Roger Penske will pace the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in a 2017 50th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro SS, General Motors announced today.
Penske is celebrating his 50th year as a race team owner in 2016, making his appointment as official pace car driver that much more special. Additionally, Team Penske has more wins at The Brickyard than any other race team, so you can be sure Indy occupies a special spot in his heart.
Chevy says four identically prepared 50th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaros will be on hand to pace the 2016 Indy 500. The cars are painted Abalone White and feature “100th Running of the Indianapolis 500” graphics on the doors and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wing-and-wheel logo on the quarter panels. This year will mark the ninth ever time a Camaro has paced The 500.
“Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500 have a long, storied history and it’s an honor to mark the respective milestones of the Indy 500 race and the Camaro simultaneously,” said General Motors’ product development boss Mark Reuss. “It’s also a privilege to have Roger Penske perform the driving duties, as his team has helped Chevrolet earn four consecutive IndyCar manufacturer titles since 2012.”
Last year’s running of the Indy 500 saw Team Penske’s Juan Pablo Montoya stand atop the podium and take the traditional chug of milk. Penske and Chevrolet will of course be looking for more success this year, and with the Chevrolets still carrying the edge over Honda in IndyCar, both have a good shot at winning ‘The Greatest Spectacle In Racing’ once again.
Comments
Except it is a 2017 model.
“A unique version of the new, 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition will lead the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 next month, driven by motorsports legend Roger Penske, who is marking 50 years as a race team owner.” — media.chevrolet.com
The 2017 production line doesn’t start until June of this year.
I wish to watch this event because I drove a 1967 Chevy Camaro Rally Sport and remember when the first Camaros came out. And I am sure Chevy will win again against those import cheapies.