I NEWS
Visitors to BC’s Area 27 facility will notice the new Chevy ZR2 trucks that are set to challenge new Birds of Prey Off-Road Circuit.
Photos by Patrick Lambie
AREA 27 UNVEILS ZR2 OFF-ROAD ACADEMY Birds of Prey Off-Road Circuit Offers a Challenging Test for Area 27’s Fleet of Pickups
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n early September, Oliver, British Columbia’s Area 27 announced that the facility would become the home of the ZR2 OffRoad Academy, expanding its partnership with Chevrolet. The multi-purpose motorsports park, already known for its world-class road circuit has now added an expansion to the property to include a brand-new, all-terrain circuit, called the ‘Birds of Prey Off-Road Circuit.’ In coordination with Chevrolet, Area 27 will offer the new ZR2 Off-Road Academy – which is available to all Area 27 members and members of the public – an experience that is similar to Area 27’s Camaro Driving Academy. The circuit’s expanding academy fleet will now feature nine trucks, added to the current fleet of SS and ZL1 1LE Camaros and support vehicles. Program rates are $375 plus tax for drivers and $175 plus tax per passenger, for the introductory half-day experience, with a maximum of 14 participants per program. The ZR2 Off-Road Academy will provide participants with an opportunity to safely learn various off-road driving techniques in Chevrolet’s 2023 Silverado and Colorado ZR2 editions. The new ZR2 editions represent the most extreme and capable off-road vehicles that Chevrolet has ever produced. These trucks are loaded with features to take you farther,
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with greater ease, in maximum comfort. On top of all the mechanical off-road wizardry, drivers are treated to a multitude of camera angles, inclinometer displays, heads up driving display, Google built-in maps, and terrain-based driving modes to assist in every situation. Area 27’s ‘Birds of Prey Off-Road Circuit’ and the new Chevrolet ZR2 equipped pickup trucks appear to have been made for each other. In concert with the circuit, the vehicles go over and above in helping drivers to experience the capabilities of these impressive trucks.
OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES ‘Birds of Prey’ presents built-in obstacles and challenges that represent features often encountered in offroad situations. The park environment was engineered to assist drivers as they develop their offroad techniques, and to discover how the various ZR2 technologies make off-roading both accessible and enjoyable. The ‘Birds of Prey’ circuit includes several natural, off-road
terrain elements, such as a fallen tree crossing, varying terrain including loose gravel, an epic riverbed rock crawl and more. The course also offers obstacles that take drivers to new heights, including the side-hill angle test and steep hill climb, where participants will demonstrate break-over and descent techniques. To keep things varied and interesting, the circuit was developed with several routes that vary in difficulty, so there is something exciting for all experience levels. The course includes the vehicle rental, off-road curriculum introduction, expert guidance and refreshments. For more information, go to Area27.ca and click on the ZR2 Off-Road Academy link, under the Academy menu item. IT
