Armstrong to Drive Indy 500 Pace Car

Topics:  Indianapolis 500

VOA Sports
Voice of America
April 4, 2006

Seven-time Tour de France cycling champion Lance Armstrong of the United States has been selected to drive the pace car at the 90th Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indiana.

Armstrong retired from competitive cycling after he won a record seventh straight Tour de France title in 2005.  But on May 28, in front of more than a quarter million screaming fans, he will drive the Chevrolet Corvette pace car ahead of the 33-car field at the Indy Racing League event.

Armstrong said Tuesday that he is honored and excited to have been selected.  He will circle the four-kilometer Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval ahead of the race cars before veering off into the pits as the green flag is waved to begin the race.

Armstrong says after 20 years of competitive cycling he is still more comfortable behind handlebars than he is behind the wheels of an Indy race car.  In his words, "Hopefully I can not mess things up.  Driving a high-powered vehicle like that is totally different."

Some information for this report provided by AP.