First Impressions – a Cold‑Start Crescendo
Daybreak at Spring Mountain Motorsports Resort arrives with a crackle. One press of the starter button and the LT6’s flat‑plane crank erupts, its 5.5‑litre lungs filling the desert air with a tenor rarely heard this side of Maranello. As the tach needle sweeps past 4,000 rpm on a courtesy blip, one’s reminded why the Corvette faithful were so restless for the Z06.
Chevrolet gave the world what many Ferrari 458 aficionados secretly wanted when Maranello pivoted to turbos: a screaming, naturally‑aspirated, high‑revving supercar that rips to 8,600 rpm and unleashes 670 hp—numbers that eclipse the 458 while letting owners keep an extra couple hundred thousand dollars in the bank.
Why the Z06 Owners School Exists
Every new Z06 (and Stingray) is delivered with a subsidized voucher that reduces the tuition for the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School to just US $1,000, a remarkable gesture that transforms ownership into scholarship. Chevrolet’s goal is simple: make better drivers and, by extension, safer brand ambassadors.
The curriculum is dense—threshold braking drills, serpentine transitions, skid‑pad car control, launch‑control demonstrations, PDR video reviews, and a competitive autocross—before culminating in multiple lead‑follow sessions on the full circuit . “Barf protocol,” the instructors warn with a smile during the first classroom block: stay hydrated, know your limits, and respect the G‑forces you’re about to meet.
Among the attendees was Jeff Francis of The Speed Journal, who settled into a carbon bucket seat for the two‑day Z06 Owners School adventure.
The Man on the Masthead – Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows’ résumé needs little embellishment: two class wins at Le Mans, a Rolex 24 overall victory, and a career’s worth of ALMS titles at the wheel of Corvette Racing machinery. His name on the school isn’t marketing fluff; it’s a promise that the lessons carry factory DNA. The message is clear: mastery is a moving target.
Spring Mountain – America’s Motorsport Resort
Once a 2.2‑mile club track in rural Pahrump, Nevada, Spring Mountain now sprawls over 933 acres with more than nine miles of configurable pavement—currently the longest road‑course network in North America. The new Charleston Peak loop adds elevation, FIA‑grade runoff, and a balcony‑height viewing tower perfect for drone debriefs. Off‑track, the facility reads like a resort brochure: condos, a gym, pools, kart track, even a shooting range. Bring a spouse, lose them to the spa, and reunite at the clubhouse for dinner tales of apexes conquered.
Drills, Data, and Desert Grip
Blue‑cone braking zone – Students attack a wet‑down straight, stomping the carbon‑ceramics at 40 mph, then 45 mph, feeling ABS pulse while steering around a water‑soaked cone wall.
Serpentine vision – “Head on a swivel,” coaches bark over the radio as we thread a cone slalom, eyes hunting for the next apex, not the bonnet.
Wet figure‑eight – Weather mode engaged; stability systems on high alert, or all systems off, the exercise proves that gentle throttle, not grunt, rotates the mid‑engine chassis.
Lead‑follow’ – The flat-plane crank sings its high-strung anthem across the circuit, even at reconnaissance pace—an audible promise of the fury to come. Radio chatter marks turn‑in, apex, and track‑out paint stripes. By session three we’re swapping positions, chasing instructors who treat 7,500 rpm as casual conversation.
Between stints, instructors dissect PDR footage on laptop screens, overlaying throttle traces and steering angles like a forensic lab for speed.
The Z06 Versus the World
The C8 Z06’s superpower isn’t just the numbers sheet; it’s accessibility. A flat‑plane rumble that would cost considerably more in Bologna or Modena is harnessed by magnetic ride control, an eight‑speed dual‑clutch that executes telepathic downshifts, and Cup‑ready aero that plants the nose in high‑G sweepers. European exotica may offer finer leather, but none deliver this blend of pace, poise, and price. On Spring Mountain’s long straight the LT6 howls past 140 mph before the brake markers, the exhaust timbre equal parts Le Mans prototype and small‑block heritage.
Graduation – Autocross Glory and Hot‑Lap Thunder
The final autocross crowns a winner after three practice runs and a timed shootout. A fast lap earns bragging rights, but the real trophy is the muscle‑memory of proper vision and weight transfer. Instructors finish with hot laps—full‑chat demos that recalibrate what “quick” truly is. Climbing out, you realise the Z06’s computers didn’t hide the experience; they revealed it.
Final Thoughts
Corvette’s eighth‑generation halo car was engineered for the racetrack, and Spring Mountain is the factory‑approved proving ground. Two intense days here turn awe into understanding. You leave faster, certainly, but also calmer—aware that the LT6’s stratospheric song is backed by ABS you’ve attacked, stability systems you’ve trusted, and brakes you’ve abused without fear.
For any Z06 owner, this isn’t an option; it’s the other half of the purchase. Bring your sense of wonder—and maybe earplugs for those dawn patrol cold‑starts—but don’t bring excuses. The desert, and the Z06, are waiting.
The Speed Journal extends its sincere thanks to the outstanding professionals at the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School and Spring Mountain Motor Resort.
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