Race Pacers
Since the very first Indianapolis 500-mile race held in 1911, a specially-appointed pace car has been used to lead the field in formation to the green flag for the start of the race. It is an honor — for both the driver and the car — to be chosen to lead the start of this historic race, and many special-edition vehicles have been created over the years to commemorate the event.
2019 Indy 500 Pace Car
The pace car honors for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 go to the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport and popular retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be behind the wheel. This year marks the 16th time Corvette has served as the Indy pace car, starting in 1978. The full list of drivers and cars is a fascinating window back to the auto world’s varied legends and today’s celebrities, so let’s look back at Indy 500 pace cars through the years. Note: The Indy 500 was not run in 1917-18 and 1942-45 due to World War I and Word War II respectively.
1911: Stoddard-Dayton Model 11-A
Driver: Carl G. Fisher
1912: Stutz
Driver: Carl G. Fisher
1913: Stoddard-Dayton
Driver: Carl G. Fisher
1914: Stoddard-Dayton
Driver: Carl G. Fisher
1915: Packard Model 548
Driver: Carl G. Fisher
1916: Premier Model 656
Driver: Frank E. Smith
1919: Packard 335
Driver: Col. J. G. Vincent
1920: Marmon Model 34
Driver: Barney Oldfield
1921: H.C.S. Series 6
Driver: Harry C. Stutz
1922: National Sextet
Driver: Barney Oldfield
1923: Duesenberg Model A
Driver: Fred S. Duesenberg
1924: Cole V-8 Series 890
Driver: Lew Pettijohn
1925: Rickenbacker Eight
Driver: Eddie Rickenbacker
1926: Chrysler Imperial E-80
Driver: Louis Chevrolet
1927: LaSalle V-8 Series 303
Driver: ‘Big Boy’ Rader
1928: Marmon ‘8’ (Model 78)
Driver: Joe Dawson
1929: Studebaker Series F-10 President
Driver: George Hunt
1930: Cord L-29
Driver: Wade Morton
1931: Cadillac 370 Twelve
Driver: ‘Big Boy’ Rader
1932: Lincoln Model KB
Driver: Edsel Ford
1933: Chrysler Imperial (Phaeton)
Driver: Byron Foy
1934: LaSalle Model 350
Driver: ‘Big Boy’ Rader
1935: Ford Model 48
Driver: Harry Mack
1936: Packard One-Twenty
Driver: Tommy Milton
1937: LaSalle Series 50
Driver: Ralph DePalma
1938: Hudson ‘112’
Driver: Stuart Baits
1939: Buick Roadmaster Series 80
Driver: Charles Chayne
1940: Studebaker Champion (image not available)
Driver: Harry Hartz
1941: Chrysler-Newport (Phaeton)
Driver: A.B. Couture
1946: Lincoln Continental
Driver: Henry Ford II
1947: Nash Ambassador
Driver: George W. Mason
1948: Chevrolet Stylemaster Six-Series
Driver: Wilbur Shaw
1949: Oldsmobile 88 ‘Rocket’
Driver: Wilbur Shaw
1950: Mercury
Driver: Benson Ford
1951: Chrysler New Yorker V-8
Driver: Dave Wallace
1952: Studebaker Commander
Driver: P.O. Peterson
1953: Ford Crestline Sunliner
Driver: William C. Ford
1954: Dodge Royal 500
Driver: William C. Newburg
1955: Chevrolet Bel Air
Driver: T.H. Keating
1956: DeSoto Fireflite Pacesetter
Driver: L.I. Woolson
1957: Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
Driver: F.C. Reith
1958: Pontiac Bonneville
Driver: Sam Hanks
1959: Buick Electra 225
Driver: Sam Hanks
1960: Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
Driver: Sam Hanks
1961: Ford Thunderbird
Driver: Sam Hanks
1962: Studebaker
Driver: Sam Hanks
1963: Chrysler ‘300’
Driver: Sam Hanks
1964: Ford Mustang
Driver: Benson Ford
1965: Plymouth Sports Fury
Driver: P.M. Buckminster
1966: Mercury Comet Cyclone GT
Driver: Benson Ford
1967: Chevrolet Camaro
Driver: Mauri Rose
1968: Ford Torino GT
Driver: William C. Ford
1969: Chevrolet Camaro SS
Driver: Jim Rathmann
1970: Oldsmobile 4-4-2
Driver: Rodger Ward
1971: Dodge Challenger
Driver: Eldon Palmer
1972: Hurst/Olds Cutlass
Driver: Jim Rathmann
1973: Cadillac Eldorado
Driver: Jim Rathmann
1974: Hurst/Olds Cutlass
Driver: Jim Rathmann
1975: Buick Century Custom ‘Free Spirit’
Driver: James Garner
1976: Buick Turbocharged V-6
Driver: Marty Robbins
1977: Oldsmobile Delta 88
Driver: James Garner
1978: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Jim Rathmann
1979: Ford Mustang
Driver: Jackie Stewart
1980: Pontiac Turbo-Trans Am
Driver: Johnnie Parsons
1981: Buick Regal V-6
Driver: Duke Nalon
1982: Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Driver: Jim Rathmann
1983: Buick Riviera Convertible
Driver: Duke Nalon
1984: Pontiac Fiero
Driver: John Callies
1985: Oldsmobile Calais
Driver: James Garner
1986: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Gen. Chuck Yeager
1987: Chrysler LeBaron
Driver: Carroll Shelby
1988: Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
Driver: Gen. Chuck Yeager
1989: 20th Anniversary Pontiac Trans Am
Driver: Bobby Unser
1990: Chevrolet Beretta
Driver: Jim Perkins
1991: Dodge Viper RT/10
Driver: Carroll Shelby
1992: Cadillac Allante
Driver: Bobby Unser
1993: Chevrolet Camaro Z-28
Driver: Jim Perkins
1994: Ford Mustang Cobra
Driver: Parnelli Jones
1995: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Jim Perkins
1996: Dodge Viper GTS
Driver: Robert A. Lutz
1997: Oldsmobile Aurora
Driver: Johnny Rutherford
1998: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Parnelli Jones
1999: Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Driver: Jay Leno
2000: Oldsmobile Aurora
Driver: Anthony Edwards
2001: Oldsmobile Bravada
Driver: Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp
2002: 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Jim Caviezel
2003: Chevy SSR
Driver: Herb Fishel
2004: Chevrolet Corvette C5
Driver: Morgan Freeman
2005: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Gen. Colin Powell
2006: Chevrolet Corvette C6
Driver: Lance Armstrong
2007: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Patrick Dempsey
2008: Chevrolet Corvette
Driver: Emerson Fittipaldi
2009: Chevrolet Camaro
Driver: Josh Duhamel
2010: Chevrolet Camaro SS
Driver: Robin Roberts
2011: Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
Driver: A.J. Foyt Jr.
2012: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Driver: Guy Fieri
2013: Corvette Stingray
Driver: Jim Harbaugh
2014: Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Driver: Dario Franchitti
2015: Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Driver: Jeff Gordon
2016: 50th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro
Driver: Roger Penske
2017: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Driver: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
2018: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Driver: Victor Oladipo
2019: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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