Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars Through the Years - 1911 - 2025

The Indianapolis 500 has used an official pace car since its very first race in 1911, setting the pace for what would become one of the most celebrated traditions in motorsport. Here's a detailed look at the evolution—from pioneering makes of the early 20th century to today’s high-performance supercars.

🏁 Early Years: 1911–1930 – Birth of the Pace Car

Above: The 1911 Stoddard-Dayton that was the 1911 Indy 500 Pace Car, driven by Carl G. Fisher, then owner of the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway

Above: The first winning race car and driver of the 1911 Indy 500 was Ray Haroun driving the #32 yellow hued 1911 Marmon Wasp (photo courtesy of NBC Sports). For the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which took place on Sunday, May 29, 2025, The Associated Press compiled a list of highlights of all past Indianapolis 500 races.

• 1911–1914: Founder Carl Fisher himself drove a Stoddard‑Dayton for the first five races, introducing the rolling start (indianapolismotorspeedway.com)—a major safety and spectacle improvement.
• 1915–1930: Pace cars from Packard, Marmon, Duesenberg, Chrysler, Stutz, Cole, and more were used, driven by notable early automotive figures like Barney Oldfield, Eddie Rickenbacker, Edsel Ford, and Louis Chevrolet.
  
  

Above: Photo of the 1915 Packard 3-38 roadster - 1915 Indy 500 Pace Car driven by Indy 500 founder Carl Fisher in the race

Above: 1923 Model A Duesenberg roadster Indy 500 Pace Car before the start of the race - The Duesenberg was driven by Fred Duesenberg, owner of the famous and prestigious Duesenberg Motor Car Company, for the 1923 race.

1931–1956 – American Luxury & Performance

Above: 1931 Cadillac 370A V12 Roadster Indy 500 Pace Car - The 1931 race was won by Louis Schneider, driving the #23 Bowes Seal Fast Special. The average speed of the winner was 96.629 mph. 

Domestic cars reigned supreme: Cadillac, Lincoln, Hudson, Buick, Chrysler, Nash, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Studebaker, and more took turns pacing the field. These were driven by luminaries, often including race winners like Wilbur Shaw and Benson Ford.

1957–1966 – Transition & Celebrity Drivers

Above: 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser Indy 500 Pace Car convertible version painted in Sun Glitter (a light yellow) with a black top and a two-tone black and yellow interior. The Turnpike Cruiser was chosen as the pace car due to its advanced styling and engineering features, as noted by Tony Hulman, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the time. 

• The pace lap count increased to two in 1957 for better fan visibility.
• Sam Hanks, the 1957 winner, served as pace-car driver for six years in a row, cruising crowds in cars like the Pontiac Bonneville, Buick Electra, and Ford Thunderbird.
• Highlights include Ford Mustang (1964) and Plymouth Sport Fury (1965).
  
  

Above and below: 1964 Mustang convertible Indy 500 Pace Cars - The world's first pony car premiered at the World's Fair on April 17,1964. Then, the early 1965 Mustang convertible was the Official Pace Car for the 1964 Indy 500 Race, held on Memorial Day in 1964.

Above and below: A 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury convertible, powered by a Mopar 383-cubic inch V8, was the Official Pace Car for the 49th running of the Indianapolis 500. World famous race car driver Jim Clark piloted a Ford powered Lotus to victory. The owner and founder of Lotus, Colin Chapman, is shown below conferring with driver Jim Clark at a practice before the running of the '65 Indy 500. 1965 is the only time that a Plymouth paced the Indy 500.

1967–1978 – Muscle Cars & Hollywood Names

Above: The 1969 Camaro Indy 500 Pace Cars and Festival Cars at the 1969 Indy 500

• Pace cars featured iconic muscle rides like the Chevrolet Camaro (1967, ’69) and Dodge Challenger (1971).
• Celebrity drivers with racing ties—Jim Rathmann, James Garner—became the norm.
• 1978: First Chevrolet Corvette pace car (C3), driven by Rathmann, ushered in a growing dominance for Chevy.
  
  

Above and below: The Official Pace Car for the 1971 Indy 500 was a 1971 Dodge Challenger convertible, powered by a 383-cubic inch Mopar V8. Unfortunately, the car's driver plowed into the photographer's tower, going at approximately 60 miles per hour. Oops!

1979–1996 – Rise of Recolonization & Racing Legends

• 1979: Ford Mustang, driven by Jackie Stewart, brought the pace car back to Ford.
• The 1980s and early '90s saw a cycle of GM cars: Pontiac Trans Am, Buick Regal/V‑6, Camaro Z28, Corvette convertible (1986), Oldsmobile Cutlass, Dodge Viper and Cadillac Allanté.
• Celebrity and professional drive splits: Chuck Yeager, Carroll Shelby, Bobby Unser, Jim Perkins, Parnelli Jones.

Above: 1979 Ford Mustang Indy 500 Pace Car

Above: A 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Indianapolis 500 Official Pace Car, owned by Classic Industries' CEO and Founder, is currently displayed within the Classic Industries' Retail Showroom in Huntington Beach, CA.

Above and below: Pre-production Dodge Viper, 400-horsepower aluminum V10 engine powered, driven by Carroll Shelby, the Official Pace Car of the 1991 Indy 500 - two pre-production Viper roadsters were the official pace cars for the 1991 race. The Viper didn't come to market until 1992. How cool is that?

