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April
29, 2015 Reprint and photos courtesy IMS.
Indiana
racing legend and five-time Brickyard champion Jeff Gordon will drive a
Corvette Z06 pace car to kick off the 99th Running of the Indianapolis
500, on May 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Gordon,
who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, is no stranger to the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the first NASCAR race in the
history of the famed 2.5-mile oval – the 1994 Brickyard 400 – and has
won four more times, including last year. His 2014 victory made him the
first five-time Brickyard champion and the only five-time winner of a
major race on the IMS oval.
“Indy is
hallowed ground for racers like me and I couldn’t be more thrilled to
drive the Corvette Z06 pace car around the track that helped drive my
success over the years,” Gordon said. ”The Indianapolis 500 is one of
the most celebrated races of the year and an event I always dreamed of
racing while growing up in California and in nearby Pittsboro. I’ve won
five NASCAR races at IMS and the track will always be a special place
for me, so to be able to participate in such a historic day will be
something I remember for the rest of my life.”
Race
fans can follow Jeff Gordon and his Corvette Z06 pace car experience on
Twitter at #JGPace2Race.
Gordon’s drive will mark the 13th time a Corvette
has been the official pace car, dating to 1978, and the 26th time a
Chevrolet has led the pack for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Corvette has served as the pace car more than any other vehicle in the
race’s history.
“Jeff is
a great choice to lead this year’s starting 33 drivers in the
Indianapolis 500 to the green flag,” said J. Douglas Boles, president
of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Jeff has such a strong connection to
the state of Indiana and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his
appearance in the Corvette Z06 pace car reinforces Chevrolet’s
important place in the past, present and future of the Indianapolis
500. We also look forward to seeing him back here on July 26, to see if
he can make it six wins in the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard.”
With 650
supercharged horsepower, a seven-speed manual transmission and a
track-capable chassis system, Gordon will have no trouble keeping in
front of the race field in the production-spec Corvette Z06. Featuring
an Arctic White exterior and Adrenaline Red interior, only its unique
Indy graphics package and safety strobe lights distinguish it from
other production models.
Like
Gordon, Chevrolet has a long, shared heritage with the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the
inaugural 500 Mile Race, and the Chevrolet brothers – company
co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston – all competed in early Indy 500
races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet
won it in 1920.
“It’s
great to have Jeff Gordon serve as this year’s pace car driver,” said
Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and
motorsports. “He is a true champion who has earned the respect and
admiration of competitors and race fans alike. It will be very special
to have Jeff lead the Indy 500 field to the green flag, behind the
wheel of the most powerful and capable production car ever from
Chevrolet – on a day he’ll also be competing in the Coca Cola 600
NASCAR race at Charlotte.”
In
addition to its frequent use as a pace car in the Indianapolis 500,
official partner Chevrolet is the only car to ever pace the Brickyard
400.
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And once
again, Chevrolet Camaro will serve as support vehicles for the 500
Festival Committee and carry drivers in the 500 Festival Parade !
This year,there were 100 new Convertibles onsite - 50 for use by the
Festival Committee and Officials, and 50 that were immediately sent to
Chevrolet dealers to be sold.
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