Special Editions: 2021 Corvette Stingray The Official Pace Car for the 2021 Indianapolis 500
Back at the beginning of April, Chevrolet pulled the cover off of the fleet of Shock and Steel Edition Camaro models doing Festival Car duty for the 105th Indy 500. These cars have been busy drumming up hype for the upcoming event at the Brickyard, but now General Motors is back with something even more exciting. Thanks to Team Chevy’s social media channels, we now have our first look at the 2021 C8 Corvette convertible that will be serving as the official pace car of this year’s Indianapolis 500 event. Here is what you need to know about the latest in a long line of Chevrolet Corvette pace cars.
2021 C8 Corvette: An Indy 500 Pace Car Yet Again
The Chevrolet Corvette has served as the official pace car of the Indy 500 18 times since 1978. That accounts for half of the 32 times that Chevrolet has been given the honor since 1948, which only highlights the sports car’s endearing legacy. Interestingly enough, this C8 Corvette convertible is the first Indy 500 pace car to have a drop-top since the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. Perhaps this comes as a result of the convertible model making up 41 percent of Corvette sales for the 2021 model year.
“The 2021 Corvette Stingray hardtop convertible is such a world-class performance car that’s a perfect match to lead the talented field of 33 drivers to the green flag in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’” said IMS president Doug Boles. “We continue to be grateful for our strong, enduring partnership with Chevrolet and its many contributions to the success of our events and the exciting appeal of competition at the Racing Capital of the World.”
The Visual Changes
This 2021 C8 Corvette Convertible features a ton of visual tweaks you’d expect to see on an Indy 500 pace car. The car features Arctic White paint, which is offset by black convertible top and a ton of unique graphics. Black and yellow racing stripes go across the top of the Corvette pace car, while the sides of the sports car feature the 105th Indy 500 logo we saw on the Camaro Festival Cars. In order to exemplify the performance of the C8, Chevrolet has also opted to equip this pace car with the Z51 Performance Pack, complete with the optional 5VM aero kit and the High Wing Spoiler. The aero kit also wears some unique yellow paint. Not wanting to disturb the styling of their mid-engined sports car, GM also found a way to integrate the necessary lighting elements directly into the tonneau cover nacelles, headlights, louvers, and taillights.
Overall, the 2021 C8 Corvette Convertible Indy 500 pace car is one of the better looking entries we’ve seen in recent years. The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 2021, when 33 IndyCar drivers will face off for 200 laps of the iconic track.
