Wisconsin lake, road course inspire Chevy paint developers
This summer, the famed Road America racetrack north of the border in Wisconsin is using a stable of blue 2019 Corvette pace cars, but there's more to their story than just the striking hue.
They're all painted in Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic, a color that pays homage to a retro offering from 1967 (then called just Elkhart Blue) and is inspired by the very track itself.
The Chevrolet Corvette sports car has deep ties to the legendary locale, which first opened to racers in 1955 near the shores of Elkhart Lake and the town of the same name. For decades, the curvy four-mile course has been used for both testing and competition. Right before Turn Six, there's even the "Corvette Bridge," which first appeared in the early 1960s and can still be seen today.
It was only natural, then, that the track's newest pace cars would come painted in this distinct color. Since 2014, sponsor Chevrolet has provided the vehicles that get used for pacing duties. In January, two shiny new 'Vettes were delivered trackside and over the course of this year the fleet will pace more than 25 events and races, including Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), World Racing League and vintage car and motorcycle events. Three additional Corvettes were received in May and will pull duty pacing IndyCar, NASCAR and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) races.
Besides the cool color, the Corvettes all came equipped with the Z51 package, which is essential for pacing, says Enrique Ramirez, the track's director of business services.
"It comes with extra cooling and radiators and bigger, slotted brakes," Ramirez says. "You can be out leading the pack all day without any heating issues."
Under hood, each vehicle gets a throaty 6.2-liter V-8, paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. They also get interior creature comforts, coming with such items as eight-way power seats, air conditioning and Apple CarPlay. By the end of the year, the pace cars will rack up a lot of laps, each returning to Chevrolet with around 3,500 miles on the odometer.
If you're a racing buff, you, too, can get your 2019 Corvette painted in Elkhart Lake Blue. Any Chevrolet dealer can order the color, along with two other track-inspired hues: Sebring Orange and Long Beach Red. Roaring crowds, safety helmet and checkered flag not included.
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