CORVETTE MODELS

Corvette Pace Cars: Every Indy 500 Pace Car and Replica

The Corvette has paced the Indianapolis 500 more than any other car: twenty-three times from the 1978 L82 to the 2027 ZR1X that led the field in 2026, with Jim Rathmann, Chuck Yeager, Parnelli Jones, Morgan Freeman, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick among the drivers, and replicas sold to the public in 1978, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2007 and 2008. This page catalogs every one.

Quick Nav: The Story · Every Indy 500 · The Replicas · C3 · C4 · C5 · C6 · C7 · C8 · All the Guides · Pace Car News · FAQs

The Basics

  • What This Is: Every Corvette pace car: the twenty-three Indianapolis 500 cars, the replicas Chevrolet sold, and the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Le Mans and Rolex 24 pace cars, each with its guide

  • The Indy 500 Years: 1978, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026

  • The Replicas: 1978 (6,502), 1986 (every convertible, 7,315), 1995 (527), 1998 (1,163), 2007 (500) and 2008 (500); the 2002 and 2004 cars were the 50th Anniversary and Commemorative Editions

  • The Drivers: Rathmann (1978), Yeager (1986), Perkins (1995), Parnelli Jones (1998), Caviezel (2002), Morgan Freeman (2004), Colin Powell (2005), Lance Armstrong (2006), Patrick Dempsey (2007), Fittipaldi (2008), Guy Fieri (2012), Harbaugh (2013), Jeff Gordon (2015), Oladipo (2018), Earnhardt Jr. (2019), Danica Patrick (2021), Sarah Fisher (2022)

  • The Famous One: The 1978, black over silver with the red stripe: the first replica, 6,502 built, sold at double sticker in the spring of 1978 and worth less than sticker a year later

  • Related Pages: The special editions, the anniversary cars, the Z06 and ZR1 pages, the racing page, the year pages for each pace year

  • By Generation: C3 · C4 · C5 · C6 · C7 · C8

The Overview

No car has paced the Indianapolis 500 as often as the Corvette. The first was the 1978, a black-over-silver L82 driven by 1960 winner Jim Rathmann for the car’s 25th birthday, and Chevrolet sold 6,502 replicas of it, one for every dealer and then some, in a frenzy that has never quite been repeated. Since then the Corvette has led the field twenty-two more times: the first convertible in eleven years in 1986 with Chuck Yeager driving, the C5 in 1995 and 1998, the anniversary and commemorative cars of 2002 and 2004, the Z06s and ZR1s of the C6 and C7 years, the Stingray in the empty grandstands of August 2020, and every year since 2017, with the 2027 ZR1X unveiled at the Speedway for the 110th race in 2026.

This page catalogs every one. The reference table is the complete Indianapolis list, race by race, with the car, the driver, the replica and its guide; the generation sections put each pace car in its era with the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Le Mans and Rolex 24 pace cars beside it, with the posts tagged to each pace year beneath. The replicas, the cars Chevrolet sold to the public with the track car’s paint, have their own guides and their own market, and the special-editions page lists them with the other editions.

A pace car is a factory car with graphics, a light bar and a strobe, and the replicas are production cars with the paint and the decals, so the way to verify one is the RPO code (Z78 in 1978) or the VIN series and the build sheet, not the stripes. The guides for each year say what to look for.

The Corvette and the Indianapolis 500

Twenty-three races, six replicas and a few cars that never made it to the track. The story in five parts.

1978: the first, and the frenzy

Chevrolet marked the Corvette’s 25th year by pacing the 500 for the first time, with Jim Rathmann driving a black-over-silver L82 with a red stripe and the new fastback glass. The replica (RPO Z78) was announced at 2,500 cars, raised to one per dealer, 6,502 in all, and sold for twice its $13,653 sticker that spring; by 1979 the premium was gone and the 1978 Pace Car became the first lesson in special-edition economics. It has its own VIN series and is the most collected pace car of all.

1986–98: the convertibles

The 1986 car was the first Corvette convertible since 1975, driven by Chuck Yeager, and Chevrolet declared every 1986 convertible a pace car (7,315), with the decals in the trunk for owners to apply. The 1995 (Dark Purple over white, 527 replicas, Jim Perkins driving) and the 1998 (Radar Blue with yellow wheels and flames, 1,163 replicas, Parnelli Jones) were the C4’s and C5’s, the 1998 the most divisive paint scheme ever put on a Corvette and now one of the most recognizable.

