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
Uber and Lyft say they'll stay in Minnesota after Legislature passes driver pay compromise
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Uber and Lyft plan to keep operating in Minnesota after the state Legislature2024-05-21Marquette athletic director Bill Scholl plans to retire as he ends a decade
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Marquette athletic director Bill Scholl says he plans to retire and end his decade-2024-05-21Kenvue, Crocs rise; Disney, Teradata fall, Tuesday, 5/7/2024
Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Tuesday:The Walt Disney Co., down $112024-05-21Indiana professors sue after GOP lawmakers pass law regulating faculty tenure
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two professors are challenging an Indiana law creating new regulations on facult2024-05-21Pope trip to Luxembourg, Belgium confirmed for September, 2 weeks after challenging Asia visit
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has added a stop in Luxembourg to a trip to Belgium in September, a three-d2024-05-21Reigning champions Liaoning on verge of playoff exit
The Guangdong Southern Tigers defeated the Liaoning Flying Leopards 98-82 at home, taking a 2-1 lead2024-05-21
atest comment