Indianapolis 500 Fun Facts
Pace Car Drivers
Indianapolis 500
The Chevrolet Corvette has led the field to green nineteen times and likewise leads this list. This section breaks down the pace cars and the drivers who piloted them throughout Indianapolis 500 history.
| Year | Pace Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Stoddard-Dayton | Carl G. Fisher |
| 1912 | Stutz | Carl G. Fisher |
| 1913 | Stoddard-Dayton | Carl G. Fisher |
| 1914 | Stoddard-Dayton | Carl G. Fisher |
| 1915 | Packard “6” | Carl G. Fisher |
| 1916 | Premier “6” | Frank E. Smith |
| 1919 | Packard V-12 (called Twin Six) | Col. J. G. Vincent |
| 1920 | Marmon “6” (Model 34) | Barney Oldfield |
| 1921 | H.C.S. “6” | Harry C. Stutz |
| 1922 | National Sextet | Barney Oldfield |
| 1923 | Duesenberg | Fred S. Duesenberg |
| 1924 | Cole V-8 | Lew Pettijohn |
| 1925 | Rickenbacker “8” | Eddie Rickenbacker |
| 1926 | Chrysler Imperial 80 | Louis Chevrolet |
| 1927 | LaSalle V-8 | “Big Boy” Rader |
| 1928 | Marmon “8” (Model 78) | Joe Dawson |
| 1929 | Studebaker President | George Hunt |
| 1930 | Cord L-29 | Wade Morton |
| 1931 | Cadillac | “Big Boy” Rader |
| 1932 | Lincoln | Edsel Ford |
| 1933 | Chrysler Imperial (Phaeton) | Byron Foy |
| 1934 | LaSalle | “Big Boy” Rader |
| 1935 | Ford V-8 | Harry Mack |
| 1936 | Packard 120 | Tommy Milton |
| 1937 | LaSalle Series 50 | Ralph DePalma |
| 1938 | Hudson 112 | Stuart Baits |
| 1939 | Buick Roadmaster | Charles Chayne |
| 1940 | Studebaker | Harry Hartz |
| 1941 | Chrysler-Newport (Phaeton) | A.B. Couture |
| 1946 | Lincoln V-12 | Henry Ford II |
| 1947 | Nash Ambassador | George W. Mason |
| 1948 | Chevrolet Fleetmaster | Wilbur Shaw |
| 1949 | Oldsmobile 88 | Wilbur Shaw |
| 1950 | Mercury | Benson Ford |
| 1951 | Chrysler New Yorker V-8 | Dave Wallace |
| 1952 | Studebaker Commander | P.O. Peterson |
| 1953 | Ford Crestline Sunliner | William C. Ford |
| 1954 | Dodge Royal | William C. Newburg |
| 1955 | Chevrolet Bel Air | T.H. Keating |
| 1956 | DeSoto Adventurer | L.I. Woolson |
| 1957 | Mercury Convertible Cruiser | F.C. Reith |
| 1958 | Pontiac Bonneville | Sam Hanks |
| 1959 | Buick Electra 225 | Sam Hanks |
| 1960 | Oldsmobile 98 | Sam Hanks |
| 1961 | Ford Thunderbird | Sam Hanks |
| 1962 | Studebaker Lark | Sam Hanks |
| 1963 | Chrysler 300 | Sam Hanks |
| 1964 | Ford Mustang | Benson Ford |
| 1965 | Plymouth Sports Fury | P.M. Buckminster |
| 1966 | Mercury Comet Cyclone GT | Benson Ford |
| 1967 | Chevrolet Camaro | Mauri Rose |
| 1968 | Ford Torino/Fairlane | William C. Ford |
| 1969 | Chevrolet Camaro | Jim Rathmann |
| 1970 | Oldsmobile 4-4-2 | Rodger Ward |
| 1971 | Dodge Challenger | Eldon Palmer |
| 1972 | Hurst/Olds | Jim Rathmann |
| 1973 | Cadillac Eldorado | Jim Rathmann |
| 1974 | Hurst/Olds | Jim Rathmann |
| 1975 | Buick V-8 | James Garner |
| 1976 | Buick V-6 | Marty Robbins |
| 1977 | Oldsmobile Delta 88 | James Garner |
| 1978 | Chevrolet Corvette | Jim Rathmann |
| 1979 | Ford Mustang | Jackie Stewart |
| 1980 | Pontiac Turbo-Trans Am | Johnnie Parsons |
| 1981 | Buick Regal V-6 | Duke Nalon |
| 1982 | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | Jim Rathmann |
| 1983 | Buick Riviera Convertible | Duke Nalon |
| 1984 | Pontiac Fiero | John Callies |
| 1985 | Oldsmobile Calais | James Garner |
| 1986 | Chevrolet Corvette | Gen. Chuck Yeager |
| 1987 | Chrysler LeBaron | Carroll Shelby |
| 1988 | Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme | Gen. Chuck Yeager |
| 1989 | 20th Anniversary Pontiac Trans Am | Bobby Unser |
| 1990 | Chevrolet Beretta | Jim Perkins |
| 1991 | Dodge Viper V-10 | Carroll Shelby |
| 1992 | Cadillac Allante | Bobby Unser |
| 1993 | Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 | Jim Perkins |
| 1994 | Ford Mustang Cobra | Parnelli Jones |
| 1995 | Chevrolet Corvette | Jim Perkins |
| 1996 | Dodge Viper GTS | Robert A. Lutz |
| 1997 | Oldsmobile Aurora | Johnny Rutherford |
| 1998 | Chevrolet Corvette | Parnelli Jones |
| 1999 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | Jay Leno |
| 2000 | Oldsmobile Aurora | Anthony Edwards |
| 2001 | Oldsmobile Bravada | Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp |
| 2002 | Chevrolet Corvette | Jim Caviezel |
| 2003 | Chevrolet SSR | Herb Fishel |
| 2004 | Chevrolet Corvette C5 | Morgan Freeman |
| 2005 | Chevrolet Corvette C6 | Gen. Colin Powell |
| 2006 | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | Lance Armstrong |
| 2007 | Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | Patrick Dempsey |
| 2008 | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 E85 Chevrolet Corvette commemorative edition | Emerson Fittipaldi |
| 2009 | 2010 Chevrolet Camaro | Josh Duhamel |
| 2010 | 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS | Robin Roberts |
| 2011 | 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible | A.J. Foyt |
| 2012 | 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR18 | Guy Fieri |
| 2013 | 2014 Corvette Stingray | Jim Harbaugh |
| 2014 | 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2015 | 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | Jeff Gordon |
| 2016 | 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition | Roger Penske |
| 2017 | 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport | Jeffrey Dean Morgan |
| 2018 | 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 | Victor Oladipo |
| 2019 | 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| 2020 | 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe | Mark Reuss |
| 2021 | 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | Danica Patrick |
| 2022 | 2022 Chevrolet Corvette C8 | Sarah Fisher |