1997–2006 – GM Monopoly & Corvette Ascendancy

• After 1997, General Motors solidified exclusive pace car supplier status.
• Standouts include Corvette C5 (1998) with Parnelli Jones; Corvette C5 (2002) with Jim Caviezel; Corvette C6 convertible (2005) with Gen. Colin Powell; and Corvette Z06 (2006) with Lance Armstrong.
  
  

Above: The 2006 Corvette Z06 C6 coupe Indy 500 Official Pace Car was driven by none other than famous (at the time, notorious now) professional bicycle racer and seven-time winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong.

2007–2016 – Camaro Returns & Pace-Car Pro Crew

• Pace cars alternated between Corvette and Camaro.
• Notables: Camaro SS (2009) driven by Josh Duhamel; Camaro SS (2010) by Robin Roberts; Camaro SS (2011) by A.J. Foyt; Camaro Z/28 (2014) by Dario Franchitti; Camaro 50th-anniversary SS (2016) by Roger Penske.
• A professional crew (led by Johnny Rutherford until 2016, then Sarah Fisher) handled caution-lap driving.
  
  

Above: The winner of the 2009 Indy 500 race was Elio Castroneves, who also won the 2009 Camaro SS Indy 500 Pace Car that he is hugging/laying on top of/in a fond embrace.

2017–2025 – Modern Corvette Era

From 2017 onward, the Corvette has become the pace car mainstay:

• 2017 Grand Sport (Jeffrey Dean Morgan),
• 2018 ZR1 (Victor Oladipo),
• 2019 Grand Sport (Dale Earnhardt Jr.),
• 2020 Stingray (Mark Reuss),
• 2021 Stingray convertible (Danica Patrick),
• 2022 Z06 (Sarah Fisher),
• 2023 Z06 (Tyrese Haliburton),
• 2024 E-Ray hybrid (Ken Griffey Jr.),
• 2025 ZR1, driven by NFL legend Michael Strahan, marking the fastest and most powerful American pace car ever produced.
  
  

Above: World famous former Indy 500 and Nascar driver, Danica Patrick drove the C8 2021 Corvette Stingray convertible Official Indy 500 Pace Car at the 2021 race.

Trends & Notable Insights

• Corvette leads with 19 appearances—the most by any model.
• Camaro follows closely with 8 pace runs.
• GM dominance since 1997, spanning Corvette, Camaro, Trans Am, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac.
• Celebrity drivers varied: astronauts, actors, athletes, presidents, racers—often tied to the car’s branding.
• A dual-driver format emerged: a celebrity for start laps and a seasoned pro (like Rutherford or Fisher) during cautions.

Above: Sarah Fisher was announced as the celebrity pace car driver Tuesday, May 10, 2022, during a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She led the field to the green flag in a 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition. Fisher has been driving the pace car at the track for years. Typically, after the celebrity driver takes a lap, Fisher would take over for the rest of the race. Sarah Fisher is a retired race car driver. As a nine-time Indianapolis 500 starter, the most by a woman, Sarah Fisher holds many records. These records include the first woman to win the pole position at the famous race track.

Summary Table: Corvette Pace Cars (1978–2025)

Final Thoughts

Above: Former NFL superstar and current Fox Sports broadcaster, Michael Strahan piloted the 2025 Corvette C8 ZR1 Indy 500 Official Pace Car for this year's race (2025).

From its humble start with Carl Fisher in a Stoddard-Dayton to today’s cutting-edge Corvette ZR1 paced by Michael Strahan, the Indy 500 pace-car tradition reflects America’s evolving automotive culture. What began as a practical rolling start has expanded into a symbol of prestige, automotive innovation, and celebrity spectacle—showcasing everything from classic luxury cruisers to state-of-the-art supercars.

Above: The winner of the 2025 Indianapolis 500, the 109th running of this world famous auto racing spectacle, was Alex Palou, the most dominant man of the IndyCar Series in 2025. He earned his first oval win at the biggest race of the year. The Spanish driver cemented his legacy as the greatest driver of recent American open-wheel history. He raced in the #10 clad Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Classic Industries - Parts for Many of These American Muscle Machines / Indy Pace Cars - Available Here!

Above: The Official 1986 Indy 500 Pace Car was a 1986 C4 Corvette, piloted by none other than Chuck Yeager, US Air Force General and test pilot.

Your one-stop shop for components on many of these American pony and muscle cars that were honored as Indy 500 Pace Cars are available at Classic Industries. Whether you have an actual one of one, two, or three official pace cars, or you have one of the limited edition festival cars, parts are available at Classic Industries. Of course, if you simply have a nice Dodge Challenger, a Chevrolet Camaro, a Ford Mustang (generations one through four), or a Chevrolet Corvette (C1-C6), there's a great chance that Classic Industries can help you find those restoration parts, accessory items, or aftermarket performance components that will bring your pride and joy(s)  up to a whole new level. You can shop online and enhance your shopping experience by obtaining a free printed parts and accessories catalog. Get those Indy Pace Cars, Festival Cars, and American muscle cars back out on the road and track, gearheads, with parts from Classic Industries!