Victor Oladipo to drive Indy 500 pace car
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After a season of driving to the basket for the Indiana Pacers, star player Victor Oladipo has a new assignment.
Oladipo has been chosen to drive the pace car at the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Fresh off of a breakout season, Oladipo was also named a finalist for NBA Most Improved Player.
“It’s a great honor to welcome Victor Oladipo, one of the most popular recent sports figures in Indiana, to lead the field to the start of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’” said IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “Few NBA players drive to the basket with more speed and power than Victor, so he’ll feel right at home behind the wheel of the awesome 2019 Corvette ZR1 on Race Day.”
“This is a tremendous honor for me,” Oladipo said in a statement. “I’m so thankful Indiana continues to embrace me, from Indiana University to the Pacers and now the Indianapolis 500, the greatest race in the world. I would like to thank Chevrolet, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Pacers for allowing me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Excited is a huge understatement to how I feel about this. I can’t wait.”
The Indianapolis 500 takes place on May 27.