By: Chris Perkins, Senior Writer and Editor, GM News
As a Corvette Lead Development Engineer, Charlie Rusher has a particularly cool job. He’s often pushing Corvettes to their limit at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds.
“I’ve gotten to do a lot of cool things for work,” Rusher tells GM News, “but nothing like this.”
To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the NTT DATA INDYCAR Series held a race like no other: a 250-mile sprint on the National Mall, 25 Indy cars dicing past the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument and other American icons. As the only American brand supplying engines for INDYCAR, Chevrolet pulled out all the stops for the event. Rusher was there helping each branch of the U.S. Military “deliver” a Corvette Grand Sport to the track for race day.
Friday
The first day of the event provided a taste of what was to come, kicking off the weekend with the sound of V-8s. GM President Mark Reuss, and Senior Vice President of Global Product Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris took members of the media out for passenger laps of the race track in Corvette Z06 models.
Not only was this a thrill for the lucky guests – and, one suspects, for Reuss and Morris – it was a vivid demonstration of the technology GM hones in race series like INDYCAR and transfers to production cars like the Corvette.
Off track, General Motors announced an important new initiative in its ongoing commitment to U.S. Military veterans and the American workforce: Stars, Stripes, and Skilled Trades. The automaker will support up to 12 nonprofits with grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each, with the aim of expanding pathways to automotive manufacturing and skilled-trades careers for America’s returning servicemembers. It’s just the latest in over a century of GM’s support for veterans. Click here to learn more about Stars, Stripes, and Skilled Trades, and here for more on GM’s support of the American economy.
Image Caption: GM President Mark Reuss (L) with Senior Vice President of Global Product Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris (R) on the Washington D.C. track.
Saturday
Bright and early, the sounds of race cars echoed off the U.S. Capitol building and other historic monuments. Indy cars weren’t the only race cars speeding up Pennsylvania, Ave, though.
The IROC Series presented by Chevrolet, a revival of the classic International Race of Champions, hit the track next. NASCAR and INDYCAR champion drivers competed across two races in classic Pontiac Firebirds used in the original IROC series of the late 1990s and early 2000s, with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, a four-time champion with Chevrolet and vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, winning both races
Meanwhile, Chevrolet toured guests through team garages to meet the drivers and engineers of the Chevy INDYCAR teams. Guests also got a sneak peek at the GM Motorsports Engineering Trailer, a sort of mission-control for all the Chevy-powered teams. It’s where engineers look at real-time data from the cars to help the teams chase victory and make improvements for the next race.
"I don’t think there’s one person in this trailer who doesn’t want to win every weekend," says Chevrolet INDYCAR program manager Andrew Schutter. "They’re very smart and want to be on the forefront of making GM better."
Image Caption: Team Penske drivers appear in front of fans at Chevrolet booth before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
Saturday also provided fans their first taste of the track, and when not watching the action, they could check out a wide variety of Chevrolet vehicles on display, including the new 2027 Corvette Grand Sport and models from the Stars and Steel collection honoring America’s 250th. GM Defense also brought out a handful of vehicles, including the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV).
Sunday
A race like no other calls for a pre-race ceremony like no other. In a pre-race video segment, members of the U.S. Military transport a Corvette Grand Sport to the center of Washington, D.C. in spectacular fashion
With the Space Force watching over the proceedings, the Marines were up first, dropping out of a helicopter and uncovering the Corvette in a hangar. After escorting the car down a runway with a pair of armored trucks, the Marines airlifted the Corvette on a helicopter, then handed it off to the Navy. The Corvette was put on a Landing Craft Air Cushion hovercraft and took part in a beach landing accompanied by a Blackhawk helicopter and an F-18.
Next up was the Army, which flew the Corvette in a Chinook helicopter and unloaded the car into a clearing. Along with a pair of GM Defense ISVs, the Corvette tackled a wooded gravel road. Then, the Air Force loaded the Corvette into a C-17 transport jet for a spectacular flyover of Washington D.C. featuring two F-35 fighter jets following closely behind. Finally, the Coast Guard escorted the Corvette across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and onto the circuit. At the track sitting shotgun and carrying the green flag was none other than racing legend Mario Andretti, who handed off the starting flag to a Medal of Honor recipient who then delivered it to President Donald J. Trump.
For the video, Rusher wasn’t just the chaperone for the Corvette – he drove it in every scene and even stood at the edge of the open bay door of the C-17 as it flew over the Capitol. “It felt like I was living in a movie,” he says, still blown away and humbled by the experience.
At the conclusion of the 90-minute pre-race ceremony, the President waved the green flag, kicking off the grand prix. The 250-mile, 147-lap race was a thriller, just as you’d expect from INDYCAR. Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was the best-finishing Chevrolet driver, taking 2nd place and standing on the podium with the U.S. Capitol in the background.
For Rusher, it was so much more than a race.
“Both my grandfathers served in the military, so this was a true honor for me,” he says. “Getting to put smiles on the faces of those that serve our country while representing Team Corvette and the company was the greatest reward.”
By: Chris Perkins, Senior Writer and Editor, GM News
As a Corvette Lead Development Engineer, Charlie Rusher has a particularly cool job. He’s often pushing Corvettes to their limit at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan.
“I’ve gotten to do a lot of cool things for work,” Rusher tells GM News, “but nothing like this.”
