The 2020 Corvette Stingray will lead the field to green for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500.
The official Indy 500 pace car will be a Torch Red coupe equipped with the optional Z51 performance package, accessory spoiler and ground effects package, Carbon Flash accents, GT2 bucket seats and an Indy 500-themed livery. Behind the wheel will be General Motors President Mark Reuss.
“This is a continuation of our outstanding partnership with Chevrolet,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said in a prepared statement. “We’re so grateful for all that Chevrolet has contributed to the success of our events. The Torch Red 2020 Corvette Stingray is a world-class machine rich with speed, performance and excitement, perfectly suited to pace the ‘500’ field.”
The Corvette has led the Indy 500 field to green more than any other vehicle. The first time the ‘Vette paced the field for the Greatest Spectacle in racing was way back in 1978 and has now done so a total of 17 times. This will also be the 31st time a Chevrolet has led the field to green, with the first time being way back in 1948, when a Chevy Fleetmaster Six convertible took on the responsibility. The Chevrolet Camaro is the second most common Indy 500 pace car behind the Corvette.
The official pace car of the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500
A torch red 2020 Corvette C8 🔥#Indy500 | @IMS pic.twitter.com/Yv3GBRz5ve
— Katie Hargitt (@katiehargitt) August 12, 2020
Chevrolet has its roots in motor racing and a special relationship with the Indy 500. Company co-founder Louis Chevrolet first met William C. Durant after being hired on by Buick as a racing driver and would later co-found the company with Durant in 1911. Chevrolet went on to start in four Indy 500s, retiring in all but three of them. His brothers Arthur and Gaston also made two Indy 500 starts apiece.
Last year’s Indy 500 was won by Chevrolet Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud, who acknowledged how special it was to win the 500-mile race as a French driver in a Chevrolet. Nine drivers with Chevrolet engines have combined to win the Indy 500 a total of 11 times over the years, including Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr., Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Power and, most recently, Pagenaud.
The 104th Indy 500 will go green on Sunday, August 23rd, with coverage to begin on NBCSN at 1 p.m. ET.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Indy 500 news, IndyCar news, motorsports news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Why do they still let this guy drive expensive cars? Lets just hope he can keep it out of the wall… There are a lot of people who would pay good money to own a C8 right now.
I hope that the “frunk” doesn’t fly open for Mr. Reuss. He doesn’t need any extra help to crash a Corvette. LOL!!
The pace car driver needs to remember he is there to get the cars up to speed and not attempt to race the cars because it’s mid-engine just like the other 33 cars on the track.
The 104 yr old Vette Pace car driver will be thrilled to a probable death behind the wheel after Ruess, I think the Pace car with be modded with Supercruise if that occur, OTOH Ruess will crash it before that happens…😉🙃😉..
No one will be there to see him crash it.
As the NBC sports team doing the coverage love to see them give that car to Dale Jr. and see what kind of lap time and speed he could turn prior to race day.
Will there be Festival Cars (Torch Red Corvettes) at the race? If so, will they be available for purchase as in the past?
Will there be Festival Cars at the race? If so, will they be available for purchase as in the past?