According to IndyCar, no car has paced the Indianapolis 500 more often than the Corvette. Every Corvette Indy pace car run came in 1978 or later, and the 2025 race made it 22 in all. Here are nine of those cars, from the first C3 coupe to the 1,064-horsepower ZR1.
Some lists label a pace car by its model year, which can run a year ahead of the race. So each entry below uses the year of the race it paced. Chevrolet as a brand has paced the race even more often, 36 times through 2025.
1. 1978 Corvette coupe (C3): the first Corvette Indy pace car
The Corvette’s first turn at the front came in 1978. Jim Rathmann drove it, and the car wore a two-tone paint job in black and silver.
According to Motor1’s Corvette pace car list, the car also had a fastback rear end with wraparound glass, which was new for the Corvette at the time. CorvSport adds that it carried a unique front and rear spoiler package. Rathmann is listed as its driver by both CorvSport and Classic Industries’ pace car history.
2. 1986 Corvette convertible (C4)
Eight years later, the Corvette returned with a famous name behind the wheel. Air Force general and test pilot Chuck Yeager drove the 1986 pace car, Classic Industries notes.
The car also marked the return of the Corvette convertible for the first time since 1975, according to Motor1. Meanwhile, CorvSport describes it as a yellow convertible with a 350-cubic-inch, 230-horsepower fuel-injected small-block. In fact, CorvSport says Chevrolet designated every 1986 convertible a pace car replica.
3. 1995 Corvette convertible (C4)
The 1995 car is easy to spot in old photos. Motor1 describes a purple upper body, a white lower body and swirling stripes along the sides.
Jim Perkins, a former Chevrolet manager, drove it, according to CorvSport and Classic Industries. In addition, CorvSport reports that Chevrolet built three official cars that year. Two had automatic transmissions, while one had a six-speed manual.
4. 1998 Corvette convertible (C5)
The new C5 generation took its first pace car turn in 1998. Racing great Parnelli Jones drove, although CorvSport says golfer Greg Norman had been picked first and withdrew for shoulder surgery.
Motor1 points to the bright yellow wheels and matching stripes, and CorvSport adds a yellow leather interior. Also, CorvSport reports that Chevrolet produced 1,163 replicas under the Z4Z Pace Car Package.
5. 2002 Corvette coupe (C5)
For 2002, Chevrolet chose something quieter. Motor1 calls it “a subtler burgundy 50th Anniversary Edition coupe,” and actor Jim Caviezel drove, per Classic Industries.
This is the car that shows why years get confusing. CorvSport files the same Caviezel coupe under 2003, its model year. However, Classic Industries places it at the 2002 race, so it appears here under 2002.
6. 2008 Corvette Z06 E85 (C6)
The 2008 car made a point about fuel. According to Motor1, the green Z06 ran on E85 ethanol, and two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi drove it on the opening lap.
CorvSport says the car was specially engineered for E85, with a unique powertrain controller and fuel system, and wore Gold Rush Green paint. That year also brought a second car, a black-and-silver convertible marking 30 years since the 1978 pace car.
7. 2018 Corvette ZR1 (C7)
The 2018 race got the new ZR1. Former Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo drove it, Motor1 says.
Under the hood sat a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 755 horsepower, according to both Motor1 and CorvSport. CorvSport lists it as the 2019 ZR1, after its model year, but the text ties it to the 2018 race.
8. 2020 Corvette Stingray (C8)
Two years later, the pace car had its engine behind the driver. The mid-engine C8 Stingray led the field with GM president Mark Reuss in the driver’s seat, according to Motor1.
Motor1 describes a Torch Red car with Carbon Flash trim, special race graphics and the Z51 package with the high wing option. Then CorvSport adds the numbers: a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 with 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque in Z51 form.
9. 2025 Corvette ZR1 (C8)
The newest car on this list is also the most powerful factory Corvette yet, according to SPEED SPORT. Meanwhile, IndyCar’s announcement for the 109th Indianapolis 500 says the ZR1 delivers 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm from a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8. It is also capable of 233 mph.
Former NFL star Michael Strahan served as honorary pace car driver for the race on May 25, 2025. According to IndyCar and SPEED SPORT, it was the Corvette’s 22nd time pacing the Indianapolis 500.
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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.
