List of Indianapolis 500 pace cars

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The Indianapolis 500 auto race has used a pace car since 1911. The following list includes the model and driver of all of these cars.

Year 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" (Model 5-48) Carl G. Fisher
1916 Premier "6" (Model 6-56) Frank E. Smith
1919 Packard V12 (called Twin Six) 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 Duesenberg
1924 Cole V8 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 George Hunt
1930 Cord L-29 E.L. Cord
1931 Cadillac 370 Twelve "Big Boy" Rader
1932 Lincoln Model KB Edsel Ford
1933 Chrysler Imperial Phaeton Byron Foy
1934 LaSalle Model 350 "Big Boy" Rader
1935 Ford V8 Harry Mack
1936 Packard 120 Tommy Milton
1937 LaSalle Ralph DePalma
1938 Hudson 112 Stuart Baits
1939 Buick Roadmaster 80 Charles Chayne
1940 Studebaker Champion Harry Hartz
1941 Chrysler Newport Phaeton A.B. Couture
1946 Lincoln Continental V-12 Henry Ford II
1947 Nash Ambassador George W. Mason
1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Six Wilbur Shaw
1949 Oldsmobile 88 Wilbur Shaw
1950 Mercury Benson Ford
1951 Chrysler New Yorker V8 Dave Wallace
1952 Studebaker Commander P.O. Peterson
1953 Ford Crestline Sunliner William Clay Ford, Sr.
1954 Dodge Royal 500 William C. Newburg
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air T.H. Keating
1956 DeSoto Fireflite L.I. Woolson
1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser F.C. Reith
1958 Pontiac Bonneville Sam Hanks
1959 Buick Electra 225 Sam Hanks
1960 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight 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 GT William Clay Ford, Sr.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Jim Rathmann
1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Rodger Ward
1971 Dodge Challenger Eldon Palmer
1972 Hurst/Olds Cutlass Jim Rathmann
1973 Cadillac Eldorado Jim Rathmann
1974 Hurst/Olds Cutlass Jim Rathmann
1975 Buick Century Custom V-8 James Garner
1976 Buick Turbo V6 Marty Robbins
1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 James Garner
1978 Chevrolet Corvette Jim Rathmann
1979 Ford Mustang Jackie Stewart
1980 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo Johnnie Parsons
1981 Buick Regal V6 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 Chuck Yeager
1987 Chrysler LeBaron Carroll Shelby
1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Chuck Yeager
1989 Pontiac Trans Am Bobby Unser
1990 Chevrolet Beretta Jim Perkins
1991 Dodge Viper Carroll Shelby
1992 Cadillac Allante Bobby Unser
1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Jim Perkins
1994 Ford Mustang Cobra Parnelli Jones
1995 Chevrolet Corvette Jim Perkins
1996 Dodge Viper Robert Lutz
1997 Oldsmobile Aurora Johnny Rutherford
1998 Chevrolet Corvette Parnelli Jones[1]
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 Morgan Freeman
2005 Chevrolet Corvette General Colin Powell
2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Lance Armstrong

Note: The pace car driver listed only applies to the ceremonial driver at the start of the race. During caution periods, when the pace car is utilized to pace the field, the drivers have been as follows:

  • 1979-2001: Don Bailey
  • 2002, 2004-05: Joie Chitwood, III
  • 2003, 2006: Johnny Rutherford (IRL regular pace car driver)


  1.   In 1998, Parnelli Jones was named a last-minute substitute after Greg Norman was forced to withdraw because of shoulder surgery.
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