Taylor Earnhardt, the daughter of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt, completed two hillclimb runs in the first day of the 17th annual Goodwood Festival of Speed driving the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo her father made famous.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is held on the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, a place of significant British motorsports history. This year’s gathering includes a number of NASCAR stock cars in honor of the 50th anniversary of Daytona International Speedway that will participate in both demonstration and competition runs up the nine-turn 1.16-mile hillclimb circuit.

“It was a great experience driving my dad’s race car today,” said the younger Earnhardt. “There are so many great race cars and race drivers here and I was honored to be able to run with them. The Goodwood Festival is an amazing event and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

The car was prepared by and is being taken care of at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by former No. 3 team crew members Danny Lawrence and Rich Burgess. The No. 3 Chevy was the car Dale Earnhardt drove to his 76th and final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, in October 2000 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Lawrence is currently the assistant head engine builder/trackside manager for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines and Burgess is the shop manager for RCR’s No. 31 Caterpillar team in the NSCS.

“Taylor did a really good job,” said Lawrence. “She doesn’t have a lot of experience in a race car but she learned pretty quick and held her own out there. I was told there were about 125,000 fans here today so it had to be a little intimidating. But, she knows a thing or two about intimidating so it didn’t seem to bother her any. She should have even more confidence for tomorrow’s runs.”

Source: Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Even though the Milwaukee Mile is going through a bit of a tough stretch, the cars that are a part of the track’s history are going to be there this weekend.  The Harry A. Miller Club will be holding their 15th annual “Millers at Milwaukee” vintage Indy Car event on Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11.

The purpose of the Harry A. Miller Club is to honor its namesake, Harry A. Miller, probably the most influential American race car designer.  Cars built by Miller won the Indy 500 nine times, and the Offenhauser engine that dominated Indy racing for nearly four decades was a refinement of a Miller design.  Miller cars were known for not only their speed but for their meticulous preparation and finish.

Dana Mecum, of Mecum Auctions, Inc., is the current President of the Harry A. Miller Club.  Mecum Auctions runs the Corvette auction at Bloomington Gold, as well as several other classic car auctions throughout the country.

A complete schedule of events, as well as admission prices, can be seen at the Harry A. Miller Club web site.

It’s no secret that track-oriented Corvette owners have a potent weapon available to them in the Z06.  Some have gone to lengths to raise the game on horsepower from the stock 505 to ZR-1 levels or beyond.  The ZR-1 is certainly the King of the Hill of stock Corvettes, and even though it was designed to be an excellent all-around super car, it still managed to post a time of 7.26 around the Nurburgring.  Now, Corvette owners that want a more track-oriented ZR-1 are in luck, thanks to Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE).  Today, HPE released details on their 705 hp Z700.  For a little less than twice the price of a ZR-1, you get more horsepower, (amazingly) less weight, and more downforce.  The Z700 also takes care of one of the few complaints that reviewers have about the ZR-1 – the interior.  The lightweight, alcantara-lined sport seats, shift knob and steering wheel should help keep things in place while pulling 1.08 lateral G’s.  Only 24 will be made, and all cars come with a 1-day high-performance driving class, and a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.  Hennessey will be shipping one over to Germany to attack the ‘ring later this year.

If it happens to take a detour to Wisconsin on its way, we wouldn’t mind.   We’re not far from Road America. (hint-hint)

Source: Hennessey Performance Engineering

You can’t buy this kind of publicity.  GM loaned former Apple designer, influential blogger, entrepreneur and author Guy Kawasaki a 2009 Corvette for a week.  He writes about it in his blog.

“After driving a Corvette for a week, I am more supportive of General Motors. I missed some features like a backup camera and lane-switching warning signals, but wow, the torque and engine growl makes me proud to be an American. And at approximately $65,000, it’s half the price of most German sportscars. “
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/07/why-im-more-of-a-believer-in-gm.html#ixzz0KURKk7P9&D

Thanks for spreading the word, Guy.

