Jeff Gordon heaps praise on Corvette pace car

Despite five NASCAR wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon disputed the suggestion that he's the most experienced pace car driver in Indianapolis 500 history.

Before Sunday's race, Gordon noted that three-time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti drove the pace car in 2014. Gordon also highlighted the attributes of this year's model, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

"I've certainly got a lot of laps around here," Gordon said. "My (NASCAR ride) might be a little bit more like a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The amount of power that car has and how awesome it is, it's not just a thrill to be here and be the pace car driver. I get to drive a very cool car."

On Thursday, Gordon outlined plans to become a full-time Fox Sports race analyst in 2016. He's provided color commentary for three Xfinity Series broadcasts this year.

"I know it's going to be longer races, more challenging, a lot more going on," Gordon said of moving up to Sprint Cup events. "But (the Xfinity races were) a lot of fun. There was a lot of excitement and adrenaline there."

Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.