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.
Verona confirms Serie A status for another year after beating Salernitana
Kate Beckinsale sheds light on her recent health woes as she wears 'tummy troubles survivor' T
Missouri lawmakers back big expansion of low
Fire in truck carrying lithium ion batteries leads to 3
Ricky Stenhouse punching Kyle Busch could lead to suspension
Quentin Tarantino SCRAPS plans for his final film The Movie Critic which had Brad Pitt set to star
Mariska Hargitay is mistaken for real
Devon Windsor, 30, flaunts her slender post
Adams, Reyna, Turner, Ream are US concerns ahead of Copa America
Prince Harry confirms he is now a US resident
Cruise worker 'murders newborn son on board ship': Shocked co
Olivia Dunne congratulates LSU teammate on winning top award ahead of semifinals meet