There are few legendary and recognizable motorsport events in the racing world than the Indy 500 race. Established in 1911 and held annually ever since, the Indy 500 is the biggest, most important racing event in North America and in the world. The list of superlatives could go on, but the truth is the Indy 500 is much more than just a race. It is an enormous automotive event and a celebration of car culture.
However, the history of the famous Brickyard wasn’t just the legendary racing cars and drivers. It was also created with a long list of fantastic pace cars. In fact, the Indy 500 was the first race to incorporate pace cars as an important part of the organization. In fact, the Indy 500 promoted many models through its special pace car status. Over the years, auto manufacturers have battled to promote their model as the pace cars.
Soon, this title became prestigious among Detroit’s finest brands. Presently, the record goes to General Motors, who had 52 cars as Indy pace cars. The event featured the Chevrolet Corvette 15 times, followed by the Camaro with nine times. So, read on to find out more on the 18 greatest, most memorable and iconic Indy 500 pace cars. From the first one to the last one, they have all made automotive and racing history.
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Stoddard-Dayton
The first Indy 500 pace car was the Stoddard-Dayton from 1911. It was a nod to the neighboring company since they built those cars in Dayton, Ohio. Stoddard-Dayton was well-respected premium car brand in those days. But unfortunately, they discontinued it soon after and forgot all about it.