2027 Corvette Grand Sport takes on One Lap of America
2026-05-18
For eight demanding days, a preproduction 2027 Corvette Grand Sport took on One Lap of America1. This grueling competition strings together timed racing events with long interstate transits in between. Through it all, the Grand Sport and its drivers proved their mettle, showcasing the Corvette’s talents as both a supreme highway companion and a purebred on the racetrack2.
By the time One Lap had finished at Tire Rack’s skid pad in South Bend, Indiana, the Corvette team had turned an early points early deficit on its head, producing a statement result for the all-new Grand Sport: seventh overall, second in the Stock GT class and third in SS/GT1 Big Bore.
But those headlines tell only a part of this epic story.
[CAPTION: The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport faces off against Day 1’s wet skidpad.]
One Lap of America is unlike a traditional race weekend. Instead of remaining static, competitors move from venue to venue, tackling disparate challenges along the way: wet and dry skid pads, speedway ovals, road courses, and an autocross. All the while, competitors must drive the same competition car on public roads, transiting many hours between each event. That format makes One Lap of America the ultimate proving ground for street-comfortable, track-capable machines.
“As part of the event, each team must be self-sufficient,” said the Corvette’s driver and GM vehicle performance engineer Andrew Abbott. “This made packing clothes, tools, and driver gear a bit of a stress point leading up to the event. To our surprise and with a little bit of creative packing, we had no problem fitting everything into the Grand Sport. By end of the trip we were able to pack the car up in under 5 minutes.”
Many of the Corvette’s competitors approached the challenge –blending on-track speed and on-road comfort – by extensively modifying their cars, tailoring them specifically for the event, either to extract more pace or more practicality. Sometimes both. But with the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, everything you’d need to compete in One Lap, and even to podium the event in-class, is available right out of the box.
[CAPTION: GM engineer Andrew Abbott (left) co-drove the event with Michelin’s Andrew Simrel. By the end of the event, the pair could pack their Corvette up with gear in 5 minutes.]
That’s thanks to the Grand Sport’s magic formula, which has long been a darling in enthusiast circles. By pairing sophisticated chassis equipment with the Corvette Z06’s wide stance and wheels, then packing an all-new 6.7L V8 behind the driver’s seat, the Grand Sport creates a “sweet spot” in the Corvette lineup; You could consider the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport an attainably priced all-rounder. One with some serious pace.
Abbott drove this 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, equipped for purpose with the available Z52 Sport Performance Package and Carbon Fiber Aero Package. Michelin invited Chevy and the Corvette to compete in One Lap, using the occasion to highlight its PS4S tires, which are optional on the 2027 Grand Sport. GM Design collaborated with Michelin on the fabulous Old Glory/Bibendum mashup livery that appeared on the car, specifically for this event. In addition to the livery collaboration, Michelin sent alongAndrew Simrell to co-drive with Abbott.
After a slower start on the first day of competition, the week began to turn for the Corvette’s pair of drivers.
[Caption: The 2027 Grand Sport leapt up the standings at Nashville’s roval.]
On Day 2 at Nashville Super Speedway’s roval, Simrell delivered a major result in the overall classifications. He placed the car 11th overall in the morning session, setting the tone for the day, then followed with 12th in the afternoon. The consistency vaulted the Corvette from 52nd overall to 20th in just one day.
Day 6’s Slinger Speedway Oval event marked the first time a Grand Sport had entered an oval track, Abbott noted.
[CAPTION: Got brakes? The 2027 Grand Sport has plenty for both road and track use.]
“After watching several competitors run before me, I could quickly tell how bumpy the race track was. I was able to utilize Z-mode to keep everything but the dampers in Track mode. I selected Sport dampers to help with compliance, which proved to be the ticket with an 8th place finish.”
Road America on Day 6 offered yet another breakthrough moment for the Corvette team, with big points winning an entry into the top 10 in overall classification. By the Day 7 lapping session at Illinois’s Blackhawk Farms, the Abbott fell into perfect rhythm with the Grand Sport. “This was a massive pointsday for us,” Abbott noted.
The car climbed to seventh place overall and second in class entering the final day. Despite the challenging weather and a lack of track-specific experience across multiple days, Abbott was able to find the mark with the Grand Sport.
