Indianapolis, IN

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti to drive Indy 500 pace car

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti to drive Indy 500 pace car

After leading Indiana football to a 16-0 season and national championship, Curt Cignetti will drive the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. Cignetti was announced as the pace car driver for the 110th Indy 500 on Fox during the World Baseball Classic final Tuesday.

Cignetti will lead the field of drivers in the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X to begin the race. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway gave the illustrious seat to the man who won 14 of the 17 national coach of the year awards he was eligible for in his first two seasons at Indiana.

Since Cignetti was hired ahead of the 2024 season, Indiana has gone 27-2 and made the College Football Playoff twice. This past season, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten championship since 1967 and their first national championship ever.

“Coach Cignetti will have our field in a special victory lap formation as he leads the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series to the green flag at this year’s Indy 500,” IMS and IndyCar president Doug Boles said in a news release. “His Hoosiers have been nothing short of remarkable, and their national championship run inspired our entire state. 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.”

Buy IU championship books, newspapers

Cignetti will become just the second football coach to drive the pace car, the first since Jim Harbaugh in 2013. Last year’s pace car was driven by Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Fox analyst Michael Strahan.

Cignetti drove the Hoosiers to prominence in 2025, and he’ll now drive at the front of the pack to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Indy 500 pace car drivers: Indy 500 pace car drivers through the years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

All-time list of Indy 500 pace car drivers

2026: Curt Cignetti, Indiana football coach

2025: Michael Strahan: Former NFL player, television host and Fox NFL analyst

2024: Ken Griffey Jr: Baseball Hall of Famer

2023: Tyrese Halliburton: Pacers player

2022: Sarah Fisher: Former race car driver

2021: Danica Patrick: Former race car driver

2020: Mark Reuss: President of General Motors

2019: Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Former race car driver

2018: Victor Oladipo: Pacers player

2017: Jeffrey Dean Morgan: Actor

2016: Roger Penske: Racing team owner, businessman

2015: Jeff Gordon: Race car driver

2014: Dario Franchitti: Race car driver

2013: Jim Harbaugh: NFL player, NFL and college coach

2012: Guy Fieri: Celebrity chef

2011: A.J. Foyt (Mari Hulman George passenger): Former race car driver

2010: Robin Roberts: Broadcaster, morning show host

2009: Josh Duhamel: Actor

2008: Emerson Fittipaldi: Race car driver

2007: Patrick Dempsey: Actor

2006: Lance Armstrong: Former professional bicycle racer

2005: General Colin Powell: U.S. Secretary of State, chairman joint chiefs of staff

