Exciting News! 2023 C8 Corvette Indy Pace Car ZO6 will pace the Indy 500 this year.
The new ZO6 2023 C8 Corvette Indy Pace Car will be driven by Sarah Fisher at the Indy 500. Every year, racing fans from all over the world flock to see their favorite drivers race around the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.
This year, however, Corvette fans have even more reason to celebrate than usual because the official pace car for the legendary Indy 500 will be none other than the newest version of America’s sports car, the 2023 Corvette Z06!
The Indy Pace Car moniker is one of great honor in the racing world and this particular model will be no exception as it will also be a tribute to Corvette with the 70th Anniversary Edition that was announced in January and marks this year’s 70th anniversary of the arrival of America’s sports car.
You might remember that at the 2022 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction the highest-selling Corvette was the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 VIN 001 (also the first retail production 70th Anniversary Edition). When the hammer was struck, the winning bid was an astonishing $3.6 million. The first retail 2023 Corvette Z06 was purchased by Rick Hendrick, the founder, and CEO of Hendrick Companies.
On October 26, 2021, the General Motors Chevrolet division revealed the new C8 2023 Chevrolet Corvette ZO6. We have the video for you to watch as well as the press release with preliminary specifications. As of yet, there the price has not been released on the 2023 ZO6 Corvette.
We do however have the pricing on the base cost for the 2023 Corvette Stingray Coupes, Convertibles, and 70th Anniversary Special Edition as well as the options available for the 2023 Corvette model year.
Corvette Pace Car History
Chevrolet and the Corvette, respectively, have performed the pace car duties more often than any other car and car brand. Corvette has served 19 times as the pace car and this is the 33rd time for a Chevy. The first Corvette Pace Car at the Indy 500 was in 1978.
The first car to serve as the Chevy pace car was a Fleetmaster Six Convertible, which did so in 1948.
Below are the Years of the Indy 500 that Corvette was the Pace Car along with the driver
- 1978 Corvette C3 Pace Car driven by Jim Rathmann
- 1986 Corvette C4 Pace Car driven by Chuck Yeager
- 1995 Corvette C4 Pace Car driven by Jim Perkins
- 1998 Corvette C5 Pace Car driven by Parnelli Jones
- 2002 50th Anniversary Corvette C5 Pace Car driven by Joie Chitwood III
- 2004 Corvette C5 Pace Car driven by Morgan Freeman
- 2005 Corvette C5 Pace Car driven by General Colin Powell
- 2006 Corvette ZO6 Coupe C6 Pace Car driven by Lance Armstrong
- 2007 Corvette C6 Pace Car driven by Patrick Dempsey
- 2008 Corvette ZO6 E85 C6 Pace Car driven by Emerson Fittipaldi
- 2012 (2013) Corvette ZR1 C6 Pace Car driven by Guy Fieri
- 2013 (2014) Corvette Stingray C7 Pace Car driven by Jim Harbaugh
- 2015 Corvette ZO6 C7 Pace Car driven by Jeff Gordon
- 2017 Corvette Grand Sport C7 Pace Car driven by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
- 2018 (2019) Corvette ZR1 C7 Pace Car driven by Victor Oladipo
- 2019 Corvette Grand Sport C7 Pace Car driven by Dale Earnhardt, Jr
- 2020 Corvette Stingray C8 Pace Car driven by Mark Reuss
- 2021 Corvette Convertible C8 Pace Car driven by Danica Patric
- 2022 (2023) Corvette ZO6 C8 Pace Car driven by Sarah Fisher
2023 C8 Corvette Indy Pace Car ZO6 driven by Sarah Fisher
Sarah Fisher, former INDYCAR SERIES driver, and team owner will drive the Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition Pace Car to lead the Indy 500 field to the green flag on Sunday, May 29th. A former racer, Sarah Fisher, remains the fastest woman in history.
Fisher, born in Ohio, has started “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” nine times between 2000 and 2010, a record for female drivers. Fisher set the fastest four-lap qualifying speed of 229.439 mph in 2002, a record for female drivers.
