When you own America’s sports car, it’s easy to envision yourself racing on a road course like Road Atlanta. Many of us long to hear the throaty V8 scream toward redline and feel the sensation of g-forces pinning you to the seat.
The pure adrenaline rush of wrestling a Corvette around a road course at racing speed is a visceral experience that isn’t easily put into words.
If you have the intense, unrelenting need for speed, how do you get that itch scratched?
We went searching for that answer at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as the track hosted the final round of the Trans-Am Series by Pirelli.
While there were several Corvettes who were quickly navigating the technical Road Atlanta course, there was one racer that caught our attention.
We made it a point to catch up with Justin Oakes, the driver of the eye-catching Droneworks C6 Z06 Corvette when he got back to the pits.
What follows is an edited transcript of our interview with Justin in between practice sessions. Enjoy!
Trans-Am Start
Rod Worley – Editor – Justin, your Droneworks Corvette race car was impressive on the road course here at Road Atlanta. How long have you been racing Trans-Am, and what got you started?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – Thanks Rod, I began racing only six months ago. COVID travel restrictions began in March this year so my regularly busy work-travel schedule was canceled.
I used the extra time to focus on racing.
I’ve always been into fast cars, but this seemed like a good way to market my business, meet other entrepreneurs, and give the team at Droneworks a morale boost during the pandemic.
Learning In Practice
Rod Worley – Editor – The track setup you’re using seems to be working well for Road Atlanta this weekend. You put down some quick lap times today.
So how did you do in yesterday’s practice session?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – It’s working out great so far. Results from practice have to be taken with a grain of salt since we’re mainly using the tests to calculate fuel consumption and chassis setup.
It’s not a race, yet. But we did end up 1st in our class in both practice sessions yesterday and today.
My team has built a solid car and given me a safe platform to go fast. We definitely have the pace to compete at a high level.
But this is the first time we’ve raced the Corvette at Road Atlanta and anything could happen when the race starts.
I’ve raced here once before in one of my other cars, so I’m familiar with the track, but still learning as we go. I learned a lot just in this last session and the car feels amazing.
C6 Z06 Built To Race
Rod Worley – Editor – Can you tell us more about your race car, and do you have other Corvettes in your collection?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – Sure, I own three Corvettes currently, a 2008, 2012, and a new 2020 Corvette. I like all race cars, but the Corvettes are so visceral and exciting to drive at the limit. I love them.
The chassis for the car I’m racing this weekend is a 2008 Z06 that’s been completely rebuilt from the ground up by a company in Texas called GSpeed.
I originally bought this car from a Chevrolet used car dealership in Houston two years ago. The initial plan was to make it a track-day car but we soon switched directions and turned it into what you see today.
Racing Sim Helps
Rod Worley – Editor – I like the way you’ve got your RV trailer at the track devoted to racing. Especially with the VR racing simulator fully set up and ready to go.
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – The simulator idea actually came from work. Droneworks works a lot in the VR and gaming industries so I had access to most of this technology very early on.
Since I’m new to racing, I started testing with some of our gadgets at the office and the simulator stood out immediately. Once I realized how helpful it could be, I started traveling with one.
The sim also helps me learn new tracks and practice high-risk moves virtually instead of risking the actual car.
It’s not a trade-off or a replacement for actual on-track time, but I find it extremely helpful.
Why Trans-Am?
Rod Worley – Editor – So Justin, what brought you to Trans Am? There are other professional and club racing associations and groups available. What brought you here?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – The quality of the competition, the number of entrants per race, and the fact that Trans-Am is America’s only pro race series focused on sprints are the main reasons we’re here.
We wanted to compete in a series that aligns with all of Dronework’s goals too. Solid promotional broadcasts online and through CBS Sports, pro officials, and a safe environment on and off the racetrack.
The organization is very well put together. I’m a business person. So for me, I look for an organized, safe event that is planned, well-executed, and attractive for sponsors.
I love the structure of a more professional racing series like Trans-Am compared to SCCA or more club-level competition.
But yeah, Rod, the competition and professionalism are the main reasons we’re racing here.
Droneworks
Rod Worley – Editor – For those who aren’t familiar with Droneworks, can you shed some light on your internationally known company?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – Sure, Droneworks was founded a little over ten years ago. As the name suggests, a key focus is on drone-based solutions for other businesses mainly in the creative and industrial sectors.
