Another day, another pace car variant I didn’t know existed. This time, it’s a 1999 Oldsmobile Bravada that was giving me quite a challenge when it came time to dig up archival photos. The reason this Bravada was not plastered all over stock marketing images of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 is because of a small distinction in the graphics on the side of the truck: this is the support vehicle for the Indy Racing League, not the main event that happens but once a year. Check it out here on craigslist for $24,999.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find. Now, if you do Google for an Oldsmobile Bravada pace car, you’ll see that the Olds SUV was the first “pace truck” used in the history of the race in 2001. It looked like a proper pace vehicle with upgraded wheels and tires, though there was some grumbling about a lackluster SUV being cast into the limelight of one of the world’s most significant automotive races. This Bravada looks awfully similar to the production model, right down to the wheels, but the seller claims it was yanked from the assembly line explicitly for the purpose of using it as a support vehicle for the Indy Racing League (IRL) and given the decal treatment shown here.

The Indy Racing League (IRL) that put this Bravada in front of the field was a dedicated racing league for open-wheel racers; it also led to a schism with CART, which took issue with the naming conventions and ultimately led to a lawsuit. For many racing enthusiasts, the IRL was a return to the more grassroots approach to racing, with up-and-comers proving themselves on an oval track. However, as time wore on, the IRL absorbed CART and became what is sought to avoid, which is a racing league dominated by the teams with the most money and influence to attract the most talented drivers. This Bravada in many ways is a relic of sorts, a reminder of what could’ve been had an actual “farm league” of racers been allowed to develop.

So, does that history make this Bravada a truck worth owning and adding to a collection of other former pace vehicles? It’s an interesting question, as I can’t recall ever seeing one of these before, so the rarity factor is certainly there. Like other pace vehicles that received no upgrades other than an appearance package, the future value of this Bravada is limited. I always think of the Pontiac Fiero or the Chevy Beretta on-track pace cars, which were actually significantly upgraded over their stock configuration, but the consumer-friendly version was just a decal job. This Olds is an interesting footnote in the history of pace vehicles, but perhaps more importantly, it’s as close to a brand new ’99 Bravada as you’re going to get.