Chevrolet Camaro to star as Indy 500 official pace car

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) has selected the all-new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro to star as the official pace car in the 93rd running of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 24. The new Camaro Pace Car was unveiled during a ceremony at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum with the organization’s president Joie Chitwood presenting the car along with Indianapolis 500 winners Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser Jr. and Eddie Cheever Jr.

The Chevy Camaro first paced the Indianapolis 500 in 1967 and to this day is still regarded as one of the most loved official pace cars of all times. This year marks the fifth time the Camaro has been selected to pace the Indianapolis 500 (1967, 1969, 1982, 1993, 2009), and the 44th time a General Motors vehicle has paced "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

The particular model being used is the high-performance SS, complete with a 6.2L LS3 churning out 426hp (317kW) and 420lb-ft (570Nm) of torque. It features a Tremec six-speed manual transmission and 3.45 axle ratio.

No drivetrain or suspension modifications are required to prepare the Camaro for its pace car duties. The only modifications to the vehicle include a fully integrated strobe system, including a GM-designed custom light bar utilizing Whelen 500 series linear strobes.

This isn’t the first time the new Camaro will be completing pace car duties. Earlier this month the car was also used as the official pace car of the Daytona 500.