Corvette ZR1 Pace Car Smashes Into Wall Before IndyCar Belle Isle GP
One GM executive gets a bit too sideways for a lap he won’t soon forget.
Detroit, June 3rd. Detroit’s IndyCar double-header start was delayed due to a bizarre crash involving the Corvette ZR1 pace car.
General Motors Executive Vice President of Global Product Development, Mark Reuss, was behind the wheel of a ZR1 pace car according to IndyStar when the sports car’s back-end stepped out. The car spun, and impacted the inside wall, and spread debris across the track, forcing the following field of racers to stop on course. Thankfully, no injuries occurred but we have to imagine that Reuss’s ego is just as bruised as the ZR1.
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The clean-up from the incident prompted an unusual delay of start, but thankfully the rest of the race was able to be completed without much incident. Sitting in the passenger seat was IndyCar driver Oriol Servia, whose airbag did actually deploy in the impact, but both Servia and Reuss were said to be fine by medical personnel on sight. It is unclear whether Reuss had deliberately turned off the traction control systems, but from the video, it is evident they were not active at the time of the crash.
The pace car incident was the only unusual incident to take place in an otherwise excellent Belle Isle Grand Prix. Although some smaller incidents occurred during the race, it mostly went without a caution period. However, things continued to go against Chevrolet during the race as two Honda-powered machines fought for the top of the podium. With no tire or fuel strategy holding back either driver, Ryan Hunter Reay chased down the leader Alexander Rossi, forcing Rossi into a mistake, and giving RHR the lead with just a handful of laps to go.
