Just a couple of days ago it was announced that a 2010 Chevy Camaro would be the pace car for the 2010 Indianapolis 500. The car is reported to be an RS/SS model. We have no idea who will be driving it, but we are very sure that a gaudy sticker package “Pace Car Edition Camaro” will be available at a Chevy dealer near you next year. And, if it’s like the one seen in the photo, then someone needs to call Ford and tell them that their Mustang stripes have been found.
While this certainly isn’t ground breaking news, it beats the hell out of relaying the information that a Prius has been selected to handle the job. The Camaro was actually the 2009 pace car and this will mark the sixth time in the history of the Camaro that is has paced the race.
Here’s the full press release from IMS:
Officials from Chevrolet and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 Pace Car at the Speedway’s Hall of Fame Museum Dec. 18.
“We’ve enjoyed a great partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the years, and are proud to once again have the privilege of pacing the Indianapolis 500 in a Camaro,” said Jim Campbell, General Manager, Chevrolet.
The 2010 Chevy Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car is a 21st century sports car that looks to the future with a nod to the heritage of both the car and the race. The first year for Camaro to pace the Indianapolis 500 was in 1967, the year the Camaro made its debut. Camaro has since paced the race in 1969, 1982, 1993 and 2009.
This year’s pace car features an Inferno Orange Metallic paint scheme with White Diamond rally stripes that travel from the front to the rear over the top of the body, as well as extending to the interior dash. The design is a modern interpretation of the original rally stripe that debuted on the 1969 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car.
“Chevrolet has done it again with the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Pace Car, it is simply beautiful,” said Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. “The car’s tribute to ‘500′ history and its sports car feel will be a big hit with our fans, and it will look great leading the Indianapolis 500 field on Race Day.”
This year’s pace car is equipped with a stock 400 hp 6.2-litre V-8, an RS appearance package and leather interior with Inferno Orange interior accents. It also features design cues that further enhance the Camaro’s head-turning design. Features unique to the pace car include:
*2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo painted on doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests *2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders *All-new front grille insert that Chevrolet plans to offer as a future Camaro accessory *Amber lens tail lamps *Complete safety strobe light system with custom interior light bar in the rear window (no rooftop light bar) *All-new GM Accessory floor mats with red and orange accent stitching
The 2010 Camaro SS Pace Car will be highly visible during all Indianapolis 500 track activity days from Opening Day of practice for rookies and veterans on May 15 through the race, set for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, May 30.
IMS officials recently announced a streamlined 2010 Indianapolis 500 schedule that combines qualifying into two action-packed days – Pole Day on May 22 and Bump Day on May 23 – yet provides only one less day of track activity compared to the 2009 schedule.
For 2010, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will play host to the Indianapolis 500, part of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Brickyard 400 on July 25 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 29 for the MotoGP World Championship.
