Curt Cignetti, head football coach of Indiana, served as the honorary driver of the pace car during the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2026. He drove a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, leading the 33-car field in the 110th running of the race. In an interview before the event, Cignetti humorously remarked that he had to 'coach the hell out' of his undefeated team to earn this honor. He reflected on the team's performance, emphasizing the importance of consistency and making critical plays. Cignetti practiced driving the pace car, reaching speeds of 177 mph in preparation. The race concluded with Felix Rosenqvist winning in a close finish, just 0.023 seconds ahead of David Malukas.
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Curt Cignetti Drives Pace Car at Indianapolis 500
Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti served as the honorary pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2026. He humorously noted the effort it took to coach his undefeated team to earn this honor. The race was won by Felix Rosenqvist in a narrow finish.
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Curt Cignetti
Felix Rosenqvist
David Malukas
Scott McLaughlin
Pato O'Ward
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Curt Cignetti jokes he had to 'coach the hell out' of undefeated Hoosiers to be Indy 500 pace car driver
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Curt Cignetti Drives Pace Car at Indianapolis 500