NHTSA Complaint #11323771 — 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING EDUCATION (HPDE) EVENT AND WAS DRIVING MY CAR GOING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON THE VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (VIR) ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 27, 2017, WHEN IT SEEMED TO LOOSE ACCELERATION. I DROVE FURTHER ON THE TRACK AND STILL DID NOT HAVE NORMAL ACCELERATION AND I SAW BLUE SMOKE COMING OUT THE EXHAUST SO I EXITED THE TRACK AND WHEN I GOT IN THE ENGINE STOPPED. SEVERAL MECHANIC TYPE PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH CORVETTES LOOKED AT MY CAR ENGINE AND INSTRUCTED ME TO TRY TO START IT, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO DO AND AGAIN BLUE EXHAUST SMOKE CAME OUT. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY CAR DEALER, HOLIDAY CHEVROLET IN WILLIAMSBURG, VA. THEIR MECHANICS DETERMINED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVE IN CYLINDER #1 DROPPED FROM THE HEAD INTO THE CYLINDER AND EVENTUALLY EXITED THE ENGINE THROUGH THE EXHAUST PORT AND INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND AN ENTIRE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED, WHICH IS WHAT I DID. *TR