Why is Curt Cignetti at Indy 500? Explaining Indiana football coach’s pace car role at racing event originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Curt Cignetti’s first offseason as the head coach of an NCAA football national champion will bring him to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Indiana Hoosiers coach, a few months removed from leading his team to an unbeaten season, will take part in the festivities prior to the 2026 Indy 500.
Cignetti is set to be behind the wheel of a luxurious Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, helping get the race started in Indianapolis.
Here’s what to know about Cignetti’s role at the Indy 500.
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Why is Curt Cignetti at Indy 500?
Every year, the Indy 500 finds a celebrity or notable Indiana figure to claim the role of being the honorary pace car driver. Considering Cignetti recently brought the Hoosiers a title and has become one of the most beloved football coaches in the country, he certainly met the star-level qualifications of helping the Indy 500 get underway.
Cignetti said he turned down most media and speaking requests after Indiana’s unbeaten 2025 season, but with the long history of the Indy 500 and its importance to the “fabric of the state,” he took on the proposed role to drive the honorary pace car.
“We’ve turned down a lot of nice opportunities so that I can sit in my chair and run that remote back and forth and watch that tape I love to watch,” Cignetti said, per IndyStar.
After multiple test runs and getting some lessons on driving the car from Sarah Fisher, who will drive the official pace lap for the race, Cignetti will step into a USA-themed Corvette to lead the 2026 Indy 500 drivers to the green flag.
“She’s a vet and she knows the ropes and she knows the track,” Cignetti said of Fisher, per IndyStar. “She knows when to start the turn, when to come out of the turn, how the car will function, the trust you’ve got to have in the car, and she knows the program.
“Most importantly, she wanted to make sure I could get my a– out of that car real fast because she’s the official pace car driver when the race starts, and I’ve got to get out real quick so she can get in.”
He drives, Google him 🔎@IndianaFootball head coach @CCignettiIU will lead the field to green as the Honorary Pace Car Driver at the 110th Running of the #Indy500 presented by @GainbridgeLife!@TeamChevy | #IsItMayYet? pic.twitter.com/Uh4r5EYn38
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) March 18, 2026
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What is the Indy 500 pace car?
The purpose of the pace car at the Indy 500 is to first help initiate the beginning of the race, leading the 33 drivers through warm-up laps and to the green flag. That’s the portion that eventually became an honorary role — in recent years, some names who have driven the honorary pace car include Michael Strahan, Ken Griffey Jr., Tyrese Haliburton, Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
From there, an official pace car driver takes over and maintains the safety of the race during caution periods. During yellow flags, the pace car enters the track to pick up the race leader, bunching the field together at a safer and reduced speed until obstructions are cleared.
In 2026, the pace car being driven by Cignetti, then Fisher, will be a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X.
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Does Curt Cignetti drive the Indy 500 pace car?
Yes, Cignetti will be behind the wheel for his honorary pace car role. He will be driving the car to lead the field of 33 drivers toward the green flag to start the race; from there, pace car veteran Sarah Fisher will take over the pace car duties during the race.
Cignetti said he went through multiple test runs before his official drive, taking lessons alongside Fisher.
Here’s a look at Strahan driving the honorary pace car in 2025: