Roger Penske to drive 50th Anniversary Camaro SS Pace Car at 100th Indianapolis 500

The 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition will lead the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana next month, driven by motorsports legend Roger Penske, who is marking 50 years as a race team owner.

The 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition will lead the 100th running of the Indy 500, driven by Roger Penske

Bret Kelley/IMS for Chevrolet

A unique version of the new 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition will lead the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil next month, driven by motorsports legend Roger Penske, who is marking 50 years as a race team owner.

It's the ninth time Camaro has served as the Pace Car and the 27th time for Chevrolet, dating to 1948.

"Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500 have a long, storied history and it's an honor to mark the respective milestones of the Indy 500 race and the Camaro simultaneously," said Mark Reuss, executive vice president of Global Product Development and Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "It's also a privilege to have Roger Penske perform the driving duties, as his team has helped Chevrolet earn four consecutive IndyCar manufacturer titles since 2012."

Four identically prepared Pace Cars will support the race, all with exclusive Abalone White exteriors featuring "100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil" graphics on the doors and the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway wing-and-wheel logo on the quarter panels. They also incorporate the exterior cues and graphics that are unique to the Camaro 50th Anniversary package that goes on sale this summer.

With 455 horsepower on tap, the Camaro SS Pace Cars require no performance modifications to lead the racing field.

"Chevrolet and Roger Penske are inextricably linked to the heritage of the Indianapolis 500," said J. Douglas Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "When he leads the pack on May 29, behind the wheel of the Camaro SS, he will drive the race into its next 100 years and strengthen the bond Chevrolet and Indianapolis forged a century ago."

For 2016, Chevrolet drivers will be looking to build on last year's results of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," when the top four finishers were Chevy-powered, led by race winner and Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya. It was his second Indy 500 victory and the 16th for Team Penske.

No other racing team has recorded more wins at the Brickyard, and it started with driver Mark Donohue's victory in 1972. Penske and Donohue established their relationship five years earlier, when Penske transitioned from driver to team owner. They quickly found success in SCCA's Trans-Am Series, with Donohue piloting an early Camaro Z/28 racecar, winning three of 12 races in 1967 and 10 of 13 in 1968.

Penske tackled the Indy 500 for the first time in 1969, while still campaigning a Camaro in Trans-Am. Donohue was his driver for both series. Later, racers including Mario Andretti, Al Unser and Rick Mears and drove for Penske, with Mears winning four Indianapolis 500 races and helping solidify Team Penske as an Indy powerhouse in the 1980s. That legacy advances this year, as Roger Penske seeks his 17th Indy 500 title as a team owner.

Camaro 50th Anniversary Edition

On the main straight at Indy

The 50th Anniversary Edition honors the distinctive looks and performance that have always set the Camaro apart. It is offered on 2LT and 2SS coupe and convertible models, all with Nightfall Gray Metallic exteriors featuring a 50th Anniversary stripe package and badges – and a black top on convertibles.

The specially prepared Abalone White pace cars differ in exterior color, but share the Anniversary Edition package's stripes and other content features, including:

Specific 20-inch 50th Anniversary wheels
Unique grille with satin chrome accents
Body-color front splitter
Orange brake calipers (front only on LT)
Unique black leather interior with suede inserts and orange accent stitching
Distinct 50th Anniversary treatments on instrument panel, seatbacks, steering wheel and illuminated sill plates
2LT includes RS Appearance Package.

The Camaro 2LT comes standard with a 2.0L Turbo engine rated at 275 hp (205 kW) and a 335-hp (250 kW) 3.6L V-6 is available. The Camaro 2SS features the LT1 6.2L V-8, which offers 455 hp (339 kW), making it the most powerful Camaro SS ever. Each engine is available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.

Camaro pace cars through the years

1967 – RS/SS convertible
1969 – RS/SS convertible
1982 – Z28 coupe
1993 – Z28 coupe
2009 – SS coupe (2010 model)
2010 – SS coupe
2011 – SS convertible
2014 – Z/28 coupe
2016 – Camaro SS (2017 50th Anniversary Edition).