Chevy's Pink Corvette Pace Car Returns, and Now Top-10 Finishes Pay Too
Chevrolet's breast cancer fundraiser now covers five Cup Series races and pays out on finishing positions as well as caution laps, with up to $50,000 on the table.
Chevrolet is tying more of its October NASCAR giving to how its drivers actually race. For 2026, the brand's breast cancer fundraiser with the American Cancer Society covers five Cup Series races instead of two. For the first time, it pays out on top-10 finishes as well as caution laps.
The pink Corvette Stingray is back as well. It leads the field at Talladega on Oct. 25 and at Martinsville on Nov. 1. It's the same two-track role Chevy has used for years, and another example of how automakers turn pace-car duty into a brand showcase.
How the money works
Chevrolet says it will give $1,500 for every Team Chevy driver who finishes in the top 10 at Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Talladega, and Martinsville. That pot is capped at $25,000. The first chance comes this Sunday, Oct. 4, at the South Point 400 in Las Vegas. Charlotte and Phoenix follow on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, according to NASCAR's 2026 Cup schedule.
The cap is within reach. Seventeen top-10 finishes across the five races would max it out, which works out to fewer than four Chevrolets per race.
The caution-lap element carries over from last year. Every lap the pink Corvette leads under yellow at Talladega and Martinsville is worth $500, with a separate $25,000 ceiling. Combined, the program can now reach $50,000.
Less dependent on wrecks
Last year's campaign ran on caution laps alone. The Corvette took over from a pink Camaro SS in 2025, Chevrolet said at the time. Chevy puts the NASCAR portion of that effort at $32,500, part of more than $1.7 million the brand raised for the ACS in 2025.
That structure made the total a function of luck. In 2024, the two races produced 54 caution laps and $18,900. A crash-heavy Talladega helps the charity, while a clean race barely moves the number. Paying for finishing positions gives the program a base that doesn't depend on yellow flags. It also fits GM's habit of using its race programs for community programs.
What we don't know
Chevrolet hasn't said whether this year's pace car is a new Corvette or last year's car in a fresh wrap, or which model year it is. That matters to Corvette fans. The 2027 Stingray replaces the 6.2-liter LT2 with a 6.7-liter LS6 rated at 535 hp and 520 lb-ft, and starts at $73,495 including destination.
Martinsville is the penultimate race of The Chase. The Cup Series champion will be decided a week later at Homestead-Miami on Nov. 8.
