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You become powerful and famous. This list of past Indy 500 Pace Car Drivers includes film stars, racing legends, and big shot auto industry executives. Jay Leno was the pace car driver for the 2002 Daytona 500, and he wrote about it in this Popular Mechanics article. For NASCAR newbies, the pace car is an official vehicle that keeps the other race cars at a safe speed during warm-up laps, accidents, and re-starts. All NASCAR races begin with a "flying start" -- the cars are in motion when the race officially begins. The opening pace car is a largely
ceremonial spot. The driver maintains a leisurely pace of 70 miles per hour in front of the pack before pulling over. Then the green flag waves, and the race begins in earnest. The pace car drivers who take the track in case of an accident are obviously very experienced drivers. Once a pace car enters the track, all other drivers must assume its speed. Before 1991, pace car drivers were supplied by the various raceways. In 1991, NASCAR hired its first official pace car driver, the legendary Elmo Langley, a veteran race car driver with years of experience. We couldn't find specific information on becoming a pace car driver, but if it's your dream to lead the other cars around the track, our best advice is either
get started on your racing career or make friends with the right people! To learn more about the sport, check out the Yahoo! Sports NASCAR Page and the NASCAR category in the Yahoo! Directory. The official NASCAR site also features a handy glossary of relevant terms.
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