Chevrolets have paced countless professional races, from circle track to road course competitions. But did you know that each pace car comes with it’s own entourage? As we found out from Faces of GM [1], each modern Chevy pace car actually travels with a full crew to each event to ensure they’re in tip top shape to pace the competitive field. That crew is headed by Chevy Racing Marketing Manager Jeff Chew, who has to have one of the coolest jobs in the automotive industry. Check him and some of the latest Chevy pace cars, including the 2013 ZR1 Indianapolis 500 pace car, out in the video above.
[2]Images: Faces of GM [1]
There is no question about Chevrolet’s prominent role in racing, and with that comes plenty of chances for our favorite car models to pace the field at race events. Just for the Indianapolis 500 alone, a record number of 23 Chevrolets have paced the field with 11 of those being Corvettes. But pacing a professional race comes with planning few of us ever really think about – that is unless you’re the Marketing Manager for Chevy Racing.
Chew is in charge of the ins and outs of the Chevrolet pace cars. When a Chevy vehicle is chosen to pace the field at a professional event, it is Chew that must make sure the cars are in perfect working order for their jobs. While modern Chevy pace cars have few modifications from factory equipment other than the strobe light bar and other light features to keep race competitors informed, the cars take a full crew to be at their very best.
The modern Chevrolet pace cars come in a couple different models and a variety of colors, but one thing's for certain, they are making history every time they hit the track. Camaro image courtesy of Camaro 5 [4] [3]
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We’ve seen our beloved Corvette and Camaro models pace countless races over the last 50+ years, which is an impressive accomplishment, but it’s really the crew that keeps the cars at their best at the races and in between events that deserve the recognition.
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