Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is putting in some pace car reps before the Indianapolis 500
IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter takes a closer look at his race car
IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter is preparing for his 23rd Indianapolis 500 race, expressing his confidence in his team and car. Carpenter, who is also a co-owner of the races, is looking forward to the special Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. in August. IndyCar races will be exhibited to a wide audience at the event.
It’s always nice to say you’ve had the chance to drive the pace car in any race, but do you want them to throw you the keys to the Indianapolis 500?
It doesn’t get any better than that, and this year that honor goes to one of the most popular people in Indiana, Indiana Hoosiers head football coach Curt Cignetti.
The great thing about driving the pace car is that, unlike a ceremonial first shot that has nothing to do with the game (though how much fun would it be if it did?), the pace car driver can influence the race.
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Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti celebrates after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
You need to go at the right speed so that the cars can safely warm up their tires.
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If you go too slow you will disturb some drivers.
So it makes sense to do some practice beforehand, and on Saturday IndyCar shared some photos and videos of Cignetti joining some representatives at the Brickyard.
Cignetti has a pretty good set of wheels to accelerate the field. The pace car for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X. It has a 5.5L twin-turbo V8 engine that delivers over 1,000 hp to the rear wheels, and if that wasn’t good enough, there’s also an electric motor that adds another 186 hp to the front axle.
Curt Cignetti will lead the field ahead of the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. (© Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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I’m not sure what Cignetti drives every day, but that’s a lot of cars, so it’s a good thing he got some tips from Sarah Fisher. Fisher is a former IndyCar driver who competed in the Indianapolis 500 nine times and also worked as a pace car driver for the driver.
So, if anyone can get some tips, it’s him.
Sporting a pretty cool America 250 paint scheme, Cignetti and the Corvette will lead the field in the pace laps, with the broadcast beginning at 10 a.m. on Fox on Sunday.
