Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
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.
Related articles
Nadal returns to Roland Garros to practice amid doubts over fitness and form
PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal returned to Roland Garros on Monday to practice and try and figure out whe2024-05-21NASCAR teams, drivers will celebrate the sports' roots at Darlington Raceway
Josh Berry’s path to the NASCAR Cup Series was filled with missteps and doubts he’d ever make it to2024-05-21Veteran Costco worker reveals the ten best items up for grabs this month
A Costco worker has advised shoppers to buy 10 specific items this month at any of the retail chain'2024-05-21Malta’s deputy prime minister resigns, ends EU Commission bid, as he faces charges in hospital deal
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Malta’s deputy prime minister resigned Friday, and ended his European Commiss2024-05-21Jon Wysocki dead at 53: Staind drummer passes away
The music world is in mourning this Sunday, with word that original Staind drummer Jon Wysocki passi2024-05-21Ancelotti faces goalkeeper dilemma ahead of Champions League final. Courtois or Lunin?
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will give Thibaut Courtois another chance2024-05-21
atest comment