Nan's Z06 - Road Trip #1

Nan's Z06 had not ventured very far from the garage since we purchased it in November 2023.  But in May we took it on its first road trip -- to Monterey to watch the Corvettes race at Laguna Seca.

The Z06 had not traveled its first 500 miles sufficient for the "Red Line" setting to go to normal.  So we drove the car calmly up the I-5, over the Gorman Pass, across the San Joaquin valley floor until we reached Lost Hills, then across Highway 46 to Paso Robles, then Highway 101 to Monterey.  Just before reaching Paso Robles, we passed the 500 mile boundary and the Red Line popped up to 8,600 RPM!  Now we can start to enjoy the performance of the beast!

This was our seventh trip to Northern California since 2016.  Almost every year we join Don and Shirley (who have been many more times than we have).  Some years we caravan up in two Corvettes, but this year, due to the Kingery's travel schedule, they flew and we drove.  The four of us always have a blast. We even have matching shirts!

We registered as members of the North Coast Corvette Club to show our support for our friends back home.

C8 Z06 sightings are still a bit rare, and Nan's Z06 was one of only a handful present in the Corvette Corral.

We love the Corvette Corral because it gives us the chance to visit with the Corvette engineers, Michelin and Mobil product experts, the drivers, and other Corvette dignitaries.

One of the people we most look forward to seeing is the Corvette Executive Chief Engineer, Tadge Juechter.  In addition to informing the Corvette faithful about all the new developments for these marvelous cars, he will take time to talk with individual owners and to answer all of their questions.  Last year, as Nan was finalizing her list of options for her 2024 C8 Stingray, Tadge helped her understand the nuances of the extensive options list.

Equally helpful last year, and again this year, was Josh Holder, Chief Engineer.  Since we had recently purchased two C8 Corvettes (one Stingray and one Z06, in the span of 17 days!), and had yet to master all the capabilities of these cars, Josh did a great job of coaching us on how to get the maximum enjoyment out of them.

Josh has a nice sense of humor -- when I asked him why I couldn't find the "Economy Mode" on the Z06, he just looked at me and smiled.  He said, "Economy and Z06 don't really go together, do they?"

We always look forward to visiting with Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing legend.  Over the years he has become a friend to the four of us, and always brings a smile to our faces.

Seeing the drivers and getting autographs is another highlight of the Monterey race.  This year, in addition to long-time favorite drivers Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia, we got to meet Alexander Sims and Nicky Catsburg.

On Saturday the two Corvettes had qualified P1 and P2, so we were very excited for Sunday's race.  The Corvettes led the race from the start, building a comfortable margin over the rest of the GTD PRO field.  A pit stop issue, and an untimely full-course yellow cost both Corvettes dearly, and they ended the race in P3 and P5.  But the P3 finish for the No. 4 Corvette, driven by Nicky and Tommy, gave Pratt and Miller their first podium finish in the 2024 season -- the inaugural year for the GT3-spec Corvettes.

It was another great adventure for the "Fabulous Foursome"!