Ken Griffey Jr. He was a major threat with bat and glove during a career that led to his Hall of Fame induction. But the superstar was also a celebrity off the field.
Now “Junior” will bring that presence and attention to the motorsport track for one of the most famous races in the world.
Griffey will be the honorary pace car driver at the Indianapolis 500 race on Sunday. Griffey will pilot a 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray and will lead the field of 33 drivers.
“Driving the pace car and leading the field to start the Indy 500 is a wonderful experience,” Griffey stated. “I was at the track a few years ago as a photographer and I can’t wait to see the race from another perspective.”
Griffey, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft, was named to the All-Star Game 13 times, won 10 Gold Gloves and was the AL MVP in 1997. He hit 630 home runs during his 22 seasons in the Majors with the Mariners, Reds and White Sox before being immortalized in the Hall of Fame in 2016 with 99.3% of the vote — the third highest percentage in history.
“Every baseball fan knows Ken Griffey Jr.,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles. “Two legends will come together when Griffey steps into the Corvette E-Ray to lead the field of drivers in the racing capital of the world.”
