Yahoo Autos The C8 Corvette Is the Official Pace Car of the 2020 Indy 500
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced today a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as the pace car for this year's Indianapolis 500. The car, painted Torch Red, is equipped with the Z51 performance package, and comes covered in a unique race-themed livery. It will be driven by General Motors president Mark Reuss.
Corvettes have been used as pace cars for 11 of the last 16 Indy 500s, according to the track's website. Last year's pace car was a C7-generation Corvette Grand Sport. So it's only natural the all-new mid-engine variant play the part for 2020.
In Z51 form, the 2020 Corvette makes 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque from its 6.2-liter LT2 V-8. With a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds and a manufacturer-claimed top speed of 184 mph, it should have no problem pacing the field of IndyCars at this year's event. This particular C8 has a factory accessory spoiler and ground effects package, as well as "carbon flash" exterior accents and GT2 bucket seats.
“It’s truly an honor to have the opportunity to be behind the wheel of the mid-engine Corvette Pace Car at such a historic race as the Indy 500,” Reuss said in a statement. “The 2020 Corvette Stingray is the result of a close collaboration between the Corvette Racing and production engineering teams, setting a new benchmark for supercars around the world.”
The Indy 500 was postponed from its original May start date to August 23 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the Speedway planned to run the event at partial capacity, but has since announced the 500 will go on without any fans in attendance. So if you want to see the C8 pace car in action, you'll have to do so through your television screen.
You Might Also Like