2002–08: the C5 and C6 years

The 50th Anniversary convertible paced 2002 with Jim Caviezel, the Commemorative Edition 2004 with Morgan Freeman, then the C6 took over: Colin Powell in 2005, Lance Armstrong in the first Z06 pace car in 2006, Patrick Dempsey in 2007 (500 Atomic Orange replicas) and Emerson Fittipaldi in the E85 Z06 of 2008, with 500 black-and-silver replicas for the 1978 car’s 30th anniversary. These years also gave the Corvette the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, catalogued below.

2012–19: the C7 years

A 2013 ZR1 paced the 2012 race with Guy Fieri, the new 2014 Stingray paced 2013 with Jim Harbaugh before it was on sale, the Z06 paced 2015 with Jeff Gordon, the Grand Sport paced 2017 and 2019 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), and the 755-hp ZR1 paced 2018 with Victor Oladipo after Mark Reuss crashed the first car on a parade lap at the Detroit Grand Prix. No replicas were sold; the pace cars of these years are the track cars and a few festival cars.

2020 on: the mid-engine era

The C8 has paced every race since its first year: the Stingray convertible in the spectator-less August 2020 race and again in 2021 with Danica Patrick, the 2023 Z06 70th Anniversary in 2022 with Sarah Fisher, the Red Mist Z06 convertible in 2023, the E-Ray in 2024, the 1,064-hp ZR1 in 2025 and the 1,250-hp ZR1X in 2026, unveiled at the Speedway for America’s 250th. The year pages carry each one.

MORE: EVERY CORVETTE THAT PACED THE 500 / WHY THE CORVETTE AND INDY BELONG TOGETHER / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

1978 Corvette
1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Edition
Corvette Of The Day: 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Indy 500 Pace Car

Every Corvette Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, 1978–2026

Twenty-three races, in order: the model year of the car, who drove it, what Chevrolet sold to the public and the guide. The generation sections below carry each car with its picture and the other races.

MORE: THE SITE’S FULL ACCOUNT

RACE THE CAR DRIVER REPLICA GUIDE
1978 1978 Corvette (L82) Jim Rathmann 6,502 replicas The guide
1986 1986 Corvette Convertible Chuck Yeager every 1986 convertible, 7,315 The guide
1995 1995 Corvette Convertible Jim Perkins 527 replicas The guide
1998 1998 Corvette Convertible Parnelli Jones 1,163 replicas The guide
2002 2002 Corvette 50th Anniversary Convertible Jim Caviezel the 50th Anniversary Edition The guide
2004 2004 Corvette Commemorative Edition Convertible Morgan Freeman the Commemorative Edition The guide
2005 2005 Corvette Convertible Colin Powell — The guide
2006 2006 Corvette Z06 Lance Armstrong — The guide
2007 2007 Corvette Convertible Patrick Dempsey 500 replicas The guide
2008 2008 Corvette Z06 E85 Emerson Fittipaldi 500 replicas (coupe and convertible) The guide
2012 2013 Corvette ZR1 Guy Fieri — The guide
2013 2014 Corvette Stingray Jim Harbaugh — The guide
2015 2015 Corvette Z06 Jeff Gordon — The guide
2017 2017 Corvette Grand Sport — — The guide
2018 2019 Corvette ZR1 Victor Oladipo — The guide
2019 2019 Corvette Grand Sport Dale Earnhardt Jr. — The guide
2020 2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible — — The guide
2021 2021 Corvette Stingray Convertible Danica Patrick — The guide
2022 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Sarah Fisher — The guide
2023 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible (Red Mist) — — Year page
2024 2024 Corvette E-Ray — — Year page
2025 2025 Corvette ZR1 — — Year page
2026 2027 Corvette ZR1X — — Year page

The Pace Car Replicas

The six cars Chevrolet sold to the public with the track car’s paint: 1978, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2007 and 2008, each with its guide.

MORE: ALL THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

1986 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

Stung by the 1978 pace car backlash, Chevrolet made every reintroduced 1986 convertible a pace car replica with nothing more than a decal kit. Colors, VIN ranges and graphics options are all here.

