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.
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
More human remains believed those of missing woman wash up on beach
After Roe v Wade, alarms sound about emergency pregnancy care in U.S.
How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 4/18/2024
Virginia fathers narrowly avoid being crushed while sitting by backyard fire pit
Mohammad Mokhber: Who is Iran’s acting president?
4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana's high holiday
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 26
Former NHL star Jaromir Jagr scores in his first game since turning 52