I was at the speedway on Bump Day this year and photographed a car meet of pace car owners. It inspired me to add photos to this pace car listing as well as enhance the data. My other photos from Bump Day

Indy 500 Pace Cars

Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	2006	Chevrolet Corvette Z-06 505hp 7L V-8	Lance Armstrong - 7-time Winner of Tour de France
	2005	Chevrolet Corvette 400hp 6L V-8	General Colin Powell - U.S. Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
	2004	Chevrolet Corvette C5 345hp 5.7L V-8	Morgan Freeman - Academy Award-winning actor
	2003	Chevy SSR 290hp 5.3L V-8 Convertible pickup	Herb Fishel - Exec. Director of GM Racing
	2002	Chevrolet Corvette 345hp 5.7L V-8	Jim Caviezel - Film actor
	2001	Oldsmobile Bravada 270hp inline V-6 SUV	Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp - Supermodel
	2000	Oldsmobile Aurora 250hp 4L V-8	Anthony Edwards - Film and TV actor
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1999	Chevrolet Monte Carlo 215hp 3.4L V-6 FWD	Jay Leno - Talk Show Host, Comedian, Car Collector
	1998	Chevrolet Corvette 345hp 5.7L V-8	Parnelli Jones - 1963 Indy 500 Winner
	1997	Oldsmobile Aurora 250hp 4L V-8	Johnny Rutherford - 3-time Indy 500 Winner
	1996	Dodge Viper 450hp 8L V-10	Robert A. Lutz - Chairman of GM
	1995	Chevrolet Corvette 300hp 5.7L V-8	Jim Perkins - GM of Chevrolet
	1994	Ford Mustang Cobra 235hp 5L V-8	Parnelli Jones
	1993	Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 275hp 5.7L V-8 4th generation Camaro	Jim Perkins
	1992	Cadillac Allanté 295hp 4.6L Northstar V-8	Bobby Unser - 3-time Indy 500 Winner
	1991	Dodge Viper 400hp 8L V-10	Carroll Shelby The Dodge Stealth was to be the pace car, but the UAW didn't like the joint venture between Chrysler and Mitsubishi, forcing Dodge to use the as-yet unreleased Viper.
	1990	Chevrolet Beretta 180hp 2.3L Quad 4 FWD	Jim Perkins
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1989	Pontiac Trans Am GTA 250hp 231c.i. Turbo V-6 1500 replicas produced	Bobby Unser - 3-time Indy 500 Winner
	1988	Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 250hp 138c.i. Turbo 4-cyl Front-wheel-drive	Gen. Chuck Yeager - Test Pilot, 1st to fly at Mach 1
	1987	Chrysler LeBaron 230hp 135c.i. Turbo 4-cyl	Carroll Shelby - Racing and Automobile Design Legend
	1986	Chevrolet Corvette 230hp 350c.i. V-8 1st Vette ragtop in 15 years	Gen. Chuck Yeager
	1985	Oldsmobile Calais 215hp 2.7L 4-cyl Front-wheel-drive 4-passenger Calais converted to an open roof	James Garner - Film and TV actor
	1984	Pontiac Fiero 232hp 165c.i. 4-cyl 1st 4-cyl pace car since 1912 the smallest pace car 2000 replicas produced	John Callies - Mgr of Pontiac Motorsports Div.
	1983	Buick Riviera Convertible 450hp 252c.i. twin-turbo V-6 which led to the turbocharged Buick V-6 Indy car engines the following year.	Duke Nalon - Drove Novi's in the Indy 500
	1982	Chevrolet Camaro Z28 350c.i. V-8 modded to 250hp 6000 commemorative editions built	Jim Rathmann - 1960 Indy 500 Winner
	1981	Buick Regal 252c.i. V-6 modded to 281hp Chopped roof	Duke Nalon
	1980	Pontiac Turbo-Trans Am 210hp 301c.i. V-8 Turbo	Johnnie Parsons, Sr. - 1950 Indy 500 Winner
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1979	Ford Mustang II 302c.i. V-8 modded to 280hp 11,000 replicas!	Jackie Stewart - 3-time F1 World Champion He is the only foreign Indy 500 pace car driver.
