Michael Strahan to drive Pace Car at 109th Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan will drive the honorary Pace Car at the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2025.
Strahan will join other sports starts such as Ken Griffey Jr. and Tyrese Haliburton as recent Pace Car drivers for the Indianapolis 500.
“Michael is an impressive addition to the lineup of all-star athletes and celebrities to serve as honorary Pace Car driver for the Indianapolis 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “From the gridiron to the broadcast studio, Michael is no stranger to leading a fast-paced field. As we kick off a new era of INDYCAR and the Indy 500 on FOX, Michael will have one of the best seats in the house for the start of the world’s greatest race.”
Strahan played 15 seasons in the NFL, all with the New York Giants. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 and was a seven time Pro Bowler and four time All-Pro.
He also won Super Bowl XLII with the Giants in his last season in the NFL.
Strahan is also in the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
He’ll drive the 1,064-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupe as the Pace Car. The car is capable of a speed of 233 miles per hour.
Other recent Pace Car drivers include Morgan Freeman, Robin Roberts, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Dempsey.
Josef Newgarden has won the Indianapolis 500 in back-to-back years. Nobody has ever won the Indianapolis 500 three years in a row.
The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be run on Sunday, May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.