mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

GM Employees Arrested For Street Racing In Chevrolet Corvette C8

The all-new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is a monster of a sports car. With the naturally aspirated V8 engine now mounted in the middle of the machine, the Vette’s rear tires can more easily get the power down, blessing it with impressive acceleration. However, as two General Motors employees found out, the new C8’s speed capabilities are best tested on the track.

According to a new report from Automobile Magazine, Alexander Thim, a CAE engineer, and Mark Derkatz, an electrical engineer, were driving a pair of C8’s on Lovers Lane in Bowling Green, Kentucky, when they were stopped by local police. They were charged with speeding, reckless driving, and racing on public roads.

It’s uncertain how fast the two engineers were driving at the time, but the report states that they had exceeded the posted 45-mph speed limit “by more than 26 mph.”

After they were pulled over, the engineers’ two 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 coupes were promptly towed from the scene.

“We are aware of an incident involving our test vehicles and are currently investigating,” GM said in a statement. “Safety remains our overriding priority at General Motors. We have no further comment at this time.”

Luckily, no one was reported injured. It’s currently unknown if the two engineers are still employed at GM.

The scene of the incident is not coincidental, as Bowling Green, Kentucky, is the home of the same production facility where the Chevrolet Corvette C8 is produced, not to mention the National Corvette Museum.

To note, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is equipped with the naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 engine, which is tuned to produce upwards of 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque when equipped with the optional performance exhaust. Throw on the Z51 Performance package, and 60 mph arrives in less than three seconds, making the C8 the quickest entry-level Corvette of all time.

Of course, it should go without saying – next time, take it to the track.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more mid-engine Corvette news, Corvette C8 news, Corvette news, Chevrolet news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Source: Automobile Magazine

[nggallery id=1065]

Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. Arrested and towed? A little excessive I think. No doubt they were being extremely dumb but I think a very large ticket would suffice. This is just my opinion.

    Reply
    1. There was no justification for the vehicles to be towed for what they were cited for. They might have had their license in suspension or they didn’t have a license.

      Reply
    2. I think the ‘Racing’ charge elevates the protocol.

      Reply
    3. I’m not surprised they were arrested because they were violating Kentucky’s version of reckless driving. We don’t know exactly how fast they were driving but it was at least 71 mph in a 45 mph zone. They were probably driving way faster than that and they were street racing. Where I live I know some judges will put people in jail for a few days for driving at extreme speeds.

      Reply
  2. Just a little “Enhanced” testing…

    BOWTIE POWER !!!

    Reply
    1. In my opinion: They proved that ego-immaturity is to blame for the joy-ride; But was the factory staff involved to let the engineers do their action’s?

      Reply
  3. Nah just retiring engineers late to the bingo game finals….😏..

    Reply
    1. ASS HOLE COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
      1. Bit triggered aren’t you….pops?

        Reply
  4. 🙁 !!

    Reply
  5. In my particular opinion: I’d still be interested in the zr1 corvette! Starting price: $125k

    Reply
  6. Fire the person that lost and promote the person that won.

    Reply
  7. Gee where I work the local police look the other way since our tax base pay for them to exist.

    They even let us shut down the street once to fire up a Jet car.

    To be honest these guys should still know better as it becomes an issue for GM and if the media gets it like this they could be fired.

    Granted 26 mph over is not a unusual thing for many drivers but when you represent a large corporation you are expected to represent them when on the job.

    Years ago before the web you would never have heard about this.

    Reply
  8. Well what do you think all the test pilot’s did back in 50’s 60’s 70’s on Woodward Ave in Suburban Detroit! Home of the Woodward Dream Cruise. Well there are to kind”s of cop’s a regular guy or gal that would use common sense and just reprimand them or your standard Prick that every police force has! Nothing like biting the hand that feed ya the fact that how much money G M pump’s into the State economy. From what I have read on this it sound’s like a no harm no foul deed!

    Reply
  9. I’d say close Bowling Green and relocate to Detroit Hamtramck. Why have it so far from Detroit anyway?

    Reply
  10. Were the cars registered? Maybe that’s why they were towed? “Racing” could mean all kinds of crazy driving.

    Reply
  11. Did GM tow the cars or the cops, GM would not want prerelease cars in an impound.

    Reply
    1. Yes they did.

      Reply
    2. The state troopers had them towed

      Reply
  12. Did they have Apple wireless CarPlay in the cars?

    Reply
  13. I dont believe street racing should be illegal!!!

    Reply
  14. Speed Kills!!! No need to have our Government Motors employees causing havoc on the streets. Shut them down NOW!!!!

    Reply
    1. Cell phones and distracted drivers would be my top vote in in the accident causal hierarchy.
      If you are racing on the street you are likely paying attention.

      Reply
    2. Speed doesn’t kill bad drivers kill!!!

      Reply
      1. Speed kilz good and bad drivers.
        Speed kilz children who can’t defend themselves against speeding vehicles……

        Reply
  15. 71 in a 45 isn’t excessive. Maybe if they were cutting in and out of traffic, crossing the yellow lines, or other crazy behavior that depends on other drivers cooperating, then that would be an issue. However, I need to drive one of these for a few years to fully understand what constitutes dangerous behavior.

    Reply
    1. One was doing 120 and the other was clocked at 100. There was a third person in a Corvette that was not cited because he was doing the speed limit.

      Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel