Corvettes and racing go hand in hand, and that’s why it’s one of the most-chosen vehicles for the pace car at various race events in America. Having been selected for the Indy 500 Pace Car more times than any other car, particularly in the is last decade alone then it should come to no surprise that it has been chosen as this year’s vehicle of choice for the Detroit Grand Prix.
To be more specific, a Corvette Z06 in white paint and red interior, much like the one that paced this year’s Indy 500 race. While the Indy 500 car was piloted by none other than Jeff Gordon, this one will be driven by General Motors’ very own Mark Reuss. You can learn more about Mark and this special Corvette from the official release from Chevrolet below!
Official Release:
DETROIT – Mark Reuss, the top product development executive at General Motors and avid motorsports fan, will pace drivers behind the wheel of a Corvette Z06 this weekend for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans.
The two races take place Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31 – only about 2.5 miles from Chevrolet’s Detroit headquarters – as the next events in the Verizon IndyCar series.
“I’m thrilled to drive the Corvette Z06 pace car at this year’s Grand Prix,” Reuss said. “Growing up here and having the opportunity to help bring this great event to racing fans in Detroit has been very exciting, and the privilege of driving the pace car makes it even more special for me.”
Reuss, executive vice president of Global Product Development and Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, is no stranger to racing. He is a certified industry pool test driver on the North Course of the Nürburgring track in Germany. He also created and led the GM Performance Division in 2001, when he was responsible for GM racing vehicles, as well as production versions of Chevrolet SS models and the Cadillac V-Series.
“This race is quintessential to the world of motorsports and Chevrolet,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “Mark has always lived and breathed performance cars, so it’s perfect to have him behind the wheel of the most powerful and capable production car ever made by Chevrolet.”
The Corvette Z06 pace car is similar to the one driven by NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon at last weekend’s Indianapolis 500, including an Arctic White exterior and Adrenaline Red interior with a special graphics package and safety strobe lights. It boasts 650 supercharged horsepower, a seven-speed manual transmission and a track-capable chassis system.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
