The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced the 101st running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be paced by the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. This will be the 14th time the Corvette has handled that duty, more than any other vehicle. It also will be the 28th time a Chevy product has been the official pace car since 1948.
Performance pedigree
Arguably one of the nicest-looking pace cars ever, the Corvette Grand Sport needs little beyond supplemental lights, mandated safety equipment and the bespoke graphics package to handle its high-speed duties. Packing a standard 460-horsepower LT1 V8 engine, paddle-shift 8-speed automatic transmission, electronic limited-slip differential and Grand Sport-specific magnetic ride control suspension, the pace car also features the optional Z07 Package that adds a high-performance staggered-size wheels and tires along with Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes.
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Chevy’s long-time involvement with the Indianapolis 500 stretches from the inaugural running back in 1911 when Arthur Chevrolet competed in the event. However, it took until 1920 for a Chevrolet to turn up in Victory Lane at the Speedway when a Monroe-Frontenac racer driven by Gaston Chevrolet, brother of Louis who co-founded the eponymously named marque with William Durant, took the checkered flag.
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“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.”
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