Corvette ZR1 Named Official Pace Car of 102nd Indianapolis 500
Chevrolet’s continued commitment to Indianapolis 500 showcased with 2019 ZR1 pace car.
General Motors has announced the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be the official pace car for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500. With the 2019 ZR1 leading the pack, it’ll solidify a relationship that Chevrolet has had from the very first race in 1911. In that very first race, one of the entrants was Arthur Chevrolet. Another Chevrolet name showed up in 1920 with Gaston Chevrolet winning the Indianapolis 500.
For Corvette, it’ll be the 15th time to lead the field, and the 29th time a Chevrolet has been out front to bring the field to a green flag. It will also be the 16th consecutive time a Chevrolet product has performed pace car duties.
Chevrolet’s commitment to IndyCar and the Indianapolis is far-reaching, they have been an engine supplier for the past 7 years, with countless pole positions, and wins to their credit. In 2017 alone, a Chevrolet engine won 10 out of 17 races on the schedule.
Corvette selected interesting options for the Indianapolis 500 pace car. Power comes from the LT5, and it is equipped with the paddle shift automatic transmission. A unique “Indy 500” graphics package incorporates the 2018 logo for the 500 mile race. Those graphics are on a deep blue color with chromed aluminum wheels. GM has also made a fully-integrated safety light strobe system. Can’t see in the pictures? Neither can we, and that’s intentional. GM designed the system in such a way to keep it from having any lights on the outside to spoil the ZR1’s looks.
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The race will be held on Sunday, May 27th, with the usual amount of activity all throughout the month of May surrounding it. This includes the Indianapolis Grand Prix which runs the course “in reverse” and uses the infield section of the 2.5 mile oval. IMS.com has information regarding tickets. For those who can’t make the race in person, you can catch the action as it happens with a pre-race show at 11 A.M ET on ABC.
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