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1984 PPG Indy Pace Car
The 1984 PPG Indy Pace Car Corvette was special from the very beginning- in several ways. Initially, it was created as a one-off concept car that would be designated as one of the official Pace Cars for the PPG Indy Car World Series of races. It was custom-built by PPG in cooperation with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. The 205 HP 350 was replaced by a 450hp, 401 cubic-inch V-8.
The 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport served as the official Pace Car for the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil and led drivers to the green flag on May 28. 2017 marked the 14th time a Corvette has served as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, starting in 1978, and the 28th time a Chevrolet has led the field, dating back to 1948, when a 1948 Fleetmaster Six convertible paced the race.
SR 2 Corvette
Designed mid-1956 for Harlet Earl’s son Jerry, the SR-2 was put into racing duty in 1957. The car debuted at Daytona Beach in 1957 with a high-speed canopy, fender skirts and bullet-shaped frond headlights. Driven by Betty Skelton and Buck Baker, the car won the modified class with an average speed of 93.074 mph. The SR-2 also finished second in class for the flying mile with a top speed of 152.886 mph.
It was only fitting that the Corvette design team honor the outgoing C5 by saluting its finest racing accomplishments with a special Le Mans Commemorative Edition package for all 2004 Corvette models. The Coupe and Convertible packages included special Le Mans Blue metallic paint, unique badging noting the Le Mans victories, polished wheels, and a special shale-colored interior featuring embroidered Le Mans emblems on the headrests.
Known for their charismatic designs and superior performance, the pack-leading Pace Cars share a special place in Indianapolis 500 lore. History was made at the 2008 Indianapolis 500 when a pair of distinctive yet highly differentiated Corvette models served as the Official Pace Cars — one highlighting a commitment to fuel solutions and the other marking 30 years of Corvette's Pace Car heritage.