INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will drive the pace car for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Griffey has attended “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in his second career as a photographer, but now his job will be much more visible. He’ll be behind the wheel of the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray that brings the field of 33 cars — led by record-setting pole sitter Scott McLaughlin — to the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Driving the Pace Car and leading the field to start the Indy 500 is one of the coolest experiences,” Griffey said Monday. “I came to the track a few years ago as a photographer and look forward to seeing the race from a different perspective.”
The pace car driver has been a coveted job among athletes, actors and other celebrities since the 1970s, when actor James Garner and singer Marty Robbins handled it. Others that have driven the car include Jay Leno, Morgan Freeman and Patrick Dempsey and, in more recent years, NBA players Victor Oladipo and Tyrese Haliburton.
'Constantly learning' Imanaga off to impressive start with the Chicago Cubs
Ukraine lowers conscription age after drop in volunteers to fight Russian invasion
Donald Trump disqualified from Maine ballot in US presidential primary
National expected to instill need for discipline at caucus retreat
Ricky Stenhouse punching Kyle Busch could lead to suspension
Woman burned during beauty treatment: 'It was really terrifying'
Major geomagnetic storm lights up parts of New Zealand
Government likened to 'dinosaurs behaving as though it's 1948' over te reo Māori use
US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 2018
Electronic roll crashing on Election Day could have been avoided