Every year a notable figure is selected to be an honorary starter for the Indy 500. They include A-list celebrities with ties to Indiana — movie stars, athletes, musicians and business leaders.
As excitement builds for 110th running of the greatest spectacle in racing, take a look back at those who have been honorary starters and waved the green flag.
2004 – Nick Lachey
2005 – Reggie Miller
2006 – Sugar Ray Leonard
2007 – Peyton Manning
2008 – Kristi Yamaguchi
2009 – Allen Sirken
2010 – Jack Nicholson
2011 – Bruce P. Crandall
2012 – Governor Mitch Daniels
2013 – Michael Peña
2014 – Mark Cuban
2015 – Patrick Dempsey
2016 – Chris Pine
2017 – Jake Gyllenhaal and Jeff Bauman
2018 – Chris Hemsworth
2019 – Christian Bale and Matt Damon
2020 – Dan Towriss
2021 – Milo Ventimiglia
2022 – Miles Teller
2023 – Adam Driver
2024 – Austin Butler and Jodie Comer
2025 – Casey Foyt
2026 – Brendan Fraser
Award-winning actor Brendan Fraser has been tapped to wave the green flag for the 110th running of the Indy 500.
While the Indianapolis native is known for “The Mummy” film franchise, he earned an Oscar for Best Actor in a male role for 2022’s “The Whale.”
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Katie Wiseman covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Contact her at klwiseman@indystar.com. Follow her on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at John.Tufts@IndyStar.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: This job at the Indy 500 has a long tradition. Who’s waved the green flag?
Reporting by John Tufts and Katie Wiseman, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
