Indianapolis 500 Corvette E-Ray Pace Car And The Rest Of The Corvettes That Served Indy

 

Summary

Corvette and Indy go way back: Corvette has paced the Indianapolis 500 21 times since 1978, more than any other car.

The E-Ray brings a new trick: The 2024 E-Ray combines a 6.2-liter V8 with electric all-wheel drive to make 655 horsepower.

Supercar numbers: With a 0–60 MPH time of 2.5 seconds and a 10.5-second quarter-mile, the E-Ray is seriously quick.

A long line of legends: From the 1978 Corvette to the mid-engine C8s, Indy has used some of Corvette's most memorable performance models as pace cars.

Celebrity drivers: Jim Rathmann, Chuck Yeager, Morgan Freeman, Colin Powell, Lance Armstrong, Patrick Dempsey, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, and others have all taken Corvette pace cars around the Brickyard.

2024 adds another chapter: Ken Griffey Jr. got the keys to the E-Ray as Corvette continued its long-running relationship with the Indianapolis 500.

Sunday, May 26, 2024, we will once again see a Corvette running laps as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. But this won't be just any Corvette—it will be the all-new 2024 Corvette E-Ray, Corvette's first electrified, all-wheel-drive Corvette.

This will mark Corvette's 21st time pacing the Indy 500 since 1978, more than any other car in history. Add in all 35 appearances by Chevrolet vehicles that have paced the event since 1948, and Chevy is by far the leader when it comes to this legendary honor.

How Does the E-Ray Corvette Stack Up to Its Siblings?

The Electric All-Wheel Drive (eAWD) E-Ray is the quickest production Corvette to ever roll off the assembly line at the Corvette Plant in Bowling Green, KY.

Using a 6.2-liter powerhouse V8 running in tandem with an electric motor that adds an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque to the front wheels, this Corvette puts down a combined 655 horsepower.

What do these numbers mean while the Corvette is in motion? How about 0–60 MPH in just 2.5 seconds? If you decide to keep the pedal to the metal, you'll cover the quarter-mile in just 10.5 seconds. The E-Ray can also drive on its electric motor alone for up to four miles at speeds of up to 45 MPH when Stealth Mode is selected.

Who's Going To Be Driving The E-Ray Pace Car?

Piloting the E-Ray at the Indy 500 will be famous former MLB outfielder and All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. If you haven't heard of this guy, even if you don't watch sports, you must have been living under a rock for the past 35 years. All you have to do is punch his name into a search engine, and you'll find a mountain of awards and accomplishments—Gold Glove Awards, All-Star selections, hitting titles, and plenty more.

Here's A Run Down Of The Past Corvettes To Take The Indy Honor

1. May 26, 1978—the 62nd Annual Indianapolis 500 was the first time Corvette graced Indy fans with its presence. It was driven by American race car driver Jim Rathmann.

2. May 25, 1986—the 70th Indianapolis 500 chose this 1986 Corvette because it was the first convertible Corvette put into production in ten years. It was driven by General Chuck Yeager, one of America's finest fighter pilots and the first person to break the sound barrier.

 

3. May 28, 1995—the 79th running of the Indianapolis 500 brought one of the more colorful Corvette Pace Cars to the track. This 1995 Corvette Pace Car was equipped with a five-point safety harness, an onboard fire suppression system, a special "halo" roll bar, and a special strobe-light setup for extra eye appeal. This year, the Corvette was driven by former Chevrolet manager Jim Perkins.

4. May 24, 1998—the 82nd running of the Indianapolis 500 brought even more colorful action. Driven by American race car driver and team owner Parnelli Jones, this Corvette was hard to miss with Radar Blue paint, eye-catching graphics, and bright yellow seats with matching wheels.

5. May 25, 2003—the 86th Indianapolis 500 celebrated the 50th anniversary of Corvette production by once again putting a Corvette at the front of the pack. Actor Jim Caviezel got the honor of driving this special Corvette, complete with a big "50th" badge on the hood.

6. May 30, 2004—the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500 saw Corvette make its first back-to-back appearance. This was also the first time Chevrolet and Corvette decided not to make replicas of the Indy Pace Car. Morgan Freeman took the reins this year, pacing the IndyCar field around the track. The Corvette's patriotic color scheme made this pace car one of the more iconic ones.

   

7. May 29, 2005—the 89th Indianapolis 500 saw its first sixth-generation Corvette leading the IndyCar field. This wasn't just the first time the sixth-gen made it to Indy; it was also the first time the general public was introduced to the car beyond renderings, pictures, and spy photos. General Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, was put in the driver's seat for pace car duties.

