Special Editions: 2017 Corvette Grand Sport Indianapolis 500 Pace Car
The 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport will serve as the official Pace Car for the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil and will lead drivers to the green flag on May 28.
2017 marks 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. No other vehicle has served as the Pace Car more than the Corvette.
“Chevrolet is proud to once again pace the Indianapolis 500,” said Steve Majoros, marketing director for Cars and Crossovers. “The Corvette Grand Sport’s performance capability and motorsports heritage make it the perfect choice to pace ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”
The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car features:
- 460-hp (343 kW) LT1 direct-injected V-8 engine with dry-sump oiling and active exhaust
- Eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission
- Equipped with the available carbon-fiber ground effects package
- Specific Grand Sport wheel design: 19 x 10-inch (front) and 20 x 12-inch (rear)
- Standard magnetic ride control, specific stabilizer bars and unique springs
- Standard electronic limited-slip differential
- Includes the available Z07 package, with carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors and 285/30ZR19 (front) and 335/25ZR20 (rear) high-performance tires
- Brembo Carbon Ceramic brake system with 15.5-inch (394 mm) rotors with six-piston calipers in front and 15.3-inch (380 mm) rotors with four-piston calipers in rear
- Unique Indy 500 graphics package
The Grand Sport Pace Car equipped with the Z07 package can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, cover the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds and achieve 1.2 g cornering capability.
Chevrolet has a storied history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-Mile Race, and company cofounder Louis Chevrolet, along with brothers Arthur and Gaston, competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race, and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.
“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.”
Sexton Companies to support Veach’s Indy 500 entry
Sexton Companies has signed as a major associate sponsor of A.J. Foyt’s No. 40 Chevrolet to be driven by rookie Zach Veach in the Indianapolis 500.
“We are thrilled to be a part of A.J.’s team because it has such a great history,” said Marlyne Sexton, president and owner of the eponymous real estate company. “In fact I think anyone who can align themselves with A.J. is very lucky. He is such an icon of the sport—even though he doesn’t like to admit it.”
The company’s logo will be featured on the side pods of the Indy Women in Tech Championship Chevrolet which will be unveiled at the AJ Foyt Racing shop in Speedway, Ind. on the evening of Wednesday, May 10th.
“I am proud to have Marlyne and her company as part of our team once again for the 500,” said Foyt. “Marlyne has been a great supporter of the Indy 500 and a really good friend to me and my family. We go back a long time because I knew her late husband Joe Sexton since the early ‘60s. He was a great guy.”
Alfe Heat Treating will also return as an associate sponsor of the No. 40 Chevrolet, continuing their involvement with the team’s third car. Alfe has been an associate sponsor of the No. 14, and more recently the No. 41 (now No. 4 car), in a full-season capacity since 2011.
Of Note
Royal Purple Synthetic Oil – the Official Oil of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires – will take its partnership with the driver development ladder system one step further. The world’s leading lubricant company will title all six rounds of competition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 12 and 13. All races will be in support of the Lupus Foundation of America.
