Chevrolet marked America’s 250th birthday with a candle-extinguishing stunt at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23, using the 1,250-horsepower Corvette ZR1X to blow out 250 candles in a single high-speed pass ahead of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Corvette Senior Controls and Software Engineer Cody Bulkley piloted the ZR1X from a standing start to 90 mph as the hypercar passed within inches of 250 lit candles spaced nine inches apart across 186 feet of track. The ZR1X pairs an electrified front axle with a combustion rear axle to deliver 1,250 horsepower in all-wheel drive configuration, power harnessed here for theatrical effect rather than lap times.
The stunt launches a year-long campaign Chevrolet is calling recognition of America’s semiquincentennial. Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet, framed the celebration in language calibrated for the occasion. “Resilience, pride and work ethic of Americans have driven our nation forward for 250 years. For nearly 115 years, Chevrolet has been engrained in America’s story,” Bell said. “Corvette has long been a symbol of the American dream, so it is a privilege to celebrate this moment at the Racing Capital of the World.”
The campaign extends beyond the track stunt. Chevrolet has launched a limited-edition Stars & Steel Collection, a lineup of vehicles finished in what the company calls purpose-driven patriotism and American craftsmanship. The collection represents a design theme with dark metallic finishes and celestial accents, though the name is thematic rather than material. The vehicles are assembled of U.S. and globally sourced parts.
Chevrolet resurrected “See the USA in your Chevrolet” for the campaign, a callback to the brand’s own advertising history and a nod to the 114 years it has been selling cars in the country it is now celebrating. The tagline is a useful piece of brand archaeology for a company that no longer sells a single sedan in the U.S. market. Production of the Malibu for the domestic market concluded in late 2025, ceding a segment where over 900,000 mid-size sedans were bought in 2023 and where Honda and Toyota continue to field strong entries.
For this weekend’s Indianapolis 500, the Official Pace Car is a Corvette ZR1X finished in Arctic White and Admiral Blue, a Stars & Steel-inspired stars-and-stripes livery. The ZR1X is assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky, of U.S. and globally sourced parts. The pace car livery will be preserved in racing history as a commemoration of the anniversary, though whether that preservation extends to the production ZR1X itself is a question Chevrolet has not addressed in the announcement.
Throughout the year, Chevrolet plans to revisit what it calls iconic moments in the brand’s history and celebrate the linkage between the country and the brand’s heritage. The company has not specified which moments will be revisited or how many additional stunts are planned.
The candle stunt is the kind of activation that makes sense at Indianapolis, where spectacle has always been part of the Memorial Day weekend ritual. Whether blowing out 250 candles at 90 mph translates to broader cultural resonance for a 250-year-old country or a 115-year-old car brand is a question the rest of the campaign will answer.
Source: Chevrolet. Images courtesy of Chevrolet.
