Hoosier Gold Medalist Lilly King To Drive Grand Prix Pace Car

Last updated on Thursday, May 10, 2018

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Lilly King will drive the pace car for this year’s INDYCAR Grand Prix.

The fifth annual race will take place on Saturday, May 12 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

King, an Evansville native, won two gold medals in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The IU junior is also the world-record holder in the 50-meter and 100-meter breaststroke and is an eight-time gold medal winner in the FINA World Championships.

"I'm super-excited to be able to drive the Pace Car for the INDYCAR Grand Prix," King said. "As a homegrown Hoosier, there is nothing cooler than being able to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!"

King will lead the starting field on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS in a Corvette Grand Sport that features:

2L V-8 engine generating 460-hp and 465 lb.-ft. of torque
Eight-speed paddle-shift 8L90 automatic transmission
Equipped with the available carbon-fiber ground effects package
Dual Mode Performance Exhaust
Specific Grand Sport wheel design: 19 x 10-inch (front) and 20 x 12-inch (rear)
Magnetic Selective Ride Control™
Includes the available Z07 package, which features unique suspension tuning and massive Brembo® carbon ceramic brake rotors

"Lilly King is one of the greatest athletes ever from the state of Indiana, and we're honored to welcome her to drive the Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car in the INDYCAR Grand Prix," said J. Douglas Boles, IMS president. "She knows all about speed in the pool, and we think she'll enjoy the incredible performance of the Corvette on track at the Racing Capital of the World."

Click here to purchase tickets to the race and to learn more about IMS events leading up to the Indy 500.

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