News & Multimedia

Florence Henderson to Serve as Grand Marshal for 100th Running

May 23, 2016 | By IMS

Florence Henderson, a beloved part of Indianapolis 500 Race Day for a quarter-century, will serve as the Grand Marshal of the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. 

Henderson, a native of Dale, Indiana, will complete various official duties as Grand Marshal including greeting drivers and dignitaries on the pre-race stage, delivering the “drivers to your cars” message over the public-address system and riding in a Grand Marshal Parade Car at the front of the field prior to the start of the race. 

“We wanted to have a Grand Marshal as part of our buildup to the green flag of the 100th Indy 500, and Florence Henderson was the perfect choice,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles. “She has been an integral part of the IMS family and ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ and this is a great way to thank her for her many contributions over the years to the Indy 500 and IMS. I’m so glad Race Day will pay tribute to such a legendary Hoosier icon for the 100th Running.”  

Henderson will be just the second Grand Marshal in the history of the Indianapolis 500, after U.S. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Nastia Liukin in 2015.  

With Ms. Henderson’s new role for the 100th Running as Grand Marshal, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir will now sing “God Bless America.”  They are also accompanying Josh Kaufman for the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana.” Darius Rucker will sing the national anthem.   

The 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil will be Sunday, May 29. With a crowd traveling to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that has not been seen in recent years, longtime fans are encouraged to begin their Race Day routines at least two hours earlier than previous years.