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“100 Days to Indy,” the TV series documenting this year’s NTT IndyCar Series, was a hot topic among celebrities attending Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
Actor Drew Powell, a DePauw University alum who grew up in Lebanon, attended the Los Angeles premiere of “100 Days” in April to support his driver friend, Simon Pagenaud.
Powell, who has a role in upcoming Hilary Swank film “Ordinary Angels,” said he enjoys the unvarnished, on-the-fly format of the series that airs on the CW network.
“Because they’re doing it during the season, it’s the straight dope. It’s how it happens,” Powell said Sunday during a red carpet interview. “There are so many great personalities in that paddock. I’m happy IndyCar is finding a niche and people are figuring out how cool it is.”
The finale of the six-episode “100 Days to Indy” is scheduled for a June 8 broadcast, available locally on WISH-TV Channel 8. The episode, titled “The Big Dance,” will recap Sunday’s race.
Actor Matt Barr, star of CW Western series “Walker: Independence,” said he’s picked up IndyCar knowledge while watching “100 Days” and doing preliminary work on his own racing-themed project.
“For someone who didn’t understand the sport, it’s given great insight on getting to know the teams and the drivers,” said Barr, son of former Purdue University football player Mike Barr. “The whole ecosystem is really interesting.”
Lindsay Czarniak, an NFL reporter for Fox network, said IndyCar leadership was wise to provide a behind-the-curtain look at its drivers and races.
“Every sport should be doing it,” Czarniak said. “I think football put it on the map with ‘Hard Knocks.’ Anything you can give that is legitimately behind the scenes, people really want human connections.”
Jordan Chiles, a U.S. gymnast who collected a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, said she’s a fan of “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” a Netflix documentary series that debuted in 2019.
An F1 story will be told in upcoming film “Ferrari,” which stars University of Indianapolis alum Adam Driver in the role of iconic auto maker Enzo Ferrari. Driver waved the green flag at the beginning of Sunday’s race.
Actor Darren Barnet promoted his upcoming racing-themed film, “Gran Turismo.” The movie that’s set for release on Aug. 11 is based on the career of Jann Mardenborough, an accomplished video game player who now drives in the Super GT series in Japan.
“It’s the wild true story of his uprising as a racer,” said Barnet, who’s part of the cast of Netflix series “Never Have I Ever.”
Jewel, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Sunday’s race, named a reality TV project as her favorite racing-themed show. In 2007, Jewel participated in “Fast Cars & Superstars”—a show that placed 12 celebrities in stock cars. She finished in fifth place.
“I was the only girl who placed in the finals,” Jewel said. Retired NFL quarterback John Elway won the “Fast Cars & Superstars” competition.
Looking back at racing-themed films, “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” singer Jim Cornelison mentioned 2019’s “Ford v Ferrari” as a favorite. Matt Damon portrayed car designer Carroll Shelby in the movie.
Cornelison’s singing gigs include Mecum auto auctions, which facilitated the sale of Shelby’s 1965 Cobra Roadster for $5.4 million 2021.
“Watching [Ford v Ferrari] is getting a sense of history,” Cornelison said.
And “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” earned praise from Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and actor Michael Evans Behling.
Halburton said he planned to wear a Ricky Bobby costume for Halloween last year, but the fire suit arrived too late.
Behling, an Indiana State University alum who grew up in Columbus, is part of the cast of CW football-themed drama “All American.”
“I love comedy. I love Will Ferrell,” Behling said of “Talladega Nights.”
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