2010 Indianapolis 500 IZOD Red Carpet Celebrities Add Flavor To Race

By Steve Zautke
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Updated: May 30, 2010

One of our favorite things to do as a fan, is to look for celebrities and this year had many milling about the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Some of the celebrities at the Indianapolis 500 were NFL players, Jim Burt, Ndamkong Suh and Hall of Fame players, Anthony Munoz, Paul Krause and Lynn Swann. Singer/songwriter Jewell performed the national anthem. Ron Perlman best known for the movie Hellboy and Jeremy Renner from the movie, Hurt Locker were milling about. Of course it is not an Indy 500 with Jim Nabors or Florence Henderson, it’s not Indy without them. Don’t forget the queens of the paparazzi, the Kardashian sisters. Many others were enjoying the ‘scene’ that is the Indianapolis 500.

Bruce Jenner, “It’s very exciting. I raced cars for years and really enjoy racing. But I’ve never been to the Indianapolis 500. For me, it’s a lot of fun to be here. I mean, this is the big granddaddy of them all here in the United States. To have a car in there with our company, QuickTrim, with Graham Rahal even makes it more exciting because now we have somebody to cheer for.”
Ron Perlman, “There are not many things that here in 2010 that have the exact same value and meaning as an American icon and institution as the Indy 500. It is every bit as exciting in 2010 as it was when I was a kid growing up in the 1950s. And if you have an opportunity to come as I did, you have to come, you have to experience it at least once. I’m pretty excited, and I don’t get that excited anymore.”

Lynn Swann, “The ‘500’ is a tremendous event. This is my second time here. The drivers are tremendous athletes. You talk about getting in a car doing 200 laps over 200 miles per hour . The wear and tear on the body and mentally the kind of focus you need, it’s kind of like a golfer. You make a good shot here and there, but you got to keep doing it and keep doing it. Sometimes it seems monotonous, but if you lose your focus or lose your concentration, it’s a bad shot. And a bad shot at the Indy 500 can mean someone gets really hurt, really bad.” (On the spectator experience): “It is a great experience. There is something for everyone. You’ve got people rolling up in limousines, people rolling up in chartered buses; you’ve got people rolling up with backpacks on and camping out in RVs. It’s all something for everybody.” (Do you have a favorite driver or team?): “I don’t have a favorite. I’m hoping for a great race, a safe race, I want to see a fantastic finish!”

However Academy Award-winning actor, honorary starter, Jack Nicholson summed it up best, “It’s good to be here.”

Steve Zautke

Steve Zautke, a Milwaukee, WI native, was raised in the sport of auto racing. His father, Bill, was a movie photographer that shot racing footage at tracks such as the Milwaukee Mile and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1960’s and 1970’s Steve’s first professional job in racing was as an Emergency Medical Technician at tracks such as Angell Park and Hales Corners Speedway (1988-1991). Steve has also worked for the Milwaukee Mile as videographer, in media relations and historian (1993-2011). Steve also has worked as a reporter for Racing Information Systems (RIS) and has written features for ‘Vintage Oval Racing’ and ‘Victory Lane’ magazines. Most recently, Steve has written a book on Road America for Arcadia Publishing. ( http://www.amazon.com/Road-America-Nascar-Library-Collection/dp/1467111457 ) Steve co-hosts “Sparky’s Final Inspection” a motorsports-based radio show with hosts, Steve “Sparky” Fifer and “NASCAR Girl” Summer Santana on Sports Radio 1250AM in Milwaukee and is also available on the internet at www.Sportradio1250.com. A member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction Committee, Steve follows all types of racing from the dirt tracks to Formula One.

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