Indy 500 pre-race

Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sharna Burgess, and other stars turned out for the Indy 500 Red Carpet ahead of the 101st Running of the race.

IndyCar drivers present and past gather at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for introductions ahead of the 2015 Indianapolis 500, as well as celebrities (Dave Letterman, Adam Carolla) and performers (Jordin Sparks, Straight No Chaser).

In addition to riding along on a parade lap before the start of the race, Liukin will walk the Indy 500 Red Carpet and make guest appearances at the 500 Festival Parade and Snake Pit Ball.

I raced after his golf cart, jumping through pedestrian traffic like it was a game of Frogger. I charged through the doors, but an imposing security guard turned me away as Jim entered the conference room.

“I’m trying not to be too emotional, or I’ll gargle the song,” Nabors said.

Country-music siren Martina McBride will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” during pre-race ceremonies at the Indianapolis 500 on May 27. Most likely she will belt out the performance, much like we expected Kelly Clarkson to do at the Super Bowl here instead of offering this rather restrained take.

Sadly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced today that Indy 500 mainstay Jim Nabors will not be available to sing “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” before the race this year. The conflict: a scheduled surgery for heart-valve replacement.