Travis Pearson says his Katech Stage 1 Z06 Corvette is "not a garage queen ... it gets exercised ... it has the opportunity to stretch its legs."
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Travis Pearson says the Z06 Corvette is proof that when General Motors puts its mind to it, it can still turn out great products.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Pearson says the three-quarter rear view of his silver Corvette still sets his heart racing every time he sees it.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The driver's controls remain basically stock and make for very pleasant highway cruising and surprisingly good gas mileage with the cruise control on and the car in sixth gear, according to the owner.
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The traditional flying flags grace the nose of the potent Corvette, just ahead of the smoothly sculpted hood scoop.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Corvette stylists definitely got it right with the Z06, as confirmed by the flush-mounted headlight assembly. Note the detailed ribbing at the leading edge of the unit.
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Wheel flares match the contours of the 18-inch Goodyear and factory five-spoke wheels, while functional vents route air out of the engine compartment and help cool the 6-piston disc brakes.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The updated iconic 427 hood badge no longer indicates a big block in the engine compartment, but a small-block V-8 that produces prodigious amounts of horsepower. Pearson said some Z06 owners actually chose to delete the emblem on their order forms.
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At the heart of the matter is the seriously reworked 427 cubic inch small-block Katech Stage 1 V-8, which produces right at 600 horsepower, compared to the stock 505 factory offering. Note the signatures of factory Corvette team race drivers Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O'Connell under the hood.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Viewed from the rear, the potent 'Vette reveals its free-flowing 3-inch exhaust system and its massive foot-wide rear rubber at each corner. Pearson says the vanity plate is from the Latin phrase meaning `It speaks for itself.
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Pearson not only road races his sleek silver Corvette, he has run it through the legendary "Texas Mile" two years in a row, earning himself a spot in the 170 MPH Club.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Travis Pearson drifts his Katech Stage 1 Z06 Corvette through a curve at Autobahn Raceway near Joliet, Ill., recently.
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Travis Pearson / Courtesy photo
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