Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport will pace the 2019 Indianapolis 500
This year marks the 16th time a ‘Vette will lead the Indy 500 field.
When the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place next month, a Chevrolet Corvette will once again be handling pace car duties. It'll mark the 16th time a Corvette has had the honor and 30th overall for Chevrolet of leading the 33 car field to the green flag for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Really, it would be bigger news if Chevy or a Corvette wasn't pacing the Indy 500.
This year's race will be led specifically by a 2019 Corvette Grand Sport that just may be the sweet spot in the line up with Z06 chassis hardware, and the 460-horsepower LT1 V8 from the base Stingray. In pace car trim it will have an eight-speed automatic and wear a Long Beach Red Metallic paint job with dual silver stripes.
While not as powerful as last year's ZR1, the Grand Sport's performance chops should be sufficient for the task at hand with a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. The Magnetic Ride Control suspension and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes should help it get through the turns at a respectable clip helped by the aerodynamic bits from the Z06. The aero is nothing in comparison the open-wheel racers that will be riding behind the Grand Sport, but 1.2 g cornering capabilities are far from shabby for a street car.
To see a Chevy Corvette pace the Indy 500 field once again you can make the pilgrimage to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and see it in person on May 26th this year. If a trip to Indiana isn't in the cards, however, make sure catch it on TV or you can listen to it on satellite radio.
