Indiana’s Slam Dunk champion is about to lead the field around the most famous 2.5 miles in racing.
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin will pace the field at the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. (Photo: Pacers Sports & Entertainment)
(Indianapolis) — Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin is swapping his basketball sneakers for a driver’s seat this weekend, stepping in as the honorary pace car driver for the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Toppin will climb behind the wheel of a 2026 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe 3LT — a 495-horsepower machine that rockets from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds — and lead NASCAR’s biggest names around the legendary 2.5-mile oval to green-flag the race.
It’s a fitting pairing for a city where two worlds collide every summer.
“Basketball and motorsports — Pacers and racers — go hand in hand in Indianapolis,” said INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “Obi joins us to pace the field as NASCAR’s biggest stars compete to win the In-Season Challenge and add their name to the history books with a win at the Brickyard.”
Toppin has become a fan favorite since arriving in Indiana. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and 2022 Slam Dunk Contest champion was acquired by the Pacers in 2023 and has been part of a team on the rise ever since — helping push Indiana to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and all the way to the NBA Finals in 2025.
Over three seasons with the Pacers, Toppin is averaging 11 points, four rebounds and two assists per game while shooting an efficient 54% from the field.
Before he was throwing down highlight-reel dunks in the NBA, Toppin was doing it at the University of Dayton, where his breakout 2019-20 sophomore season netted him a sweep of college basketball’s top honors: the Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson Award, the Naismith Trophy, Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and unanimous First Team All-America recognition.
A $1 million finish
Sunday’s race carries extra weight. The Brickyard 400 is the finale of NASCAR’s five-race In-Season Challenge, with the winner driving away with a $1 million bonus.
Green flag is set for 2 p.m. ET Sunday, with the race broadcast live on TNT Sports. Tickets for the full Brickyard Weekend, running July 24-26, are available at IMS.com.
particulars
What: Brickyard 400 presented by PPG
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
When: Sunday, July 26 — 1 p.m. ET
Radio: 103.9 FM, WRBI
Pace car driver: Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers
Information for this story provided by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Relations.