Every Indy 500 pace car and its driver, 1911 to 2022

It was Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder Carl Fisher who came up with the idea of ditching the standing start for the more spectacular – and in Fisher’s mind, safer – rolling start. He would lead the field – at that time, 40 cars arranged in eight rows of five! – driving a Stoddard-Dayton at 45mph.

Every Indy 500 has used a pace car ever since. Fisher paced the first five and then it became the duty and honor of various automotive industry figures or retired racers, and a great marketing tool for car manufacturers to supply the cars. That had the potential to raise some interesting juxtapositions – Louis Chevrolet piloting a Chrysler in 1926, for instance – and cause some issues after the race, too. From 1936 it became traditional for the 500 winner to be awarded the pace car, but in ’65, the Ford Motor Company, fundamental to Team Lotus’s assault on the Indy 500, did not let its winner Jimmy Clark accept the keys to the Plymouth Sport Fury pace car.

Up to and including 1956, the pace car led the field for just one warm-up lap before pulling aside on the front straight and ‘releasing’ the charging pack behind. In 1957, this became two laps in order to allow fans in the main grandstand to take in and photograph the eleven rows of three rumbling along behind the pace car.

  (Photo by: IndyCar Series)

That worked out particularly well in 1958 for the man driving the pace car, a beautiful Pontiac Bonneville (above), because that man was Sam Hanks. He won Indy the previous year at his 13^th attempt, but had then announced in Victory Lane that he was retiring from racing. Thus in ’58, the crowd got their chance to salute the reigning Indy 500 champion who had chosen not to defend his crown.

In fact, Hanks would pace the field for six straight years, always with track owner Tony Hulman as a passenger and over the years, the number of passengers that rode with Hulman grew and included celebrities.

In 1971, one of these was the legendary astronaut John Glenn, and nothing he encountered while serving with the USAF in World War II and the Korean War, working as a test pilot or flying in outer space could have prepared him for this particular ride. The owner of a local Dodge dealership, Eldon Palmer, drove the Challenger pace car at breakneck speed along pitlane, but the cone he’d put out to mark his braking point had been moved and so he outbraked himself by a long way. The Challenger slewed out of control and into a photographers’ stand, causing several injuries.

Like Hanks, 1960 Indy winner Jim Rathmann served as pace car driver six times, and while it wasn’t necessary to have pace car drivers that good, celebrity drivers with racing experience were seen as preferable. James Garner jumped at the chance to pace the field in ’75, ’77 – the first year that pace cars led the field for three laps – and ’85.

Until 1979, the pace car would never be seen on track between the beginning and end of the race, caution periods being controlled by the leader of the race. However, from ’79, in order to keep the drivers circulating at a safe pace while whatever had caused the yellow was resolved, the pace car would reemerge in front of the pack. That meant that the pace car, while still having a ‘celeb’ drive it on pre-race pace laps, needed handing off to a professional.

For many years, that pro was three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, who was the IndyCar Series’ regular pace car driver. When he retired from this duty at the end of 2016, former IndyCar favorite Sarah Fisher took over the role of professional pace car driver at IMS.

This year, Fisher is the very worthy celebrity driving the 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition pace car, and will remain in the car as driver whenever a caution period is called.

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)	Jesse 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 Series 303	Willard "Big Boy" Rader
1928	Marmon 8 (Model 78)	Joe Dawson
1929	Studebaker President Roadster	George Hunt
1930	Cord L-29	Wade Morton
1931	Cadillac 370 Twelve	"Big Boy" Rader
1932	Lincoln Model KB	Edsel Ford
1933	Chrysler Imperial Convertible Roadster	Byron Foy
1934	LaSalle Model 350	"Big Boy" Rader
1935	Ford V8	Harry Mack
1936	Packard 120	Tommy Milton
1937	LaSalle Series 50	Ralph DePalma
1938	Hudson 112	Stuart Baits
1939	Buick Roadmaster 80	Charles Chayne
1940	Studebaker Champion Two Door Sedan	Harry Hartz
1941	Chrysler Newport Parade Phaeton	A.B. Couture

Year	Car	Driver	Passengers
1946	Lincoln Continental V-12	Henry Ford II	Wilbur Shaw
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	David A. Wallace

Chrysler New Yorker leads the 1951 field with a front row comprising Duke Nalon, eventual winner Lee Wallard and Jack McGrath. (Photo by: IndyCar Series)

Year	Car	Driver	Passengers
1952	Studebaker Commander Convertible	P.O. Peterson
1953	Ford Crestline Sunliner	William Clay Ford, Sr.
1954	Dodge Royal 500	William C. Newburg
1955	Chevrolet Bel Air	Thomas H. Keating	Tony Hulman
1956	DeSoto Fireflite Convertible	L.I. Woolson	Tony Hulman

DeSoto Fireflite heads Pat Flaherty's winning Watson-Offy, Jim Rathmann and Pat O'Connor in 1956. (Photo by: Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

Year	Car	Driver	Passengers
1957	Mercury Turnpike Cruiser	F.C. Reith	Tony Hulman
1958	Pontiac Bonneville	Sam Hanks	Tony Hulman
1959	Buick Electra 225	Sam Hanks	Tony Hulman
1960	Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight	Sam Hanks	Tony Hulman
1961	Ford Thunderbird	Sam Hanks	Tony Hulman
1962	Studebaker Lark Daytona Convertible	Sam Hanks	Tony Hulman
1963	Chrysler 300	Sam Hanks	Tony Hulman
1964	Ford Mustang	Benson Ford	Tony Hulman
1965	Plymouth Sport Fury	P.M. Buckminster	Tony Hulman
1966	Mercury Comet Cyclone GT	Benson Ford	Tony Hulman, Gus Grissom
1967	Chevrolet Camaro	Mauri Rose	Tony Hulman

