’78 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car
[Not a valid template]An odd addition to this list, certainly, but those who know me are fully aware just how much I can bang on, uninterrupted (and sometimes without breath) about motor racing, and this time is no different. This particular 5.7-litre V8 model for instance led a 33-strong field round easily the most famous oval circuit on the planet in 1978.
Understandably though, most eyes were on the field itself, headed by polesitter Tom Sneva (his second in succession just FYI), Danny Ongais and debutant Rick Mears. Early domination by Ongais led many to believe the 500 was finished almost before it had started, but engine issues meant a DNF with only a quarter of the race to go for Ongais and an inherited lead for Al Unser, who similarly started to pull away. Damage to the front wing though meant the American’s sizeable lead began to plummet, second-placed Sneva ultimately falling just eight seconds short of victory, at the time, the second closest finish in Indy 500 history.
