Matt Damon, Christian Bale To Serve As Indy 500 Starters

Friday, May 17, 2019 at 8:43 AM

By Associated Press

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will become Hollywood East on Indy 500 weekend.

Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Photos by NASA/Bill Ingalls and Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Academy Award-winning actors Matt Damon and Christian Bale will wave the green flag as honorary starters for this year's Indianapolis 500.

The two are co-starring in the movie ''Ford v Ferrari'' - which profiles the corporate battles waged by American car designer Carroll Shelby and British driver Ken Miles. They teamed up to use a Ford car against Enzo Ferrari's dominant team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. The movie is scheduled for a Nov. 15 release.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles says the duo are used to performing under the bright lights and they should enjoy themselves.

The 33-car starting grid will be filled in qualifying Saturday and Sunday. The race will be held May 26.

Events

Beginners' Dungeons and Dragons - APL
Interested in learning how to play Dungeons and Dragons?
Jan 8, 2026 at Aurora Public Library
Jigsaw Puzzle Exchange
Looking to trade some of your puzzles for some new ones? This is the event for you! Bring your puzzles to North Dearborn to trade with a fellow puzzler!
Jan 10, 2026
Al-Anon Meeting
Help for Friends and Family of a problem drinker. You know what it is doing to them, do you know what it is doing to you?
Jan 11, 2026 at Hamline Chapel United Methodist Church