Having a celebrity drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 car, is it marketing at its best or just sheer stupidity? This year for the 109th running of the Indy 500, Michael Strahan, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, two-time Emmy winner, and “Good Morning America” co-host was the honorary Pace Car driver in control of the 1,064-horsepower 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupe capable of reaching speeds up to 233 miles per hour, the highest speed of any car made in the United States by an auto manufacturer.
What’s more, he was interviewed on live TV while in control of the race start!
It hasn’t gone that smoothly in the past. Back in 1971, Eldon Palmer, a local Indianapolis-area Dodge dealer, lost control of the Dodge Challenger pace car at the south end of the pit area, and it crashed into a photographers’ stand, injuring 29 people, two seriously.
Only in America!
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