The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has announced Academy Award-nominated actor Morgan Freeman will drive the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Pace Car to lead the field to a green-flag start. The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” The start of the 88th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. (EST)... on Sunday, May 30 at the Brickyard.

“We’re thrilled that Morgan Freeman is driving the Pace Car for the 88th 
Indianapolis 500,” said Tony George, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “He is an ideal person for the role since the theme of the event is ‘Lights, Camera, Traction!’ This theme highlights the connection between the stars of the Indy 500 and the glamour and stars of motion pictures, and Morgan Freeman is one of the most popular and respected modern film stars.
 

Mr Freeman has received countless awards over the year's for his performances in theater, films and television, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for “The Shawshank Redemption” in 1995 and “Driving Miss Daisy” in 1990, and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for “Street Smart” in 1988.

“Right next to acting, my childhood dream was to drive on a Speedway track,” Freeman said. “I’m thrilled to just be an observer but especially thrilled to be a part of the racing logs as the Pace Car driver for the Indianapolis 500 this year.”

Freeman, a native of Memphis, Tenn., became known nationally when he created the popular character, “Easy Reader,” on CTW’s highly praised children’s show, “The Electric Company.” He then won the Drama Desk Award, the Clarence Derwent Award and received a Tony Award nomination for his outstanding performance in “The Mighty Gents” in 1978, and received more acclaim and an Obie Award for his appearance 
as the Shakespearean anti-hero, “Coriolanus,” at the New York Shakespeare Festival.

In 1984, Freeman won another Obie for his role as “The Messenger” in the acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music production of Lee Breuer’s “Gospel at Colonus.” In 1985, he was awarded the Dramalogue Award for the same role. Then the role of “Hoke Coleburn” in Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Driving Miss Daisy,” won him his third Obie Award.

Freeman’s extensive television credits include, “The Atlanta Child Murders” and “The Execution of Raymond Graham.” In 1993, Freeman made his film directorial debut with “Bopha!” starring Danny Glover and Alfre Woodard, and soon after formed Revelations Entertainment, a production company developing entertainment product in all existing and emerging media that “enlightens, inspires and glorifies the human experience.”

Film acting credits include: “Brubaker,” “Eyewitness,” “Harry & Sons,” 
“Teachers,” “Marie,” “That Was Then, This Is Now,” “Clean & Sober,” “Johnny Handsome,” “Glory,” “Chain Reaction,” “Kiss the Girls,” “Amistad,” “Hard Rain,” “Deep Impact,” “Nurse Betty,” “Along Came a Spider,” “High Crimes,” “The Sum of All Fears,” “Dreamcatcher” and “Bruce Almighty.”

Currently, Morgan Freeman is scheduled to appear in the new Luc Besson film with Jet Li in 2004. Also, he has recently finished shooting “An Unfinished Life” with producer/actor Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez.

Quite an exciting acting career.... “And the fact that he’ll be behind the wheel of a Corvette, an American automotive icon from Chevrolet, is even more exciting.”

Chevrolet & the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.... The 88th running of the Indianapolis 500 to be held on May 30 will bring together the two most powerful symbols known to both auto enthusiasts and racing fans from around the world – Chevrolet and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – as a 2004 Corvette Convertible will serve as the Official Pace Car of this May's Classic. A fitting tribute to a legendary car that is in its last year before an all-new model hits the streets in 2005.

Corvette will perform Indianapolis 500 Pace Car duties for a record sixth time... a feat no other car or manufacturer can claim. 2004 also marks the third consecutive year and 15th time overall that a Chevrolet product has served as the Official Pace Car – the most appearances by any brand.

“The Indianapolis 500 and Chevrolet have had a long relationship,” said Tony George, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s an honor to have Corvette lead the field and also to have the Chevy Indy V8 competing for the win on May 30.”

The 2004 Corvette that will serve as the Indy 500 Pace Car is virtually 
identical to the Convertible available today through local Chevrolet dealerships.

Like race cars, the duties of a Pace Car can be long and strenuous. During the last two Indianapolis 500’s, for example, the Chevy Pace Cars led the field for a combined 84 laps (210 miles) of the total 400 race laps (1,000 miles) run, at an average lap speed of 75 MPH. Even during green-flag race conditions, the Pace Cars patiently run at idle, ready for action at a moment’s notice.

Very few modifications will be needed to the Corvette to prepare it for this year’s role: heavy-duty transmission and power steering coolers, a lower restriction muffler system, four-point racing-type safety belts and a safety strobe light system.

The 2004 rendition will feature a white-and-blue, two-tone paint treatment that incorporates Americana-theme graphics, tying into Chevrolet’s new “An American Revolution” marketing theme. The theme captures Chevrolet’s pride and passion for innovation, and for success not only in motorsports, but also as it launches 10 new car and truck products in 20 months...including an all-new Corvette in 2005