He joins jeff gordon and jay leno as the third celebrity to drive the pace car in both. On may 17, earnhardt was named the driver for the corvette grand sport official to lead the 33 drivers to the green flag, reports the associated press. Indy 500 pace cars and drivers indy motor speedway. May 28, 2016 pace car driver and car owner roger penske displays a model of the pace car that he will drive to start the race during the drivers meeting for the indianapolis 500 auto race at indianapolis motor. The chevrolet corvette pace car registry 2002 indy 500 pace. Chevrolet ssr to serve as pace vehicle for 2003 indy 500. The dodge stealth was to be the pace car, but the uaw didnt like the joint venture between chrysler and mitsubishi, forcing dodge to use. Nba star oladipo drafted to drive indy 500 pace car. The indianapolis motor speedway announced friday that earnhardt will be behind the wheel of the 2019 corvette, leading the field of 33 drivers. Race stats 19112019 driver stats race results starting grids box scores race summaries qualifying records. Earnhardt will take the wheel of the 2019 corvette grand sport official pace car, leading the. May 24, 2019 the impending debut of the midengined c8 corvette has us thinking that the c7generation 2019 chevrolet corvette grand sport serving pace car duties at this years indianapolis 500 may represent. Long beach red metallic tintcoat with unique gm design indy 500 decal package.
He drove the dodge challenger to promote that car in the indy 500 1971. Pace car driver and car owner roger penske displays a model of the pace car that he will drive to start the race during the drivers meeting for the indianapolis 500 auto race at indianapolis motor. Later, racers including mario andretti, al unser and rick mears and drove for penske, with mears winning four indianapolis 500 races and helping solidify team penske as an indy powerhouse in the 1980s. Qualifying at the indianapolis 500 last sunday witnessed the fastest cars go over 229 miles per hour, as the best fourlap average speed determined the pole winner. Indycar driver tony kanaan drives the pace car for the 103rd running of the indy 500, a 2019 corvette grand sport, monday, april 1, 2019, at indianapolis motor speedway. Indianapolis 500 historical stats indianapolis motor speedway. It had a black and gray paint job that reminds me of chevy trucks from the 1990s along with red lettering marking it. The chevrolet corvette pace car registry 2006 indy 500 pace. Chevrolets corvette, an international performance icon, was the official pace car of the worlds most prestigious openwheel race. Gm executive wrecks corvette pace car at indycars detroit. Oladipo will drive the pace car at the indy 500 on sunday a first for a pacers player so ive gotta make sure i do a great job. Nba star oladipo drafted to drive indy 500 pace car victor oladipo, who blossomed into an nba allstar in his first season with the indiana pacers, has been named the honorary pace car driver for the 102nd indianapolis 500 presented by penngrade motor oil on sunday, may 27. The first vette to serve pacecar duties was a c3generation car for the 1978 running of. Indianapolis motor speedway officials have announced that nascar on nbc analyst dale earnhardt jr.
In 1978, former indy 500 champ and motorsports hall of fame of america inductee jim rathmann paced the race with a twotone c3. I accomplished more than i ever hoped to in racing, but one thing that eluded me that we pursued my dad, my mom and myself was getting a chance to race the indianapolis 500, gordon said. It is the th time a corvette has served as the official pace car, dating to 1978, and the. The only thing missing from this magical indianapolis 500 mix is you. This year marks the 16th time a corvette has served as the indianapolis 500 pace car, starting in 1978, and the 30th time a chevrolet has led the field dating back to 1948, when a 1948 fleetmaster six convertible paced the race. At the start of the race, the pace car leads the assembled starting grid around the track for a predetermined number of unscored warmup laps. Traditionally, the make of the pace car has always been a. Jackie stewart 3time f1 world champion until 2008, he was the only foreign indy 500 pace car driver. Cars edit wikimedia commons has media related to indianapolis 500 pace cars. Roger penske on driving pace car for 100th indy 500 fox 59. The honorary indianapolis 500 pace car driver who will lead the field for the parade and pace laps before the race will be named at a later date. May 23, 2018 it took until 1986 for a corvette to return as the indy 500 pace car.
