Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti drove the pace car at the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, serving as the honorary driver for the 33-car field in a USA-themed Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X.
The honor came months after Cignetti led Indiana to its first-ever national championship in football, finishing the 2025 season with a 16-0 record. Speaking to OutKick's Dan Dakich at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the race, Cignetti made light of the connection between his championship and his new role.
"I'm going to go off topic here since we're at the [Indy] 500. I had to coach the hell out of that team so I could be the pace car driver," he joked. He then turned serious, adding: "Look, we had a great bunch of kids. When you get 11 guys doing their job at a high standard, play in and play out, consistency and performance. They accomplished a lot of things, and you can't lose a game before you win it. We made the plays that had to be made and won the close games."
Cignetti prepared for the role over multiple practice sessions in the days before the race. He told Dakich that he reached 177 mph during a session the day before. His planned speeds included 175 mph, then 190 mph twice, with the final lap described as open-ended.
"Well, I had two different sessions," he said. "So, it took me a while to get to know the track, the car. My biggest thing on the turns is where I need to work because it's natural to want to slow down. The car will take the turn, so you just got to let it."
Past honorary pace car drivers have included Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Ken Griffey Jr., and Michael Strahan.
The race itself ended in the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history. Felix Rosenqvist passed American David Malukas on the final stretch to win his first Indy 500, finishing 0.023 seconds ahead. Scott McLaughlin finished third and Pato O'Ward fourth. The race was delayed at points by rain and multiple caution flags.