	1978	Chevrolet Corvette 220hp 350c.i. V-8 Originally 2500 replicas planned, orders swelled production to 6000	Jim Rathmann Note: Chevy provided a large number of Camaro Z-28s and Monte Carlos as parade and courtesy vehicles.
	1977	Oldsmobile Delta 88 modified 403c.i. V-8 Modified with a removable top.	James Garner
	1976	Buick Century 306hp turbo 261c.i. V-6 The 1st V-6 pace car 1290 replicas produced	Marty Robbins - Country singer who also raced NASCAR
	1975	Buick Century Custom 325hp 350c.i. V-8 40 replicas produced	James Garner
	1974	Hurst/Olds Cutlass 230hp 455c.i. V-8 The top was chopped because no convertible models. 380 replicas produced	Jim Rathmann
	1973	Cadillac Eldorado Front-wheel-drive 235hp 500c.i. V-8 modified to 500hp!	Jim Rathmann Note: Winner Gordon Johncock didn't recieve the 500hp model.
	1972	Hurst-Olds Cutlass 300hp 455c.i. V-8 130 replicas	Jim Rathmann
	1971	Dodge Challenger 300hp 383c.i. V-8 51 replicas and only 2165 were produced	Eldon Palmer - Indianapolis car dealer Palmer lost control on pit lane with astronaut John Glenn, Tony Hulman and a sportscaster aboard, crashing into a photographer stand and injuring 20 people. The only Indy 500 pace car accident ever.
	1970	Oldsmobile 4-4-2 365hp 455c.i. V-8	Rodger Ward - 2-time Indy 500 Winner
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1969	Chevrolet Camaro modified 375hp 396c.i. V-8 3675 relicas produced	Jim Rathmann - 1960 Indy 500 winner, Chevy dealer
	1968	Ford Torino/Fairlane 390hp 427c.i. V-8	William Clay Ford Sr. - Grandson of Henry Ford, Owner of Detroit Lions
	1967	Chevrolet Camaro modified 375hp 396c.i. V-8 100 replicas were produced.	Mauri Rose - 2-time Indy 500 Winner
	1966	Mercury Comet Cyclone GT 335hp 390c.i. V-8 only 2,158 were produced	Benson Ford - Grandson of Henry Ford
	1965	Plymouth Sports Fury 270hp 383c.i. V-8 Blue convertible top	P.M. Buckminster - GM of Chrysler-Plymouth Note: Jim Clark became the first foreigner to win the pace car.
	1964	Ford Mustang 271hp 289c.i. V-8	Benson Ford
	1963	Chrysler "300" 360hp 413c.i. V-8 1861 replicas were made.	Sam Hanks - 1957 Indy 500 Winner
	1962	Studebaker Lark Daytona 210hp 289c.i. V-8 The Studebaker Avanti was supposed to be pacecar, but didn't see production in time.	Sam Hanks
	1961	Ford Thunderbird 300hp 390c.i. V-8	Sam Hanks Note: A.J. Foyt saw his mom admiring this gold car and he said he'd win it for her. He did.
	1960	Oldsmobile 98 315hp 394c.i. V-8	Sam Hanks
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1959	Buick Electra 225 325hp 401c.i. V-8	Sam Hanks
	1958	Pontiac Bonneville 310hp 370c.i. V-8 200 of these engines were produced so they could use them in NASCAR	Sam Hanks Note: For the 2nd, but last year, the racers were started from the pit area.
	1957	Mercury 290hp 368c.i. V-8	F.C. "Jack" Reith - GM of Mercury, VP of Ford
	1956	DeSoto Fireflite painted gold like an Adventurer	L.I. Woolson - President of DeSoto
	1955	Chevrolet Bel Air 180hp 265c.i. V-8	Thomas H. Keating - Chevrolet Sales Mgr
	1954	Dodge Royal 500 170hp 241c.i. hemi V-8	William C. Newburg Note: Wilbur Shaw had rode along in previous years and this was his last race due to his death in a October plane crash.
	1953	Ford Crestline Sunliner 110hp 239c.i. flathead V-8 2000 replicas created	William Clay Ford, Sr. He was the 4th member of the Ford family to be a pace car driver.
	1952	Studebaker Commander 120hp 232c.i. V-8	P.O. Peterson - Exec. VP of Studebaker
	1951	Chrysler New Yorker 180hp 331c.i. hemi V-8	Dave Wallace - President of Chrysler