1995 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Replica

Dark Purple over Arctic White, embroidered headrests and ZR-1-style wheels: just 527 Z4Z replicas were built, and most dealers got exactly one. Here's what they cost then and now.

1998 Corvette Indy Pace Car Replica

Nearly identical to the car Parnelli Jones drove at the 82nd Indy 500, the Radar Blue and yellow 1998 replica was the first with factory-applied livery. Production numbers, RPO Z4Z pricing and collector values.

1978 Indy Pace Car Model

Chevrolet planned 2,500 replicas of its first Indy 500 pace car, then built 6,502 so every dealer had one. Here is how the RPO Z78 package came together, what it cost and why fakes followed.

2007 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Replica

Chevrolet had not sold a pace car replica since 1998. The 2007 Indy 500 edition changed that with 500 Atomic Orange convertibles, gold ribbon graphics and a 400-hp LS2. Specs, options and build numbers inside.

2008 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Replica

The first Indy pace car replica offered as either coupe or convertible, each with Emerson Fittipaldi's autograph inside the console. Body-style, transmission, top-color and export breakdowns, plus the one Z06 built in pace car colors.

C3 Corvette Pace Cars, 1968–1982

The first: the 1978 L82 that paced the race for the car’s 25th birthday, and the 6,502 replicas that followed it out of the dealers at double sticker.

MORE: THE C3 HUB / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

THE CAR YEAR BUILT
1978 Corvette (L82) — Indy 500 Pace Car 1978 Corvette (L82) — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 1978 Indianapolis 500, driven by Jim Rathmann; 6,502 replicas.
The guide / Year page		 1978 6,502 replicas

C3 Pace Car Posts

Every post tagged to a C3 pace year: the guides, the cars for sale, the pictures.

2003-Chevrolet-Corvette-Lemans-Pace-Car

The Most Epic Corvette Pace Cars

A 1978 edition that ballooned from 300 planned cars to over 6,500, a one-off 1984 PPG Corvette crushed by the museum sinkhole, Lance Armstrong in a 2006 Z06 and Sarah Fisher leading the field in a 70th Anniversary Z06.

The 1978 Special Edition Corvettes

Two firsts for 1978: a Silver Anniversary Edition and an Indy Pace Car replica that ballooned from 300 planned cars to 6,502, or 15 percent of the year's production.

FOR SALE: Like NEW 1978 Corvette Pace Car

Still wrapped in its factory plastic, this 1978 Indy Pace Car shows just 42 documented miles. RK Motors in Charlotte, North Carolina asks $55,900 for the silver-leather, L82 automatic coupe with its original build sheet and window sticker.
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C4 Corvette Pace Cars, 1984–1996

Three pace years and two replicas: the 1986 convertible (every convertible a pace car), the 1995 Dark Purple car (527) and the twin-turbo 1984 that paced the PPG Indy Car series and went into the sinkhole.

MORE: THE C4 HUB / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

THE CAR YEAR BUILT
1984 Corvette (PPG Indy Car World Series pace car) — Pace Car 1984 Corvette (PPG Indy Car World Series pace car) — Pace Car
The CART/PPG series, 1984: a twin-turbo one-off lost in the NCM sinkhole and revived
The guide / Year page		 1984 —
1986 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 1986 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 1986 Indianapolis 500, driven by Chuck Yeager; every 1986 convertible, 7,315.
The guide / Year page		 1986 every 1986 convertible, 7,315
1995 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 1995 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 1995 Indianapolis 500, driven by Jim Perkins; 527 replicas.
The guide / Year page		 1995 527 replicas

C4 Pace Car Posts

Every post tagged to a C4 pace year: the guides, the cars for sale, the pictures.

1984 PPG Indy Pace Car

1984 Corvette PPG Indy Pace Car

Built by PPG with Chevrolet to lead the Indy Car World Series, this one-off C4 swapped its Cross-Fire 350 for a 450 hp Katech V8. It now sits crushed and unrestored at the National Corvette Museum.

C5 Corvette Pace Cars, 1997–2004

The 1998 Radar Blue replica (1,163), the 50th Anniversary car of 2002 and the Commemorative Edition of 2004, plus the 1999 cars that paced Le Mans and the Rolex 24 in Corvette Racing’s first year.

