2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport to serve as official Indianapolis 500 Pace Car | Landers Chevrolet Cadillac of Joplin

April 22, 2019

Chevrolet is definitely no stranger to the Indianapolis 500. Chevy was founded in 1911, the same year as the first Indy 500 race, and Arthur Chevrolet — brother of co-founder Louis Chevrolet — competed in that inaugural race in a prototype speedster built by himself and Louis. In the intervening years, Chevrolet cars have paced the race a record 30 times, starting with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster Six that served as the official pace car way back in 1948.

Chevrolet recently announced that for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, a Chevrolet Corvette will once again serve as the official pace car. It’ll be the 16th time a Corvette has paced the field, starting with the 1978 Corvette.

Pace cars are always special vehicles, and this year’s will be extra special: a 2019 Corvette Grand Sport, sporting a deep Long Beach Red Metallic tintcoat and unique Pace Car decal package, including full-length “Racing Blade” silver stripes. Like every 2019 Grand Sport Corvette, powering the pace car will be a 6.2-liter all-aluminum V8 with 460 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft of torque. It’ll be backed by an eight-speed automatic. The Grand Sport should have no trouble leading the field, with rocket-sled 0-60 acceleration of 3.6 seconds and flypaper skidpad capability that allows it to pull 1.2 Gs.

“Chevrolet is honored to lead the way for the 500 once again,” said Steve Majoros, director of Chevrolet passenger car and crossover marketing. “The Grand Sport is a particularly excellent choice as its wide body and aerodynamic features are steeped in racing heritage.”

“We continue to be grateful for our long-running partnership with Chevrolet,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. “It’s such a strong bond that has proven integral to the success of our events. The 2019 Corvette Grand Sport is a world-class machine that exudes speed, performance and excitement, a perfect fit to lead the 500 field.”

While Landers Chevrolet Cadillac of Joplin can’t get you a pole position at the Indy 500, we can help you get to the next best spot: behind the wheel of a beautiful new 2019 Chevrolet Corvette! We’ve got a great collection of 2019 Corvettes in stock, including the 650-horsepower Z06 and the incredible 755-horsepower 2019 Corvette ZR1 — the highest-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette EVER! Stop in today at Landers Chevrolet Cadillac of Joplin today and check out our full lineup of performance cars, or you can shop our selection online right now!

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