Chevrolet SSR to Pace Indy 500

Chevrolet and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have announced that the all-new 2003 Chevy SSR will serve as the Official Pace Vehicle for the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. Herb Fishel, executive director of GM Racing, will be on center stage at the world's largest single-day sporting event, driving the SSR. A performance legend, Fishel has played a role in every GM factory engine program at Indy over the last three decades, from stock-block Chevy V-6s and V-8s, the Buick Indy V-6 and the first-generation Chevy Indy V-8 to the IRL Aurora V8 and second-generation Chevy Indy V-8. These GM engines have won 12 of the last 15 Indianapolis 500 races, 63 of 66 IRL races from 1997 through 2002, and a total of 149 races through the 2002 season.

The Chevy SSR that will serve as the Indy 500 Pace Vehicle is virtually identical to the 25 unique 'Signature Series' saleable units to be built before regular retail production and shipment to Chevrolet dealers begins this summer. The Signature Series vehicles will be used to create one-of-a-kind "pedigrees" for each vehicle before they are offered for sale through public or GM dealer auctions during 2003.

The frame and chassis of the SSR are similar in design to Chevy's midsize TrailBlazer family of sport/utility vehicles. All major exterior panels are of one-piece stamped steel. Under the hood is a new aluminum-block version of GM's Vortec 5300 small-block V-8 that develops 290 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 325 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. That power drives the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. Rounding out SSR's sporty street machine appearance are 19-inch front and 20-inch rear tires and wheels.