8. May 28, 2006—the official pace car of the 90th Indianapolis 500 was the 2006 Corvette Z06. Back to a patriotic color scheme, the 505-horsepower sports car was driven by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

9. May 27, 2007—the 91st Indianapolis 500 brought Corvette back for pace car duties. Team owner and actor Patrick Dempsey took on the duties in this Atomic Orange LS2-powered, 400-horsepower machine.

 

10. May 25, 2008—the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 would see two pace cars for the first time. First, there was a 2008 Corvette Z06 engineered to run on E85 ethanol fuel. Then there was another pace car dressed in a black-and-silver color scheme to celebrate the anniversary of the first Corvette Indy 500 car, which debuted 30 years earlier. Both pace cars were driven by legendary racer Emerson Fittipaldi.

11. After a little break from the action, Corvette returned to Indy. May 27, 2012—the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500—saw its first sixth-generation ZR1. This car took Americans by storm with supercar-like performance. Famous Emmy Award-winning television cook and personality Guy Fieri received the honor of driving this LS9-powered beast around the track—too bad he wasn't able to reach its 205-MPH top speed in pace-car mode.

12. May 26, 2013—the 97th running of the Indy 500 brought the all-new seventh-generation Corvette Stingray. San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked to take on pace car duties for the year, and he happily obliged.

 

13. May 24, 2015—the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 brought NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon to the driver's seat of the 2015 Corvette Z06 Pace Car. Gordon won his first NASCAR race in Indianapolis before going on to become a legend in the sport. Although he wouldn't be going as fast as he's used to on the track, this supercharged, 650-horsepower sports car was certainly capable of high speeds.

14. May 28, 2017—the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 saw the new 2017 Corvette Grand Sport take over pace car duties. This was the first year the Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car didn't change much in its color scheme from the year before, but the Vette itself was different. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan took the wheel and paced the IndyCar field around the famous track.

15. May 27, 2018—the 102nd Indianapolis 500 pace car would be another ZR1, but this 2019 Corvette ZR1 would boast 755 horsepower, a 0–60 time of 2.85 seconds, and a top speed of 212 MPH. This powerful supercharged Corvette would be driven by Victor Oladipo, an Indiana University and Indiana Pacers basketball player.

  

16. May 26, 2019—the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 saw another 2019 Corvette take on pace car duties. Following the previous year's '19 ZR1 pace car, the Corvette Grand Sport took center stage. Getting to have some non-competitive fun on the track was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who paced the IndyCar field.

 

17. On to the unveiling of the mid-engine Corvette. It was a long-time coming, and that made it an obvious choice to become the official Pace Car for the 2020 Indianapolis 500. GM President Mark Reuss was honored to be the driver who paced the track for this Indy 500.

 

18. May 30, 2021—the 105th Indianapolis 500 brought another mid-engine Corvette to the pace car role. Its white exterior with yellow accents and black wheels made the Corvette stand out. Chosen to take this beautiful ride around the track was legendary open-wheel racer Danica Patrick.

19. May 29, 2022—the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 brought a masterpiece: the 2023 Corvette Z06. This 70th-anniversary Vette was powered by a naturally aspirated, flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter V8. This sports car was a beast all on its own. Chosen to pilot this Corvette was former IndyCar driver and three-time podium finisher Sarah Fisher.

20. May 28, 2023—Corvette paced the Indianapolis 500 with its first-ever convertible hardtop Z06. This badass-looking ride is something anyone can fall in love with. So who got to drive this fine sports car on the big day? Tyrese Haliburton, an Indiana Pacers basketball point guard.

Update:

21. May 25, 2025— For this year, it's Michael Strachan who gets to have his turn in the driver's seat at Indy. Pacing around the innovative Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, this amazing piece of machine promtoes a 5.5L twin-turbo engine with 1,064 horsepower and a top speed of 233 mph.

 

22. May 24, 2026—The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X hybrid hypercar was an obvious choice for the Indy 500 Pace Car. Dominated all of its competitors by combining a 5.5L twin-turbo V8 and a front-axle electric motor to make a total of 1,250 horsepower, this Corvette is and will stay a beast among the pack for a long time. The lucky pilot was Indiana University head football coach Curt Cignette. 

And the Corvette years of domination keep ticking!

New Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to Pace the Indy 500 - Here’s Why It Gets the Honor!

Corvette ZR1 Indy 500 Pace Car

With its aggressive look and big bold front end and rear spoiler, this Corvette looks like it’s ready to take on every supercar on the planet, and with its overwhelming power and handling abilities, it is.

