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. |
Tyler Myers, Thatcher Demko help Canucks beat Flames 4Taylor Swift fans are scammed out of more than £1 million by ticket fraudstersWho will win the NHL's top awards this season? Here are AP's predictionsIndia elections 2024: Colorful roadshows, rallies mark start of poll seasonGerman police target ChinaColumbia University president to testify in Congress on college conflicts over IsraelFather of boy accused of stabbing 2 Sydney clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader saysDozens of Russian athletes are likely to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Will Moscow let them go?Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear arguments in Democratic governor's suit against GOPJosé Ramírez gets key hit to help the Guardians beat the Red Sox 10