Indiana Pacers Guard Tyrese Haliburton to Drive the Indy 500 Corvette Z06 Pace Car

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway today announced that Tyrese Haliburton, a guard for the Indiana Pacers NBA team, will e the honorary Pace Car driver for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28th. Haliburton will lead the field of 33 IndyCar racers to the Green Flag in the 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible Pace Car.

“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.”

Here is some background on Tyrese from the official announcement:

During the 2022-23 NBA season, Haliburton, a first-time NBA All-Star, became the first player in NBA history to average 20 or more points and 10 or more assists and to shoot 40 percent or better from three-point range. In his second season with the Indiana Pacers, Haliburton averaged 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game over 56 starts.

Haliburton ranked fourth among all guards in the NBA during the season for number of double-doubles posted (32). He became the first player to record 40+ assists and no turnovers over any three-game span in NBA history.

Originally selected as the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by Sacramento, Haliburton has averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.6 steals over 191 games (153 starts) during three seasons with the Kings and Pacers. He has posted 62 double-doubles in his career, including 43 with the Pacers.

“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.”

Earlier this week, the Speedway also announced that actor Adam Driver has been named as the Indianapolis 500 Honorary Starter.

The 107th Indianapolis 500 will be run on Sunday, May 28th and you can watch it on NBC. This is the 20th time that the Corvette has paced “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and the 34th Chevrolet to pace the race since 1948.

Source:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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