When it comes to amateur road racing and fun track days, the Corvette has been a top choice for decades. When Chevrolet made a legacy-defining change to the Corvette in 2020 by going with a mid-engine layout the critics pulled no punches in voicing their disapproval. Since its debut, however, the C8 Corvette has proven itself to be a supercar conquerer on track. We watched as the C8 won the FIA WEC GT Am class championship in 2023, and stock C8s can be found on amateur track days across the country. Undoubtedly, the C8 Corvette is Chevrolet’s best-performing platform to date, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. How much could we lower lap times on a stock C8 with track-focused modifications while retaining its street manners? Project Track Addict aims to answer that question.
Our mission is to create a track-day-focused C8 that boasts unparalleled durability, braking, grip, handling, and straightaway power. And we’re doing it in not one, not two, but three phases of modifications, taking you along a journey where we share our ups and downs. All of the testing will take place at Willow Springs International Raceway and we’ve brought in professional driving instructor Allen Ward to handle driving duties for consistency between test sessions and his detailed feedback.
Up first in phase one, we are installing a few track-dedicated items including a C8-specific harness bar from Peitz Performance and Sparco harnesses to keep the driver securely in place during high g-force turns. Additional components we are installing in preparation for track duty are upgraded rear axle bolts from Cicio Performance and a serviceable metal transmission fluid filter from Dodson Motorsports. To begin shaving seconds off our lap times we are installing track-dedicated Forgeline wheels wrapped in sticky Continental tires. Rounding out phase one will be big Alcon brakes to bring Project Track Addict quickly to a halt.
After getting a test session in to see the improvement in our C8, phase two of this project will begin. This phase will include a complete aero package for the C8 from LG Motorsports. This package consists of LG’s GT2 carbon fiber front splitter and their GT2 carbon fiber rear wing. These aero components have proven to add considerable downforce which should equate to improved lap times. Additionally, we are installing front and rear MCS coilovers that are specced by Cicio Performance for track-focused C8 Corvettes.
Finally, phase three is where we apply more power to Project Track Addict to push our C8 and take full advantage of the modifications from phases one and two. For this part of our build, we went to the Corvette performance experts at Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. Together we made a list of upgrades including a carbon fiber pTR intake manifold by Performance Design, an LPE-ported Gen V 95mm throttle body, a Hornet Cold Air Intake Box by Halltech, a CORSA Xtreme-S 4 Valve exhaust system, and a CORSA oil catch can for good measure.
We are excited to see the gains from all of these modifications and it will be interesting to see which upgrade results in the biggest improvement around the Willow Springs race track. Once we’ve finished up all the improvements, Project Track Addict should be able to lay down some really competitive lap times and punch above its class. Follow along on our journey from bone stock to track day weapon at LSX Magazine.