“My prior experiences at both Road America and Blackhawk were in a 65hp racecar (compared to the Grand Sport’s 535 hp). From lap one, the handling and controls of the Grand Sport gave me extremely high confidence to attack the track. The car was magical and I can't wait for our customers to experience what many consider the sweetheart of the Corvette line up,” he said.
[CAPTION: Long road transits separated track events, testing each car’s ability to combine on-track speed with road trip prowess.]
All that remained was the dry skid pad back at Tire Rack headquarters. With “all the pressure” on Simrell, he delivered a 16th-place finish in the event. The result secured a second-place finish in-class, landing the Corvette Grand Sport seventh overall.
In the end, Corvette’s One Lap run won more than outstanding results. It showed how America’s sports car can handle track work with aplomb and long-distance road miles with ease, winning admirers along the way.
“On the last day I had more than several competitors ask me for my contact info, because they're convinced they want a Grand Sport,” Abbott said. “I never considered the interaction with customers and potential customers to be so fulfilling. Hearing their stories and getting to share some of ours made this a very special trip.”
Abbot said a customer who purchased their Z06 just one month before One Lap was ecstatic to see the new Grand Sport up close and in competition. He was still getting to know his own car, and throughout the week, Abbott was able to teach him about the Corvette’s Performance traction management modes (PTM), ESC competitive mode and using chassis controls to his advantage3.
“I would get daily visits with a list of questions I was happy to answer,” Abbott said. “After the morning session on last day at Blackhawk Farms, the owner came over with a big smile and let me know he finally used ABS and was extremely impressed. We celebrated with a big high five. As controls engineer, it warmed my heart to see our customers exercise the car in the way we designed it to be used.
“This was an incredible week and a true testament to this team and beyond,” Abbot said after the results were tallied. “The car ran flawlessly all week with zero issues.”
For complete results from One Lap of America, check them out here.
1Preproduction 2027 Corvette Grand Sport shown. Actual production model may vary.
2Professional drivers on a closed course. Do not attempt. Always obey traffic laws and avoid distracted driving.
3These advanced chassis and traction settings are intended for use on closed tracks and controlled environments only.
For eight demanding days, a preproduction 2027 Corvette Grand Sport took on One Lap of America1. This grueling competition strings together timed racing events with long interstate transits in between. Through it all, the Grand Sport and its drivers proved their mettle, showcasing the Corvette’s talents as both a supreme highway companion and a purebred on the racetrack2.
By the time One Lap had finished at Tire Rack’s skid pad in South Bend, Indiana, the Corvette team had turned an early points early deficit on its head, producing a statement result for the all-new Grand Sport: seventh overall, second in the Stock GT class and third in SS/GT1 Big Bore.
But those headlines tell only a part of this epic story.
The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport faces off against Day 1’s wet skidpad.
One Lap of America is unlike a traditional race weekend. Instead of remaining static, competitors move from venue to venue, tackling disparate challenges along the way: wet and dry skid pads, speedway ovals, road courses, and an autocross. All the while, competitors must drive the same competition car on public roads, transiting many hours between each event. That format makes One Lap of America the ultimate proving ground for street-comfortable, track-capable machines.
“As part of the event, each team must be self-sufficient,” said the Corvette’s driver and GM vehicle performance engineer Andrew Abbott. “This made packing clothes, tools, and driver gear a bit of a stress point leading up to the event. To our surprise and with a little bit of creative packing, we had no problem fitting everything into the Grand Sport. By end of the trip we were able to pack the car up in under 5 minutes.”
Many of the Corvette’s competitors approached the challenge – blending on-track speed and on-road comfort – by extensively modifying their cars, tailoring them specifically for the event, either to extract more pace or more practicality. Sometimes both. But with the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, everything you’d need to compete in One Lap, and even to podium the event in-class, is available right out of the box.
GM engineer Andrew Abbott (left) co-drove the event with Michelin’s Andrew Simrel. By the end of the event, the pair could pack their Corvette up with gear in 5 minutes.