Palmer set up a traffic cone on the pit lane to show himself where to begin slowing. May 26, 2019 on may 17, earnhardt was named the driver for the corvette grand sport official to lead the 33 drivers to the green flag, reports the associated press. Actor jeffrey dean morgan announced as pace car driver for. As a result of this change, we have also made the unfortunate, but unavoidable decision to cancel race weekend concerts, including the snake pit presented by coors light, featuring martin garrix, galantis, rezz, steve aoki, and yellow claw. Earnhardt to drive pace car at indianapolis 500 wfyi. Check out the 15 times the chevy corvette has paced the indy 500. The pace car for the 1991 indy 500 was initially chosen to be the dodge stealth. A look back at all the chevy corvette indy 500 pace cars. Chevy provided a large number of camaro z28s and monte carlos as parade and courtesy vehicles.
We are honored that dale will add indy 500 pace car. Sam alipour hangs out with the indiana pacers victor oladipo as he speeds around the track as a 2018 indy 500 celebrity pace car driver. Jun 04, 2018 both the pace car driver and the series official were taken to the infield care center, where they were checked, cleared and released. Following the race, they used to give the pace car to the winner. The full list of drivers and cars is a fascinating window back to the auto worlds varied legends and todays celebrities, so lets look back at indy 500 pace cars. This will be the 16th time a corvette has served as the pace car, starting in 1978, and the 30th time a chevrolet has led the field dating back to 1948. Apr 06, 2018 its an incredible opportunity to give back to indy car racing and connect with fans. Indianapolis ap retired nascar driver dale earnhardt jr. Indianapolis wthr popular racing legend and nbc sports motorsports analyst dale earnhardt, jr. Now that the indy 500 is in the books, another moment of racing history has almost been forgotten. However, the uaw, along with fans and traditionalists, protested since the stealth was a captive import built by mitsubishi in japan.
At the indianapolis 500 next month, fisher will handle pace car duties during the race after the honorary driver to be named paces the field to start the greatest spectacle in racing. The race is remembered historically as a moment of firsts for the event. May 24, 2015 despite retiring from nascar at the end of this season, jeff gordon said the greatest spectacle in racing will remain for him a dream, one he fulfilled in part by winning the brickyard 400. Apr 19, 2018 the 2019 corvette zr1 is the official pace car for the 2018 indianapolis 500 presented by penngrade motor oil and will lead drivers to the green flag on sunday, may 27, for the 102 nd running of.
Next sunday will be busy for the former nascar cup series driver. Indy 500 snake pit presented by coors light the indianapolis 500 presented by gainbridge has been rescheduled for august 23 due to the covid19 pandemic. Back in 1971, a dodge challenger used as the pace car, crashed into the photographers stand at. Roger penske to drive indy 500 pace car detroit free press. Nba star oladipo drafted to drive indy 500 pace car by indycar published.
Keep in mind that this does not guarantee that a festival car was ever driven on the famed brickyard track, just that it was delivered to the speedway for official use. Apr 27, 2016 penske tackled the indy 500 for the first time in 1969, while still campaigning a camaro in transam. Roger penske muses on driving pace car for 100th indy 500. Rutherford is also the pace car driver for all other indy events at the speedway.
May 25, 2017 actor jeffrey dean morgan announced as pace car driver for 101st indy 500. Wthr what better pace car for the 2019 indianapolis 500 presented by gainbridge than the 2019 corvette grand sport. May 18, 2019 for the win talked with the retired nascar driver about attending his first indy 500 and being welcomed by indycar drivers. The 44yearold kannapolis, north carolina native who spent 18 seasons as a fulltime nascar cup series driver is set to drive the 2019 corvette grand sport official pace car. The 1971 indy 500 pace car situation was screwy from the start, but no one in their right mind could have predicted the stunning crescendo to the story that would take place on the opening lap of the race. May 17, 2018 nba star oladipo drafted to drive indy 500 pace car by indycar published. Marmon won the inaugural indy 500 in 1911 and served as the pace car for the first time in 1920, with barney oldfield at the helm. Boles said the pace car announcement starts six weeks of activation in preparation for the 102nd indy 500. The retired nascar driver will drive the pace car for the indianapolis 500 at indianapolis motor speedway to lead the 33 drivers to the green flag on may 26. Sarah fisher to drive indycar pace car speed sport.
