Curt Cignetti to drive Corvette ZR1X as Indy 500 pace car

Curt Cignetti will drive the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X as the honorary pace-car driver for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, race organizers said. The Indiana football coach was announced for the role on March 17, with IndyCar and FOX Sports tying the selection to Indiana’s championship season under Cignetti. Chevrolet separately said the 2026 Corvette ZR1X will lead the field to the green flag as the official pace car. The appointment lands as the race weekend picture sharpened on Carb Day, when Josef Newgarden led final practice and Alexander Rossi returned to the track after a crash earlier in the week. ### Why is Curt Cignetti driving the pace car? Curt Cignetti was named honorary pace-car driver in celebration of Indiana University football’s undefeated national championship season, according to IndyCar and FOX Sports. The role puts a high-profile in-state coach at the front of the field before the race start, a ceremonial assignment the speedway gives to public figures tied to the event or host state. (indycar.com) FOX Sports and The Associated Press both reported that Cignetti will lead the field on the pace laps before the start of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The race is the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. ### What is the Corvette ZR1X that will lead the field? The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is the official pace car for this year’s race, Chevrolet and FOX Sports said. (indycar.com) FOX Sports described it as “America’s quickest production car,” while IndyCar called it the most advanced Corvette ever made. Chevrolet has used the Corvette as the Indianapolis 500 pace car many times before, and the ZR1X continues that link between the automaker and the race. (foxsports.com) The pace car will lead the 33-car field to the green flag on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ### Who looked quickest in final practice before the race? Josef Newgarden topped the speed chart in final practice on Carb Day on May 22, according to IndyStar and Yahoo Sports. (foxsports.com) Newgarden, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, enters this year’s race trying to become the first driver to win the event three straight times, IndyStar reported in a separate profile. The final practice result mattered because it was the last full on-track session before race day. Newgarden will not start from the front, however; IndyStar said he qualified at 230.165 mph and will roll off from the middle of Row 8. ### What is Alexander Rossi dealing with after his crash? Alexander Rossi returned to action after a crash in practice earlier in the week and is managing an injury to a bone in his right ankle, Yahoo Sports reported. (sports.yahoo.com) Rossi also underwent a procedure on a finger on his left hand after the May 18 crash, according to a Yahoo Sports report citing IndyStar. (indystar.com) Rossi said driving with the brace “feels different, but it feels fine,” Yahoo Sports reported. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner was cleared to race by IndyCar’s medical staff despite the ankle and finger injuries. ### What happens next at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? The 110th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (sports.yahoo.com) Curt Cignetti will drive the Corvette ZR1X on the pace laps, and Alex Palou enters the race chasing back-to-back Indianapolis 500 victories, according to USA Today’s race preview cited in the briefing. (indycar.com) (sports.yahoo.com)