The Chevy Camaro Indy 500 pace cars from 1967, ’69, ’82 and ’93. (Photo by: Andy Sallee)

Year	Car	Driver	Passengers
1968	Ford Torino GT	William Clay Ford, Sr.	Tony Hulman, Duke Nalon
1969	Chevrolet Camaro SS	Jim Rathmann	Tony Hulman, Pete Conrad
1970	Oldsmobile 4-4-2	Rodger Ward	Tony Hulman, Pete Conrad
1971	Dodge Challenger	Eldon Palmer	Tony Hulman, John Glenn, Chris Schenkel
1972	Hurst/Olds Cutlass	Jim Rathmann	Tony Hulman, Pete Conrad, Chris Schenkel, Bob Draper, Dolly Cole
1973	Cadillac Eldorado	Jim Rathmann	Tony Hulman, Alfred Worden, Chris Schenkel, Bob Lund, Dolly Cole
1974	Hurst/Olds Cutlass	Jim Rathmann	Tony Hulman, Frank Borman, Chris Schenkel, Bill Kay
1975	Buick Century Custom V-8	James Garner	Tony Hulman, Jim Rathmann
1976	Buick Century V6	Marty Robbins	Tony Hulman, Jim Rathmann, Chris Schenkel
1977	Oldsmobile Delta 88	James Garner	Tony Hulman
1978	Chevrolet Corvette C3	Jim Rathmann

1978 Corvette C3 leads Tom Sneva (Penske), Danny Ongais (Parnelli) and Rick Mears (Penske). Eventual winner Al Unser (Chaparral-run Lola) is in the middle of the second row. (Photo by: Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

Year	Car	Driver (start)	Driver (caution periods)
1979	Ford Mustang	Jackie Stewart	Jim Rathmann
1980	Pontiac Trans Am Turbo	Johnnie Parsons	Don Bailey
1981	Buick Regal V6	Duke Nalon	Duke Nalon
1982	Chevrolet Camaro Z28	Jim Rathmann	Don Bailey
1983	Buick Riviera Convertible	Duke Nalon	Don Bailey
1984	Pontiac Indy Fiero	John Callies	Don Bailey
1985	Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais	James Garner	Don Bailey
1986	Chevrolet Corvette convertible	Chuck Yeager	Don Bailey
1987	Chrysler LeBaron	Carroll Shelby	Don Bailey
1988	Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme	Chuck Yeager	Don Bailey
1989	Pontiac Trans Am	Bobby Unser	Don Bailey
1990	Chevrolet Beretta Convertible	Jim Perkins	Don Bailey
1991	Dodge Viper RT/10	Carroll Shelby	Don Bailey
1992	Cadillac Allante	Bobby Unser	Don Bailey
1993	Chevrolet Camaro Z28	Jim Perkins	Don Bailey
1994	Ford Mustang Cobra	Parnelli Jones	Don Bailey
1995	Chevrolet Corvette C4 convertible	Jim Perkins	Don Bailey
1996	Dodge Viper GTS	Bob Lutz	Don Bailey
1997	Oldsmobile Aurora	Johnny Rutherford	Don Bailey
1998	Chevrolet Corvette C5	Parnelli Jones	Don Bailey
1999	Chevrolet Monte Carlo	Jay Leno	Don Bailey
2000	Oldsmobile Aurora	Anthony Edwards	Don Bailey
2001	Oldsmobile Bravada*	Elaine Irwin Mellencamp	Don Bailey
2002	Chevrolet Corvette C5	Jim Caviezel	Joie Chitwood III
2003	Chevrolet SSR*	Herb Fishel	Johnny Rutherford
2004	Chevrolet Corvette C5	Morgan Freeman	Joie Chitwood III
2005	Chevrolet Corvette C6 convertible	General Colin Powell	Joie Chitwood III

General Colin Powell gets instruction from Johnny Rutherford in 2005. (Photo by: Ron McQueeney)

Year	Car	Driver (start)	Driver (caution periods)
2006	Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06 coupe	Lance Armstrong	Johnny Rutherford
2007	Chevrolet Corvette C6	Patrick Dempsey	Johnny Rutherford
2008	Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06	Emerson Fittipaldi	Johnny Rutherford
2009	Chevrolet Camaro SS	Josh Duhamel	Johnny Rutherford
2010	Chevrolet Camaro SS	Robin Roberts	Johnny Rutherford
2011	Chevrolet Camaro	A. J. Foyt	Johnny Rutherford
2012	Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1	Guy Fieri	Johnny Rutherford
2013	Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray	Jim Harbaugh	Johnny Rutherford
2014	Chevrolet Camaro Z28	Dario Franchitti	Johnny Rutherford
2015	Chevrolet Corvette Z06	Jeff Gordon	Johnny Rutherford
2016	Chevrolet Camaro	Roger Penske	Johnny Rutherford
2017	Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport	Jeffrey Dean Morgan	Sarah Fisher
2018	Chevrolet Corvette ZR1	Victor Oladipo	Sarah Fisher
2019	Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Sarah Fisher
2020	Chevrolet Corvette Stingray	Mark Reuss	Sarah Fisher
2021	Chevrolet Corvette Convertible	Danica Patrick	Sarah Fisher
2022	Chevrolet Corvette Z06	Sarah Fisher	Sarah Fisher

  (Photo by: Indianapolis Motor Speedway)