Pacers All-Star Pascal Siakam is selected as pace car driver for Sunday's Brickyard 400
Brickyard 400 organizers said Tuesday that Indiana Pacers All-Star Pascal Siakam has been selected as the pace-car driver for this weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The announcement comes almost exactly two months after the Pacers played the New York Knicks in an Eastern Conference final game on the same day as the Indianapolis 500. The events took place just a short drive apart.
It was just the fourth time a Pacers and racers doubleheader had taken place in Indy.
Now, though, Siakam will get a chance to experience the other part, this time leading the Cup cars to the green flag in a 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS. The race will take place on the historic 2.5-mile oval for the second straight year after it had been run on the track's road course.
'Basketball and motorsports — Pacers and racers — go hand in hand in Indianapolis,' IndyCar and speedway President Doug Boles said in a statement. 'Following the Pacers' electrifying postseason run, it's only fitting to have Pascal join us to pace the field as NASCAR's biggest stars compete to win the In-Season Challenge and add their name to the history books with a win at the Brickyard.'
Siakam didn't start playing basketball until he was 17 years old. He grew up in Cameroon and the three-time All-Star also is a two-time All-NBA selection and won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
4 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
ATP World Tour National Bank Open Results
Monday At Sobeys Stadium Toronto Purse: $9,193,540 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor TORONTO (AP) _ Results Monday from National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium (seedings in parentheses): Men's Singles Round of 128 Christopher O'Connell, Australia, def. Chun Hsin Tseng, Taiwan, 6-1, 6-2. Mackenzie McDonald, United States, def. David Goffin, Belgium, 6-4, 6-4. Ethan Quinn, United States, def. Yoshihito Nishioka, Japan, 7-6 (1), 6-2. Yunchaokete Bu, China, def. Vit Kopriva, Czechia, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
WTA National Bank Open Results
Monday At IGA Stadium & Aviva Centre Montreal Surface: Hardcourt outdoor MONTREAL (AP) _ Results Monday from National Bank Open at IGA Stadium & Aviva Centre (seedings in parentheses): Women's Singles Round of 128 Hanyu Guo, China, def. Yulia Putintseva, Kazakhstan, 6-3, 6-3. Kamilla Rakhimova, Russia, def. Kayla Cross, Canada, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Deion Sanders says he had bladder cancer but will coach the Colorado Buffaloes this season
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado coach Deion Sanders disclosed Monday that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer but after surgery his oncologist considered him cured. Dr. Janet Kukreja, the director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center/UCHealth University of Colorado hospital, said Sanders had his bladder removed as part of the surgical plan. Sanders plans to oversee the Buffaloes this season as he enters his third season at Colorado. Sanders, who turns 58 next month, spoke to the media on the eve of fall camp. He brought his medical team with him to discuss his diagnosis. The charismatic coach returned to campus last week and announced on social media, 'Back and Feeling Great!' He's missed football camps in Boulder this summer amid reports that he's been ill. On Sunday, the production crew of 'Well Off Media,' which chronicles Sanders and the Buffaloes, posted a video on YouTube of the coach's first meeting with the team. In the middle of the clip, there was a scene, dated May 9, where Sanders said: 'I don't know if I'm ready mentally, emotionally. Last night was tough, yesterday was tough, because I had to make a will. That's not easy at all, to think that you may not be here.' Sanders has dealt with issues surrounding his left foot since having two toes amputated in 2021 because of blood clot issues while he was coaching at Jackson State. He missed media day in 2023, his inaugural year at Colorado, after a procedure to remove a blood clot from his right leg and another to straighten toes on his left foot. In March, Sanders signed a contract extension through the 2029 season. The Buffaloes kick off the season on Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech at Folsom Field. It will be the first season in quite some time that he hasn't coached one of his sons. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns while Shilo, a safety, is in camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes went 4-8 in his first season and 9-4 last season, with an appearance in the Alamo Bowl. They have big shoes to fill in replacing Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
