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. |
168 tombs unearthed in China's ShandongStudy reveals characteristics of East Asian Homo sapiens 45,000 years agoMAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Rayner still has much to answerChinese New Year culture festival held in E China's townNew Yorkers wrap up Lunar New Year celebrations with big paradesBelt and Road archaeological cooperation fosters closer friendship among civilizationsYouTuber shares how she makes a fortune filling out disability applications for £650 a popStop prescribing puberty blockers to childrenChina's NCPA to host Festival Waltz concertArizona State hires former Steelers star Hines Ward as receivers coach