'It was awesome': Curt Cignetti brings Indiana football flair to Indy 500 pace car

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Curt Cignetti has been in a lot of big moments in the past six months. Completing a 12-0 season, winning the Big Ten Championship, winning the Rose Bowl, the Peach Bowl and, of course, the 2026 national championship game — all Indiana program firsts.

He captivated an entire nation of football fans, and on the Sunday before Memorial Day, Cignetti delivered another spectacular moment of Indiana lore. He led the group of 33 racers around Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the honorary pace car driver for the 110th running of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Curt Cignetti was able to have three actual victory laps, which if you know his persona, isn’t how the IU head coach operates, but it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

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He even joked that the real reward of going 16-0 and winning the national championship. “You know, I had to coach the hell out of that team so I could have a chance to be the pace car driver” he told Outkick before the festivities began.

With Black Hawk helicopters no more than a couple hundred feet above Cignetti as he paced the racers at IMS, which was preceded by two other flyovers, the singing of “God Bless America,” “America, the Beautiful,” the “Star-Spangled Banner” and finally “Back Home Again in Indiana.”

It was an epic piece of Americana, and Indiana football was firmly a part of it. A crowd of more than 350,000 (more than the 301,000 combined fans between all four of IU’s postseason wins) was on its feet and cheered not only for the start of the 200-lap race, but also because Cignetti has become larger than life in the state. IU apparel littered the stands in Speedway, and Hoosier chants were scattered throughout the afternoon.

The racing itself ultimately stole the show with a wild finish that included a yellow flag on lap 192, which ultimately resulted in a red, followed by another yellow on lap 197. The green and white flags simultaneously came out on the final lap, allowing for a one-lap sprint to the finish, which included Felix Rosenqvist winning by the smallest margin in the 500’s 100-year history.

But for as exciting as the race was itself, Cignetti’s appearance was an incredibly memorable part of the day. He kicked off the racing festivities and topped out at nearly 100 miles per hour during his final pace lap around the 2.5-mile track.

Cignetti appeared to thoroughly enjoy it as well, telling WISH-TV that “It was awesome.” The smile on his face was clear, and for someone who isn’t visibly satisfied on the football field often, he didn’t hesitate to display his appreciation at IMS.

It wasn’t just a blissful good time, though, as Cignetti took his duties in the pace car about as seriously as he takes winning football games. As he was going around the track, FOX’s broadcast team attempted to get a live comment from Indiana’s head coach, but he stayed completely silent.

‘It’s part of the fabric of the state’: Curt Cignetti prepares for role as Indy 500 pace car driver

He embodied his own quote: “How you do something is how you do everything” and utilized the same focus, preparation and discipline that he does as a head coach. Cignetti was locked in because he doesn’t know how to execute any other way — no matter which sport is being played.

And despite acknowledging the crowd of nearly 360,000 as “unbelievable,” Cignetti said that he approaches his four pace laps just like a game. “I’m oblivious to the crowd. When it’s time, you go and you lock in and do your thing,” he told FOX before the race.

Cignetti mentioned that he hit 177 miles per hour the night before the race, and you could just tell how much he enjoyed being in that car. Just like football, it’s all business in the moment, but joy after the fact. His official speed on the final pace lap was just around 100 mph, increasing from 75, 90 and 90 for the first three.

For all intents and purposes, Cignetti excelled as a pace car driver. Obviously there are no wins and losses there, but Indiana’s head coach met every mark and provided enjoyment for himself, the 350,000 fans in the stands and the millions watching around the world.

He did it with the same process-oriented attitude that has become synonymous with Indiana football and played a meaningful role in arguably the greatest Indianapolis 500 in history. Cignetti turned down public appearance after public appearance following Indiana’s remarkable national championship run, but refused to turn down the Indy 500.

He understood the pageantry of the race and how much it means to the people of Indiana, but also got a great amount of enjoyment out of it, too. And for as long as the 2025 Indy 500 will be remembered, Cignetti will be talked about right along with it, doing so in the most Curt Cignetti way possible.

“I like being number one, so I get to start in front and finish in front.”

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