Some cars are built to turn heads. Others are built to make history.
For the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 24, Chevrolet’s new Corvette ZR1X will do a little of both as it leads the 33-car field to green at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
And honestly, could there be a more fitting choice?
2026 Corvette ZR1X - Center Stage @ 2026 Indy 500
Above: 2026 Corvette ZR1X Official Indianapolis 500 Pace Car commands center stage in front of the 2026 Corvette Festival Cars and 2026 Chevrolet Silverado and Suburban Festival Cars, all just behind the Brickyard's venerable brick-lined Start/Finish line for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500! (Lead photo courtesy of the Indy Star newspaper)
The newest chapter in Corvette performance arrives wearing the colors of America itself, celebrating the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary with a specially prepared patriotic livery that blends modern hypercar aggression with unmistakable American pride.
Chevrolet calls the ZR1X “America’s hypercar,” and the numbers back it up.
Above: The ZR1X is powered by an LT7 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8. The ZR1X also incorporates a front drive electric motor that provides assistance up to 160 mph, helping the car achieve a 0–60 mph time of under 2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of under 9 seconds, according to GM estimates. The AWD system combines front-motor propulsion and rear V8 power without a mechanical connection between the axles.
Packing an astonishing 1,250 horsepower, the all-wheel-drive Corvette combines a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 1,064 horsepower with an additional 186-horsepower electric motor driving the front wheels. The result is a Corvette capable of launching from 0-60 mph in less than two seconds and reaching a top speed of 233 mph.
That’s race-car territory.
Naturally, the ZR1X arrives at Indy prepared for high-speed Pace Car duty with Chevrolet’s Carbon Aero package, including aggressive front dive planes, underbody aero strakes, and a massive rear wing capable of generating more than 1,200 pounds of downforce at speed.
This year’s honorary Pace Car driver will be Indiana University Head Football Coach Curt Cignetti, fresh off IU Football’s undefeated National Championship season. He’ll have the privilege of guiding the field toward one of motorsports’ most iconic green flags at the wheel of the Corvette flagship.
Above: Surrounded by some of his players, head coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers hoists the George P. Crumbley Trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 9, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Visually, the ZR1X Pace Car leans heavily into its patriotic theme without losing its modern edge. The custom paint scheme transitions from Arctic White on the driver’s side to Admiral Blue on the passenger profile, accented by stars-and-stripes graphics developed alongside Chevrolet’s Stars and Steel Collection. Even the exposed carbon-fiber spine receives detailed painted striping treatment.
Inside, Santorini Blue seating pairs with red seat belts and matching stitched floor mats to continue the performance-meets-Americana theme.
Of course, Corvette at Indy is nothing new.
America’s sports car has long been part of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” and the 2026 event marks the 23rd time a Corvette has paced the Indianapolis 500 since first taking on the role in 1978. Overall, Chevrolet has now paced the race 37 times dating back to 1948.
Above: 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car (photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions) - For an article about Indianapolis 500 Official Pace Cars through the years, you know where to click.
That kind of history matters.
Because while technology evolves and horsepower climbs into territory once reserved for pure race machinery, the Indianapolis 500 still remains one of the few places where heritage, innovation, speed, and national pride all meet on the same stretch of asphalt.
And this year, the Corvette ZR1X will lead the way.
Video: America's Sports Car Back At the Brickyard Once Again!
Classic Industries and the Chevrolet Corvette - Quite the Match
For every generation of the Corvette, from the C1 all the way to the current mid-engine C8, the Corvette has always offered the world an amazingly great value proposition, with plenty of style, high performance, technology, handling, and a great deal of All American Hutzpah!
Get your C1 to C6 Corvette Components & Accessories @ Classic Industries
By clicking on the link just above or at the end of this sentence, you'll go directly to the Classic Industries 1953-2013 Chevrolet Corvette shopping page. On the page you can either shop by year, by product category, or by featured brands. You can also click on the school bus yellow button below.
Above: You'll find automotive designer, Peter Brock's interpretation of what the C2 Corvette should look like, penned in 1957! Below: What the 1963 C2 Corvette split-window Sting Ray coupe wound up looking like...
