How fast does the pace car go at the Indianapolis 500? Michael Strahan, Tom Brady's roles

Indianapolis Star

25-05-2025

After a brief delay due to light rain, the 109th Indianapolis 500 officially kicked off with all the drivers heading to the start line behind the pace car.
Those who are new to the race festivities may be wondering what a pace car is — and more importantly, how fast it goes.
Here's what to know about the Indy 500 tradition.
A pace car leads the field through several warm-up laps prior to the start of the race, and it also leads field during caution periods to slow the cars on the track. Cars are not allowed to pass each other — and definitely not the pace car — during caution periods.
The pace car has been used at every Indy 500 since its inception in 1911.
The Indy 500 pace car drives at about 110 mph.
This year's celebrity pace car driver was Pro Football Hall of Famer and television host Michael Strahan.
Former New England Patriots quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady joined famous NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson in the two-seat IndyCar ahead of the race as well.
Strahan drove the 2025 Chevrolet Corvett ZR1, which delivers 1,064 horsepower from its 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, making it the most powerful V8 engine ever produced in the U.S. by an automaker.
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