two cars. This is neither a criticism nor a complaint – it would make sense that GM would focus its research efforts and dollars into the performance aspects of the car and re-purpose as much of the same interior hardware (and technology) as possible so as to keep production costs down wherever they could.
We did note one interesting detail about the Z06 however….and I mention it here solely because it makes for a fun-and-interesting anecdote. When I started the car, I noticed that next to the fuel gauge (which appeared to be completely full), the car had a tiny digital readout that said simply “98 miles.” It took me a moment to understand what I was looking at (though I am sure some of you may have already guessed it). As a car that is driven wide open on a race track every day, this Z06 was getting about 98 miles (TOTAL) out of each tank of gas. Considering that the new mid-engine Z06 comes equipped with an 18.5 gallon fuel tank, this car was averaging a whopping 5.3 (est.) miles per gallon!
We were about to find out why…
ON THE TRACK
We pulled away from the parking lot and fell into formation behind Griff, who was now driving a track-capable Camaro a few car lengths ahead of us. As we’d done in previous track sessions, we followed Griff past the front straight’s barrier wall and down pit lane to the track entry point near turn one.
And then, following his lead onto the track, we were off and running!
Frankly, there is no way to properly and/or adequately describe what the experience of driving the 2023 Corvette Z06 was like. Was the car fast? HECK YES – INCREDIBLY FAST. It has to be one of the fastest automobiles I’ve ever personally driven (and you need to know that I’ve been fortunate to drive some genuinely fast cars in my automotive career.) Was it planted? OMG YES! This car held its line far, FAR better than Billy’s fifth-generation Z06, my seventh-generation Z51 coupe, and/or any of the eighth-generation Stingrays we’d previously driven on this track. Was it notably different than the C8 in any other way? Listen, I’m going to say this as simply and as plainly as I can: The C8 is good, maybe even great, as production sports cars go, but the Z06 is ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!!!
For anyone that questions whether there’s a notable difference between the Stingray and the Z06, the only thing I can tell you is that you need to go TODAY and register for the Z06 Fast Pack Experience at the NCM Motorsports Park. This is also true for anyone who is considering a trip to Bowling Green and is hoping to drive a Corvette at the track. The Z06 sets the gold standard for what is possible in a production sports car, and if you can afford to have the experience, this one is worth every cent you’ll pay to have it! You’ll spend less for other Corvette experiences, and that’s fine as any time spent driving cars (including your own if that’s your preference) at the NCM Motorsports Park makes for a great day. But nothing prepared me for the experience I had while driving the Z06 and for that reason alone, I urge you to go try out the Z06 for yourself!!!
But wait, there’s MORE…
LAUNCH CONTROL / FAST LAPS
Although driving the mid-engine Z06 thru a series of Tour Laps was beyond exhilarating, you have to remember that you are driving a 670 horsepower sports car with a redline of 8,600 rpm that is all-go/no-quit. The MSP staff understands this and has created an experience that will allow you to push your limits (to varying degrees based on experience/skill) with their car, but which also allows you to do so in a controlled environment that keeps you, any potential passengers, and the car itself free from harm. Will you go fast? YES. My experiences at the MSP have allowed me to push my limits each time, and my resulting lap times have gotten faster and faster as I’ve gained experience and a good working knowledge of this track. At the same time, I am NOT a professional driver, and these are TOUR laps, which requires that limitations are placed on what you, as a driver, can do in the car.
Which is why the second part of the experience is SO. FREAKING. COOL!!!
As I mentioned earlier, the Z06 Fast Pack Experience also includes a “zero-to-sixty” launch along the MSP’s front straightaway and a hot lap around the track. For my Z06 Fast Lap session, I was once more partnered with Griff Tomlin. We climbed back into the Z06, me in the passenger seat this time and both of us this time equipped with our racing helmets, and made our way back out onto the track. Unlike the earlier session however, we came to an abrupt stop once we were on the track side of the barrier wall. Now sitting at idle and listening to the leopard-like purr of the Z06 engine, I watched as Griff disabled the car’s traction control and activated the car’s launch control….
…AND THEN WE WERE MOVING!!!
If you’ve ever seen the movie “TOP GUN,” or witnessed a fighter jet being launched off the business end of an aircraft carrier, then you probably have some idea what this zero-to-sixty launch felt like. You don’t truly appreciate just how fast zero-to-sixty in 2.6 seconds really is until you’ve experienced it for yourself! Even so, you scarcely have time to react to the experience because the launch is only the beginning of your fast lap experience. With the traction control disengaged and an experienced driver at the wheel, the real performance potential of the Z06 is revealed.
Griff’s fast lap (which is really almost two laps around the track) had us hitting speeds well north of 130mph in the track’s straightaways, drifting thru corners at speeds approaching 80mph, and rocketing around the track at breakneck speed for the entirety of our run. Yet, as fast as we were moving – and believe me, WE WERE MOVING – I never felt like we were out of control. Between Griff’s obvious skill behind the wheel and the car’s more-than-capable handling, even the most challenging sections of the track seemed manageable and less challenging than they might be in a “lesser” car.
I got a sense of this when I was driving the car. There is a turn in the back of the track known as “Deception” (turn 12) that requires some specific maneuvering to successfully navigate it. During an HPDI course I took at the NCM MSP last fall, we were advised that, when maneuvering “Deception,” we were to go high and to the outside of the track while slowing before turning down and into the apex of the turn. It is recognized as one of the track’s technical turns and was specifically pointed out by our instructors as one of the more challenging sections of the track.
“Deception” posed no issues in the Z06. Both during my session, and especially in the fast lap with Griff, we floated through that section of the track easily, accelerating into the back straight as we did so. If the car had any issues holding the road, I certainly didn’t feel it. We simply hammered our way through it and charged back up to 100+ miles per hour before entering the “Rockhouse” and, moments later, the “Sinkhole.” Griff pushed the car thru each technical turn with ease, allowing the car to enter into a controlled drift (most probably for some added dramatic effect), before launching us back down the front straight where we ended up accelerating to just shy of 140mph (the fastest speed we hit at any point during the entire Z06 Fast Pass Experience.)
A RIDE DEFINITELY WORTH TAKING
Sadly, the experience was over all too soon. One moment we were running around the track at breakneck speed and the next we were back behind the track wall, Griff returning the Corvette to where it had been parked when I’d arrived at the track earlier that morning.
Here’s the difference – when I had arrived at the track that morning, I’d had no real understanding of what all the “hype” surrounding the mid-engine Z06 was really about. Sure I had studied all of the technical specifications about the car. I had read (and written) several articles about the car for Corvsport.com. I had even spent a fair amount of time watching YouTube videos that discussed/showcased what the Z06 was capable of.
Even after all of that, it took me driving the Z06 to fully understand just how incredibly special this car really is. In the hour it took me to complete my Z06 Fast Pack Experience, I discovered a car that is, in this author’s humble opinion, second-to-none in terms of handling, power and performance. Simply put, I discovered first-hand what makes the latest Z06, well, a Z06! And you can too!
If you’ve considered driving the 2023 Corvette Z06 at the NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, I would strongly encourage you to contact them and schedule your Z06 Fast Pack experience soon! You can learn more about the Corvette Z06 Experience on their website by clicking here. You can also check out all of the other, awesome driving experiences that are available almost daily at the Motorsports Park. Check it out – you’ll be glad you did!!!
