Leading the field at the Indianapolis 500
source:
irl.racing-live.com
Memorial Day weekend in the United States will find
one of the most recognized, and awarded, former members of the United States
Armed Forces leading the field to the start of the Indianapolis 500.
Colin Powell has earned many titles in his public career, from soldier, General,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, National Security Advisor to the President of the
United States, and United States Secretary of State. May 29th he will serve as
the pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500.
"It's a great tradition. It's one of those things that is just as American as
apple pie. The Indy 500, you say it anywhere in the world, and people know what
you're talking about. Its put this city on the map, certainly, but it's also put
this kind of racing on the map," Powell said in talking about the Indy 500.
"I've been talking about it everywhere I go. You'll be surprised; I'll be saying
to people and telling them I'll be driving the Pace Car at the Indy 500, and
they break out in applause."
Most years the Indy 500 pace car driver had been a former race driver, with
former champion Parnelli Jones being the last former driver serving as pace car
driver in 1998. The past six years have seen television personality Jay Leno,
host of The Tonight Show, supermodel Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp, wife of singer
John Mellencamp, and actors Jim Caviezel and Morgan Freeman drive the pace car
at the Indy 500. Freeman, who drove the pace car in 2004, received an Academy
Award earlier this year for his role in the 2004 movie Million Dollar Baby.