INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Indiana University football head coach Curt Cignetti has had a memorable year already.
In January, he coached the Hoosiers to their first national championship in program history.
Earlier this month, he, along with members of that championship-winning team, visited the White House to be recognized for their accomplishment.
And now, he’s getting ready for another unique moment.
Cignetti will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. He’s been practicing for it, having already driven the pace car around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
“I got to be focused because, you know, you’re not going super, super fast, but, at the end you’re going at a pretty good clip,” Cignetti said. “We did have one funsie after about 15 or 16 laps out there. I gunned it and got it going a little bit.”
The pace car for the Indy 500 this year is a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X. It can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under two seconds. It can also reach 233 miles per hour.
News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff asked Cignetti if it will be tempting to stay out on the track once the pace laps end.
“I don’t think so,” Cignetti said.
Cignetti referenced just how fast the IndyCars race around the track as a reason why it won’t be difficult to pull off the track ahead of the green flag.
“The fastest lap around there, if I Googled it… You know I like to Google… I believe it was 239 miles an hour, okay?” Cignetti said. “And I didn’t come close to that. And I can’t imagine taking the turns and doing a lap at that speed.”
Cignetti has been learning from former IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher as he prepares to drive the pace car.
“She knows when to start the turn and when to come out of the turn and how the car will function and the trust you got to have in the car,” Cignetti said. “And she knows the program.”
Fisher raced in the Indy 500 nine times in her career. She now serves as the official pace car driver of the Indy 500 and will take over driving duties following Sunday’s pace laps.
“Most importantly… she wanted to make sure I could get my (butt) out of that car real fast because she is the official pace car driver when the race starts,” Cignetti said. “And I got to get out real quick so she can get in.”
The green flag for Sunday’s Indy 500 is set for 12:45 p.m. EDT.
