Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser named as the honorary starter for the Indianapolis 500

Friday is Fast Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as teams and drivers crank up their engines in preparation for a weekend of qualifying.

And while it got off to a soggy, delayed start, there was a big piece of news, and that is this year’s honorary starter for the Indianapolis 500.

This year, the job goes to none other than actor Brendan Fraser.

IMS announced the news on Friday while everyone was waiting for the rain to clear so cars could get on track.

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Fraser — who was born in Indianapolis — has a new movie coming out called “Pressure,” in which he plays General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the hours leading up to the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles said that this makes Fraser a perfect choice to start a race that is an American and Memorial Day weekend tradition.

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“Brendan stars in a movie about one of the most pivotal moments in World War II,” Boles said in a statement. “His presence atop the flag stand is fitting as we honor the service and sacrifice of our military heroes on Memorial Day Weekend and prepare for another iconic edition of the world’s greatest race.

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“Brendan was also born in the Circle City, and we’re incredibly excited to give him a warm Hoosier welcome as he returns for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”

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Fraser is best known for roles in the “Mummy” franchise and, more recently, won an Academy Award for his performance in the 2022 film “The Whale.”

He has been in some great stuff. Maybe steer clear of the live-action “Dudley Do-Right” movie. Not his fault. That was just a terrible idea to begin with.

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It’s always great to see some serious star power getting in on not just IndyCar’s biggest race, but one of the biggest races on the planet.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday and Sunday, while the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be on Sunday, May 24, with coverage getting started at 10 a.m. ET on Fox.