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.”

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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