Get an earful of the Corvette C8.R’s hot lap at Road Atlanta
When the Corvette C8.R hit the track before the public’s eye for the first time, it needed no introduction. Which is good, since it didn’t get one on the sunny, 80-degree opening day of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Maybe Corvette Racing decided that not one, but two national anthems were enough (one American and one French, in good Petit Le Mans tradition). Oh, and the skydivers trailing clouds of red powder.
On the off-chance you were at Road Atlanta at approximately 11:55 a.m. this October 12th, and if, perhaps, you were shooting an extra capful of Jägermeister behind turn one, you’d easily have missed the silver screamer.
Now, thanks to Corvette factory driver Tommy Milner, a windshield-mounted camera, and YouTube, you can relieve not just the Turn One glimpse of the C8.R, but the entire lap.
These two minutes and 11 seconds will have to sustain you until late January, when the C8.R hits Daytona International Speedway for its first race: a 24-hour shakedown. Come January 25, you can cruise down to Daytona Beach and trade the winter hearth hygge for some raucous horsepower. You might even see the C8.R square off against its now-unsurprising comparison, the 488-based Ferrari entered by Risi Competizione (the entry list has not yet been finalized).
For now, plug in your earbuds and digest the C8.R’s new sound. The DOHC, flat-plane V-8 marks a departure from the baritone, push-rod rumble of the C7.R, but get ready; even if you don’t sign up for the track-side experience, the yet-unnamed engine may be coming to streets near you in the next Z06.
