The Indianapolis 500 is just around the corner and once again the Chevrolet Corvette will serve as the official race car. Specifically, this year’s field will follow the 2023 Corvette Z06 convertible in a scorching shade of red.
Although it is This is the 20th time the Corvette has performed this functiontechnically it is the first roofless Z06 go around the Brickyard. Last year, the standard Z06 hardtop held that position, and previously the new C8 Stingray convertible was a racing car. However, none had a Red Mist Metallic exterior with black trim and a two-tone interior combining black and gray with red accents. The Z06 race car rides on optional bronze-finished spider aluminum wheels and comes with a Carbon Aero package.
At the moment it is not clear whether Chevrolet will offer any special edition Z06 racing car models. In addition to the Indy 500 logo on the doors and side panels, colors, wheels and trims are available in the Chevrolet Configurator for the 2023 Z06. And probably needless to say, the 5.5-litre DOHC V8 engine – currently the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in the world with a 670 hp – is fully mounted behind the cockpit.
“We are honored to be participating in the 107th Indianapolis 500 with the Corvette Z06 convertible,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Chevrolet Global. “Chevrolet and Indycar share the same competitive spirit and we are proud that the Z06 will lead the group through the bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
As mentioned, in 2023, the Corvette will make its 20th off-road appearance. This is also the seventh consecutive year for the Corvette in Indy, starting in 2017 with the C7 Corvette Grand Sport. The then new sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro had the honor in 2016 amidst a slew of successive ‘Vettes’ stretching back all the way to 1978. As the video at the beginning of this article shows, this was the first year of the American sports car at the historic race.
Chevrolet’s dominant presence at the Indianapolis 500 is no accident. General Motors signed an agreement in the late 1990s to supply race cars exclusively for the annual spring event. The last non-GM vehicle to run in the field was the Dodge Viper GTS in 1996. The last GM race car that was not a Camaro or Corvette was the Chevrolet SSR in 2003, although the Corvette continued to serve as a support vehicle that year.
On May 28, the 107th edition of the Indianapolis 500 race will take place.