MORE: THE C5 HUB / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

THE CAR YEAR BUILT
1998 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 1998 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 1998 Indianapolis 500, driven by Parnelli Jones; 1,163 replicas.
The guide / Year page		 1998 1,163 replicas
1999 Corvette Convertible — Pace Car 1999 Corvette Convertible — Pace Car
The 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1999: the first Corvette to pace the French race, the year Corvette Racing arrived
The guide / Year page		 1999 —
1999 Corvette — Pace Car 1999 Corvette — Pace Car
The Rolex 24 at Daytona, 1999: the C5-R’s debut race
The guide / Year page		 1999 —
2002 Corvette 50th Anniversary Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 2002 Corvette 50th Anniversary Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2002 Indianapolis 500, driven by Jim Caviezel; the 50th Anniversary Edition.
The guide / Year page		 2002 the 50th Anniversary Edition
2004 Corvette Commemorative Edition Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 2004 Corvette Commemorative Edition Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2004 Indianapolis 500, driven by Morgan Freeman; the Commemorative Edition.
The guide / Year page		 2004 the Commemorative Edition
2004 Corvette Convertible — Pace Car 2004 Corvette Convertible — Pace Car
The Daytona 500, 2004
Year page		 2004 —

C5 Pace Car Posts

Every post tagged to a C5 pace year: the guides, the cars for sale, the pictures.

1998 pace car vin

1998 Pace Car VIN & Sequence Number

Check a 1998 Indy 500 Pace Car replica by VIN. Radar Blue with yellow wheels and graphics, the Z4Z package covered 1,163 cars, 616 automatics and 547 six-speeds, with production dates for each.

C6 Corvette Pace Cars, 2005–2013

The busiest pace-car generation: Indianapolis every year from 2005 to 2008 and again in 2012 (a 2013 ZR1), replicas in 2007 and 2008, and the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 cars from 2005 to 2010.

MORE: THE C6 HUB / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

THE CAR YEAR BUILT
2005 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 2005 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2005 Indianapolis 500, driven by Colin Powell; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2005 —
2005 Corvette Coupe — Pace Car 2005 Corvette Coupe — Pace Car
The Daytona 500, 2005
The guide / Year page		 2005 —
2006 Corvette Z06 — Indy 500 Pace Car 2006 Corvette Z06 — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2006 Indianapolis 500, driven by Lance Armstrong; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2006 —
2006 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car 2006 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car
The Daytona 500, 2006
The guide / Year page		 2006 —
2006 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car 2006 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car
The Brickyard 400, 2006
The guide / Year page		 2006 —
2007 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 2007 Corvette Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2007 Indianapolis 500, driven by Patrick Dempsey; 500 replicas.
The guide / Year page		 2007 500 replicas
2007 Corvette — Pace Car 2007 Corvette — Pace Car
The Daytona 500, 2007
The guide / Year page		 2007 —
2007 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car 2007 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car
The Brickyard 400, 2007
The guide / Year page		 2007 —
2008 Corvette Z06 E85 — Indy 500 Pace Car 2008 Corvette Z06 E85 — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2008 Indianapolis 500, driven by Emerson Fittipaldi; 500 replicas (coupe and convertible).
The guide / Year page		 2008 500 replicas (coupe and convertible)
2008 Corvette — Pace Car 2008 Corvette — Pace Car
The Daytona 500, 2008
The guide / Year page		 2008 —
2008 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car 2008 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car
The Brickyard 400 (Allstate 400), 2008
The guide / Year page		 2008 —
2009 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car 2009 Corvette Z06 — Pace Car
The Brickyard 400, 2009
The guide / Year page		 2009 —
2010 Corvette — Pace Car 2010 Corvette — Pace Car
The Brickyard 400, 2010
The guide / Year page		 2010 —
2013 Corvette ZR1 — Indy 500 Pace Car 2013 Corvette ZR1 — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2012 Indianapolis 500, driven by Guy Fieri; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2013 —

C6 Pace Car Posts

Every post tagged to a C6 pace year: the guides, the cars for sale, the pictures.

