Starting today, a group of seven ESPN employees will spend four days in Indianapolis being “immersed” in IndyCar racing and the Indianapolis 500.
They will work with race teams, drive Indy Cars around the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway and meet Indy Car legends.
The group includes Vice President, Brand Strategies and Expressions, Jeff Gonyo; Vice President and Managing Editor, News, Craig Bengtson; David Kraft, executive editor, ESPN.com; Missy Motha, SportsCenter coordinating producer; Jodi Hebert, senior news editor; and SportsCenter anchors Kevin Negandhi and Jaymee Sire.
INDIANAPOLIS – Welcome to another edition of Front Row’s #TBT: Throwback Thursday.
Scott Goodyear is in his 14th year as an analyst on ESPN’s coverage of the Verizon IndyCar Series and last raced professionally in 2003. He’ll join anchor Allen Bestwick and fellow analyst Eddie Cheever in the booth for ESPN on ABC’s telecast of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24 (11 a.m. ET).
But in 1992, Goodyear was a rising star in the Indy Car series and was part of the closest finish in the history of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” For the last 10 laps, he stalked leader Al Unser Jr., but was unable to pass.
Coming out of the final turn, he made one last attempt to take the lead and the two cars crossed the finish line almost side-by-side, with Unser’s winning margin of .043 second determined by the timing system.
After 98 editions of the Indianapolis 500, the record still stands, though it was almost broken last year when Ryan Hunter-Reay edged Helio Castroneves by 0.6 second for victory.
Goodyear competed in the Indy 500 in 12 consecutive years, the last in 2001, and finished second twice.
