Stars come out for Indy 500
The celebrities will attend the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 25. Many of the stars will walk the red carpet in the Pagoda Plaza starting at 10 a.m. and take celebrity Pace Car laps around the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval starting at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Carlos Diaz, a correspondent for the popular entertainment magazine show "Extra," will be the master of ceremonies on the red carpet.
Headlining the list of celebrities are two recent "Dancing with the Stars" winners: Julianne Hough and Kristi Yamaguchi.
Hough, a professional ballroom dancer who has won the "Dancing with the Stars" twice – most recently with two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves last fall, will sing the national anthem before the start of the race. Her debut country music album, "Julianne Hough," was released this month.
Yamaguchi was named "Dancing with the Stars" season six champion May 20. 1992 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Yamaguchi will serve as honorary starter for the "500," waving the green flag to send the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field into action. Yamaguchi is the first female honorary starter in Indianapolis 500 history.
Many of the celebrities in Indianapolis for race weekend will attend or participate in community events such as the IPL 500 Festival Parade starting at noon Saturday, May 24 in downtown Indianapolis and the Regions 500 Festival Snakepit Ball at 6 p.m. that day at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.
The complete list of celebrities expected to attend the 92nd Indianapolis 500 (listed in alphabetical order):
- Paul Adelstein (Actor: "Private Practice," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Intolerable Cruelty")
- Marcus Allen (Former NFL superstar, 2003 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee)
- Richard Branson (Chairman of Virgin Group)
- Ruth Buzzi (Actress and comedian)
- Kim Coates (Actor: "Black Hawk Down," "Prison Break," "Smallville," "CSI Miami")
- Brad Cooper (Actor: "Wedding Crashers," "Nip/Tuck")
- David Cubitt (Actor: "Medium")
- Baron Davis (Point guard for the NBA's Golden State Warriors)
- Anthony Edwards (Actor: "ER," "Top Gun")
- Jenna Elfman (Actress: "Dharma and Greg")
- William Fichtner (Actor: "Prison Break," "Blades of Glory")
- Nicky Hayden (2006 MotoGP World Champion, taking an exhibition lap around the IMS oval during Indianapolis 500 pre-race)
- Patricia Heaton (Actress: "Everybody Loves Raymond," IPL 500 Festival Parade grand marshal)
- Florence Henderson (Actress and entertainer)
- Julianne Hough (Singer and professional ballroom dancer, "Dancing with the Stars," singing the national anthem before the start of the Indianapolis 500)
- Drew Lachey (Singer and entertainer: 98 Degrees, "Dancing with the Stars")
- Max Martini (Actor: "Saving Private Ryan," "The Unit")
- Cameron Mathison (Actor: "All My Children," "Dancing with the Stars")
- Marlee Matlin (Academy Award-winning actress) and her "Dancing with the Stars" partner, Fabian Sanchez
- Ted McGinley (Actor: "Married With Children"), the Indianapolis 500 trip is a birthday gift from his wife
- Bode Miller (Multi-time Alpine Skiing World Cup champion, U.S. Olympic skier)
- Frankie Muniz (Actor: "Malcolm in the Middle," "My Dog Skip")
- Jim Nabors, actor and entertainer
- Luke Perry (Actor: "Beverly Hills 90210")
- Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. (Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command)
- Slash (Musician: Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver)
- Alison Sweeney (Actress: "Days of Our Lives," "America's Biggest Loser")
- Alex Tai (Chief operating officer, Virgin Galactic)
- Whitney Thompson (Model: Winner of this season's "America's Next Top Model")
- David Uhl (Artist: Creator of the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Official Program cover)
- Major Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Adjutant General of Indiana, Indiana National Guard, commander of more than 14,000 Army and air soldiers and airmen.
- Kristi Yamaguchi (1992 Olympic gold medalist and world-champion figure skater, most recent "Dancing with the Stars" winner. First female Indianapolis 500 honorary starter)
- Ian Ziering (Actor: "Beverly Hills 90210")