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Daytona 500 Pace Car

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Daytona 500 Pace Car

For the first time, a pace car out-muscled the restrictor-plate field: the 505-horsepower Z06 versus roughly 450-hp Cup cars. The heat-shift paint scheme, Jay Leno and the original press release.
2008 Indy 500 Pace Car Replicas

2008 Indy 500 Pace Car Replicas – VIN Numbers

Chevrolet built just 500 coupes and convertibles to honor the 1978 Indy pace car, each signed by Emerson Fittipaldi. Check a specific car against the full VIN list for the 30th Anniversary Pace Car replica.
2007 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Corvette Convertible Orange

2007 Indy Pace Car Replicas (Z4Z) – VIN Numbers

A 2007 Corvette convertible paced the 91st Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2007, and Chevrolet built 500 Atomic Orange replicas with Indy badging throughout. Use the searchable VIN table to confirm whether a car is a genuine Z4Z.

2005 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The C6 convertible made its track debut leading the Indy 500 with a former Secretary of State at the wheel. Paint details, pace car and festival car counts, and the original Chevrolet release.

2008 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

For the first time, two different Corvettes paced the Indy 500 in one year. An ethanol-burning Z06 concept in color-shifting Gold Rush Green led the field under Emerson Fittipaldi while a 30th anniversary edition honored the 1978 original.

2007 Corvette Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car

Only strobe lights, racing belts and a brick-inspired red, white and blue paint scheme separated this Z06 from showroom cars. How Chevrolet marked 14 straight years of pacing NASCAR's Brickyard race with its fastest-ever model.

2010 Corvette Brickyard 400 Pace Car

A Bowling Green-style green and white Grand Sport coupe led the 2010 Brickyard 400 field, with Arctic White convertibles as festival cars and Jamie McMurray taking the win.

2006 Corvette Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car

Months after leading the Indy 500, the Z06 came back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to pace NASCAR's Brickyard 400 with only strobes and belts added. Paint scheme and race-day recap.

2007 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The first regular-production Indy pace car replica since 1998: 500 Atomic Orange convertibles with gold ribbon graphics and Z51. Features, pricing and the Grey's Anatomy star who drove the real thing.
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C7 Corvette Pace Cars, 2014–2019

The Stingray paced 2013 before it was on sale, the Z06 2015, the Grand Sport 2017 and 2019, the ZR1 2018; no replicas were sold.

MORE: THE C7 HUB / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

THE CAR YEAR BUILT
2014 Corvette Stingray — Indy 500 Pace Car 2014 Corvette Stingray — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2013 Indianapolis 500, driven by Jim Harbaugh; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2014 —
2015 Corvette Z06 — Indy 500 Pace Car 2015 Corvette Z06 — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2015 Indianapolis 500, driven by Jeff Gordon; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2015 —
2017 Corvette Grand Sport — Indy 500 Pace Car 2017 Corvette Grand Sport — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2017 Indianapolis 500; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2017 —
2019 Corvette ZR1 — Indy 500 Pace Car 2019 Corvette ZR1 — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2018 Indianapolis 500, driven by Victor Oladipo; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2019 —
2019 Corvette Grand Sport — Indy 500 Pace Car 2019 Corvette Grand Sport — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2019 Indianapolis 500, driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2019 —

C7 Pace Car Posts

Every post tagged to a C7 pace year: the guides, the cars for sale, the pictures.

2015 Corvette Z06 Indy 500 Pace Car

Five-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon paced the 2015 Indy 500 in a production-spec Z06, Arctic White over Adrenaline Red, hours before racing the Coca-Cola 600.

2019 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

For the 16th time a Corvette led the Indy 500 field, this time a Long Beach Red Grand Sport joined by 33 Stingray festival cars. Equipment and performance of the 2019 pace car.

2018 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The fastest Corvette ever built led the field at the 2018 Indy 500. Equipment, performance figures and the strobe-equipped Indy graphics package on the 2019 ZR1 pace car, plus the 14 Corvettes that paced before it.

GM VP Crashes 2019 Corvette ZR1 Pace Car

Nobody was hurt when the ZR1 pace car hit the wall at turn two on Belle Isle, but debris stopped all 24 IndyCars. Reuss's public apology and the damage details are covered here.

NBA Star to Pilot 2019 ZR1 Pace Car

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo gets the keys to a 755-horsepower ZR1 for the 102nd Indy 500 on May 27. Full pace car spec list and Chevrolet's Indianapolis history inside.

ZR1 Named Official Pace Car of the Indy 500!

For the first time the Indy 500 pace car outguns the field: the 755-hp, 212-mph ZR1 leads the 102nd running, and we recap every Corvette pace car from the 1978 original to the 2017 Grand Sport.

