Photo Credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

After weeks of anticipation, we learned this morning that the 2013 60th Anniversary Corvette ZR1 will be the official pace car of the 96th Indianapolis 500. This is the first time the Corvette ZR1 has earned the role as the pace setter and with its 638 horsepower, it’s the most powerful production car ever pace the Indy 500.

The 2013 Corvette ZR1 chosen for the pace car features the 60th Anniversary package which is Arctic White with a Blue Diamond leather-wrapped interior. The anniversary package also contains a full-length racing stripes in Pearl Silver Blue as well as special badging, gray-painted brake calipers and the ?60th? logo on the wheel center caps, steering wheel and seat headrests.

This is the 23rd time a Chevrolet has paced the ?Greatest Spectacle in Racing? and the 11th time for Corvette.

?Corvette embodies pure performance, so the ZR1 is a perfect car to pace the most prestigious auto race in the world,? said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. ?Chevrolet is a great partner of the Speedway, and we share in the excitement of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the iconic Corvette brand. It’s even more meaningful to see a Chevrolet pacing the field at Indy since Chevy has returned as an engine supplier for the IZOD IndyCar Series for the first time since 2005.?

Said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports: ?This is a truly momentous year for Chevrolet when it comes to performance, with our continued success on and off track, and especially with our return to the IndyCar Series, powering some of the fastest cars on the circuit. I can’t think of a better way to mark the 60th Anniversary of Corvette than having it lead the starting field of the Indianapolis 500.?

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful Chevrolet ever produced. Thanks to its supercharged 6.2 liter LS9 engine that generates 638 horsepower and a liberal use of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber that brings the curb weight of the car to 3,353 pounds, the ZR1′s power to weight ratio is just 5.2 pounds per horsepower. The ZR1 is also the most technologically advanced Chevrolet built as well, utilizing Magnetic Selective Ride Control, Launch Control system with Performance Track Management, a four-channel ABS system and Brembo carbon-ceramic disc brake rotors.

The 96th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at noon (ET) Sunday, May 27. The driver of the Pace Car will be announced soon but we are hearing that celebrity chef Guy Fieri may have the inside track on the selection process.

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