The traditional pre-race ceremonies honoring the United States military at the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 25 will culminate with a special four-plane flyover recognizing the remarkable history of United States air power.
Traditional salutes to the military occupy many moments during the pageantry of pre-race ceremonies at the Indianapolis 500. Military members will march in uniform down the front straightaway, “Taps” will be played, and a military rifle team will fire a volley to honor America’s fallen heroes.
Grammy Award-winning country music sensation Martina McBride will sing “America The Beautiful” to honor the country and its troops, with famed actress and singer Florence Henderson performing “God Bless America,” and the national anthem will be sung by country music superstar LeAnn Rimes.
At the conclusion of the national anthem, four L-39 Albatros high-performance jet trainer aircraft will soar over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the traditional pre-race flyover provided by the Black Diamond Jet Team, a civilian-owned aerobatic jet team featuring planes appearing in a distinctive arctic camouflage paint scheme to match the U.S. F-16s flown in Alaska for the U.S. Air Force.
The planes will appear in a tight diamond formation and are piloted by former military fighter pilots from the U.S. Navy and Air Force with tens of thousands of hours of flight time.
Also during pre-race ceremonies, fans will join beloved Indianapolis 500 legend Jim Nabors in singing “(Back Home Again in) Indiana.” Nabors’ rendition of the song, which he will perform for the 35th and final time at IMS on Sunday, has been a cherished Indianapolis 500 tradition since he first performed it in 1972.
The 98th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is scheduled for noon ET on Sunday, May 25.
