NASA is excited to announce the formation of Corvette Cup, a new spec series that will include the C5 chassis built between 1997 and 2004 and the C6, which was built from 2005 to 2013.
Corvette Cup will be the second spec series in all of NASA to use a V8 engine. The other class, Spec Iron, features the Ford Mustang built between 2005 and 2010 with the 4.6-liter, three-valve modular V8. Now, with Corvette Cup, Chevrolet enthusiasts have a way to get on track in a class with a tight rules set and a chassis that delivers tremendous performance value per dollar.
“Now that the C5 and C6 Corvette platforms have become a lot more affordable, it is an ideal choice for a spec racing series,” said NASA CEO Jeremy Croiset. “When you keep it to near-stock power levels, the C5 and C6 Corvettes make great spec-class racecars that are affordable to build and maintain. It’s plenty capable and presents great value in terms of speed per dollar spent.”
For a production car to be considered for spec-series racing, particularly, two different generations of chassis, first, there must be as little difference between them to make balance of performance easily achievable. They also must be affordable, and right now the C5 and C6 cars are as affordable as they are ever going to be. The platform also must have a proven record of reliability. Those three factors make the C5 and C6 great candidates for spec-series racing.
“To me it’s a no brainer. It’s a Corvette. It’s tried and true. It’s one of the most popular cars in NASA, and there’s a reason for it,” Croiset said. “They just run and run and run. If everything goes according to plan, it should be a great fun car that returns a ton of speed for the cost to build.”
Depending on the price of the donor car, it should be possible for a NASA driver to build a Corvette Cup car in the garage for $40,000 or less. Yes, the price will escalate if you pay a shop to have one built, but there is very little out there that offers the kind of performance per dollar possible with Corvette Cup.
For early adopters, a Corvette Cup car can slot perfectly into NASA’s ST3 class and be reasonably competitive while waiting for the series to fill out in a given region. Corvette Cup does not allow for aerodynamic devices or expensive Bosch motorsports ABS controllers, which is a big part of what makes the series far more affordable and less complex than a Super Touring build.
As a spec series, Corvette Cup uses proven parts, including Penske shock absorbers, and places greater emphasis on parity, reliability and longevity. Testing is under way to choose a spec tire, which will be announced very early in 2025. Rules will be finalized and posted to the NASA rules web page December 11.
“We wanted to launch something that was a higher-performance entry level spec series that had limited modifications,” Croiset said. “So when you look at what you get out of the performance package that is a Corvette, for the price and the sheer number of them they made, with potential parts and donor cars and chassis, it’s kind of a no-brainer. Corvette Cup will allow someone with minimal modification to have a really high performing racecar that doesn’t break the bank.”
For more information, visit the NASA road racing home page.