2020 Corvette: Racing Success with iBestTravel
It’s been less than two weeks since the 2020 Corvette started showing up at dealerships, and the race to eclipse quarter mile milestones is already underway. iBestTravel wasted no time getting their 3LT C8 track-prepped and down to Marion County International Raceway on a cold March 15th.
Modifications and Specifications
Mark Carlyle, owner of iBestTravel, spec’d his eight-speed automatic 3LT C8 with Sebring Orange paint, high wing spoiler, competition seats, and orange seat belts. Being that the Corvette was destined for drag racing, they opted to exclude the Z51 package. Immediately after delivery, the ‘Vette hit the dyno with a mere 20 miles on the clock, netting 440 rwhp and 408 lb-ft in stock form.
Wheels and Tires
Before iBestTravel’s Corvette was delivered, Carlyle already had a set of track wheels ready to go: Forgeline’s GS1R in 18×5 for the front and 18x11s out back. These single beadlock wheels are a one-piece forged monoblock and are designed specifically for the 2020 Corvette. Complementing the wheels are a set of Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S tires in 305/40/18 for the rear and Sportsman SR 26×6 in front.
Nitrous Setup
The only modification beyond the wheels and tires is a Nitrous Outlet dry nitrous kit. An LT1 plate kit fit perfectly between the LT2’s throttle body and intake manifold, with the nitrous bottle mounted in the front trunk. “From all our years of racing, we knew that the car would take a small amount of nitrous without issues,” explained Carlyle. “It took it like a champ.”
Performance Records
Tire pressures started out at 30 psi, and the team came down to 20 psi, finding the sweet spot around 22 psi. “If the car dead hooked, it seemed to close the throttle body on the shift between first and second gear, so we dialed in a little tire spin to keep it from doing that,” explained Carlyle.
Mark started off with some mid-11-second baseline passes to get the car sorted out and ended up with a best time of 11.25. The ETs dropped further when Carlyle utilized the factory launch control, netting their fastest naturally aspirated run of the day. “It actually ran several 11.05 passes, repeatedly,” said Carlyle. “We also picked up 3 mph by using the launch control. The air outside was perfect with a tailwind, and the density altitude was negative 987 feet. It’s going to be hard to beat these stock ET runs.” Running 11.05 at 126 mph with only wheels and tires is simply remarkable.
With the 50 shot activated, Carlyle became the first 2020 Corvette in the 10s with a time of 10.65. “We made 15-20 passes, and it actually liked being hot-lapped. The C8 kept picking up time as we ran it warm,” explained Carlyle. “We wanted to be the first one to the 10s and the 9s as well, but we didn’t want to risk breaking the car since the C8s can’t be tuned yet.”
Conclusion
iBestTravel would like to thank Marion County International Raceway for accommodating them. Although they weren’t supposed to be open for a couple of weeks, they opened the track just for the Corvette run. Despite the cold conditions, Mark managed to achieve a 1.61 60-foot time on 18-inch wheels. They believe that if the track had been warmed up, 1.50 60-foot times would have been possible.
