Photo Courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway
When the field of 33 drivers roll off the grid this year for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PenGrade at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, four-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban will be leading them as the passenger of Mario Andretti in the custom-built two-seat IndyCar billed as the “Honda Fastest Seat In Sports”.
Andretti and Urban will be following four parade cars as well as leading the official Pace Car on the three parade laps leading up to the greed flag of the most famous race in the world. Once Andretti and Urban exit the track and head down pit road, the green flag will wave and the field of 33 cars will duke it out to become the next Indy 500 champion. The race will be aired live on ABC starting at Noon ET on May 29.
“I inherited my love of cars from my dad,” Urban said. “We used to take family driving trips purely for the love of driving. They’re also featured heavily in a bunch of my songs, including some on my new album RIPCORD. For me they symbolize freedom, independence, adventure and so much more. The Indy 500 is one of the true iconic motorsport events and to get to drive with a legend like Mario (Andretti) in this 100th race is indescribable and something I wish my dad could’ve seen!”
Urban, who will release his eighth studio album RIPCORD on Friday, May 6, will go around the historic IMS, traveling the length of a football field in less then a second. The Honda Fastest Seat in Sports IndyCar will be equipped with cameras to make sure the moment is captured as well as a microphone to record every single second of Urban and Andretti’s famous lap.
Andretti is just as excited as Urban is as Andretti is a big fan of the country singer.
“Keith and I are going to have some fun,” Andretti said. “He will make the 100th running of the Indy 500 a memorable day for me and my Honda Fastest Seat in Sports crew. Then, I’m going to his live show in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in November and I’ll have some fun on his turf. I want to see him play some ridiculous guitar, sing his heart out, and maybe even change the lyrics to his hit song about falling in love in the back of a ‘Cop Car’ to something about riding with me in the back of a race car. It’s all just good fun. But first … the Indy 500 is the greatest day in racing, and to have a powerhouse like Keith along for the ride will make it greater.”
Urban’s RIPCORD already has given him his 19th (“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”) and 20th (Break On Me) career No.1 songs. “Wasted Time”, Urban’s current single is slowly climbing up the charts. The album will also feature a virtural Who’s Who of GRAMMY Award-winning writers performers and co-producers that include Pittbull, Carrie Underwood, Nile Rodgers, Jeff Bhasker, Dann Huff Busbee, Greg Wells and many more.
Urban is titled one of Country’s best live performer and he returns to the stage with his first arena/amphitheater tour in two years. His ripCORD World Tour 2016, will kick off on June 2 in Kansas City Missouri, and will come to the Klipsch Music Center in Indianapolis on June 4 as well as more than 50 other U.S cities along with Canada and Australia.
As for Mario Andretti well he has won is just about everything he has driven in. He has won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500. the Formula One World Championship as well as the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. He is a four time IndyCar Champion and a three time winner at Sebring. Andretti has one races in sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars and has won on ovals, road courses drag strips, on dirt and on pavement. He has won on every level of racing since he came to America from Italy where he was born and raised at the ripe age of 15.
He is a Legend as he drove with passion and joy that very few have ever come close to equaling and he won; taking the checkered flag 111 times to be exact during his extensive career, which lasted through five decades. Retiring from active racing at the end of 1994, he is now a successful businessman off the track; Andretti serves as a spokesman, associate and friend to some of the most top executives around the world.