To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the NTT DATA INDYCAR Series held a race like no other: a 250-mile sprint on the National Mall, 25 Indy cars dicing past the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument and other American icons. As the only American brand supplying engines for INDYCAR, Chevrolet pulled out all the stops for the event. Rusher was there for all of it – most notably helping each branch of the U.S. Military “deliver” a Corvette Grand Sport to the track for race day.
Friday
The first day of the event provided a taste of what was to come, kicking off the weekend with the sound of V-8s. GM President Mark Reuss, Senior Vice President of Global Product Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris, and director of motorsports programs for competition Mark Stielow, took members of the media out for passenger laps of the race track in Corvette Z06 models.
Not only was this a thrill for the lucky guests – and for Reuss, Morris, and Stielow – it was a vivid demonstration of the technology GM hones in race series like INDYCAR and transfers to production cars like the Corvette.
Off track, General Motors announced an important new initiative in its ongoing commitment to U.S. Military veterans and the American workforce: Stars, Stripes, and Skilled Trades. The automaker will support up to 12 nonprofits with grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each, with the aim of expanding pathways to automotive manufacturing and skilled-trades careers for America’s returning servicemembers. It’s just the latest in over a century of GM’s support for veterans. Click here to learn more about Stars, Stripes, and Skilled Trades, and here for more on GM’s support of the American economy.
GM President Mark Reuss (L) with Senior Vice President of Global Product Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris (R) on the Washington D.C. track.
Saturday
Bright and early, the sounds of race cars echoed off the U.S. Capitol building and other historic monuments. Indy cars weren’t the only race cars speeding up Pennsylvania Ave., though.
The IROC Series presented by Chevrolet, a revival of the classic International Race of Champions, hit the track next. NASCAR and INDYCAR champion drivers competed across two races in classic Pontiac Firebirds used in the original IROC series of the late 1990s and early 2000s, with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, a four-time champion with Chevrolet and vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, winning both races.
Meanwhile, Chevrolet toured guests through team garages to meet the drivers and engineers of the Chevy INDYCAR teams. Guests also got a sneak peek at the GM Motorsports Engineering Trailer, a mission-control for all the Chevy-powered teams. It’s where engineers look at real-time data from the cars to help the teams chase victory and make improvements for the next race.
"I don’t think there’s one person in this trailer who doesn’t want to win every weekend," says Chevrolet INDYCAR program manager Andrew Schutter. "They’re very smart and want to be on the forefront of making GM better."
Team Penske drivers appear in front of fans at Chevrolet booth before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
Saturday also provided fans their first taste of the track, and when not watching the action, they could check out a wide variety of Chevrolet vehicles on display, including the new 2027 Corvette Grand Sport and models from the Stars and Steel collection honoring America’s 250th. GM Defense also brought out a handful of vehicles, including the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV).
Chevrolet and GM Defense were integrated throughout the weekend’s celebration. The 250th-themed Corvette ZR1X served as the INDYCAR Pace Car, while six Corvette E-Ray convertibles in custom livery celebrated America’s 250th birthday. Twenty-five Silverado RST trucks, also wearing custom 250th-themed liveries, featured prominently in the INDYCAR driver introductions. Red, white and blue Corvette Z06 models provided on-track ride experiences for more than 300 guests, giving fans an up-close taste of Corvette performance.
Sunday
A race like no other calls for a pre-race ceremony like no other. In a pre-race video segment, members of the U.S. Military transport a Corvette Grand Sport to the center of Washington, D.C. in spectacular fashion, and Rusher got to see it all happen.
Credit: US Department of War, FOX Sports
Credit: US Department of War, FOX Sports
With the Space Force watching over the proceedings, the Marines were up first, dropping out of a helicopter and uncovering the Corvette in a hangar. After escorting the car down a runway with a pair of armored trucks, the Marines airlifted the Corvette on a helicopter, then handed it off to the Navy. The Navy loaded the Corvette aboard a Landing Craft Air Cushion and carried it ashore in a dramatic beach landing, escorted by two of the service’s iconic airframes: an SH-60 Seahawk and F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Next up was the Army, which flew the Corvette in a Chinook helicopter and unloaded the car into a clearing. Along with a pair of GM Defense ISVs, the Corvette tackled a wooded gravel road. Then, the Air Force loaded the Corvette into a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet for a spectacular flyover of Washington D.C. featuring two F-35 Lightning II fighter jets following closely behind. Finally, the Coast Guard escorted the Corvette across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and onto the circuit.
Credit: US Department of War, FOX Sports
Credit: US Department of War, FOX Sports
For the video, Rusher wasn’t just the chaperone for the Corvette – he drove it in every scene. “It felt like I was living in a Hollywood movie,” he says, still blown away and humbled by the experience.
Sunday’s pre-race activities also included a Chevrolet Military Appreciation Lap, honoring the service members and veterans of the United States armed forces. Jim Campbell, GM Vice President of Performance and Motorsports Commercial Operations, delivered remarks on site, and the Corvette Grand Sport was integrated into the military parade and pre-race ceremony, adding another meaningful connection between Chevrolet, the military community and the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The 250-mile, 147-lap race was a thriller, just as you’d expect from INDYCAR. Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was the best-finishing Chevrolet driver, taking 2nd place and standing on the podium with the U.S. Capitol in the background.
For Rusher, it was so much more than a race.
“Both my grandfathers served in the military, so this was a true honor for me,” he says. “Getting to put smiles on the faces of those that serve our country while representing Team Chevy and the company was the greatest reward.”
