Who Should Drive the Indy 500 Pace Car?

[Road&Track]

On Tuesday, April 5, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and CEO Jeff Belskus and Chevrolet Racing Marketing Manager Jeff Chew will announce the driver of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car. Who do you think it will be? Since its the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, I suggest they get 4-time winner Rick Mears or Al Unser to do it. Im tempted to say that A. J. Foyt would be even better, but hes recovering from recent heart surgery, and hell be too busy with his own team. So, who do you think should be driving the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car at Indy on Sunday, May 29? Again, well know for sure on Tuesday.

In the meantime, heres a list of the pace cars and drivers from all previous Indy 500s. Its an interesting list.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 – PACE CARS

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 - Emerson Fittipaldi

2009 Chevrolet Camaro - Josh Duhamel

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS - Robin Roberts