CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
THE 108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
CHEVROLET SEEKS MAKING HISTORY AT THE 108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
DETROIT (May 24, 2024) – “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500, takes the green flag Sunday with Chevrolet showcasing performance, prowess, and prestige on motorsports’ biggest stage.
Illustrating strength and performance all month long at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Chevy captured the 13th pole in history for the Bowtie brand, with Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet crew stunning while setting the fastest pole position qualifying run in track history with his four-lap average of 234.220 mph.
Further proving prowess at the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an iconic venue where Chevrolet has a long-standing history at, drivers representing the Bowtie brand not only locked out the first two rows of the starting grid for the third time in the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 era since 2012, but also the top eight starting positions. Additionally, each car in the Firestone Fast Six was Chey-powered.
“After two days of intense but successful qualifying with all 16 Chevy-powered cars in the Indianapolis 500 field, we are now focused on Sunday’s race,” said Mark Stielow, Director of Motorsports Competition Programs. “We have one more practice on Friday to go through all of the race engine processes to ensure optimum performance for the driver and their team on race day.
“Every year, before the race season begins on track, our Chevrolet engineering team sets goals for the year,” Stielow added. “Winning the Indianapolis 500 is one of our primary goals. Our Chevrolet engineering group has worked tirelessly with our teams to give the Team Chevy drivers their best opportunity to win the biggest race in the world. Thank you to our partners at Ilmor for the lock-step collaboration to continue to maximize our engine performance in an effort to reach the ultimate goal. The Borg Warner Trophy is the one we want to see awarded to a Chevrolet driver, not to mention the Corvette E-Ray pace car. We are well prepared and ready for ‘Drivers Start Your Engine’ on Sunday.”
Approaching race day, Team Chevy looks to capture its 13th prestigious Borg Warner trophy in history. The first win came from Rick Mears in 1988 with Team Penske in the Pennzoil “Yellow Submarine,” the inspiration behind Scott McLaughlin’s livery this year. That same year, Team Penske locked out the front row with Rick Mears on pole, Danny Sullivan starting second, and Al Unser, Sr. starting third. Mears was the first to break the 220 mph lap speed barrier in time trials and went on to win his third Indianapolis 500. The three Penske cars led 192 of 200 laps combined, and it was the sixth consecutive win by Chevrolet with the Indy V-8 engine constructed by Ilmor.
For the 35th time, Chevrolet will pace the field to the green flag at Indianapolis – the 21st with a Corvette. This year’s honorary pace car driver is Ken Griffey Jr., an outfielder in Major League Baseball for 22 years and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in 2016. He will lead the field to the green flag in the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. The first electrified and fastest production Corvette ever, the E-Ray pairs two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V-8 power with electrified responsiveness powered by eAWD, making it one like none. A 6.2L V-8 is complemented by the electric motor that channels an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels for 655 combined horsepower. Designed for year-round performance, the Corvette E-Ray and its electrified All-Wheel Drive (eAWD) capability is up for any challenge, and the Arctic White exterior and interior of the Corvette E-Ray will be on full display as the car fulfills responsibilities on and off the track.
The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway live on NBC at 11 a.m. ET. Additional coverage is available through by Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.
CHEVROLET AND “THE DOUBLE”
The only manufacturer in motorsports currently that can help create the opportunity to achieve such a drive in each series, this is the first time in “double” history that Chevrolet has supported and powered each car on both ends of the historic motorsports day. Backing Larson, Chevrolet has had influence from start to finish, aiding in simulation, technology, and tech transfer through the General Motors Charlotte Tech Center. Additionally, Chevrolet has also been involved in planning while collaborating with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren, including car design, livery, and engine support.
- Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, is embarking on a history-making run in 2024 competing in “The Double.”
- Larson is only the sixth driver in history to attempt both the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the same day.
- Larson is supported and backed by Chevrolet in each event, a first time for the Bowtie brand and the only manufacturer in motorsports to be able to do so currently.
- Tony Stewart, driving an Oldsmobile in the Indianapolis 500 and Pontiac in the Coca-Cola 600, is the only driver to complete the full 1,100 miles/600 laps in “the double” history. If Larson were to do so, he would be the second in history.
- Should the Coca-Cola 600 go into overtime in Charlotte, Larson could be the first driver to exceed the 1,100 miles/600 laps in “the double” history.
- Larson turned the fastest single qualifying lap by a rookie in Indianapolis 500 history, 233.453 mph on the first lap of his Top 12 Qualifying attempt. The previous record was 233.297 by Benjamin Pedersen. Larson then qualified fifth in the Firestone Fast Six with a four-lap average of 232.846 mph.
CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS:
Wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 12
1988: Rick Mears
1989 Emerson Fittipaldi
1990 Arie Luyendyk
1991: Rick Mears
1992: Al Unser, Jr.
1993: Emerson Fittipaldi
2002: Helio Castroneves
2013: Tony Kanaan
2015: Juan Pablo Montoya
2018: Will Power
2019: Simon Pagenaud
2023: Josef Newgarden
Earned Pole Awards at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 13
1987: Mario Andretti
1988: Rick Mears
1989: Rick Mears
1990: Emerson Fittipaldi
1991: Rick Mears
2002: Bruno Junqueria
2012: Ryan Briscoe
2013: Ed Carpenter
2014: Ed Carpenter
2015: Will Power
2018: Ed Carpenter
2019: Simon Pagenaud
2024: Scott McLaughlin
Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Indianapolis (V6 era since 2012): 17
Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Indianapolis (V6 era since 2012): 1,248
2024 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:
203: NTT INDYCAR Series races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.
113: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012.
129: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 134 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather.
8: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.
7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.
12: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
5: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.
32: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 50 times since 2012 in the V6 era.
26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.
9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.
46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.
*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
