Hoosier Leader: Curt Cignetti to Serve as Indy 500 Honorary Pace Car Driver

The honorary pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500 is used to being in the lead. Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti, who guided the Hoosiers to an undefeated season in winning the 2025 College Football Playoff national championship, will lead the field on the pace laps prior to the biggest race in all of motorsports on May 24 (10 a.m. ET, FOX). “His Hoosiers have been nothing short of remarkable, and their national championship run inspired our entire state,” INDYCAR and IMS President Doug Boles said in a news release. “He’s the perfect choice to drive the Chevrolet pace car, and I know his introduction on race day will bring out a special roar of appreciation from our crowd.” Indiana has won 27 games in the two years that Cignetti has been coach since coming over from James Madison University. He has been honored with several national coach of the year awards the past two seasons. The pace car for the 2026 Indianapolis 500 is a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X.