That’s thanks to the Grand Sport’s magic formula, which has long been a darling in enthusiast circles. By pairing sophisticated chassis equipment with the Corvette Z06’s wide stance and wheels, then packing an all-new 6.7L V8 behind the driver’s seat, the Grand Sport creates a “sweet spot” in the Corvette lineup; You could consider the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport an attainably priced all-rounder. One with some serious pace.
Abbott drove this 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, equipped for purpose with the available Z52 Sport Performance Package and Carbon Fiber Aero Package. Michelin invited Chevy and the Corvette to compete in One Lap, using the occasion to highlight its PS4S tires, which are optional on the 2027 Grand Sport. GM Design collaborated with Michelin on the fabulous Old Glory/Bibendum mashup livery that appeared on the car, specifically for this event. In addition to the livery collaboration, Michelin sent along Andrew Simrell to co-drive with Abbott.
After a slower start on the first day of competition, the week began to turn for the Corvette’s pair of drivers.
The 2027 Grand Sport leapt up the standings at Nashville’s roval.
On Day 2 at Nashville Super Speedway’s roval, Simrell delivered a major result in the overall classifications. He placed the car 11th overall in the morning session, setting the tone for the day, then followed with 12th in the afternoon. The consistency vaulted the Corvette from 52nd overall to 20th in just one day.
Day 6’s Slinger Speedway Oval event marked the first time a Grand Sport had entered an oval track, Abbott noted.
Got brakes? The 2027 Grand Sport has plenty for both road and track use.
“After watching several competitors run before me, I could quickly tell how bumpy the race track was. I was able to utilize Z-mode to keep everything but the dampers in Track mode3. I selected Sport dampers to help with compliance, which proved to be the ticket with an 8th place finish.”
Road America on Day 6 offered yet another breakthrough moment for the Corvette team, with big points winning an entry into the top 10 in overall classification. By the Day 7 lapping session at Illinois’s Blackhawk Farms, Abbott fell into perfect rhythm with the Grand Sport. “This was a massive pointsday for us,” Abbott noted.
The car climbed to seventh place overall and second in class entering the final day. Despite the challenging weather and a lack of track-specific experience across multiple days, Abbott was able to find the mark with the Grand Sport.
“My prior experiences at both Road America and Blackhawk were in a 65hp racecar (compared to the Grand Sport’s 535 hp). From lap one, the handling and controls of the Grand Sport gave me extremely high confidence to attack the track. The car was magical and I can't wait for our customers to experience what many consider the sweetheart of the Corvette line up,” he said.
Long road transits separated track events, testing each car’s ability to combine on-track speed with road trip prowess.
All that remained was the dry skid pad back at Tire Rack headquarters. With “all the pressure” on Simrell, he delivered a 16th-place finish in the event. The result secured a second-place finish in-class, landing the Corvette Grand Sport seventh overall.
In the end, Corvette’s One Lap run won more than outstanding results. It showed how America’s sports car can handle track work with aplomb and long-distance road miles with ease, winning admirers along the way.
“On the last day I had more than several competitors ask me for my contact info, because they're convinced they want a Grand Sport,” Abbott said. “I never considered the interaction with customers and potential customers to be so fulfilling. Hearing their stories and getting to share some of ours made this a very special trip.”
Abbot said a customer who purchased their Z06 just one month before One Lap was ecstatic to see the new Grand Sport up close and in competition. He was still getting to know his own car, and throughout the week, Abbott was able to teach him about the Corvette’s Performance traction management modes (PTM), ESC competitive mode and using chassis controls to his advantage3.
“I would get daily visits with a list of questions I was happy to answer,” Abbott said. “After the morning session on last day at Blackhawk Farms, the owner came over with a big smile and let me know he finally used ABS and was extremely impressed. We celebrated with a big high five. As controls engineer, it warmed my heart to see our customers exercise the car in the way we designed it to be used.
“This was an incredible week and a true testament to this team and beyond,” Abbot said after the results were tallied. “The car ran flawlessly all week with zero issues.”
For complete results from One Lap of America, check them out here.
1Preproduction 2027 Corvette Grand Sport shown. Actual production model may vary.
2Professional drivers on a closed course. Do not attempt. Always obey traffic laws and avoid distracted driving.
3These advanced chassis and traction settings are intended for use on closed tracks and controlled environments only.
