The 2019 Corvette Grand Sport will serve as the Official Pace Car for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 with 33 drivers at the green flag on May 26 for the 103rd running of the race. This is the 16th time a Corvette has served as the Pace Car, starting in 1978, and the 30th time a Chevrolet has led the field dating back to 1948, when a 1948 Fleetmaster Six convertible paced the race.
No other brand or vehicle has served as the 500 Pace Car more than Chevrolet and the Corvette, respectively. However, Roger Penske (Aussie Will Power Wins the 102nd Indianapolis 500 for Penske) has done far better than Chevrolet with 17 victories in the run for the Hoosier milk, which in 2018 Power spilled all over himself, the parade Queen and others in the winner’s circle. Alongside him his wife, Elizabeth Cannon Power, was lovingly hysterical and elated. When she started breathing again and could speak – she was as entertaining as the race.
A far bigger story this year – Chevrolet to Power Fernando Alonso’s 2019 Indy 500 McLaren – is watching to see if Alonso – given his win in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans coupled with his win at Monaco in 2006 – became one of only 13 drivers to win two of the three legs of the Triple Crown of Motorsports (Monaco, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500). With a victory in the 2019 Indianapolis 500, he would join Graham Hill as the only other driver to complete the triumvirate.
Indianapolis 500 fans also will see 33 2019 Corvette Stingrays on the roads of Central Indiana this spring and in the IPL 500 Festival Parade on May 25 in downtown Indianapolis. The popular cars are provided to central Indiana business leaders and dignitaries and serve as a promotional role for the race, Chevrolet and Corvette. This is the first time since 2007 that matching Corvettes are serving as the 500 Pace Car and festival cars.
2019 Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car
- Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat with unique GM Design Indy 500 decal package.
- Full Length Racing Blade Silver Dual Stripes.
- LT1 6.2-liter V8 DI aluminum engine with 460 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque.
- 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.
- Dry-sump oil system.
- Performance suspension with Magnetic Ride Control.
- Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.
- Grand Sport aluminum wheels: 19-inch front and 20-inch rear.
- Carbon Flash painted Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package.
- Competition Sport Bucket Seats.
- Performance Data Recorder.
The Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The car also has an optional cornering capability of 1.2 g, with the Corvette Z06’s many advanced aerodynamic components.
Chevrolet has a long history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and company co-founder Louis Chevrolet, along with brothers Arthur and Gaston, competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur competed in the 1911 race and Gaston won in 1920.
Eight drivers with Chevrolet engines have combined to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” 10 times, with Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr., Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power taking the checkered flag with bowtie power.
Power drove the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet to victory in the IndyCar Grand Prix and the 102nd Indianapolis 500 last May, the first time a driver has swept both events in the same year. Chevrolet also was on the pole for both races, with Power leading the way in the IndyCar Grand Prix and Ed Carpenter taking the top spot for the Indy 500. Team Chevy also has won the NTT IndyCar Series manufacturer championship in six of the last seven seasons.
Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS. The race will be televised live on NBC for the first time, with the pre-race show starting at 11 a.m. EDT on May 26. Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio will provide live coverage of the race to its affiliates and on Sirius 216, XM 209, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
2019 Corvette Grand Sport to Pace 103rd Indianapolis 500
No other brand or vehicle has served as the 500 Pace Car more than Chevrolet and the Corvette, respectively. However, Roger Penske (Aussie Will Power Wins the 102nd Indianapolis 500 for Penske) has done far better than Chevrolet with 17 victories in the run for the Hoosier milk, which in 2018 Power spilled all over himself, the parade Queen and others in the winner’s circle. Alongside him his wife, Elizabeth Cannon Power, was lovingly hysterical and elated. When she started breathing again and could speak – she was as entertaining as the race.
A far bigger story this year – Chevrolet to Power Fernando Alonso’s 2019 Indy 500 McLaren – is watching to see if Alonso – given his win in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans coupled with his win at Monaco in 2006 – became one of only 13 drivers to win two of the three legs of the Triple Crown of Motorsports (Monaco, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500). With a victory in the 2019 Indianapolis 500, he would join Graham Hill as the only other driver to complete the triumvirate.
Indianapolis 500 fans also will see 33 2019 Corvette Stingrays on the roads of Central Indiana this spring and in the IPL 500 Festival Parade on May 25 in downtown Indianapolis. The popular cars are provided to central Indiana business leaders and dignitaries and serve as a promotional role for the race, Chevrolet and Corvette. This is the first time since 2007 that matching Corvettes are serving as the 500 Pace Car and festival cars.
2019 Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car
The Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The car also has an optional cornering capability of 1.2 g, with the Corvette Z06’s many advanced aerodynamic components.
Chevrolet has a long history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and company co-founder Louis Chevrolet, along with brothers Arthur and Gaston, competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur competed in the 1911 race and Gaston won in 1920.
Eight drivers with Chevrolet engines have combined to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” 10 times, with Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr., Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power taking the checkered flag with bowtie power.
Power drove the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet to victory in the IndyCar Grand Prix and the 102nd Indianapolis 500 last May, the first time a driver has swept both events in the same year. Chevrolet also was on the pole for both races, with Power leading the way in the IndyCar Grand Prix and Ed Carpenter taking the top spot for the Indy 500. Team Chevy also has won the NTT IndyCar Series manufacturer championship in six of the last seven seasons.
Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS. The race will be televised live on NBC for the first time, with the pre-race show starting at 11 a.m. EDT on May 26. Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio will provide live coverage of the race to its affiliates and on Sirius 216, XM 209, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.