Dream Racing in a C8 Corvette

 

I went to Dream Racing at the Las Vegas Motorplex to try out the new C8 Corvette.  I have been interested in the C8 since they announced it would finally be a proper mid-engine car.  I drive a Porsche Cayman S which is also mid-engine and it is the best layout for a sports car in my opinion.  I like the looks of the C8 Corvette as well.  

The experience starts with a short video to set expectations and orient you to the track and performance driving.  That is followed by a ride around the track in an SUV. One thing unique about Dream Racing versus Exotics Racing or Speed Vegas was you don't wear helmets in the street cars.  Helmets are only required in their race cars.

Seated in the car I adjusted the seat and wheel to my liking.  I am not a big fan of the large center console but it did not bother me as much while driving either. I could get used to it. The feel behind the wheel was centered and good.  As we pulled onto the track and gave it full throttle and the traction control kicked in for a bit.  The traction control intervenes a bit more than I would like but still better than many other sports cars.  It's hard to beat Porsche traction control on the track.  I only bought 7 laps and that is not even enough to really get consistent with the line as you can see in the video, I am a bit sloppy and inconsistent.  The engine makes 200HP more than my Cayman S and that was very nice.  It also has a wide powerband but drops off earlier than what I am used to in the Cayman S.  It took a bit to learn to shift earlier.  The sound is very different than the Porsche but it is a good sound.  That comes through pretty well on the video.  The transmission was also very good.  The handling is also good and pretty neutral.  I did not understeer like the Ferrari 488 did.  

My biggest complaints with this car is the brakes.  Dream Racing even upgraded to some slotted rotors but they were a bit warped when I started, and very warped by the end of my session.  The chassis could easily handle a serious brake upgrade and if I was going to track one of these, a brake upgrade would be a must.  I suspect the Z06 will have solved this issue.  

The car is clearly heavier than my Cayman S, by about 650lbs.  You can really feel it too.  The center of gravity is also noticeably higher.  The chassis gets more upset when switching directions than the Cayman S.  The car feels like it is sitting higher, based on the handling.  I felt like I could not push it as hard in the corners.  Dream Racing uses Pirelli P Zero tires and maybe they are not as good as the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires I have on the Cayman S.  The feedback was good and with some more seat time on the track I could work around this.  It was certainly a fun drive.  

The C8 Corvette is a great car and Chevy has done a great thing here delivering a car like this at the price point they are asking.  Most owners will likely never track this car hard and they will be very happy with their purchase.  Those who do want to track it should consider a brake upgrade first, or consider the Z06.  If Dream Racing or Speed Vegas get a Z06 I may just have to try that.   

So far the cars I have tried at these track venues are the Ferrari 488, the Porsche GT3 RS, and this Chevy Corvette.  The GT3 RS was the best track car. The next car I want to try at the track is the Porsche GT2 RS.  

I have now driven 3 different venues as well.  Speed Vegas has been purchased by Exotics Racing so now that is at the Speed Vegas facility south of town.  I drove Exotics Racing back when it was at the west edge of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway area north of town. Dream Racing is in the center of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval track. 

Things for car folks to do in Las Vegas

I visit Las Vegas often to visit family.  I am not a gambler, it's just not my thing. I am also not into the night life.  While there are the biggest attractions in Las Vegas, what can non-gambler car people do when in Las Vegas?  I have found many very fun things to do so I thought I would capture some here.

Update 2023: I moved to Las Vegas now.

Drive high-end cars on the track

There are several great venues to drive supercars and sports cars in their natural habitat, on the track. By track I mean a proper road course and you drive them at speed. While there are also places to rent them and drive on the street, this would be a frustration for me as you would be stuck in traffic and not get to experience even a fraction of what these cars can do. I wrote a blog article here: http://ltrpca.blogspot.com/2019/03/next-time-you-are-in-las-vegas.html describing some of the main experiences at the track.  I also went to Speed Vegas and drove the Ferrari 488, and Exotics Racing and drove a Porsche GT3 RS. Update 2020: Exotics Racing now bought Speed Vegas and merged to the Speed Vegas facility south of town.  Another venue is Dream Racing where I drove a C8 Corvette in 2023.

Playlist of videos from these Las Vegas tracks.

There are others.  You can drive off-road or NASCAR experiences too.  The Las Vegas Motorplex is a center of much of this.  This is my favorite car thing to do in Las Vegas by far, but it is also the most expensive.  Plan to spend a few hundred dollars but it is well worth it.  Many exotic cars are ridiculously expensive to buy and own.  Once you spend that much, most people don't want to risk that investment by taking them to the track and driving them hard.  Here you are just renting the car (insurance included) so no worries.  You can really have fun in them and give them back when you are done. You get an experienced instructor to show you the line and how to get the most out of these cars at their track. It's the best way to experience these cars.

Note: in 2020 Exotics Racing bought Speed Vegas and merged these operations to the Speed Vegas track.

Drive your own sports car on the track

Spring Mountain Motorsports is just around the mountains near Pahrump (less than an hour away).  It features many tracks, my favorite being Charleston Peak (shown below).  

Driving here requires that you find an HPDE, register well in advance, and have your car inspected and prepped for the event.  Find and register for most events either at MotorsportsReg or Club Registration. Caution: this is very addictive! 

Drive Go-Karts

There are many places too drive go-karts as well, both indoors and outside.  Exotics Racing offers both supercars (above) and go-karts.  I have driven the electric indoor go-karts at Pole Position which is close to the strip.  It's inexpensive and fun and since it's indoors and the karts are electric you don't have to deal with the weather.  There are many others.

Visit a museum

Here is a great article highlighting some of the car museums. I have been to the Shelby facility, both at the old location near the speedway, and the new location South of the strip.

Shop for car related stuff

Being a Porsche fan I found a rare Porsche Design outlet shop.  I think there are only 2 of these in the country, one being at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets mall North of the strip. Porsche Design merchandise is not cheap so finding it at a discount is great. Of course the Shelby store is a great place to shop and every Saturday morning they have a cars & coffee.

Go for a road trip

While Las Vegas is in a desert, it is close to mountains and lakes too.  

Hoover Dam and the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

View from the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

It's a short drive (about 40 minutes) from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam.  There is also a great view from the bridge to the South of the dam. You can walk across the bridge.

Biking on the Lake Mead Historic Railway Trail

Mount Charleston

Mount Charleston is a short drive (about an hour) from Las Vegas where you can get away from the desert and enjoy the mountains and pine trees.  In the winter it is often snow covered.  In the summer it is much cooler than Las Vegas, often by 30F.  My Charleston can be very crowded at times.  You can see the traffic and congestion in the video below taken the day after Christmas.

Mt Charleston the day after Christmas 2022

Mountain biking on Mt Charleston in the summer

Valley Of Fire

I have actually not visited this yet but I plan to soon and I will update then.

Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon is the most visited park in the country with over 2.5M visitors each year.  There is a scenic drive and many hiking trails but you must get a reservation to enter.  

On the way to Red Rock Canyon there is also Calico Basin which is very colorful and has several trails as well.  

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is less than 3 hours away.  There are great hiking trails and camping as well as hotels and lodges.  

Mountain Biking

The Las Vegas area has many mountain bike trails.  I use Trailforks to find most of them: https://www.trailforks.com/region/las-vegas/?activitytype=1&z=9.2&lat=36.19202&lon=-115.28210 . In the winter the lower elevations are great.  When it gets hot in the summer, go to higher elevations like Mt Charleston.  Some bike shops offer bike rentals, including some offering electric mountain bike rentals.  Las Vegas is also a bike friendly community with many paved road biking paths.