It’s Sunday! It’s the high-holy day of racing as both the Indianapolis 500 and Nascar’s Coca-Cola 600 take place today! And what will be pacing the 106th running of the Indy 500 today? None other than the 2023 Corvette Stingray Z06! Time to break out the munchies and beer—it’s race day!

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A 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition will be the pace car for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29. Former IndyCar racer Sarah Fisher will be behind the wheel.

The 2023 Corvette Z06 pace car uses the same 670-horsepower 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 as the road-going version. It has the Z07 Performance Package that has additional features like Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 calibrations, carbon-fiber wheels with Michelin Sport Cup 2 R ZP tires, and carbon-ceramic brakes. The pack also adds carbon pieces to the body.

The pace car has the 70th Anniversary Edition package in White Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat. It includes wheels with red rims and anniversary center caps. The brake calipers are red. Coupes get a red engine cover. Inside, there’s Ceramic two-tone leather with suede inserts and red contrast stitching on the seats and steering wheel

There are also some special touches on the pace car that aren’t on the models available in showrooms. There’s a black stripe over the center of the body with a separate red band on the driver’s side. A logo on the roof shows “70 1953 – 2023,” and there’s “Z06” on the rear spoiler. Indy 500 graphics decorate each door.

Chevy plans to start building the 2023 Z06 this summer. At this time, the automaker doesn’t yet have official pricing for the sporty model.

This marks the 19th time for the Corvette to be the Indy 500 pace car since its premiere appearance in 1978. It’s also the sixth consecutive year for a ‘Vette to have this duty. A Camaro had the job in 2016. The last time a non-General-Motors automaker had a vehicle as the pace car was the Dodge Viper GTS in 1996.

Sarah Fisher qualified for the Indy 500 nine times in her racing career. Her four-lap qualifying speed of 229.439 miles per hour in 2002 is still the record for a female driver. She has been the Indy 500 pace car driver during caution periods since 2017.

It’s Saturday! Anyone remember the 80s TV show called Airwolf? It was basically about a loner-type guy who steals a supersonic military helicopter from its bizarre creator and uses it to fight bad guys all around the world. I don’t remember actually watching an entire episode, but a buddy of mine was a big fan so plot lines were occasionally discussed. All I got from it was the Airwolf helicopter was pretty badass.

Anyway, somebody who is obviously an Airwolf super-fan decided to build a 1:3.5 scale RC model of the helicopter. At 13-foot long it happens to be the world’s largest remote control helicopter. That’s one hell of a toy! Check out the video to see it in action.

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It’s Friday! My Dad sent me this photo of a law enforcement Corvette that he found on the net. I’m guessing that this C3 was confiscated in a drug bust or used in some other illegal deed before being rebranded to fight crime. I guess if you’re going to get pulled over, it might as well be by a cop in a sweet ride like this. If I was a cop, I’d pick this over the usual boring Ford cruiser for sure!

And speaking of vehicles, I have a bizarre automotive issue with my van that has even my mechanic cousin stumped. Here’s the deal. If my gas gets down to a quarter-tank or less, it has a very hard time starting. The starter enthusiastically does its job but you don’t hear even the slightest indication that the motor wants to start. All you hear is the starter. Usually after 5 to 20 attempts on the ignition, it will eventually start right up. And once it starts it runs perfectly. And fill the tank over a quarter and the whole problem goes away.

Maybe some bad gas in the tank? But once it starts it runs perfectly. No misses or stuttering.

Maybe a bad fuel pump? No, because once started it runs perfectly.

Maybe a clogged fuel filter? Again, not likely because when it does eventually start, it runs and operates perfectly.

Any ideas? Drop me an email if ya think you might know what’s going on.

Okay, since it’s Friday the babes and jokes are doubled! Enjoy the holiday weekend!

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