In a web chat today on GM FastLane Blogs, CEO Fritz Henderson answered a direct question about the future of the Corvette:

15:35 [Comment From John ]
Will the Corvette survive as athe V8 engined rear wheel drive icon we all love?

15:36 Fritz Henderson: yes. my wonderful baby is my 2005 corvette coupe. we have more in store for the future and this iconic brand will retain its powerful place within the new gm.

From the what we’ve seen on Mr. Henderson in the media, he seems like a guy that gives very straightforward answers. We look forward to what the future holds for the Corvette!

Source: GM FastLane Blogs

Yesterday was a special day for Chevy dealer and Corvette collector Dave Ressler. Mr. Ressler owns the oldest known 1953 Corvette , and had the winning bid on the first 2009 ZR1 off the assembly line at the Barrett-Jackson auction this past January. He took delivery of the car at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green yesterday.

The auction price was $1,000,000, with proceeds going to the United Way.

Congratulations to Mr. Ressler. Hope you enjoy the car for a bit before it goes into your museum.

How fast does 638 SAE Certified horsepower get you? When it’s coming from an LS9 in a ZR1, it goes all the way to 205 MPH. I had seen the 205 MPH figure in a Detroit News article this morning, but the video below from GMNext proves what kind of top-end prowess the ZR1 will have. Note also that top speed is in 6th gear, not in 5th as the Z06, showing what kind of grunt the new King of the Hill has.

GM was playing their cards close to their corporate chest when the ZR1 was introduced earlier this year at the North American International Auto Show, only saying that the LS9 would produce “at least” 100 hp per liter of displacement, or 620 HP. Well, SAE testing has been completed, and now it’s official – the LS9 is rated at 638 HP @ 6500 RPM, and 604 lb-ft of torque at 3800 rpm. That equals nearly 103 HP per liter, or for those of you that remember when 1 HP per cubic inch was a big deal, the LS9 produces 1.7 HP for each of its 376 cubic inches. EPA MPG testing is yet to be done, but GM is promising that this will be the most fuel-efficient, 600+ horsepower engine available (whatever that means).

The full press release is quoted below:

[Source: General Motors]
CHEVROLET ANNOUCES CERTIFIED POWER RATINGS FOR THE NEW CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1: 638 HP FROM THE SUPERCHARGED LS9 V-8

PONTIAC, Mich. – When it was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s power was estimated at 100 horsepower for each of its 6.2 liters of displacement. GM Powertrain has completed SAE certification of the ZR1’s supercharged LS9 V-8 and the results exceed the estimate: 638 horsepower (476 kW) and 604 lb.-ft. of torque (819 Nm).

The LS9’s output is nearly 103 horses per liter, or just about 1.7 horses for each of the engine’s 376 cubic inches. It is unquestionably the most powerful automotive production engine ever manufactured by General Motors and enables the Corvette ZR1 to achieve a top speed of more than 200 mph (322 km/h).

“One of the most amazing things about the Corvette ZR1 is the level of refinement that our designers and engineers have attained. Even with all that power, this car has road manners that will allow our customers to enjoy it on the streets as a daily driver, and on the track,” said Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper.

The Corvette ZR1 goes on sale this summer. Its 638-hp supercharged engine is complemented in the chassis by heavy-duty components not offered in any other model, including a six-speed manual transmission with race-hardened gears and dual-disc clutch technology that delivers exceptional clamping power and lower inertia, as well as strengthened axle components.

Fuel economy testing has not been completed, but engineers are confident the ZR1 will be the most fuel-efficient 600-plus-horsepower car on the market.

The LS9 engine is hand-built by specially trained technicians at GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. It is a unique, small-volume engine production facility that also builds the Chevrolet Corvette Z06’s LS7 engine and other high-performance GM production engines.

“Developing the LS9 involved more than simply striving for a great horsepower number. Endurance and reliability testing have shown the engine to be robust and low-maintenance, just like other engines in the small-block family,” said Sam Winegarden, executive director, engine engineering for GM Powertrain. “That it is distinguished as the most powerful engine ever from General Motors is a source of immense pride among everyone involved with the LS9.”

