At Indianapolis 500, celebrities pick favorites of on-screen racing – Indianapolis Business Journal

Actor Adam Driver poses for a photo with fans at the 2023 Indianapolis 500. (IBJ Photo/Dave Lindquist)

“100 Days to Indy,” the TV series documenting this year’s NTT IndyCar Series, was a hot topic among celebrities attending Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Actor Drew Powell, a Lebanon-raised DePauw University graduate, attended the Los Angeles premiere of “100 Days” in April to support his driver friend Simon Pagenaud.

Powell, who has a role in the upcoming Hilary Swank film Ordinary Angels, said he enjoys the candid, spontaneous format of the series, which will air on the CW network.

“Because they do it during the season, it’s absolutely amazing. That’s how it happens,” Powell said during a red carpet interview on Sunday. “There are so many great personalities in this paddock. I’m excited that IndyCar is finding a niche and people are figuring out how cool it is.”

The finale of the six-part episode “100 Days to Indy” is scheduled to air June 8 and is available locally on WISH-TV Channel 8. The episode, titled “The Big Dance,” will summarize Sunday’s race.

Actor Matt Barr, star of the CW western series Walker: Independence, said he picked up IndyCar skills while watching 100 Days and doing preliminary work on his own racing-themed project.

“For someone who doesn’t understand the sport, it was a great insight into getting to know the teams and drivers,” said Barr, son of former Purdue University football player Mike Barr. “The entire ecosystem is really interesting.”

Lindsay Czarniak, an NFL reporter for Fox Network, said IndyCar leadership has been wise to take a behind-the-scenes look at their drivers and races.

“Any sport should do it,” Czarniak said. “I think football put it on the map with ‘Hard Knocks.’ Anything you can legitimately give behind the scenes, people really want human connections.”

Jordan Chiles, a US gymnast who won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, said she’s a fan of “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” a Netflix documentary series that premiered in 2019.

Actor Adam Driver waves to fans before the 2023 Indianapolis 500. (IBJ Photo/Dave Lindquist)

An F1 story is told in the upcoming film Ferrari, in which University of Indianapolis graduate Adam Driver plays the role of legendary automaker Enzo Ferrari. The driver waved the green flag at the start of Sunday’s race.

Actor Darren Barnet was promoting his upcoming racing film Gran Turismo. The film, slated to hit theaters August 11, is based on the career of Jann Mardenborough, a veteran video game player who now races in the Super GT series in Japan.

“It’s the wild, true story of his rebellion as a racing driver,” said Barnet, who is part of the cast of the Netflix series Never Have I Ever.

Jewel, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Sunday’s race, named a reality TV project as her favorite racing-themed show. In 2007, Jewel competed in Fast Cars & Superstars – a show that featured 12 celebrities in stock cars. She took fifth place.

“I was the only girl to make it to the finals,” Jewel said. Retired NFL quarterback John Elway won the Fast Cars & Superstars contest.

Looking back on racing-themed movies, “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” singer Jim Cornelison named 2019’s “Ford v Ferrari” as his favorite. Matt Damon portrayed car designer Carroll Shelby in the film.

Cornelison’s singing appearances include Mecum car auctions, which enabled the sale of Shelby’s 1965 Cobra Roadster for $5.4 million in 2021.

“Watch after [Ford v Ferrari] “It’s all about getting a sense of the story,” Cornelison said.

And Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby received praise from Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and actor Michael Evans Behling.

Halburton said he planned to wear a Ricky Bobby costume for Halloween last year, but the fireman’s suit arrived too late.

Behling, an Indiana State University graduate who grew up in Columbus, is part of the cast of the CW football drama All American.

“I love comedy. I love Will Ferrell,” Behling said of Talladega Nights.