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
Cruise worker 'murders newborn son on board ship': Shocked co
A cruise worker on board an Italian ship 'murdered her newborn son' as horrified co-workers raised t2024-05-21Cubs hit three home runs and stifle late Brewers rally in series
CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner hit his first career lead-off home run, Christopher Morel hit his third2024-05-21- LOWELL, Mass. (AP) — Kaleigh Fratkin scored with 80 seconds remaining and Boston clinched a berth in2024-05-21
Bernardeschi scores 2 goals to help Toronto beat Dallas 3
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto FC, led by two goals from Federico Bernardeschi, beat FC Dallas on Saturday n2024-05-21The unstoppable duo of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos
CANNES, France (AP) — Before a journalist has even lobbed a question, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimo2024-05-21Christopher Bell stops run of misfortune with pole qualifying run at Kansas Speedway
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Christopher Bell put four trying weeks of crashes and misfortune behind him2024-05-21
atest comment