Let’s take a look at some of the 2019 Corvette ZR1 hard hitting numbers and influential features that helped it earn its right to be this years Indy 500 Pacecar.

The monster 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that sits under the aggressive looking hood of the Corvette ZR1 cranks out 755 horsepower. That horsepower combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission or a seven-speed rev-matching manual transmission pushes this ZR1 from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds at 134 mph. If that still leaves you a little under impressed, then maybe the 212 mph average top speed at the track in Papenburg, Germany can open your eyes to just how well this Corvette performs.  

What makes this LT5 ZR1 6.2-liter engine so much more potent than the Corvette Z06 6.2-liter V8? The engine the ZR1 gets has been upgraded with a bigger Eaton supercharger, bigger throttle body, a beefier camshaft and uses both port-and-direct fuel injection for an increase of 105 ponies over the Z06.

Helping this massive LT5 engine perform well even at high speeds for long periods of time is a much larger front fascia than the average Corvette. The ZR1 front fascia includes huge air dams and fender vents to help push as much cool air into the 13 radiators as possible. The ZR1 also offers plenty of other large exterior features. The front splitter is noticeably bigger than the Z06 front splitter and the ZR1 rear spoiler just dwarfs the ZO6 rear spoiler. Along with some other awesome carbon fiber add-ons, the 2019 ZR1 Corvette creates 950 pounds of downforce. Now it should be noted that if you don’t plan on doing any major competition circuit racing, you probably won’t need the massive rear spoiler, and if you think it looks intrusive, you can order your new ZR1 with a Z06 rear spoiler for a more reasonable look.    

So how does this turn-key race car drive as a daily driver with an average driver behind the wheel? When the Corvette is switched to Touring mode, you will get to enjoy a quieter exhaust, looser steering characteristics and a softer suspension. Outside of being very careful with the aggressive acceleration, this new 2019 Corvette ZR1 has the ability to offer you a very easy driving powerful supercar that leaves you confident in your driving abilities. And if you do want to test your driving skills at high speeds, the Michelin Super Sports tires and magnetic suspension offers you the same easy handling attributes at high speeds as it does in everyday driving situations. For a car that can reach 200+ mph and go 10 seconds in the quarter-mile, its ability to let you handle the car at ease at any speed is incredible. And of course, stopping has never been an issue with Corvette’s high performers. Six-piston carbon ceramic Brembo brake calipers are used in the front and four-piston calipers are used in the rear.  

Obviously, the interior of the Corvette ZR1 cabin is just as high-tech as the exterior and drivetrain. An eight-inch touchscreen infotainment center host all of the goodies and connectivity capabilities you would expect out of a high-end General Motors vehicle. Included with that system is a rearview backup camera, a front end camera so you don’t mash up your front splitter, and a powerful Bose system so you can jam away on long car cruises.

Coming Soon
The most powerful and capable Corvette ever built is now available at select dealerships. The full load of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupes and convertibles should be coming to all qualifying dealerships later this year/early next.

So what can you expect to pay for this 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1? Around $122,095 for the coupe and $126,095 for the convertible (no word on the extra cost for the Indy 500 Special Edition).

To see this 2019 Corvette ZR1 in action, tune into ABC, Sunday, May 27 for the official Indy 500 Race.

The 2014 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

 2014 Corvette Stingray

Indy 500 Pace Car

When the 2014 Stingray was introduced at the North American Auto Show it made a huge buzz,

and now to keep that buzz going it will appear as the Pace Car for the Indy 500.

Chevrolet also got the honors for the festival car with their Special Edition Hot Wheels Convertible Camaro.

This is a nice boost for Chevrolet and their sports car division.

Camaro Holds the Honor For the INDY 500 Festival Car

The 2013 Hot Wheels Limited Edition Convertible Camaro 2SS will be the INDY 500 Festival Car for the 97th Indianapolis 500. As tradition, there will be 33 given to Indianapolis official, personnel, media etc. to drive around for the week to help promote the INDY 500 and also promote the Camaro.

The Hot Wheels Convertible Camaro will be a one time only production run. Coming this spring, you will only have to shell out a little over six thousand dollars more to get the Hot Wheels package and due to it's limited edition status it should be a true collectors edition.


The Hot Wheels Edition will be available in both 2LT and 2SS trims and will feature the Hot Wheels grille and deck lid logos, sill plates, bright blue metallic paint job, red accents and special rims and red line tires.

So if you do get a chance to purchase one, holding on to it would be a smart thing to do for it will probably double, triple and quadruple in wroth.