2017 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The 14th Corvette to pace the Indianapolis 500 was a Z07-equipped Grand Sport with carbon-ceramic Brembos and a unique Indy graphics package. Here is what Chevrolet sent to lead the field in 2017.

C8 Corvette Pace Cars, 2020–present

Every race since 2020: the Stingray convertible twice, the Z06 70th Anniversary and the Red Mist Z06, the E-Ray, the ZR1 and, for 2026, the ZR1X.

MORE: THE C8 HUB / THE SPECIAL EDITIONS

THE CAR YEAR BUILT
2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2020 Indianapolis 500; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2020 —
2021 Corvette Stingray Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car 2021 Corvette Stingray Convertible — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2021 Indianapolis 500, driven by Danica Patrick; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2021 —
2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary — Indy 500 Pace Car 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2022 Indianapolis 500, driven by Sarah Fisher; no replica sold.
The guide / Year page		 2023 —
2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible (Red Mist) — Indy 500 Pace Car 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible (Red Mist) — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2023 Indianapolis 500; no replica sold.
Year page		 2023 —
2024 Corvette E-Ray — Indy 500 Pace Car 2024 Corvette E-Ray — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2024 Indianapolis 500; no replica sold.
Year page		 2024 —
2025 Corvette ZR1 — Indy 500 Pace Car 2025 Corvette ZR1 — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2025 Indianapolis 500; no replica sold.
Year page		 2025 —
2027 Corvette ZR1X — Indy 500 Pace Car 2027 Corvette ZR1X — Indy 500 Pace Car
Paced the 2026 Indianapolis 500; no replica sold.
Year page		 2027 —

C8 Pace Car Posts

Every post tagged to a C8 pace year: the guides, the cars for sale, the pictures.

2022 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

A White Pearl 2023 Z06 70th Anniversary Edition with the Z07 package led the field at the 2022 Indy 500, Sarah Fisher at the wheel. Equipment, pace car graphics and the Corvette's 19th pace car appearance.

2021 Mid-Engine Corvette to Pace Indy 500

Pace lights tucked into the tonneau nacelles instead of a roof bar, an Arctic White and Strike Yellow livery and the 495 hp LT2 made the 2021 Stingray convertible the Corvette's 18th Indy 500 pace car.

2021 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The first drop-top Indy 500 pace car since 2011, the 2021 Corvette convertible wore Arctic White with black and yellow stripes and the Z51 pack. Its graphics, equipment and integrated lighting detailed.
The 2020 Corvette Indy Pace Car

2020 Corvette Pace Car To Lead Field At Indy!

With no fans in the stands, GM President Mark Reuss took the wheel of a Torch Red, Z51-equipped C8 Stingray to lead the 104th Indy 500, the first mid-engine Corvette to pace the race and the model's 17th appearance.

2020 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The first mid-engine Corvette to pace the Indy 500 did it in August, with Mark Reuss at the wheel of a Torch Red Stingray. Equipment, performance and Chevrolet's 17-time Corvette pace car record.

Every Pace Car Guide

The guides to every pace car, Indianapolis and otherwise, newest first.

2013 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh drove the brand-new C7 Stingray, in Laguna Blue with the Z51 package and a 450 hp LT1, to lead the 2013 Indy 500 field to the green flag.

1999 Corvette 24 Hours of Le Mans Pace Car

Chevrolet sent a near-stock 345-horsepower C5 to lead the field at Le Mans in 1999, the same year the C5-R debuted. The original press release and what was changed for pace duty.

2004 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

The final C5 led the field at Indy with little more than coolers, a freer muffler, racing belts and strobes added. The Americana-themed paint scheme and Chevrolet's original press release.

2002 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

Corvette kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration by leading the field at Indy for a fifth time. Pace car highlights, the fleet of festival Corvettes and Camaros, and the original Chevrolet press release.

1999 Corvette Rolex 24 of Daytona Pace Car

The first fixed-roof Corvette since the 1967 Sting Ray got its public debut leading the Rolex 24 field. Jon Moss, Gary Claudio and the original press release on how little Chevy had to change.

2012 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

Guy Fieri led the 2012 Indy 500 field in a 2013 ZR1, the most powerful production car ever to pace the race, dressed in the Arctic White 60th Anniversary livery.

