Anyone remember the 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster, the first Bow-Tie pace car?
The C7 Corvette Stingray will pace Indianapolis 500 events during the month of May. This is a record 12th time that Chevrolet has paid millions in promotional fees to have the Corvette as the Pace Car, going back to 1978 before the Indy Racing League disaster severely hurt U.S. open wheel racing. No word on whether there will be retail versions of the decaled car.
The Laguna Blue Stingray is festooned (marred?) with Indy 500 graphics on the doors and at least one other sponsor’s logo on the fascia. Chevrolet says that the Corvette Stingray Pace Car differs from production models with only track-mandated safety features and strobe lights, if you don’t count some aerodynamic tweaks. No powertrain upgrades are required with its new 450 horsepower 6.2-liter LT1 engine, with direct fuel injection, continuously variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation.
The Corvette Pace Car will also have the Z51 Performance Package, including an electronic limited-slip differential; dry-sump oiling system; integral brake, differential and transmission cooling; as well as a unique aero package that is claimed to improve high-speed stability.
This is actually the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500, more than any other brand, dating to 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Camaro has served seven times and, with this year’s running, Corvette has led the way a record 12 times.
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.
