Curt Cignetti jokes he has to ‘train like hell’ for undefeated Hoosiers to become Indy 500 driver
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti added yet another moment to his bucket list Sunday afternoon, as he jumped into the driver’s seat of the Indianapolis 500 pace car as its honorary driver.
Cignetti led the way in his USA title Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X in the 33-car field that would start the 110th IndyCar race.
OutKick’s Dan Dakich caught up with the Hoosiers coach at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the race, which Felix Rosenqvist won late in the season, when he asked Cignetti if there was anything people didn’t know about his 2025 team that went 16-0 and won the title.
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Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti attends the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 24, 2026. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
“I’m going to get off topic here since we’re at the [Indy] 500. I had to train the hell out of that team to be a race car driver,” Cignnetti joked. “Look, we had a lot of kids. When you get 11 guys doing their job at a high level, playing and playing, consistency and performance. They accomplished a lot, and you can’t lose a game before you win it. We made the plays that needed to be made and won close games.”
Dakich followed up with Cignetti about his latest bid, which is an honorable mention. However, it’s one the entire state of Indiana wants to see after leading the Hoosiers to their first ever national championship in football.
INDIANA COACH CURT CIGNETTI FIRES CARS IN ENGLISH BEFORE INDIANAPOLIS 500
There has been a star-studded group of speedway drivers over the years, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Ken Griffey Jr. and Michael Strahan. Cignetti, as you’d expect, took the role personally, starting days before the race to make sure he hit the car.
“We scored 177 [mph] yesterday, so we’ll see how it goes today,” Dakich told.
Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti attends the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 24, 2026. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Cignetti added that he had to go 175 kilometers per hour, followed by 190 twice, and the final lap would be “kind of TBD,” as he wasn’t sure what the pace would be.
Either way, Cignetti, like his players on the gridiron, made sure he did his best to practice before the big day.
“Well, I had two different sessions,” he told Dakich. “So, it took me a while to get to know the track, the car. My biggest thing in the corners is where I have to work because it’s natural to want to slow down. The car will take a corner, so you have to let it go.”
When the race came to an end, after dealing with rainy weather and numerous caution flags on the track, Rosenqvist passed American David Malukas in the final lap to take the first ever IndyCar win and take his first Indy 500 victory.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti celebrates after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Rosenqvist finished 0.023 seconds ahead of Malukas, with Scott McLaughlin and Pato O’Ward finishing third and fourth, respectively.
