INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Fans of beloved Indianapolis 500 icon Jim Nabors will have several ways to offer their best wishes to the beloved actor, singer and entertainer during the 2014 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Weekend.
Nabors, who will be singing "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" in person at IMS prior to the start of the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 25 for the final time, will be making a variety of appearances over a four-day period giving fans the opportunity to express their gratitude for his years of dedication to "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Nabors will appear at IMS on Coors Light Carb Day on Friday, May 23, where fans may acquire wristbands beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Pagoda Plaza to participate in a Meet & Greet with him. That event will begin immediately following a question-and-answer session with Nabors beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the Pagoda Plaza Stage
During "Legends Day Honoring Mario Andretti Presented by Firestone" on Saturday, May 24, Nabors will appear trackside at IMS during the Public Drivers Meeting at 10:30 a.m., and will later serve as an Honorary Grand Marshal during the IPL 500 Festival Parade beginning at noon in downtown Indianapolis.
Prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, Nabors will appear on the celebrity red carpet prior to being driven for a parade lap around the famous IMS 2.5-mile oval. At 12:09 p.m., Nabors will sing "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" for the final time at IMS in front of his many fans and a worldwide television audience.
Nabors' closing appearance of the weekend will take place on Monday, May 26 when he attends the Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration at IMS.
"To many Indianapolis 500 fans the pre-race pageantry at IMS is as important as the race itself, especially as the lead-up reaches its highest point with Jim Nabors singing Back Home Again in Indiana and Mari Hulman-George giving the command to start engines," said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. "This year, we will be honoring Jim Nabors and thanking him for his years of being a part of the excitement of the 500, and we are pleased that there will be many opportunities for Indy 500 fans to show him how much we have appreciated his involvement in this great event."
Nabors' rendition of "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" became a beloved tradition of the Indianapolis 500 since he first performed it in 1972. Always accompanied by the Purdue "All American" Marching Band and thousands of fans singing in unison throughout the massive facility, Nabors has performed the song 34 times at IMS.
The 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 25.
