--- title: "Wicked Exhaust Heat Melted This Corvette ZR1 While Averaging 173 MPH Over 118 Miles" date: "2025-10-22" modified: "2025-10-22" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/wicked-exhaust-heat-melted-this-corvette-zr1-while-averaging-173-mph-over-118-miles" categories: - "Chevrolet News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Chevrolet" - "Corvette" - "sports car" --- # Wicked Exhaust Heat Melted This Corvette ZR1 While Averaging 173 MPH Over 118 Miles ![Corvette ZR1]() *\Big Bend Open Road Race Facebook\* People who drive normal cars don't often realize how hot components can get when driving, even at average highway speeds. But if you've ever driven a high-performance car or a motorcycle, you know that things get super hot and it's easy to melt stuff—or give yourself a nice, free branding on one of your limbs. The owner of this C7 [Chevrolet]() [Corvette ZR1]() knows this very well, as he recently contested the Big Bend Open Road Race and left with his white 'Vette lookin' like a toasty marshmallow. Justifiably so, because according to this [Facebook]() post by the group, owner John Anhalt reached an average speed of 173.004 mph over the course of 118 miles (in multiple runs). Frankly, I'm surprised the heat didn't cause more damage, because those are some ridiculous numbers. This feat earned Anhalt the new average speed record for the wild Texas race. Not for nothing, his reported top speed was 213 mph. ![Corvette ZR1]() **Big Bend Open Road Race Facebook* https://www.facebook.com/bborrace/posts/1406325784831379?ref=embed_post* To provide a little bit of background, the BBORR runs from Fort Stockton, Texas, to the town of Sanderson. Drivers race along U.S. Highway 285, where the speed limit is usually 75 mph. However, the road is shut down for the competition, turning it into a closed course. Exhaust temperatures hover around [300 to 500 degrees]() for an average car, but those figures can increase considerably for a performance machine. So it's easy to understand how anything near it, whether it's metal, fiberglass, or some other purpose-built composite, could be affected by prolonged exposure. While the ZR1 is certainly built for speed, the BBORR is downright torturous. The race's previous record was held by another Chevy Corvette ZR1, this one owned by racing vet Tom Whalen, who averaged 172.696 mph in 2013. As you may imagine, the new record-setter is far from stock, and according to *[R&T]()*, everything has been changed or upgraded, and there is "no real exhaust system, per se." Mmmm, that could have something to do with the new *flambeau* finish. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()