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.
Kate Hudson hits the stage to debut songs from her new album Glorious at star
Guideline unveiled to make public use of autonomous driving vehicles safer
China releases list of first batch of pilot cities seeking to peak carbon dioxide emissions
China to boost private school education with retired teachers
Tsitsipas sweeps aside Ruud to win Monte Carlo Masters for the third time, and then weeps
Over 1,900 criminal rings busted as China intensifies crackdown on gang crimes
39 killed in deadly building fire in Jiangxi
Kate Hudson hits the stage to debut songs from her new album Glorious at star
Over 1,900 criminal rings busted as China intensifies crackdown on gang crimes