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. |
South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, 'The Rose of Soweto,' dies aged 57Chinese astronauts return to earth after six months in spaceFCC fines wireless carriers for sharing user locations without consentCalling a female colleague a 'pretty woman' at work is sex discrimination, tribunal rulesKenyans in floodJaguars cut WR Zay Jones, clearing a path to potentially sign fiveUsing a walker boot for too long may mean you can't ever walk properly without it againWelcome to stench ground zero: The village where an unspeakable twoFree child care from higher taxes? These cities subsidize daycareWhat's causing the catastrophic rainfall in Kenya?