Supercharged aspiration
The key enabler of the LS9’s performance is the industry’s first production application of a new, positive-displacement Roots-type supercharger that has a unique four-lobe rotor design. Its design promotes quieter and more efficient performance, while the large, 2.3-liter displacement ensures adequate air volume at high rpm. Maximum boost pressure is 10.5 psi (0.72 bar). It is teamed with an integrated charge cooling system that reduces inlet air temperature for maximum performance.

“The combination of large displacement and the new, four-rotor design broadens the effective range of the supercharger, allowing the engine to make more power at lower rpm and sustain it throughout the power band,” said Winegarden. “The low-end torque is tremendous and the high-rpm charge from the supercharger is simply amazing.”

A raised hood provides adequate clearance for the LS9, while a polycarbonate window in the hood provides a view of the engine beneath it.

LS9 details
The LS9 features many unique design and manufacturing details that support its high-performance nature. They include:
Aluminum cylinder block with iron cylinder liners that are finish-bored and honed with a deck plate installed
Forged steel crankshaft with a nine-bolt flange
Titanium connecting rods and forged aluminum pistons
Stronger, rotocast cylinder heads with 2.16-inch (55 mm) titanium intake valves and 1.59-inch (40.4 mm) hollow-stem, sodium-filled exhaust valves
Camshaft with 0.555-inch (14.1 mm) lift for excellent idle and low-speed driving qualities
A dry-sump oiling system with 10.5-quart (9.9 liters) capacity
Integrated oil cooler and piston-cooling oil squirters
Intercooler cover visible through the hood window that features ZR1-unique blue accents and “LS9 SUPERCHARGED” embossed on the left and right sides

Specifications

LS9 6.2L SUPERCHARGED V-8
Displacement (cu in / cc):
376 / 6162
Bore & stroke (in / mm):
4.06 x 3.62 / 103.25 x 92
Block material:
cast aluminum
Cylinder head material:
A356-T6 rotocast aluminum
Valvetrain:
overhead valve, 2 valves per cylinder
Fuel delivery:
SFI (sequential fuel injection)
Compression ratio:
9.1:1
Horsepower / kW:
638 / 476 @ 6500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft / Nm):
604 / 819 @ 3800 rpm
Fuel shut-off (rpm):
6600
Recommended fuel:
premium required
Exhaust manifolds:
stainless steel
Main bearing caps:
forged steel
Crankshaft:
forged steel
Camshaft:
hollow steel; 0.555-in (14.1 mm) lift
Connecting rods:
forged titanium
Valves:
intake: titanium
exhaust: hollow steel
Valve lifters:
hydraulic roller
Supercharger:
R2300, four-lobe “Roots” type (2.3L)
Additional features:
piston oil-spray cooling; direct-mount ignition coils; 11-rib accessory drive

Source: Autoblog

There’s more than just the Corvette Racing team in ALMS GT1 this year. Lou Gigliotti, owner and driver for LG Motorsports, also races a C6 in the GT2 series. In the video below, Lou and Doug Fehan, Program Manager for Corvette Racing, walk us through the differences between the cars.

Interesting comments from Doug Fehan about how the Corvette engineers asked for suggestions on how they could make the C6 a better race car. That was one factor that led to the exposed headlights on the C6. It also led to a steeper windshield angle and the large, single intake in the front. In my opinion, this shows how much Chevrolet is committed to making the Corvette a respected car around the world.

In addition to racing in ALMS GT1, Corvettes will be racing in the FIA GT1 class. Phoenix Carsport Racing, a German-Dutch-Swiss team, will be campaigning two former Corvette Racing C6.R’s. Both cars were tested at Monza a couple of weeks ago, and will be testing at Nürburgring and racing at Silverstone with updated engines prepared by Pratt & Miller.

Good luck on the season, we’ll be following you!

Source: HULIQ.com