IMS Unveils 2020 Indy 500 Pace Car

(photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

As drivers in the NTT INDYCAR Series took to the track Wednesday for the first day of practice, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled the official pace car for the delayed 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. The 2020 Corvette Stingray coupe, driven by General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) President Mark Reuss, will lead the field for this year’s race.

This will be the 31st time a Chevrolet vehicle has served as the official pace car and the 17th time a Corvette has earned the honor. 

“It’s truly an honor to have the opportunity to be behind the wheel of the mid-engine Corvette Pace Car at such a historic race as the Indy 500,” Reuss said in a news release. “The 2020 Corvette Stingray is the result of a close collaboration between the Corvette Racing and production engineering teams, setting a new benchmark for supercars around the world.”

IMS says the Stingray can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds. It was named the MotorTrend Car of the Year for 2020.

This year’s pace car adds to Chevy’s long history at IMS. The company was founded in 1911, the same year as the first Indy 500, and co-founder Louis Chevrolet competed in several early Indy 500 races.