	1950	Mercury 110hp 255c.i. V-8	Benson Ford - Head of Lincoln-Mercury
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1949	Oldsmobile 88 This car was red. 135hp 303c.i. V-8	Wilbur Shaw Note: Upon the front row jumping the start, Shaw would henceforth face backward from passenger seat to wave field into line, letting others drive.
	1948	Chevrolet Stylemaster Six-Series 90hp 216c.i. inline 6	Wilbur Shaw - 3-time Indy 500 Winner / President of Indy Speedway
	1947	Nash Ambassador 112hp 234c.i. inline 6 This car was yellow. (One of the very few non-convertible pace cars)	George W. Mason - CEO of American Motors
	1946	Lincoln Continental 130hp 305c.i. V-12	Henry Ford II - President of Ford Note: 500 Winner George Robson did not receive a pace car, he died in a plane crash.
		No races during WWII
	1941	Chrysler-Newport (Phaeton) Only six of these cars were produced The only non-production pace car 143hp 323c.i. straight 8	A.B. Couture Note: Indy 500 co-winners Mauri Rose / Floyd Davis did not receive this car.
	1940	Studebaker Champion 78hp 164c.i. L-head 6-cyl 1st enclosed pace car	Ab Jenkins - Land Speed Record Holder
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1939	Buick Roadmaster 80 Series 141hp 320c.i. straight 8 Actual pace car was white	Charles Chayne - Buick Chief Engineer
	1938	Hudson "112" 112-inch wheelbase 86hp 190c.i. V-6 0-60 in 35 seconds 24 mpg	Stuart Baits - Designer of the Hudson 112
	1937	LaSalle 125hp 322c.i. V-8	Ralph DePalma - 1915 Indy 500 Winner
	1936	Packard "120" 120hp 282c.i. straight 8	Tommy Milton - 2-time Indy 500 Winner Milton proposed that the pace car be given to the 500 winner, a tradition that continues to this day.
	1935	Ford V-8	Harry Mack - Ford Dearborn Branch Exec.
	1934	LaSalle	Willard "Big Boy" Rader
	1933	Chrysler Imperial (Phaeton)	Byron Foy
	1932	Lincoln	Edsel Ford - Responsible for this pace car
	1931	Cadillac	Willard "Big Boy" Rader
	1930	Cord L-29	Race driver Wade Morton was assigned as driver, but it's rumored that E.L. Cord himself drove the pace lap.
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1929	Studebaker President	George Hunt
	1928	Marmon "8" (Model 78)	Joe Dawson - 1912 Indy 500 Winner, Test driver for Marmon
	1927	LaSalle V-8	Willard "Big Boy" Rader - famous Long Distance Test Driver
	1926	Chrysler Imperial "80"	Louis Chevrolet - Founder of Chevrolet, Race car driver
	1925	Rickenbacker "8"	Eddie Rickenbacker - Race car driver, WWI Flying Ace, Owner of Indy Speedway, CEO of Eastern Airlines
	1924	Cole V-8	Lew Pettijohn - Cole test driver
	1923	Duesenberg	Fred S. Duesenberg - He and his brother founded Duesenberg
	1922	National Sextet	Barney Oldfield - Popular race car driver 1st man to drive 60 mph on flat land
	1921	H.C.S. "6"	Harry C. Stutz - Founder of Stutz
	1920	Marmon "6" (Model 34)	Barney Oldfield
Photo	YEAR	CAR	DRIVER
	1919	Packard V-12 called Twin Six	Col. Jesse G. Vincent - Designer of the twin six engine
		No races during WWI
	1916	Premier "6"	Frank E. Smith
	1915	Packard "6"	Carl G. Fisher - Founded the first car company in the US, Created the Indy Speedway, Created the Lincoln Hiway, Created Miami Beach.
	1914	Stoddard Dayton	Carl G. Fisher
	1913	Stoddard Dayton	Carl G. Fisher
	1912	Stutz	Carl G. Fisher
	1911	Stoddard Dayton	Carl G. Fisher

Back to the TOP

Search this Site | Site Map | 500 FAQ | Ticket FAQ |

Copyright © 2004, 2006 IndySpeedway.comAll Rights Reserved. Created Dec. 26 1996.