On a hot Friday afternoon in the nation's capital, I strapped myself into the passenger seat of a 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that was parked on a city street converted into an IndyCar racetrack for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
We took off suddenly and quickly climbed to speeds over 140 mph. I was trying to document the whole lap, but I hadn't anticipated what a struggle it would be to hold a phone steady at such a fast speed.
As we approached the first turn, we braked suddenly, but not as much as I would have thought would be necessary to complete such a sharp left.
My driver was a Chevrolet employee trained to operate a motor sports vehicle, so this was probably old hat for him. But it was surreal for me to be flying down normally busy city streets
around the National Mall that had been shut down for the big race.
Sidewalks that people normally mill around were covered with fencing and grandstands were constructed on other areas.
How long is the Freedom 250 Grand Prix course?
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix course is a 1.66-mile loop around parts of the National Mall.
At speeds topping 140 mph, it took us approximately one and a half minutes to complete a full lap around the course.
The course was later driven by 25 athletes from 12 teams who were competing in in the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix. The drivers completed 147 laps around the track to get to 250 miles total driven.
The race was won by Kyle Kirkwood, who led the field for 128 of the 147 laps.
How did the Freedom 250 Grand Prix race come together?
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix was the final event of the America 250 celebration that was organized by President Donald Trump to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday.
It was conducted as a public-private partnership authorized by an executive order signed by Trump in January 2025. The race was supported by city leaders such as Mayor Murial Bowser, a Democrat.
Some critics noted the race caused inconveniences for local residents because several downtown streets had to be closed.
What are the specs of the 2027 Chevrolet Corvette?
The 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 I rode in has 670-horsepower flat-plane crank V8 engine, according to Chevrolet. I definitely felt all that horsepower as soon as we took off. Chevy said the vehicle can go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, and it can cover a quarter of mile in 10.6 seconds at 131 mph.
Chevrolet says the Corvette Z06's engine is "the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever in a production car." The company said the engine allows the car to deliver "raw, visceral performance without compromise."
The Corvette Z06 is street legal, and it starts at $121,500. The vehicle is available in 10 different exterior colors, including the Admiral Blue Metallic model I rode in.
The Corvette Z06 has seven different wheel finishes that Chevy says are "crafted to impress."
Keith Laing is an automotive reporter on the National Trending Desk at USA TODAY. Contact Keith at klaing@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What it's like to ride in a Corvette at top speeds on a racetrack