2006 Corvette Z06 Indy 500 Pace Car

The eighth Corvette to pace Indy needed just strobe lights and safety gear thanks to 505 horsepower and 1.01 g of grip. Lance Armstrong, the Americana livery and the original release.

2009 Corvette Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car

For a fifth consecutive year a Corvette Z06 led the NASCAR field at Indianapolis. Chevrolet's July 2009 announcement, its pacing records at IMS, and Jimmie Johnson's back-to-back Brickyard win.

2008 Corvette Z06 Brickyard 400 Pace Car

After nearly five decades at GM, John Middlebrook retired by driving the Corvette Z06 Pace Car to the green at the 2008 Brickyard 400. Why Chevrolet handed him the keys and how the Corvette's IMS pacing record kept growing.
2008 Corvette Daytona Pace Car

2008 Daytona 500 Pace Car

Unveiled in Orlando with Kevin Harvick on hand, the 50th Daytona 500 pace car wore a gold, red, blue and white scheme and iridescent gold wheels over a stock 505-hp Z06. Specs and backstory of Corvette's fifth straight Daytona duty.

2007 Daytona 500 Pace Car

Unveiled by NEXTEL Cup drivers Tony Raines and Jeff Green, the red, white and blue 2007 Daytona 500 Corvette was driven to the green by baseball iron man Cal Ripken Jr. The story of Corvette's fourth straight Daytona pace duty.

Corvette Pace Car News, Sales and Stories

Everything tagged pace car: the cars for sale, the Corvette of the Day pictures, the auction results and the news from the Speedway.

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FAQs

How many times has a Corvette paced the Indianapolis 500?

Twenty-three, more than any other car: 1978, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 (the 2027 ZR1X). The table above lists every one with its driver and its replica.

Which Corvette pace cars were sold as replicas?

Six: the 1978 (6,502, RPO Z78), the 1986 (every convertible, 7,315, with the decals supplied), the 1995 (527), the 1998 (1,163), the 2007 (500) and the 2008 (500). The 2002 and 2004 pace cars were the 50th Anniversary and Commemorative Editions, sold as those; the later pace years had no replica.

What is a 1978 Corvette Pace Car worth?

It depends on mileage and originality more than any Corvette of its era, because so many were put away: low-mile, documented cars bring strong money, driven cars not much more than a standard 1978. The guide and the market reports have the figures; the Z78 code on the build sheet and the pace-car VIN series are the proof.

Who drove the Corvette pace cars at Indianapolis?

Jim Rathmann (1978), Chuck Yeager (1986), Jim Perkins (1995), Parnelli Jones (1998), Jim Caviezel (2002), Morgan Freeman (2004), Colin Powell (2005), Lance Armstrong (2006), Patrick Dempsey (2007), Emerson Fittipaldi (2008), Guy Fieri (2012), Jim Harbaugh (2013), Jeff Gordon (2015), Victor Oladipo (2018), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2019), Danica Patrick (2021) and Sarah Fisher (2022), among others; the guides name the rest.

Which Corvettes paced the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400?

The Daytona 500: a 2004 convertible, the 2005 coupe, the 2006 Z06, and the 2007 and 2008 cars. The Brickyard 400: Z06s in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and a 2010. A 1999 Corvette paced the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and a twin-turbo 1984 paced the PPG Indy Car series. Each is in its generation’s table.

How do I verify a pace-car replica?

By the factory codes, not the stripes: RPO Z78 and the pace-car VIN series for 1978, RPO Z4Z for 1995, 1998, 2007 and 2008, and the build sheet or window sticker for all of them. The 1986 is every convertible, so the decals prove nothing. The guides and the RPO pages have the codes.

Did a Corvette pace car ever crash?

The first 2019 ZR1 pace car was crashed by GM president Mark Reuss on a parade lap at the 2018 Detroit Grand Prix; a second car paced Indianapolis with Victor Oladipo a few weeks later. The 1984 PPG pace car was one of the cars swallowed by the National Corvette Museum sinkhole in 2014 and has since been revived.

Where are the pace cars in the special-editions list?

The six replicas are in the special-editions catalog with the anniversary and collector editions; this page carries every pace car, replica or not, with the other races. The year pages for each pace year carry the production breakdown and the RPO codes.