The very top level of American Championship Car Racing is an open-wheel, open-cockpit formula fondly known as “Indy-Car Racing”, awaited anxiously on every year by many of us and our customers here at Chuck Hutton Chevy of Memphis. The 2020 Corvette Stingray will handle the duty of taking the field to green for the 104th running this year, brandishing a specially-celebrated model for the occasion. It is a Torch Red coupe equipped with the optional Z51 performance package, accessory spoiler and ground effects package, Carbon Flash accents, GT2 bucket seats, and an Indy 500-themed livery.
GM President Mark Reuss himself will be behind the wheel, personally celebrating all that the Chevy namesake has contributed to the success of Indy 500 and other events. This Torch Red 2020 Corvette Stingray is definitely a world-class machine with the performance and speed that perfectly suits it to pace the “500” landscape. The Corvette has seen the honor of leading the Indy 500 field to green more than any other vehicle in history, seeing its first time at the Greatest Spectacle in racing was in 1978, since seizing the opportunity 17 times.
The very first time a Chevy vehicle led the pack at the Indy track was in 1948 when a Chevy Fleetmaster Six convertible was given the honors. Situated just behind the Corvette is another Chevy masterpiece: the Camaro has also had its roots in motor racing and a close long-standing relationship with the Indy 500. Company co-founder Louis Chevrolet first met William C. Durant after being hired on by Buick as a racing driver and the two would later co-found the company together in 1911. Chevrolet himself went on to start in four Indy 500s, retiring in all but three of them, while his brothers Gaston and Arthur also made two Indy 500 starts each.
Last year's Indy 500 was won by Chevy Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud, and 11 times over the years has seen 9 drivers with Chevy engines combined to claim the title. The 104th Indy 500 will go green on Sunday, August 23, with coverage on NBSCSN at 1 P.M. ET. Last year the qualifying procedure was restructured a bit, as “Bump Day” and “Pole Day” were moved into the second day of qualifying and those who qualified in positions 10 30 on day one will be locked into the field. The weekend before the race, all cars are now entered into a blind draw to determine qualifying order.
The fastest nine drivers from Saturday then take their own parts in the “Fast Nine Shootout”, and the qualifying order is based on the first run's slowest to fastest ranking. From here the quickest driver wins the sought-after “pole position”, and the remaining 8 lock in positions reflecting their times. We are thrilled to see the Corvette once again at the head of the line during such a spectacular event, and thankful to everyone out there helping make sporting events safe yet still sensational!
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