Competitive Edge: A Look At Sebastien Imbeault’s 9-Second N/A Z06

Competition can be fierce. The idea is to do the best you can with given resources and achieve your end-goal, which is to win. Whether you want to be the fastest, quickest, or just the best, you have to push the envelope and grind through the process. What can make competition even more difficult is when it just involves you. Competing against yourself can be exhausting event that can take a toll on you not only physically but mentally, as well. You are in an unknown realm and the only thing you can compare your result to is the past. You don’t have any other competitors to turn to and see what’s working for them…it’s just you versus yourself.

Sebastien Imbeault, a French Canadian from Baie-Comeau is no stranger to this lone form of competition. In 2008 he purchased a brand new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and has been going after records ever since. The first competition that he decided to pursue was the Bolt-On category which is maintained by the Corvette forum. By 2011 Sebastien was at the top of the ranks, setting in the number one position. He decided to leave this category and push the 427 a little harder and go faster. Sebastien’s Z06 still ranks in the top three in the Bolt-on category even after seven years of absence.  The record-setting pass that remains at number three in this category is a 10.125-second elapsed time at 134.05 mph with a 1.45 sixty-foot.

Since 2014 Sebastien’s times in the Internal Engine Mods plus Bolt-On category has not been beaten by anyone other than himself. The Z06 was the first to go 9.70s, 9.60s, 9.50s, 9.40s, 9.30s and now the car is deep into the 9.20’s. On September 22 at Napierville Dragway, the C6 set the most recent record-setting pass at a 9.22-seconds  at 150.20 mph, and a 1.31 sixty-foot time. Sebastien stated, “This is the fastest car in this category since 2014 — no one has beat my E.T. or my speed. I have beaten myself every year since then.”

 

Other than the machine work, Sebastien has done all of the work on the car himself. He built the engine, transmission, differential and has been doing all of his own tuning for almost 18 years. After tearing down the factory block, it was noted that the stock LS7 would need to be bored. Instead of doing this, Sebastien wanted to keep the cubic-inches stock, so his options were to either buy a new block or re-sleeve the factory 427. 

AR Fabrication was chosen to handle the dirty work and replaced the damaged sleeves with a new set from Darton. The Z06 still utilizes a stock LS7 rotating assembly and pistons, with the addition of ARP main studs. AHP/Livernois CNC ported and milled LS7 heads were used in conjunction with a custom ground Iceman 3.0 cam.

 

For breathing purposes, the ‘Vette uses a Vararam SC1R air intake mounted to an MSD Atomic Airforce 102 intake manifold with Injector Dynamics injectors. American Racing Headers handles the exhaust side of things especially when the MSD LS two-step gets called in for action. The RPS Performance Clutch BC2 keeps the power of the 427 moving through the custom-built T-56 while it’s distributed to the C6 3.42 rear end.

A set of sticky Hoosier Racing Tires 335-35-17 drag radials on Weld RT-S wheels keep the car planted with the help of PFADT Race Engineering shocks. Other parts include ATI Performance Products under-drive, oil catch can, Meziere Enterprises electric water pump, MSD 8.5mm plug wires, and a S.I.R.P tune. The car weighs in at 2,725-pounds at dry weight, which is significantly lighter than the Z06’s advertised 3,073-pounds.

Sebastien is pretty confident that the car will go faster. “My best bet is that this package is capable of low 9-teens. With a better dialed sixty-foot and the help of Mother Nature, it might even go 9-oh’s. We can’t wait to see if it will go 9.0s and if it does, but will it go 8s?

About the author

Brian Havins

A gearhead for life, Brian is obsessed with all things fast. Banging gears, turning wrenches, and praying while spraying are just a few of his favorite things.
Read My Articles

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