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INDIANAPOLIS – Five-time Brickyard 400 winner and four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon will drive a Corvette Z06 pace car for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race, May 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It is the 13th time a Corvette has served as the official pace car, dating to 1978, and the 26th time a Chevrolet has led the pack for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Corvette has served as the pace car more than any other vehicle in the race’s history.
Gordon, who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Ind., is no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1994 he won the inaugural Brickyard 400 – the first-ever NASCAR race at the Brickyard, and has visited the winner’s circle there four more times. That makes him one of only two five-time winners at Indy in any series. Michael Schumacher won five Formula One races there.
“It’s great to have Jeff Gordon serve as this year’s pace car driver,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “He is a true champion who has earned the respect and admiration of competitors and race fans alike. It will be very special to have Jeff lead the Indy 500 field to the green flag, behind the wheel of the most powerful and capable production car ever from Chevrolet – on a day he’ll also be competing in the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.”
With 650 supercharged horsepower, a seven-speed manual transmission and a track-capable chassis system, Gordon will have no trouble keeping in front of the race field in the production-spec Corvette Z06. Featuring an Arctic White exterior and Adrenaline Red interior, only its unique Indy graphics package and safety strobe lights distinguish it from other production models.
“Indy is hallowed ground for racers like me and I couldn’t be more thrilled to drive the Corvette Z06 pace car around the track that helped drive my success over the years,” Gordon said. ”The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most celebrated races of the year and an event I always dreamed of racing while growing up in California and in nearby Pittsboro. I’ve won five NASCAR races at IMS and the track will always be a special place for me, so to be able to participate in such a historic day will be something I remember for the rest of my life.”
Like Gordon, Chevrolet has a long, shared heritage with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and the Chevrolet brothers – company co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston – all competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.
“Jeff is a great choice to lead this year’s starting 33 drivers in Indianapolis 500 to the green flag,” said J. Douglas Boles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Jeff has such a strong connection to the state of Indiana and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his appearance in the Corvette Z06 pace car reinforces Chevrolet’s important place in the past, present and future of the Indianapolis 500 as well. We also look forward to seeing him back here on July 26, to see if he can make it six wins for the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard.”
“Jeff Gordon is a NASCAR legend, an icon of global motorsports and has a special history of success racing at The Brickyard in Indianapolis and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “This is a unique honor for him to be recognized in this way by our partners at Chevrolet and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The day certainly will be another special one in the storied history that Jeff already has written at Indianapolis and Charlotte.”
A well deserved honor Jeff is a true competitor and still has what it takes to be a champion.This year he announced his retirement from NASCAR.... He will be missed
Thanks for posting
Definitely. It needs to be lowered just like Jeff is lowered....
I wonder if GM gave the pacer any extra cooling and if so how we might find out what they did?
It would be a shame if the Z06 overheats on the pace laps and car has to pull into the pits in limp mode. That might get GM to actually provide proper cooling for the C7 for use on the track. Might be a good thing.
Nice. I've never been to the Indy 500 (though my mom actually went once back in late '70s LOL) but am really hoping to go one of these years. My good friend Jeff (comedian/writer/roaster Jeffrey Ross) is friends with Marco Andretti (who I've met a couple of times) and has gone to the last two runnings of the race so I would love to be there in the infield with him.
Seriously the car does not overheat that easy. I guess I got the one and only rare one that has had zero issues with overheating and has had no issues at all
was reading a few months ago that Jeff is going to be on the race team next year for C7-R......could be interesting
Now that's some good news after finding out NASCAR is losing a very respective driver. Going to drive the C7R Vette will be interesting Jeff is a great road racer.
Does my personal street car make me a #1 Gordon fan?
04-29-2015, 02:14 PM
Jeff Gordon and Corvette Z06 - Indy 500 Pacers!
Jeff is a true competitor and still has what it takes to be a champion.This year he announced his retirement from NASCAR.... He will be missed 
Funny the SS never made it to the pits. 
