Photo Credit: Indycar/IMS
On television, she is best known as playing Carol Brady, the mother of “The Brady Bunch.” At the Indianpolis Motor Speedway on Indy 500 race day, she has memorably sung the National Anthem and “America The Beautfiul.” On this upcoming Sunday for the special 100th edition of the Indianapolis 500, presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, the Dale, Indiana native will take on a different role altogether. On race day, Henderson will serve as the second Grand Marshall in race history, a role that debuted last year at the Brickyard.
As grand marshal of the event, Henderson’s duties will include greeting fellow celebrities on the red carpet walk and also welcoming the 33 starting drivers during their introductions less than an hour before the green flag. Henderson will also make the announcement of “Drivers to your cars!” following the singing of the National Anthem by Darius Rucker on Sunday. Finally, Henderson will ride in one of the parade cars on the opening warm-up lap of three prior to the start of the actual race.
“We wanted to have a Grand Marshal as part of our buildup to the green flag of the 100th Indy 500, and Florence Henderson was the perfect choice,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles. “She has been an integral part of the IMS family and ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ and this is a great way to thank her for her many contributions over the years to the Indy 500 and IMS. I’m so glad Race Day will pay tribute to such a legendary Hoosier icon for the 100th Running (of the race).”
Henderson, follows 2008 Olympic gymnastics all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin, who handled the duties a year ago. With Henderson’s new duties, the singing of “America The Beautiful” done normally by the television star, will be performed by the Indianapolis Childrens’ Choir, will also accompany Josh Kaufman in the signing of Indiana, better known by fans of the Indy 500 as “Back Home Again in Indiana,” the song sung just before the command of “Lady and Gentlemen Start Your Engines!” by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman George.
Although not as involved in television as she was in years previous, Henderson still hosts two different shows on the Retirement Living TV network (RLTV), “The Florence Henderson Show” and “Who’s Cooking With Florence Henderson.”
With television star and longtime Indy 500 pre-race festivities participant Jim Nabors’ last appearance in 2014, Henderson remains as the only member of the original pre-race regulars still involved with race day festivities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
