Since Zora Duntov first envisioned the concept of the Z06 package back in the early ’60s, it’s always been about parts development for those that wanted to race the Corvette. The RPO Z06 package was first offered on the 1963 model and included factory installed performance parts, and a 36.5 gallon tank for owners wanting to participate in endurance races with the car.

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Fast forward forty-six years to Patrick Tulloch’s Z06 and you see that the spirit of Duntov lives on in Tulloch’s Corvette project. The Corvette engineers already delivered an awesome Z06 from the factory, with its aggressive stance and open track readiness. Tulloch has taken a great platform from Chevrolet, and personalized it to reflect his passion for building the ultimate Corvette.

Tulloch took an already impressive C6 body and added a wider, Grand Turismo look that the factory could never deliver in mass quantities. The bodywork on the Victory Red Z06 is a slight variation of the parts found on the SCCA World Challenge Corvettes. Most of the carbon fiber panels were built and installed by Advanced Composite Products Inc in Harrisburg PA.

The only difference between the World Challenge Corvette race car body and the Z-R/T kit that ACP built for Tulloch’s car is the roof panel. The quarter panels on his Z06 are actually larger than the race Corvette, to accommodate the larger wheels and tires. On the front end, the ACP front fenders include functional louvers to provide extra downforce and extract heat from the engine bay.

Tulloch’s car was designed to include a tunneled front under tray, so at speed the aero updates create a lot of downforce. A rear carbon fiber wing takes care of planting the rear of the car at high speeds, to balance the downforce on the front.

Tulloch tells us that the total downforce generated by the aero updates is over 750 pounds, making the Corvette handle very well at speeds in excess of 150mph. Carbon fiber in other areas of the car offer both visual enhancements and weight savings. The window “A” pillars, the heat extractor hood, the rear fascia under tray and diffuser are all carbon fiber.

No custom Z06 would be complete without a set of custom wheels. Tulloch went with chromed-out Swiss SW2 rims; 20 x 12 (rear) and 19×9.5 (front). The tires are Nitto Invo 345-25-20’s in the rear and Continental 275-30-19’s in the front.

Tulloch contacted LG Motorsports for the suspension parts, and got a full set of coilovers and sway bars. LG Motorsports has been racing and building race ready Corvettes for years, and were a natural choice to make the Z06 cut the corners a little more quickly than the factory suspension. LG Motorsports combines a Bilstein Aluminum Nitrogen Filled Coil Over shock with the Hypercoil Springs, for a premium coilover package for the Corvette.

Powering the Z06 is a highly modified LS7, prepped by Cartek in Garwood NJ. Cartek is one of the top LS engine specialists in the New Jersey area, specializing in naturally aspirated and boosted LS engine packages. The game plan from the beginning with Tulloch’s Corvette was to go naturally aspirated. Cartek ported the cylinder heads in areas that include the intake ports, exhaust ports and combustion chambers.

A set of COMP 921 Valve springs with titanium retainers have been installed to maximize the increased airflow from the modified heads. A set of Kooks LS7 long tube headers and Kooks custom mufflers (thanks George R. and George Jr!!!) help pump exhaust gasses out of the angry all motor combination.

The cylinder heads have also been milled to increase the compression ratio. To match the improvements on the cylinder heads, the LS7’s intake has been port-matched and the factory Z06 throttle body has been ported to increase air-flow.

After all the engine updates were complete, Cartek put Tulloch’s Corvette on its in-house chassis dyno for a custom PCM tune, to maximize power and improves driveablilty.

Other modifications to the top end of Tulloch’s LS7 include a Cartek breather/catch can, custom billet valve covers with coil bracket relocation, custom made spark plug wires set, and a Cartek Stage 8 clutch.

Tulloch enjoys driving the car around the New York area and attending most of the major tuner shows in the Northeast. Our Senior Editor Mark Gearhart just happened to catch his Corvette at the 2008 NMCA Finals in Memphis, TN. The ‘arrest me’ red color combined with the widebody look told us that we had to tell the build story behind such a cool car.