The Indianapolis 500 has had a long and diverse history of pace cars, some of which probably shouldn't have actually shared a track with race cars. For instance, an Oldsmobile Bravada, the rebranded Chevy Trailblazer, paced the 2002 Indianapolis 500. That's not the case with this year's car, though. In fact, the 2026 Chevy Corvette ZR1X that will lead the pack this year is the most powerful yet, and the closest ever to matching the performance of the race cars. It even exceeds some of them.Chevrolet The ZR1X Has The Most Menacing Engine This will be the first time that the ZR1X has paced the Indy 500, with its rear-drive sibling, the regular ZR1, taking on the duty last year. The powertrain is all stock, meaning it has the twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter double-overhead-cam V8 in the middle, and an electric motor on the front axle producing a combined 1,250 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. In comparison, today's Indy cars have twin-turbo 2.2-liter hybrid V6s that make more than 700 horsepower and top out around 900, according to the racing league, which is between roughly half and three-quarters of the Corvette's output. They're also only putting power down to the rear wheels, rather than all four.ChevroletStill, an Indy car is still going be much faster than a ZR1X. They're lighter and more aerodynamic with way more tire grip. During qualifying at last year's race, the top qualifiers managed to reach average speeds around the track of 233 mph. That means their top speeds were even greater. As for the ZR1X, the absolute fastest it can go is 233 mph, and that's on a straight, and without the optional high-downforce aerodynamic package fitted to this pace car. Then again, the ZR1X can carry a passenger, golf clubs, play your favorite tunes, and keep you at a comfortable temperature, all while topping 200 mph.Chevrolet The Color Scheme Celebrates America's 250th Birthday In case you hadn't heard, The United States turns 250 this July, so, like so many other companies and organizations, IndyCar and Chevy are celebrating the occasion with this Corvette's paint scheme. It's quite obviously red, white, and blue, with one side in blue, and the other in white. This appears to have been dictated in part by the offset stars and stripes down the middle.ChevroletThese graphics are actually based on a special edition package that Chevy launched for most of its lineup. It's called the "Stars & Steel" edition, which comes with very similar graphics over the tops of the cars with the package. In fact, the Corvette versions seem to have a virtually identical stripe layout. However, those are all in far more subtle white and gray color schemes.The pace car also gets a red and blue interior. Specifically, the seats are finished in a bright blue leather with contrasting red seat belts. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more patriotically painted Corvette.You'll also be able to see this Corvette in a few weeks. The Indy 500 takes place on May 24, and when this Corvette shows up, it will become the 34th Chevy to pace the race, as well as the 23rd Corvette.