Moreover, she is the first woman to win the pole position for a major North American open-wheel event in the INDYCAR SERIES race in 2002 at Kentucky Speedway. She is also the first female driver to earn a top-three finish in INDYCAR SERIES competition, placing third in 2000 at Kentucky Speedway and second in 2001 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
After her driving career, Fisher turned to team ownership, providing two-time series champion Josef Newgarden with his first drive in the INDYCAR SERIES. Her team ownership is now finished, but she stayed involved with the sport by acting as the Pace Car driver at selected NTT INDYCAR SERIES events.
She now co-owns Speedway Indoor Karting with her husband, Andy O’Gara, which has succeeded in both Speedway, Indiana, Daytona Beach, and Florida. Sarah is also the mother of two children.
“Every time I’ve had the opportunity to drive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s been special – from INDYCAR SERIES cars to two-seaters to vintage cars,” Fisher said. “Driving the Pace Car is just as special of an honor. And to have served in that role for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since Johnny Rutherford retired, I’ve had many great memories to add to my career.
“I am humbled and proud to become the official Pace Car driver for the 106th Indianapolis 500 and to represent the hard work and development that Chevrolet puts into these fantastic pieces of automobile advancement and technology.”
General statistics about 2023 C8 Corvette Indy Pace Car ZO6
The 2023 Corvette Z06 engine is the all-new 5.5L LT6, which generates 670 horsepower–the highest-horsepower naturally aspirated V-8 to ever be marketed on any production car.
It displaces 5.5 liters and creates its power via revs instead of forced induction and is capable of reaching a top speed of 8,600 rpm on the tachometer.
The 670-hp peak power arrives at 8,400 rpm. Peak torque of 460 lb-ft arrives at 6,300 rpm. There is an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that only transmits power to the rear wheels.
The Indianapolis 500 Corvette Z06 Pace Car has the Z07 Performance Package, which features a carbon fiber rear wing, aerodynamic ground effects, and carbon-ceramic brakes.
The Z07 Performance Package also has the Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 calibrations, carbon-fiber wheels with Michelin Sport Cup 2 R ZP tires, and carbon-ceramic brakes. The 2023 Corvette Z06 with the ZO7 Performance Package also adds carbon pieces to the body.
Features unique to the 2023 Pace Car – The 70th Anniversary Edition
In honor of Corvette’s 70-year history, the 2023 C8 Corvette Z06 Indy Pace Car is a 70th Anniversary Edition, finished in a White Pearl Tri-Coat Metallic paint.
Unique to this package on the production car and the Pace Car is 70th Anniversary Edition exterior badging, including special Corvette cross flags, Edge Red brake calipers, and the 70th Anniversary Edition logo on seats, steering wheel, and sill plates. The logo on the pace car’s roof shows “70 1953 – 2023.” There is also a “Z06” on the rear spoiler.
Chevrolet’s Performance Design Studio created an asymmetric stripe package specifically for the 2023 Corvette ZO6 Pace Car that draws inspiration from the 70th Anniversary Edition badging on the door. There is a red band on the driver’s side and a black stripe down the center of the body of the Chevy Corvette pace car.
Check out the Indy 500 Pace Car graphics on each door of the 2023 C8 Corvette Z06.
Takeaway Summary
“The Chevrolet Team is proud to pace the Indianapolis 500 for the 33rd time while celebrating 70 years of Corvette,” said Steve Majoros, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “It’s only fitting the Indianapolis 500 will be the first race the 2023 Corvette Z06 paces, a truly special moment for Corvette and INDYCAR fans around the world.”
“Sarah Fisher is an Indianapolis 500 icon who always takes the time to appreciate her fans and represent the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ with class and humility,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “She is such a fitting person for this honor, and it will be such a thrill and privilege to see her lead the field of 33 cars to the green flag before a huge crowd at the track and a global television audience.
“I’m sure Sarah will enjoy driving the 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition, which is an incredible car with the performance to match its great looks.”
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