It’s the 12th time that Corvette has had the honor
The inevitable has just happened: The new, seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500.
The new Corvette was only the darling of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January where coverage of its debut blanketed all others. And Corvette is a longtime pace-car favorite. Its laps around the Brickyard will mark the 12th time it has paced since 1978.
Don’t think for a moment, however, that General Motors executives are taking the honor for granted. Looks for a cadre of them to be on hand when Stingray paces the 97th running of race May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“It is an honor to help inaugurate the all-new Corvette Stingray at the hallowed Brickyard and further the legacy between Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500,” said Jim Campbell, GM’s vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s performance was influenced by racing, making this prestigious assignment even more fitting.”
The car itself will be painted “Laguna blue” and will run without modifications to its stock 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine. It produces 450 horsepower.
Want to buy one? The new Corvette goes on sale in the fall but we are taking pre-orders.