The winningest person in indianapolis 500 history will be the celebrity pace car driver for next months indianapolis 500. Roger penske, the winningest person in indianapolis 500 history, will be the celebrity pace car driver for next months indianapolis 500. On may 17, earnhardt was named the driver for the corvette grand sport official to lead the 33 drivers to the green flag, reports the associated. The caution pace car driver is a professional and for the last 10 years it has been three time indy 500 winner johnny rutherford. Check out the 15 times the chevy corvette has paced the. V8 originally 2500 replicas planned, orders swelled production to 6000 jim rathmann note. Kanaan, the 20 indy 500 winner, brought out the last of seven caution flags when he spun and crashed off turn 2 on lap 189. Then one day he crashed it in a fenderbender type accident. Indy 500 pace cars and drivers indianapolis motor speedway.
Next weekend, hell drive the pace car for the indianapolis 500. May 18, 2017 in 1978, former indy 500 champ and motorsports hall of fame of america inductee jim rathmann paced the race with a twotone c3. The year also marked the return of the convertible body style for the first time since 1975, so chevy made sure to put the. Junior was named the pace car driver for the may 26. A 2019 chevy corvette grand sport will lead 33 drivers. I remember seeing him in the car a couple of times. The 2019 corvette zr1 is the official pace car for the 2018 indianapolis 500 presented by penngrade motor oil and will lead drivers to the green flag on sunday, may 27, for the 102 nd running of.
Mar 23, 2020 total mustang cobra production by svt accounted for 6,009 units, including 5,009 coupes and 1,000 replica indy pace car convertibles. Apr 19, 2018 2018 indianapolis 500 pace car revealed. Background on the annual indy 500 pace car homecoming. Earnhardt will drive the corvette grand sport official at indianapolis motor. Youd think that the arrival of the allnew c4 corvette for 1984 would have made that chevy a shooin for pacecar duties at the indy 500 that year. So there are actually two pace car drivers, one for show and one for go. The indianapolis 500 auto race has used a pace car every year since 1911. Everything you need to know about the 2019 corvette zr1. May 17, 2018 victor oladipo, who blossomed into an nba allstar in his first season with the indiana pacers, has been named the honorary pace car driver for the 102nd indianapolis 500 presented by penngrade motor oil on sunday, may 27. The black car is a 30th anniversary edition 500 copies to be made. Jeff gordon to drive corvette z06 indy 500 pace car.
The 1994 running would prove to be the third and thus far final time mustang was selected to pace the indianapolis 500, and the penultimate time a non gmbased vehicle would lead the field of 33 to the green flag. The chevrolet corvette and the indianapolis 500 go way back. Andre boillots car initially failed to pull away, but eventually got started, and sprinted to catch up to the rest of the field. Racing legend and nbc sports motorsports analyst dale earnhardt jr. Indy 500 2000 the pace car drivers through the years.
May 17, 2019 we are honored that dale will add indy 500 pace car driver to his long legacy with chevrolet. Pace car driver jeff gordon says he will never race in. Pace car crashes ahead of indycar chevrolet detroit grand prix. But indy 500 champion will power told the indianapolis. Nba star victor oladipo to pilot the pace car on race day. The allnew, seventhgeneration 2014 corvette stingray will serve as the indianapolis 500 pace car, leading the field to green at the start of the 97th running of the greatest spectacle in racing, on sunday, may 26, 20, at indianapolis motor speedway.
