'94 Brickyard Corvette Pace Car is Genuine Racing History

Rest & Recreation

The Corvette and "The Brickyard" —the Indianapolis Motor Speedway —share a special history together. The famed Chevy sports car has been the Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 seventeen times, more than any other vehicle. So, while the Corvette is no stranger to the Indy 500, this Corvette is particularly unique, as it was a pace car at the first NASCAR race held at the track in 1994. 

Images Courtesy of Motorious

Don't Need No Vacation

This Corvette is particularly rare, even for the normally low production numbers of Corvette pace cars. Only 25 official Brickyard 400 Corvette convertibles were produced for the track's inaugural NASCAR race —twelve were black, thirteen were red. This special line of Corvettes was utilized for the day's pre-race parade which transported participating NASCAR drivers around the speedway to the adoration of the 250,000 fans in attendance, still the largest crowd ever to attend a NASCAR event. 

>>Join the conversation about this Pace Car C4 right here in Corvette Forum.

No Private Eye

Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon Richard Petty, Ned Jarret and Benny Parsons were among the NASCAR luminaries to attend or race the event. Each of the race's 25 Corvette Pace Cars were special purpose-built at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. While few details were released about what differentiated the car from stock models short of the 23 race-oriented decals, it's believed the minor performance and engineering tweaks found in the car would later "officially" debut in what would become the Corvette Grand Sport. 

>>Join the conversation about this Pace Car C4 right here in Corvette Forum.

Forget the FBI

Powered by a 300 to 350-horsepower 5.7 L Chevy V8 engine controlled by an automatic transmission, the car also debuted Chevrolet's new FX3 Selective Ride & Handling technology. The engine of this particular model is in excellent shape and still, has just 15K original miles.

>>Join the conversation about this Pace Car C4 right here in Corvette Forum.

In the Go Zone

While the performance features of this car are impressive, what truly sets it apart from the pack (no pun intended) is its incredible array of graphics. The "Brickyard 400" race insignia is featured on both driver and passenger side doors, as is the date of the race —August 6, 1994 —and the famed "winged" logo of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A Chevrolet logo and checkered flag motif highlight the car's tail.

>>Join the conversation about this Pace Car C4 right here in Corvette Forum.

Ready to Rock

It's hard to believe that before that August day in 1994 it had been 78 years since the last non-Indianapolis 500 race had been held at the Brickyard. The race has continued every NASCAR season since that inaugural race, although these rare Corvette Pace Cars hold a special place in the memories of those who attended and the drivers who competed. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that in the 26 NASCAR races held at the Brickyard, Chevrolet cars have emerged victorious 17 times. 

>>Join the conversation about this Pace Car C4 right here in Corvette Forum.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.