Grand Sport Corvette

[Steve Shauger]

I’ve always been fascinated by performance cars, and for me the Grand Sport Corvette always intrigued me. It was purpose built race car that was never meant to be in the eyes of GM brass, due to the corporate racing ban. I was fortunate to live close to the Penske Race shop during that period and unbeknownst to me at the time, I actually saw the Penske Grand Sport Corvette. I was probably 7 years old and with my father walking to our fishing spot at the Springton Reservoir dam on Rt 252. I heard this thundering rumble that echoed off the stone walls, and as I turned this corvette with huge wheels and tires blasted past us. Later I recounted my recollection to Bill Scott a member of the Penske race team and chief mechanic on the Grand Sport Corvette who confirmed that was a road they would travel and test. As they say… those were the days. Imagine what might have been if Zora Duntov and his engineering group had carte blanche on racing and performance production projects.

Interesting read...

Here's a video of Roger Penske driving the Grand Sport at Elkhart Lake Track in with a camera inside and narrating as he's driving-1964.