Corvette Grand Sport Paces 2019 Indy 500

by Allan Brewer

America’s sports car will pace the 2019 Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day, the 16th time the Chevrolet Corvette makes its appearance at the head of the field of 33.

The performance-oriented Corvette Grand Sport, in a luscious ruby red, has the honor of fronting the Indianapolis 500 field in the 103rd reincarnation of the world’s biggest one-day sporting event.

No other automotive manufacturer or model of car has graced the race’s start more than the Corvette. The 1978 Corvette made the debut appearance at Indy on the marque’s 25th birthday.

“Chevrolet is honored to lead the way for the 500 once again,” said Steve Majoros, of Chevrolet. “The Grand Sport is a particularly excellent choice as its wide body and aerodynamic features are steeped in racing heritage.”

Chevrolet’s marketing push will be prominent this year, as the company has supplied a full load of 33 Grand Sport Corvettes to the Indy 500 Festival directors—cars that are already plying their way around the streets of the city. The cars will also line up en masse for the Indy Festival 500 Parade on May 25th as it winds its way through downtown Indianapolis.

“We continue to be grateful for our long-running partnership with Chevrolet,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. “It’s such a strong bond that has proven integral to the success of our events. The 2019 Corvette Grand Sport is a world-class machine that exudes speed, performance, and excitement, a perfect fit to lead the 500 field.”

Chevrolet also manufactures approximately half of the racing engines used in the Indy 500 cars. Eight drivers with Chevrolet engines have combined to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” 10 times.

Here are some of the most notable features of the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car:
•Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat with unique GM Design Indy 500 decal package.
•Full Length Racing Blade Silver Dual Stripes.
•LT1 6.2-liter V-8 DI aluminum engine with 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
•8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.
•Dry-sump oil system.
•Performance suspension with Magnetic Ride Control.
•Brembo® carbon ceramic brakes.
•Grand Sport aluminum wheels: 19-inch front and 20-inch rear.
•Carbon Flash painted Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package.
•Competition Sport Bucket Seats.
•Performance Data Recorder.

The Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The car also has an available cornering capability of 1.2 g.

Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.

Allan Brewer

Allan Brewer covers IndyCar and other racing series for RacingNation.com. Allan is a fixture at the race track, armed with keyboard and camera, eager to take you inside open-wheel sport where the news is being made. He comes to RacingNation.com with multiple professional awards from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AWWRBA). He began his motorsports writing career at FastMachines.com; and solely published IndyProRacer.com and A1GP.com, two award-winning websites for open-wheel racing’s junior leagues, prior to becoming IndyCar correspondent at Motorsport.com. He has also covered Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula E, the Indy Lights Series and its predecessor Indy Pro Series, NHRA events and major auto shows. His major interest outside of competition is automotive technology and its application to the cars we drive every day on the public highways.

racingnation.com

Related Posts

• 
  Rolex 24 Race Report
• 
  HSR Classic 24 At Daytona
• 
  Rennsport VII