With Memorial Day approaching, so is the Indianapolis 500 race. An age-old American tradition, this May race famously occurs the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. This year, we are coming up on the 107th race, and it will be a historic race.
For the first time ever, we will see the race paced by a hardtop convertible. The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is set to pace the race on May 28th at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Historically, the pace car has been a Corvette in prior races, but this is the first time we will see one of their hardtop convertibles leading the race.
The President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, J Douglas Boles spoke on the announcement, stating “As we celebrate the rich history of the Corvette Pace Car at IMS, it is amazing to see the evolution of these cars on and off the track. The hardtop convertible on the 2023 Corvette Z06 is just another example of the Chevrolet innovation that translates from track to street.”
The Corvette Z06 will be on display at the Speedway, allowing viewers to admire the innovative and stunning exterior and interior of the vehicle. The car is sure to draw a crowd, as this is the first generation of Corvette Z06 to offer a hardtop convertible.
A model of the Corvette has paced the Indianapolis 500 more than any other car, with 2023 marking its 20th time pacing the race since it first debuted in 1978. Chevrolet has had a total of 34 races in which one of their models has led the race, since its first time in 1948.
Vice President of Global Chevrolet spoke proudly of the accomplishment of the pace car title going to the Corvette Z06 this year. He said, “Chevrolet and IndyCar share the same spirit of competition, and we are proud Z06 will lead the pack across the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
The selected model has a red metallic exterior with complementary two-toned black and gray accents.
Known for its 5.5LLt6 engine which has up to 670 horsepower, the Corvette Z06 has the highest horsepower naturally aspirated V-8 to ever hit the market in any production car. All of the power is contained in a Carbon Aero package. The car weighs in around 734 pounds and gains speeds up to 186 miles per hour, which is more than any other Corvette.
To many, the Corvette Z06 is a definitive American sports car. Chevrolet describes the car as proud, youthful, optimistic, and authentic, all traits that align between Chevrolet and the Indy 500.
While this is certainly not all they will be known for, being selected as this year’s pace car for the Indy 500 and being the first time we see a hardtop convertible on the track, the Chevrolet Corvette sets forth to make May 28th as a historic day for the car and racing community.
