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. |
Pogacar blows away everyone on time trial to extend Giro lead to more than 2 minutesSuspected pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden raises concerns about growing Somali piracyHow to watch (and stream) the Eurovision Song Contest finalLions made OT Giovanni Manu of Tonga the 1st NFL draft pick from University of British ColumbiaLithuania holds a presidential vote as anxieties rise in the Baltics over Russia and war in UkraineErnie Els, 5 others in 6Just Stop Oil ecoFilm academy launches $500M fundraising campaign ahead of 100th Oscar anniversaryPolish farmers march in Warsaw against EU climate policies and the country's proRomanian court extends judicial measures against online influencer awaiting human trafficking trial