Chevrolet took the 2027 Silverado ZR2 to Nevada last week and let 505 miles of desert decide how ready the next-generation truck is. The answer came back in 11 hours and 43 minutes, at an average pace of 43.1 mph across dry lake beds, rocky canyons, and mountain valleys. That pace topped Chevrolet’s own record by 1.1 mph, and it came with a full brake pad change at a pit stop around mile 300.
The venue was the 2026 Casey Folks Vegas to Reno, America’s longest off-road desert race, run on August 14. This year marked the event’s 30th anniversary, and organizers flipped the course for the first time, sending competitors from Reno to Las Vegas instead of the usual direction. That meant the field tackled the slower, rockier terrain around Dayton, Nevada right off the line rather than easing in from the flatter Las Vegas side. Veteran drivers Chad Hall and Chris Woo handled the wheel duties for Chevrolet.
The 2027 Silverado ZR2 ran in the Stock Production Truck Full segment on nearly all stock parts. Under the hood sits the all-new 6.6L V8, producing 481 hp and 501 lb-ft of torque. Standard equipment carries over to the race configuration without significant modification: 35-inch Mud Terrain tires, front and rear electronic locking differentials, a 2-inch lift, and the dedicated off-road hood with its power dome. The production truck also ships with a Baja drive mode, which Woo specifically called out after the race. “The new truck takes everything that was great about the 2026 ZR2 and elevates it even further,
Source: Chevrolet. Images courtesy of Chevrolet.