Droneworks is more of a tech company and production company than anything. We help clients realize whatever crazy idea they may have in mind.
We’ve built drones to fly people, cars, huge industrial sensors, and the list goes on and on.
We’ve also played important roles in the evolution of VR technology, gas detection sensors, and mechanical stabilization technology for moving cameras like the NFL’s cable cam system.
It’s difficult to sum up all we do but I hope that gives you an idea.
A Home At Trans-Am
Rod Worley – Editor – So, how long have you been racing at this level?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – Our first Trans-Am race was at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) two weeks ago. Our goal was to just try it all out and see what kind of response we’d get from our partners.
We happened to finish 3rd at COTA and had a great experience overall.
Our focus coming to Road Atlanta is a bit more straightforward. We came here to win.
This is the last race of the series this year and we’d love to close out 2020 with a victory.
A win here would mean we’ve overcome big odds because everything is brand new. The team, driver, and car are all brand new and we’re facing competitors with a lot more experience.
The PC answer would be that our goal is to have a clean race, learn, and finish. But you know, to be honest, I’m like every racer out there.
I want to win and end up standing on the podium at the top spot.
GSpeed’s Winning Experience
Rod Worley – Editor – Justin, you’ve got a full team supporting your race efforts on the track. So how did you go about assembling a complete team like this in only your second race?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – Racing is all about partnerships. I’ve been able to succeed because I find people who are already great at what they do then I convince them to work with me.
And you’re absolutely right. I’ve got an amazing crew chief, car chief, race mechanics, engineers, and so on.
The team at GSpeed handles nearly all of it and they’re a vital part of what we’re here to do. GSpeed is located in Cresson, Texas, just outside Dallas.
The technical guru behind the company is Louis Gigliotti.
He has been building Corvette race cars for over twenty-five years. For me, to put together the incredible team you see here, meant finding Louis.
He brings all the other genius support guys behind him. And I mean, talk about a real partnership.
I drive, of course. But without those guys, none of this would be possible. They build and maintain the car and keep it all optimized for success.
It’s been cool to see how valuable race partnerships are when it comes to success on the track.
I feel we’re both working toward a common goal.
Racing A Corvette
Rod Worley – Editor – Trans-Am racing gives you the flexibility to race many different cars. Why did you choose to compete with a Corvette?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – I’m a Corvette guy. I own many different types of cars, but the Corvettes are just more fun than all of them. Like I said before, they’re visceral and exciting.
The loud American V8 and all the emotion that comes through the chassis is hard to beat.
Besides being fun, the Corvette is easy to make fast. The way the Corvette handles and how it can last 100 miles of racing and still be balanced is pretty incredible.
They’re light, the chassis geometry is great, and GM made so many of them that the replacement parts are half the cost of a comparable Porsche or BMW.
Easy To Make Go Fast
Rod Worley – Editor – How competitive is the Corvette as a home-built racer or a professional team-built race car?
Justin Oakes – Co-Founder of Droneworks – A pro series car like the one I’m racing today costs $100K-$200K and is capable of competing at the highest level in its class. That’s built and managed by a pro team, though.
I don’t think it’s a secret that going fast on track in Corvette isn’t too difficult. They’re light, make a lot of power, and they’re relatively inexpensive.
I’ve had other Corvettes with simple mods like brake pads, fluids, and a harness, and they’re also a blast at more casual track-day events.
I always push people who own Corvettes to take them to the track. You don’t necessarily have to go to a hardcore Trans Am race like this with all these mega cars and drivers.
Go to a track-day event, get an instructor, and have fun.
The great part is that you can start at a level where you’re comfortable, build up from there, and see where it takes you.
Winning In Motion
Walking the paddock area at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and talking to drivers like Justin Oakes, you could experience first-hand the camaraderie among drivers in this Trans Am series.
It’s a pro series with an easygoing atmosphere and a level of access not normally associated with a racing series at this level.
Justin Oakes and his GSpeed team were laser-focused on the task at hand that weekend.
A well-prepared race car and Justin’s talent behind the wheel propelled the #11 C6 Z06 Droneworks Corvette to the winner’s podium.
Something tells me, it won’t be the team’s last.
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