By Steven Symes 
For the 109th Indianapolis 500 the C8 Corvette ZR1 will be the official pace car. It’s the most powerful and fastest vehicle used to pace the historic race, which is set to take place on Sunday, May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This is what the C9 Corvette might look like.
Of course, once again having the pace car for the Indy 500 is a feather in Chevrolet’s cap since it acts as a great endorsement for the brand and the C8 Corvette lineup in general. While people will gawk at the mid-engine American supercar, few will be able to own one.
But it’s very much a halo car, meaning it helps to improve the overall image of the model family and the brand. After all, the new ZR1 can hit a top speed of 233 mph and do 0 to 60 in just 2.3 seconds. The American supercar can even blast down the quarter mile in 9.6 seconds without modification.
This is in large part thanks to the twin-turbo 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 engine which produces a monstrous 1,064-horsepower and 828 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s the most powerful Corvette ever to roll out of the factory as well as the most powerful pace car used for the Indy 500.
Earlier in the year, Chevrolet revealed the C8 Corvette ZR1 was used to set five lap records at four different American racetracks. Even as it launches into the market, the mid-engined masterpiece already has quite the motorsports reputation, bolstered further by this honor for the Indy 500.
Behind the wheel of the C8 ZR1 pace car will be none other than Michael Strahan, former NFL player and now a member of the Fox NFL Sunday cast and co-host for Good Morning America. He will lead the 33 drivers out onto the track for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing later this month.
Image via IndyCar