Hennessey Sets New Festive Speed Record with 2026 Corvette ZR1 Christmas Tree Run
Image: HennesseyPerformance.com
Sealy, Texas (December 22, 2025) – Hennessey Performance has delivered the fastest road-legal Christmas Tree Run ever, using the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to set a new seasonal benchmark. The Texas-based performance specialist recorded a verified top speed of 196 mph, making it the quickest festive tree-carrying run in Hennessey’s history.
The record attempt took place at Chase Field in Beeville, Texas, where the Corvette ZR1 completed the high-speed pass with a fully mounted Christmas tree secured to the rear of the vehicle. The tree was decorated with more than 200 holiday lights and festive ribbon, maintaining the tradition that has become a signature Hennessey event.
Record-Breaking Performance with the 2026 Corvette ZR1
At the heart of the achievement is Chevrolet’s latest flagship performance model. The 2026 Corvette ZR1 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8, producing 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque. This immense output allowed the ZR1 to surpass Hennessey’s previous festive record of 192 mph, set in 2022 with the Venom 1000 Mustang.
The run was completed with the Christmas tree mounted, highlighting not only raw power but also stability and control at extreme speeds in a road-legal configuration.
A Tradition Built on Speed and Spectacle
The 2025 run marks the seventh Hennessey Christmas Tree Run, a tradition that blends high performance with seasonal spectacle. Since its debut in 2017 with a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, each annual event has pushed the limits further.
Previous milestones include runs with the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang, Audi RS6 Avant, Porsche 911 Turbo S and the Venom 1000 Mustang. The Corvette ZR1 now takes the top position in the festive speed hierarchy.
Image: HennesseyPerformance.com
Driver Expertise Behind the Wheel
The record was achieved by Spencer Geswein, Hennessey’s specialist test driver, who is no stranger to extreme high-speed runs. Geswein has previously piloted Hennessey vehicles to speeds approaching 300 mph, including testing with the Venom F5 program.
During this year’s event, the team also conducted additional testing, reportedly achieving over 200 mph without the tree mounted before concluding the session.
Image: HennesseyPerformance.com
Celebrating Performance with Personality
Commenting on the achievement, Hennessey emphasized that the Christmas Tree Run reflects the brand’s lighter side, blending serious engineering with an unfiltered passion for speed. What began as a playful holiday stunt has evolved into an annual showcase of technical capability, driver skill and automotive enthusiasm.
World's Fastest C8 Corvette ZR1 [with a Christmas Tree on the Roof]
Source: HennesseyPerformance.com
Conclusion
With the 2026 Corvette ZR1 Christmas Tree Run, Hennessey has once again demonstrated its ability to combine extreme performance with creativity. The 196 mph festive run not only sets a new seasonal record but also reinforces the Corvette ZR1’s status as one of the most formidable performance cars of its generation.
As the tradition continues, expectations for future Christmas Tree Runs are now higher than ever.
Affiliate Disclosure
Experience Le Mans 24h 2026 – Where Legends Race Through the Night
Disclosure: Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. This means that if you click on one of these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
We only recommend products and services that we trust or that are directly relevant to our content. Affiliate earnings help us keep this platform independent and of high quality.
