O

nly a select few Corvettes attain a status
worthy of emulation. The pinnacle of highly
coveted Corvettes clearly points to the ’
Grand Sport. While the history of this leg-
endary “Lightweight” has often been told, it’s
also being retold as rolling tributes.
Some are reproductions that use either a custom-built or a
factory Corvette chassis, but the striking coupe shown here is
neither. It’s a 2017 Grand Sport that recalls the distinctive look
of the famed #001 Grand Sport that Roger Penske bought
from Chevrolet in 1966 and converted to a streamlined

roadster for racing (along with chassis #002). When first com-

peting at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1966, it was painted blue

and accented with yellow wheels and side pipes, and Sunoco

decals as well.

What led Jeremy Welborn to create his stunning tribute to

an iconic Corvette? That’s a story with some surprising twists

and turns, beginning with a bittersweet experience.

It all started when a friend of Jeremy’s, Dave Dolan, ordered

an early production run of the then-new 2014 Corvette C7.

An enthusiastic historian for the Corvette Club of Richmond,

Virginia, he and wife, Lori, always were among the first to

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