INDIANAPOLIS — After a breakout season with the Indiana Pacers, guard Tyrese Haliburton has been named the honorary pace car driver for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Haliburton will drive the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 hardtop convertible and lead the field of 33 drivers to start The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
"It's a tremendous honor to be given the opportunity to drive the pace car and lead the field to start the Indy 500," Haliburton said. "Basketball and racing are big in Indiana, and it's such a cool experience to represent the Pacers at the biggest race in the world."
During the 2022-23 NBA season, Haliburton became a first-time All-Star, as well as the first player in NBA history to average 20 or more points and 10 or more assists while shooting 40% or better from 3-point range.
Haliburton ranked fourth among all guards for number of double-doubles, with 32. He also became the first player in NBA history to record 40+ assists and no turnovers over any three-game span.
"Tyrese had a breakout season for the Indiana Pacers this year, and he's the perfect fit to lead the field at the Racing Capital of the World," IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. "Tyrese has power and speed on the court, so driving the Corvette Z06 pace car should be a natural fit."
Corvette has paced the Indy 500 more times than any other car. Chevrolet has had a pace car at the The Greatest Spectacle in Racing 34 times dating back to 1948.
The pace car is covered with Red Mist Metallic exterior paint and two-tone Jet Black and Sky Cool Gray with Torch Red accents on the interior.
The 5.5L LT6 creates 670 horsepower making it the highest-horsepower naturally aspirated V-8 ever to ever hit the market in any production car. All that power will be held to the track with the Carbon Aero package, providing 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph, more than any other Corvette.
The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is on Sunday, May 28. To purchase tickets, click here.
WTHR will also have live race day morning coverage beginning at 5 a.m. on air and on WTHR+.
