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A 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X will lead the field to the green flag for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday 24 May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.*
“Having America’s sports car, the Corvette, pacing the field feels especially fitting this year as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” said IndyCar and IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “With race car-like performance, the Corvette ZR1X is the perfect choice to pace the field of 33 in the Indianapolis 500.”
The Corvette ZR1X is rated at1250 horsepower, combining a 186-hp electric motor on the front axle with a 5.5L twin-turbo V8 sending 1064 hp to the rear wheels. The ZR1X Pace Car is equipped with the Carbon Aero package, including dive planes on the front bumper, underbody aero strakes and the rear wing, which is said to provide more than 1200 pounds of down-force at top speed.
The Corvette ZR1X is capable of zero to 60 mph in under 2 seconds, and can reach 233 mph, approaching speeds seen by the Honda- and Chevrolet-powered race cars in the field – AutoCrat.
Indiana University Head Football Coach Curt Cignetti, in celebration of IU Football’s undefeated National Championship season, has been named honorary Pace Car driver and will pace the field of 33 drivers.
“America’s hypercar will be front and center at the Indianapolis 500, and it has the speed to stay there,” Global Corvette and Performance Cars Team Executive Chief Engineer Tony Roma said. “The ZR1X is made for the racetrack. This Corvette, inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, will absolutely give Coach Cignetti and the fans a thrill.”
*AutoInformed on
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.
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X To Pace 110th Indianapolis 500
Click for more.
A 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X will lead the field to the green flag for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday 24 May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.*
“Having America’s sports car, the Corvette, pacing the field feels especially fitting this year as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” said IndyCar and IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “With race car-like performance, the Corvette ZR1X is the perfect choice to pace the field of 33 in the Indianapolis 500.”
The Corvette ZR1X is rated at1250 horsepower, combining a 186-hp electric motor on the front axle with a 5.5L twin-turbo V8 sending 1064 hp to the rear wheels. The ZR1X Pace Car is equipped with the Carbon Aero package, including dive planes on the front bumper, underbody aero strakes and the rear wing, which is said to provide more than 1200 pounds of down-force at top speed.
The Corvette ZR1X is capable of zero to 60 mph in under 2 seconds, and can reach 233 mph, approaching speeds seen by the Honda- and Chevrolet-powered race cars in the field – AutoCrat.
Indiana University Head Football Coach Curt Cignetti, in celebration of IU Football’s undefeated National Championship season, has been named honorary Pace Car driver and will pace the field of 33 drivers.
“America’s hypercar will be front and center at the Indianapolis 500, and it has the speed to stay there,” Global Corvette and Performance Cars Team Executive Chief Engineer Tony Roma said. “The ZR1X is made for the racetrack. This Corvette, inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, will absolutely give Coach Cignetti and the fans a thrill.”
*AutoInformed on
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.