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
Investigators return to Long Island home of Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect
MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Investigators returned Monday to the home of a New York architect charg2024-05-21Jurgen Klopp signs off with a win in emotionally charged final match as Liverpool manager
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — In many ways, it was business as usual for Jurgen Klopp.He touched the “Th2024-05-21Man United finishes outside the European spots despite winning last game in Premier League
BRIGHTON, England (AP) — Manchester United finished outside the European positions in eighth place a2024-05-21I'm a farmer... here is what Clarkson's Farm gets WRONG and right
Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been chronicling life on his Cotswold Diddly Squat far2024-05-21Kate Hudson hits the stage to debut songs from her new album Glorious at star
Kate Hudson looked like a pro as she performed songs from her new album Glorious for the first time.2024-05-21Europe's far right groups launch unofficial campaign for the European Union elections
MADRID (AP) — Europe’s far-right political parties unofficially launched their campaign Sunday for E2024-05-21
atest comment