Fivetime brickyard 400 winner and fourtime nascar sprint cup champion jeff gordon will drive a corvette z06 pace car for the 99th running of the indianapolis 500 mile race, may 24 at the indianapolis motor speedway. Indianapolis may 28, 2016 roger penske has no shortage of help in preparing to pace the 100th indianapolis 500. The chevy ssr that will serve as the indy 500 pace vehicle is virtually identical to the 25 unique signature series saleable units to be. Milton proposed that the pace car be given to the 500 winner, a tradition that continues to this day. The car used is frequently an exact replica of the official pace car but the big difference is the experience and skill level of the driver. Chevy corvette zr1 is the 2018 indy 500 pace car roadshow.
After sam hanks won the 500 in 1957, he drove his pace car, garish signage and all, on the street near his home in pacific palisades, california. Everything you need to know about the 2019 corvette zr1 indy 500 pace car. Total mustang cobra production by svt accounted for 6,009 units, including 5,009 coupes and 1,000 replica indy pace car convertibles. It will be his first time participating in the indy 500, although he drove the pace car at the indianapolis motor speedway last year during a nascar race. Earnhardt to drive pace car at indianapolis 500 abc news. At a speed of about 80 mph, the field was released for the start. We are honored that dale will add indy 500 pace car driver to his long legacy with chevrolet. Jeff gordon to drive corvette z06 indy 500 pace car jeff.
The 103rd running of the indianapolis 500 has a pace car, and it could mark the last hurrah for the c7 corvette. Apr 19, 2018 chevrolet announced today that the 2019 chevrolet corvette zr1 will handle pace car duties at the 2018 indy 500, which will be run on may 27 this year. Chevrolet paced the indianapolis 500 a record th time, and corvette performed the pace car duties for the fifth time since 1978 the most appearances by a single brand. Clocking in at 212 mph and 755 horsepower, this years pace car is the most powerful to take the track at ims. Vincent, with passenger eddie rickenbacker, took the field around for one unscored warmup lap. A 2019 chevrolet corvette grand sport will be the official pace car of the 2019 indianapolis 500, taking place sunday, may 26. You know itll be an interesting indianapolis 500 when the pace car has more horsepower than the racecars do. May 26, 20 now that the indy 500 is in the books, another moment of racing history has almost been forgotten. Jun 03, 2018 indycar driver for team penske and the winner of the indy 500 last weekend, will power and rene binder of junco racing head around turn one during practice at the 2018 chevrolet detroit grand prix. Victor oladipo having the best time singing, driving at. Chevrolet corvette stingray indy 500 pace car 2014. Apr 14, 2016 roger penske to drive indy 500 pace car.
Both the pace car driver and the series official were taken to the infield care center, where they were checked, cleared and released. The indianapolis motor speedway announced friday that earnhardt will be behind the wheel of the 2019 corvette, leading the field of 33 drivers for the 103rd indianapolis 500 presented by. Mechanically, the festival cars and pace car replicas are often identical, with the only difference being the fact that festival cars were actually used at or near the indy 500. Indianapolis 500 official pace cars corvettes, for 2020 or 500 festival corvette event cars may qualify. The year also marked the return of the convertible body style for the. Actor jeffrey dean morgan announced as pace car driver for 101st indy 500. Jun 01, 2007 eldon palmer is a car dealer in indiana. It took until 1986 for a corvette to return as the indy 500 pace car. Indycar names veteran servia as second pace car driver. Next on his list of announcements will be the driver of the pace car, national anthem. Currently, the pace car driver for the caution periods is the same driver who drives the pace car for the indy racing league during all other events. It had a black and gray paint job that reminds me of chevy trucks from the 1990s along with red lettering marking it as the official pace car.
Theres former winner johnny rutherford, the official pace car driver. May 23, 2019 the pace car honors for the 2019 indianapolis 500 go to the 2019 chevrolet corvette grand sport and popular retired nascar driver dale earnhardt jr. Victor oladipo goes 180 mph before driving pace car at. Janet guthrie was the first woman to qualify and compete in the indianapolis 500. In most years since 1911, the driver of the pace car at the start of the race has been an invited celebrity, a former racing driver, or notable figure in the automotive.
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