2021 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is the 2021 Indianapolis 500 pace car
A 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible will serve as pace car for the 2021 Indianapolis 500, to be held May 30, Chevy announced this week in a press release.
This is the first time a convertible has paced the 33-car Indy 500 field since 2008, Chevy noted. That car was also a Corvette, a testament to the sports car’s ubiquity at Indy.
No other brand and vehicle have handled pace-car duties more often than Chevy and the Corvette, respectively. This will be the 18th time a Corvette has served as the pace car, and the 32nd time for a Chevy. A Corvette first paced the Indy 500 field in 1978, but Chevy has been providing pace cars since 1948, when a Fleetmaster Six convertible did the honors.
2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible Indianapolis 500 pace car
This will already be the second time a mid-engine C8 Corvette has handled pace-car duties. A 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe was used for last year’s Indy 500, with General Motors president Mark Reuss at the wheel.
The 2021 pace car sports Arctic White paint with yellow accents and a large rear spoiler. The livery is a bit more complex than the 2020 pace car’s all-red exterior, but it’s still not as elaborate as some past Corvette Indy 500 pace cars.
The Indy 500 returns to its traditional Memorial Day weekend date this year, following a move to August last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fans will also return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway grandstands this year, but at only 40% capacity, and with mandatory masks and temperature checks. The track has been used as a coronavirus vaccination site, which is scheduled to continue through at least part of May despite the traditional pre-race activities.