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
Philippines blames China for loss of giant clams in disputed shoal and urges environmental inquiry
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines blamed Chinese fishermen on Monday for a massive loss of2024-05-21German foreign minister says Russia will face consequences for monthslong cyber espionage
BRUSSELS (AP) — Germany’s top diplomat on Friday accused Russian agents of “intolerable” hacking of2024-05-21What to expect in Indiana's presidential and state primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — The race for the White House tops the ballot Tuesday in Indiana’s presidential and2024-05-21Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Italian Open with right forearm injury
ROME (AP) — Third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from the Italian Open on Friday bec2024-05-21Student fatally shot, suspect detained at Georgia's Kennesaw State University
ATLANTA (AP) — Officials at Georgia’s Kennesaw State University say a student was killed in a weeken2024-05-21Year after flip flop, NBC's Eddie Olczyk hopes he feels better about his Kentucky Derby pick
Last year at the Kentucky Derby, Eddie Olczyk did what every horse racing fan and handicapper has do2024-05-21
atest comment