2004: Morgan Freeman: Actor

2003: Herb Fishel: General Motors’ racing executive director

2002: Jim Caviezel: Actor

2001: Elaine Irwin Mellencamp: Supermodel

2000: Anthony Edwards: Actor

1999: Jay Leno: Comedian, Tonight Show host

1998: Parnelli Jones: Former race car driver

1997: Johnny Rutherford: Race car driver

1996: Bob Lutz: Automotive executive

1995: Jim Perkins: Automotive executive

1994: Parnelli Jones: Race car driver

1993: Jim Perkins: Automotive executive

1992: Bobby Unser: Race car driver

1991: Carroll Shelby: Race car driver, designer

1990: Jim Perkins: Automotive executive

1989: Bobby Unser: Race car driver

1988: Chuck Yeager: Test pilot, Air Force general

1987: Carroll Shelby: Race car driver, designer

1986: Check Yeager: Test pilot, Air Force general

1985: James Garner: Actor

1984: John Callies: Automotive executive

1983: Duke Nalon: Race car driver

1982: Jim Rathmann: Race car driver

1981: Duke Nalon: Race car driver

1980: Johnnie Parsons: Race car driver

1979: Jackie Stewart: Race car driver

1978: Jim Rathmann: Race car driver

1977: James Garner: Actor

1976: Marty Robbins: Country music singer, NASCAR driver

1975: James Garner: Actor

1974: Jim Rathmann: Race car driver

1973: Jim Rathmann: Race car driver

1972: Jim Rathmann: Race car driver

1971: Eldon Palmer: Indianapolis-area car dealer

1970: Rodger Ward: Race car driver

1969: Jim Rathmann: Race car driver

1968: William Clay Ford Sr.: Executive chairman of Ford motors

1967: Mauri Rose: Race car driver

1966: Benson Ford: Automotive executive

1965: P.M. Buckminster: Automotive executive

1964: Benson Ford: Automotive executive

1963: Sam Hanks: Race car driver

1962: Sam Hanks: Race car driver

1961: Sam Hanks: Race car driver

1960: Sam Hanks: Race car driver

1959: Sam Hanks: Race car driver

1958: Sam Hanks: Race car driver

1957: F.C. Reith: Automotive executive

1956: L.I. Woolson: Automotive executive

1955: Thomas H. Keating: Automotive executive

1954: William C. Newburg: Automotive executive

1953: William Clay Ford Sr.: Automotive executive

1952: P.O. Peterson: Automotive executive

1951: David A. Wallace: Automotive executive

1950: Benson Ford: Automotive executive

1949: Wilbur Shaw: Race car driver, president of IMS

1948: Wilbur Shaw: Race car driver, president of IMS

1947: George W. Mason: Automotive executive

1946: Henry Ford II: Automotive executive

1941: A.B. Couture

1940: Harry Hartz

1939: Charles Chayne: Automotive executive

1938: Stuart Baits: Race car designer

1937: Ralph DePalma: Race car driver

1936: Tommy Milton: Race car driver

1935: Harry Mack: Automotive executive

1934: Willard “Big Boy” Radar: Long distance test driver

1933: Byron Foy

1932: Edsel Ford

1931: Willard “Big Boy” Radar: Long distance test driver

1930: Wade Morton: Race car driver

1929: George Hunt

1928: Joe Dawson: Race car driver

1927: Willard “Big Boy” Radar: Long distance test driver

1926: Louis Chevrolet: Race car driver, founder of Chevrolet

1925: Eddie Rickenbacker: Race car driver, owner of IMS

1924: Lew Pettijohn: Test driver

1923: Fred Duesenberg: Founder of Duesenberg

1922: Barney Oldfield: Race car driver

1921: Harry C. Stutz: Founder of Stutz

1920: Barney Oldfield: Race car driver

1919: Jess G. Vincent: Engine designer

1916: Frank E. Smith

1915: Carl Fisher: Created IMS

1914: Carl Fisher: Created IMS

1913: Carl Fisher: Created IMS

1912: Carl Fisher: Created IMS

1911: Carl Fisher: Created IMS

Source link

Click to comment

Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire

Published

9 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire

The home of a councilman in Indianapolis was shot at early Monday in what local police said was an “isolated, targeted incident.”

The incident came less than a week after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission voted 6 to 2 on April 1 to approve rezoning to allow the construction of a data center.

Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents District 8 on the council, spoke out in support of the rezoning and the efforts to build the data center in his district.

“Earlier this morning, between approximately 12:45 a.m. and 12:50 a.m., just a few hours after Easter Sunday, an individual fired 13 rounds at the front door of my home and left a note on my doorstep that read, ‘No Data Centers,’” Gibson said in a Monday statement.

“No Data Centers” note, according to a photo taken by Councilman Ron Gibson.

Councilman Ron Gibson

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it was called to the home on Monday morning, and officers found evidence that gunshots had been fired at the house. Police said no injuries were reported.

“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said in his statement.

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The data center is set to be built by Metrobloks, a data center developer based in Los Angeles. Following the vote last week, Gibson shared a statement on social media promoting the project.

“Metrobloks has the potential to bring significant investment, create jobs, and generate long-term tax revenue that supports infrastructure, housing, and essential services,” the statement said.

A data center boom is happening across the US, with companies pouring billions into building the infrastructure to keep up with demand in the era of AI. The data centers have faced increased opposition, with critics pointing to the high resource costs, from water to energy, and other issues like noise pollution, as detailed in a Business Insider investigation.

Source link

Indianapolis, IN

Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)

Published

21 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)

The University of Mary Washington men’s basketball team won the 2026 NCAA Division III national championship on April 5, defeating Emory University 75-73 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to secure the first national title in program history.

Source link

Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest

Published

1 day ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis City-County Councilor says he was shoved by a police officer during a protest Saturday night.

In a post on Facebook, Jesse Brown — who represents council district 13 — indicated that a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department approached a group of protestors and began shoving and grabbing them.

“Tonight, an IMPD officer approached a group of protestors from behind/beside them, did not identify himself or issue verbal orders, but started grabbing and shoving people and cussing at them to move (we were stuck behind other people blocking the sidewalk),” Brown wrote on Facebook.

Brown added that he asked the officer for his badge number and told him he was a City-County Councilor.

“I told the IMPD officer who was shoving people that I wanted his badge number,” Brown wrote. “He refused to give it. I told him I was a City Councilor. He said that he didn’t care WHO I was and grabbed my arm to shove me as well.”

Brown finished his post by confirming that he filed a formal incident report on his encounter with the officer. He also offered some criticism for the officer in the final sentence of his post.

“Officers have a difficult job, but if this is how he treated two white male candidates / elected officials, I do not trust him to serve the public and de-escalate tense situations.”

Jackson Franklin, who is running for Indiana’s fifth district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, was also involved in the incident. He made a Facebook post with greater detail on the incident.

Franklin said he, Brown and others were protesting near Lucas Oil Stadium ahead of Saturday’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four games. Franklin said he and other protestors were at the Final Four “to demand the NCAA stop using the same airliners that ICE uses to break apart and deport families in this racist injustice system.”

A report from The Athletic that was syndicated by Yahoo Sports indicates that at least one airliner has contracts with the NCAA to transport student-athletes to tournaments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented immigrants.

In his post, Franklin said the officer involved in the incident “shoved/assaulted many of the protestors, including Indianapolis City-council person Jesse Brown.” Franklin added that the officer did not provide any warnings before he began shoving protestors

“I thought initially it was going to be some MAGA person just walking past that was offended by our anti-ICE chants, but I turned around and noticed that he was wearing a uniform,” Franklin wrote in his Facebook post. “It was only then he gave his commands to continue to move and he immediately went to push around many others, using his uniform as an excuse to harass those he disagreed with politically.

“There was absolutely no need for violence and the protest organizers filed a complaint, but I have no hope of any action occurring because of this complaint. While the lone officer assaulted us, there were about 10-15 other officers looking around awkwardly unsure of what to do, not protecting our first amendment right while also probably realizing the officer was way out of line and should have just asked us nicely to keep the movement on the public sidewalk going quicker rather than using violence as the first and only answer.”

FOX59/CBS4 reached out to IMPD for a statement on Brown and Franklin’s comments. As of this article’s publication, the agency had not responded to those inquiries.

Brown has been at the center of multiple city-county council disputes over the last 14 months. In February 2025, Brown — whose district encompasses portions of downtown and the near east side of Indy — said the city-county council’s democratic caucus expelled him from their ranks.

Brown also introduced a motion to remove the council’s president and vice president in July.

As of this article’s publication, no additional information on the incident Brown, Franklin and others were involved in had been made available.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

Source link