Spotted!!! Gt500 Testing At Firebird Raceway!!

[Dave Schotz]

Hey guys... well this weekend... I had a Double National at Firebird Raceway in Phx AZ... and wouldn't ya know it! SVT / FORD RACING and (I THINK) HTT himself... were out on the FIREBIRD WEST TRACK... testing... I got PHOTOS & VIDEO of the ordeal!!!

They had 4 GT500's there... 1 FORD GT... and 1 C6 Z51 Corvette!!!

I got video on a SONY DCR HC32... anybody know how to convert to .wms, or something like that?

Some interesting stuff... first... a Black GT500 Convertible (not on track)... still had the 'red push button' kill switch... so you knew it was pre-production... but the two 'more interesting' cars... a Tungsten Grey... GT500 Convertible... that was about 99.99% Production... no red kill switch... everything was like right off the showroom floor... and this car was not being tested on the track... very nice.

The other car... was an all Yellow GT500... that had some subtle differences... the rear side windows were deleted... like the older 67 Shelby's! And... it actually had FUNCTIONAL rear window 'scoops'... that had rear ducting going into the back center section of the car... either to the brakes, or the rear diff... Also... the car had some front brake ducts as well!

The car doing most the testing on the race track was a stock GT500... Blue w/ Silver Stripes.

The C6 was a burgandy color and I was impressed to see them testing against a Z51 car... and not a base model!

The Ford GT was Yellow w/ Black stripes...

All cars were gorgeous and the Ford Racing/SVT team were very nice!

Cool stuff guys! :beer:

Dave

 

[ON D BIT]

i am assuming this was sunday. it was raining all day sat. dave did they say how long they will be testing? just curious if they will be there today when i drive by?

 

[juiced]

Hey thanxs for the info. I hope by them testing against a ZO6 is an indication of what the GT500 should do. Did you stick around and speak with anyone there. Keep us posted on anything else. I'm set on getting one. Possibly the following year. epper:

 

[Dave Schotz]

Hey guys! The testing was Friday... very windy... dusty... but at least dry. They left Friday night... and the Ford Performance Tractor Trailer left Saturday Morning.

They were not testing against the Z-06... they were testing against a C6, Z51... which is the 6.0 400HP car... with better brakes, and better tranny gearing. They said the C6 is a good 'bar' to go after... and it seems like they are set on this car at least running right with, if not in front of a standard C6 Corvette!

Hope this helps!

Dave

 

[07 Shelby]

How did they Sound? Need Pictures Now!! :rockon:

 

[Ghoust]

post pictures on photobucket and link them on here now!

 

[o4cOb|2a]

so Ford isn't shooting to keep up with the 06 z06? Just the standard 400 hp C6?

 

[NVWSSV]

Hey guys... well this weekend... I had a Double
The other car... was an all Yellow GT500... that had some subtle differences... the rear side windows were deleted... like the older 67 Shelby's! And... it actually had FUNCTIONAL rear window 'scoops'... that had rear ducting going into the back center section of the car... either to the brakes, or the rear diff... Also... the car had some front brake ducts as well!
Dave

What could this be? The next KR? To be announced at the New York show in a month?

 

[mrGT]

so Ford isn't shooting to keep up with the 06 z06? Just the standard 400 hp C6?

A stock GT500 is not in the same class as a Z06. So, IMO, Yes, Ford isn't shooting to keep up with the Z06.

 

[SuperG]

I also think that Ford would not want the GT500 for, say $50 thousand, perform almost as well as a GT for $180 thousand...

 

[Fourcam330]

so Ford isn't shooting to keep up with the 06 z06? Just the standard 400 hp C6?

History repeating itself. Just as in 03/04 stock Cobras were more on par with standard vettes on the whole (save straight line) but could easily eat Z06s at the strip with bolt ons. You can't have it all for $40k.

 

[LSR]

History repeating itself. Just as in 03/04 stock Cobras were more on par with standard vettes on the whole (save straight line) but could easily eat Z06s at the strip with bolt ons. You can't have it all for $40k.

That's right :-D

 

[FBMphil]

So post up some pics man!

 

[PDubs]

Show us the pics man!

 

[Dave Schotz]

I know... I know... this sux! (First I'm at work)... 2nd... video is on the Sony Cam! How do I get it onto something that can be viewed on here?

Now... I have thought... tonight... I will play it on the TV... and then 'PAUSE' the tape... to take some 'STILL PHOTO'S'. So you guys can see these bad boys!!!

I did ask them if the 'Yellow Car' w/ air ducting... could be the next R... he said no, and not to plan on another R car.

I have about 40 minutes of Video... that I need to spend some time with... and I could post what type of 'lap times' they were all running... I know... I got the C6 Vette running it's HOTTEST laps (nice slide even!)... but I'm not sure I got the GT500's running there best laps... I think I got the Blue w/ Silver Striped car... but the Yellow car... once I realized it was a bit different... and got the video camera... it was kinda just doing cool down laps.

Much like some of the earlier people mentioned... It makes far more sense to aim for the C6 Coupe... then to try for the Z06... and it's far more realistic... I still don't know that they will have been able to pull it off against the C6 400HP car... but as hard as they were driving both... it's CLEAR they are TRYING!

(I'll at least get some digital photo's of some sort up tonight!) and if Anyone can think of some hardware to copy this stuff from my Cam Corder... onto PC... let me know!

Dave

PS... the Ford GT was in a COMPLETELY different LEAGUE than all cars mentioned above (that were there)... it was CRYSTAL CLEAR... on the tape... how much faster the GT was!

 

[broeli]

Ok. PLEASE give us the best lap times for the C6 and the GT500

 

[Dave Schotz]

I know I know!!! I honestly haven't had a chance to watch it all yet (showed a couple guys around the office is it!) I'll watch them tonight... get the two tapes onto one... etc... etc.. I'll have the stop watch running!!

Peace!

Dave

 

[01MustangGT]

you dont have to convert your video or do anything with the video
go to www.youtube.com
register an account in 30 seconds
upload it there and they accept almost any kind of video codec but have to be no more than 100 MB

i am using sony camera to video tape too, it is a pain in the azz to have it converted. so i upload most of them on www.youtube.com and share with my friends

 

[2-slow]

Can't wait to see this! :beer:

 

[Snakebite]

I know... I know... this sux! (First I'm at work)... 2nd... video is on the Sony Cam! How do I get it onto something that can be viewed on here?

You need a firewire to download the video from your camera to your pc...then...you can edit / condense it via Windows Movie Maker. After that is done...someone can host the video for you. :thumbsup: