Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to Pace 2022 Indy 500

© General Motors
2022 Indy 500 Pace Car
Celebrating seven decades of America’s sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette will once again lead the starting field to the green flag for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29, 2022. This year the honors go to a mid-engine 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition finished in White Pearl Tri-Coat Metallic with 70th Anniversary Edition badging, special Corvette crossflags, Edge Red brake calipers and an asymmetrical stripe package.

© IMS Photo
Pace Car Driver
Sarah Fisher, former INDYCAR SERIES driver and owner will pilot the 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition pace car, leading the field to the green flag on May 29. Still the fastest woman driver in Indy 500 history, Fisher started the Indy 500 nine times from 2000 to 2010. Fisher’s four-lap qualifying speed of 229.439 in 2002 is still the fastest qualifying speed recorded by a female driver in Indy history.

© General Motors
Pace Car Honors
“Every time I’ve had the opportunity to drive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s been special — from INDYCAR SERIES cars to two-seaters to vintage cars,” Fisher said. “Driving the Pace Car is just as special of an honor. And to have served in that role for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since Johnny Rutherford retired, I’ve had many great memories to add to my career. “I am humbled and proud to become the official Pace Car driver for the 106th Indianapolis 500 and to represent the hard work and development that Chevrolet puts into these fantastic pieces of automobile advancement and technology.”

© General Motors
2022 Indy 500 Pace Car Specs
Based on the 2023 Corvette Z06, the 70th Anniversary Edition pace car is powered by a new 5.5-liter LT6 V8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft design that produces 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, mated with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Based on knowledge and engineering from the Corvette Racing C.8R, the 2023 Corvette Z06 has many specific features including different front and rear fascias; a 3.6-inch-wider stance than the Corvette Stingray; retuned suspension; and larger brakes with 6-piston front calipers.

© General Motors
Z07 Performance Package
The 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition pace car is also equipped with a Z07 Performance Package that provides 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph. The package includes a higher carbon fiber rear wing, ground effects modifications, specific chassis tuning, specifically designed Michelin Cup 2 R ZP tires, and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and optional carbon fiber wheels.

© General Motors
Leading the Field
“The Chevrolet Team is proud to pace the Indianapolis 500 for the 33rd time, while celebrating 70 years of Corvette,” said Steve Majoros, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “It’s only fitting the Indianapolis 500 will be the first race the 2023 Corvette Z06 paces, a truly special moment for Corvette and INDYCAR fans around the world.”

© Chris Owens/IMS
2021 Indy 500 Pace Car
A Corvette has paced the Indy 500 field 18 times in the past — more than any other model — and 2022 marks the 33rd time a Chevrolet will lead the pack, beginning in 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster Six convertible. Last year Chevrolet added the convertible version of the eighth-generation Corvette that debuted as a 2020 model. The 2021 pace car was a Corvette Stingray hardtop convertible finished in Arctic White with yellow and gray accents, driven by former INDYCAR and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. The following photos document the generations of Corvette pace cars that have led 11 rows of race cars to the green flag for the start of a grueling 500-mile event known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

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