The INDYCAR two-seater that typically takes a celebrity around the track during the pace laps often has someone who can call themselves a champion.
The car, deemed the Fastest Seat In Sports, will have some serious championship swagger prior to the Indianapolis 500.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady will ride in the car, which will be driven by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who also has 29 career INDYCAR starts.
“I love the Indy 500,” Johnson said. “There is an energy and excitement around the 500 that is unlike anything I have experienced before.
“Certainly, pre-race ceremonies are the ultimate racing experience that I’ve had outside of the car. I’m thrilled to be a part of the program and to see the stands full one more time. I’m extremely honored to come back and do it and to be able to also share this experience with another seven-time champion.”
Johnson is currently co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, which fields two NASCAR Cup Series cars. And he shares a special connection with Brady, the famed quarterback and current FOX Sports analyst. Brady is an investor in Knighthead Capital Management, which has a minority interest in Legacy.
The ride will occur just before the green flag, scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Eastern on May 25. The FOX coverage of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 10 a.m. Eastern.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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