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2017 Corvette Grand Sport Announced as Pace Car for Indy 500

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2017 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport Indy 500 Pace Car

The 2017 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport has just been announced as the official pace car for the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500, which will take place on Sunday, May 28th.

This will be the 14th time that a Corvette has paced the Indy 500, a tradition that began in 1978. It will also mark the 28th time that a Chevrolet has led the field, which dates back to 1948.

The Corvette has paced the legendary race more than any other vehicle.

Chevrolet is proud to once again pace the Indianapolis 500,” said Steve Majoros, Chevy’s marketing director for Cars and Crossovers. “The Corvette Grand Sport’s performance capability and motorsports heritage make it the perfect choice to pace the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport pace car’s track-ready features include a 460-horsepower LT1 direct-injected V8 engine with dry-sump oiling and active exhaust, an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, and the available carbon-fiber ground effects package.

Other highlights include the unique Grand Sport wheel design composed of 19 x 10-inch front wheels and 20 x 12-inch rear wheels, standard magnetic ride control, specific stabilizer bars and unique springs, and standard electronic limited-slip differential. The Indy 500 pace car is also equipped with the available Z07 package, which contains carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors and 285/30ZR19 front and 335/25ZR20 rear high-performance tires, and the Brembo Carbon Ceramic brake system with 15.5-inch (394 mm) rotors with six-piston calipers in front and 15.3-inch (380 mm) rotors with four-piston calipers in rear. Covering the vehicle is a unique Indy 500 graphics package.

Chevy and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway share a deeply intertwined history, with Chevrolet being founded in 1911, the same year as the first 500-mile Indy race. Additionally, bowtie brand cofounder Louis Chevrolet, along with his brothers Arthur and Gaston, competed in some of the early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet raced in the inaugural 1911 race, and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.

“Chevrolet and Indianapolis are inextricably linked, sharing one of the longest racing heritages in all of motorsports,” said J. Douglas Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “We are proud of the longstanding relationship between Chevrolet and the Speedway and we love having the Corvette Grand Sport lead the 500 field to the green flag.”