2008 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Cars
Written by Bill Bowman
For the first time ever, the Indianapolis 500 has two official Pace Cars and they are both Corvettes. For a record breaking tenth time, on Memorial Day weekend 2008, a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette will be pacing the field for a fifth straight year at the 92nd running of the Indy 500 at the famous Indianapolis Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It is also the 19th time Chevrolet has had one of its vehicles choosen to pace the race.
The 2008 Gold Rush Green Z06 Corvette will be the first Indy 500 Pace Car to run on E85 ethanol fuel. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% percent gasoline. The fuel system and powertrain controller are the only revisions besides safety equipment and strobe lights that were made to the otherwise stock Z06 Corvette. The Z06 will pace the start of the race and then the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Edition will take over and pace the field during caution laps.
The black and silver convertible marks the 30th anniversary of the first Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car, the 1978 Chevrolet Corvette. Chevrolet will produce a total of 500 black and silver 2008 Pace car Replicas in both hardtop and convertible versions. In 1978, Chevrolet produced 6,502 Pace Car replicas. In addition to the exterior color scheme, the interiors are a special two-tone titanium color with the Indianapolis 500 logo embroidered on the seats.
Emerson Fittipaldi, winning driver of the 1989 and 1993 Indianapolis 500 (while driving for Chevrolet) will be the pace car driver and will personally sign all 500 replica pace cars at the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Fittipaldi, whose personal cars include a Corvette Z06 and a 1993 Camaro Pace Car lives in Florida and Brazil.
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