For the 20th time, a Corvette will pace The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible will be the Official Pace Car of the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. For the first time in history, it will be a hardtop convertible leading the field. The 2023 Indy 500 is Sunday, May 28th.
See the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pace Cars
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
This is the first generation of Corvette Z06 to offer a hardtop convertible. The Z06 version has been one of the most highly anticipated vehicles in history because of its incredible horsepower. The 2023 Corvette Z06 is powered by the 5.5L LT6 which creates 670 horsepower. The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the highest-horsepower naturally aspirated V-8 ever to ever hit the market in any production car. All that power will be held to the track with the Carbon Aero package, providing 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph, more than any other Corvette.
Legendary IMS History
Corvette is the longest-running car nameplate in automotive industry history, so it’s no surprise Corvette has paced The Indianapolis 500 more times than any other car. The 2023 race marks the 34th time for Chevrolet to pace dating back to 1948 and the 20th time overall and since 1978 for America’s favorite sports car. Since 2002, Chevrolet has had an exclusive contract with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to provide the pace car and other official vehicles for the Indianapolis 500. A fleet of Camaros will also be deployed as festival cars for the IMS staff to use during the event.
“As we celebrate the rich history of the Corvette Pace Car at IMS, it’s amazing to see the evolution of these cars on and off the track,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “The hardtop convertible on the 2023 Corvette Z06 is just another example of the Chevrolet innovation that translates from track to street.”
The 2023 Corvette pace car features Red Mist Metallic exterior paint and two-tone Jet Black and Sky Cool Gray with Torch Red accents on the interior.
“We are honored to be pacing the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 with the Corvette Z06 convertible,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet. “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.”
Chevrolet Photo
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Video
Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.
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