Curt Cignetti of Indiana to pilot honorary pace car at Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS — Curt Cignetti, who led Indiana to its inaugural national championship in football, will operate the honorary pace car at the Indianapolis 500.
Race officials announced this on Tuesday evening during the World Baseball Classic championship match. Cignetti will pilot a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, recognized as the most sophisticated Corvette ever produced, at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 24.
The Hoosiers made a remarkable transformation during Cignetti’s initial two seasons, rising from the least successful Football Bowl Subdivision program in history to the first major college football team to achieve a 16-0 record since the 1890s. Cignetti became the first coach to earn back-to-back AP Coach of the Year honors.
Indiana heads into the 2026 season with the longest winning streak in the nation (16 games), the longest Big Ten winning streak (10), and the longest home winning streak in the country (14). Cignetti’s 27 victories are also the highest in the FBS over the last two years.
He will now guide the 33-car lineup to the green flag.
“Coach Cignetti will have our field in a special victory lap formation as he leads the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series to the green flag at this year’s Indy 500,” stated Doug Boles, president of both the series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “His Hoosiers have been nothing short of extraordinary, and their national championship journey has inspired our entire state.”
Previous pace car drivers include Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., actors Morgan Freeman and Patrick Dempsey, journalist Robin Roberts, and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
Source: espn.com
