[VIDEO] This Record-Setting C7 Corvette ZR1 Literally Melted During A 118-Mile Open Road Race

Oct 21, 2025

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[VIDEO] This Record-Setting C7 Corvette ZR1 Literally Melted During A 118-Mile Open Road Race

Photo Credit: John Anhalt / Facebook

After a record-setting performance by a 2019 Corvette ZR1 in this fall’s Big Bend Open Road Race in southwest Texas, the car earned a new nickname: “Toasted Marshmallow.”

You see, the ZR1’s supercharged exhaust was so hot for so long that it actually melted the plastic rear fascia. All we need now is some Hershey’s chocolate to complete a S’more.

Now, the big question remains: Does owner John Anhalt have his car repaired, or does he turn the toasted look into a proud badge of honor? We’d be tempted to leave it just like it is.

Over the weekend, Anhalt’s Tint World ZR1 established a new average speed record in the unlimited class with an average speed of 173.004 mph, snapping the previous record established in 2013 by another Corvette, Tom Whalen’s 2002 Z06 that averaged 172.249 mph.

Anhalt even managed a top speed of 213 mph during the 118-mile run that lasted about 41 minutes, covering a 59-mile stretch of U.S. 285 from Fort Stockton to Sanderson and back just outside Big Bend National Park.

The Big Bend race features several classes ranging from 85 mph to 160 mph and beyond, with the ZR1 competing in the unlimited class. Competitors included everything from stock cars and trucks to high-performance pro-touring classics and exotics.

The race, which started in 1998, is held twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.

Source:
John Anhalt / Facebook via LSX Magazine

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