Chevrolet makes the C7 Corvette Z06. That generates 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. That output produces an enormous amount of heat. So much so that many people who take their Z06s to the track have ended up overheating them.
Companies such as LG Motorsports and GSpeed are trying to cool the bad situation down, though. They’ve both posted their efforts on our sister site, CorvetteForum.com.
GSpeed said, “Since we’re located at the Motorsports Ranch in Cresson, TX, we’ve got the ideal thermal testing environment literally in our backyard. For those of you not familiar, OEMs come here on a regular basis in the late summer to stress test cooling systems on track in the 100°+ heat. Our goal for this car is to run a full HPDE session at Circuit of the Americas without overheating.”
The company started by trying a DeWitt Gen1 radiator and an oil cooler. That enabled it to track a Z06 for an additional two laps over stock. GSpeed progressed to using a pre-production LG Motorsports kit “with the ‘cheek mounted’ heat exchangers for the supercharger.” It then added an auxiliary radiator in front of the main radiator. It put water temperature sensors at the engine inlet and outlet, and between the two radiators. It also monitored air temperatures in front of and between both radiators, and behind the main radiator.
GSpeed determined the second radiator was hurting airflow through the main unit and preventing a useful change in air temperature across the primary radiator. According to the company, “What’s happening is the hot (235°) coolant is hitting the cool (95°) air coming in across the auxiliary radiator. When that happens, the air is heated up to about 180°, and the coolant is cooled to about 180°. The end result is zero heat transfer across the main radiator.”
That didn’t slow GSpeed down. It’s still working at it. Hit the Corvette Forum link below to follow its progress.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
