 Danny Granger poses in front of the Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace car with former winner Johnny Rutherford, who took the Pacers forward on a high-speed lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday.
(Shawne Payne/IMS Photo)
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Indiana Pacers swingman Danny Granger was the honorary starter for the May 15 practice session for the 92nd Indianapolis 500.
“It's unbelievable how fast they drive those cars,” Granger said trackside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I've never experienced anything like that. I got kind of dizzy when the first one was coming at me so fast. I kind of flinched because I wanted to make sure I didn't fall onto the track. It's amazing, it really is.”
Granger also took a ride in the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford.
“I have a lot of respect for race car drivers and their abilities,” Granger said. “There's no possible way I could fit in one of those cars. I barely fit in the Corvette, and that was a Pace Car. It was an exciting, scary experience.
"It's just amazing to be that close to the Indy 500 cars. I've never been that close before. You just don't get to do that every day. When I was in the Pace Car, I was getting sick to my stomach, and we were only going 100 miles an hour.”
The 500-Mile Race is May 25.
