A preproduction 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport finished seventh overall and second in the Stock GT class at One Lap of America after eight days of competition that combined track sessions with long highway transits. The result came from a car running in showroom specification with the available Z52 Sport Performance Package and Carbon Fiber Aero Package.
GM vehicle performance engineer Andrew Abbott co-drove the event with Michelin’s Andrew Simrell. The pair turned a 52nd-place standing after Day 1 into a top-ten finish by the end of the week-long competition, which concluded at Tire Rack’s skid pad in South Bend, Indiana. The Grand Sport also placed third in the SS/GT1 Big Bore class.
One Lap of America strings together timed events at different venues across the country, requiring competitors to drive the same car on public roads between track sessions. The format tests whether a car can handle both roles without compromise. Most competitors modify their vehicles extensively to extract pace or add practicality. The Corvette team did neither.
The 2027 Grand Sport arrives with a 6.7L V8 producing 535 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque. The model pairs that engine with the Z06’s wide stance and wheels, creating what Chevrolet positions as the sweet spot in the Corvette lineup. The starting price is $88,945, placing it between the Stingray and the Z06.
Abbott’s test car carried the Z52 Sport Performance Package and Carbon Fiber Aero Package. Michelin invited Chevrolet to compete as a platform for its PS4S tires, which are optional on the Grand Sport. GM Design worked with Michelin on a livery combining Old Glory elements with the Bibendum mascot for the event.
The week started poorly. After Day 1, the Corvette sat in 52nd place overall. Day 2 at Nashville Super Speedway’s roval changed the trajectory. Simrell placed 11th overall in the morning session and 12th in the afternoon, moving the car from 52nd to 20th in a single day.
Day 6 brought the Slinger Speedway oval event, the first time a Grand Sport had competed on an oval track. Abbott used Z-mode to keep most systems in Track mode while selecting Sport dampers for compliance over the bumpy surface. The setup delivered an eighth-place finish. Later that day at Road America, the Corvette broke into the top ten overall.
Day 7 at Blackhawk Farms produced what Abbott called a massive points day. The car climbed to seventh overall and second in class entering the final day. Abbott noted his only prior experience at Road America and Blackhawk had come in a 65-horsepower racecar, making the Grand Sport’s 535 horsepower a different proposition entirely. The final event, a dry skid pad back at Tire Rack headquarters, secured the second-place class finish and seventh overall.
The competition delivered zero mechanical issues across eight days. Abbott and Simrell reported they could pack the car with clothes, tools, and driver gear in under five minutes by the end of the event, a logistical win that mattered during the tight turnarounds between venues.
The Grand Sport nameplate debuted in 1963 as a lightweight racecar with only five examples built. It returned in 1996 for the final year of the fourth-generation Corvette, then became a permanent model in 2010. The formula has remained consistent: base engine, wider body, Z06 components. Sales figures from 2025 showed the Grand Sport accounting for nearly 35 percent of all Corvette sales.
Abbott reported daily visits from competitors asking for contact information because they wanted to order a Grand Sport. One Z06 owner who had purchased his car a month before One Lap sought Abbott out repeatedly with questions about Performance Traction Management modes, ESC competitive mode, and chassis controls. On the final day at Blackhawk Farms, the owner came over to report he had finally used the ABS system and was impressed. They celebrated with a high five.
The Corvette dominated the premium sports car segment in the first quarter of 2026 with 6,235 units sold. The Grand Sport X variant, an all-wheel-drive hybrid replacing the E-Ray, starts at $112,195 for buyers who want the wider-body formula with electrification.
For a car that competed in stock form against extensively modified rivals, seventh overall is the kind of result that turns into showroom traffic. Abbott and Simrell proved the point by simply showing up and driving what any customer can buy.
Source: Chevrolet. Images courtesy of Chevrolet.
