Olympic Silver Medalist Capobianco Ready for High-Speed Thrill Ride at IMS
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 13, 2021) – U.S. Olympic Diving team member and Olympic silver medalist Andrew Capobianco will ride in the Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports ahead of this Saturday’s Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Capobianco, a seven-time All-American as part of the Indiana University diving team, will help lead the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field of drivers to the green flag riding with racing legend Mario Andretti.
“We’re so proud of Andrew and all of our amazing Team USA Olympians not only for their tremendous athletic accomplishments but also for the amazing sportsmanship and grace under pressure they displayed while representing our country,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. “Andrew’s awesome summer is going to continue with the ride of a lifetime at this weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate an Olympic medal.”
The Ruoff Fastest Seat in Sports helps lead the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to the green flag across the race season. Often driven by Andretti, with a celebrity, athlete or social media influencer in the passenger seat, the experience represents perhaps the most daring and extraordinary pre-race element in all of motorsports.
Capobianco won a silver medal in the men’s synchro 3-meter diving competition at the recent Tokyo Olympics with partner Michael Hixon. He is a native of Holly Springs, North Carolina, and resides in Bloomington, Indiana.
“I’m incredibly excited to represent Team USA at the Racing Capital of the World,” Capobianco said. “I’m ready to dive into a new sport this weekend and definitely looking forward to meeting the competitors and experiencing the high-speeds and g-forces of an actual INDYCAR SERIES car.”
The Ruoff Fastest Seat in Sports has a long history of attracting star power from the worlds of sports, TV, movies, music and social media. Recent participants include NFL All-Pro Julian Edelman, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, EDM mega-star Zedd, social influencer and “TODAY” contributor Dr. Mike and more.
Viewers can tune in to the Big Machine Spikes Coolers Grand Prix at 12:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday, Aug. 14 on NBCSN.
Sources: Dave Furst/INDYCAR PR