Indiana Hoosiers football coach Curt Cignetti and NTT INDYCAR SERIES team owner Chip Ganassi have never met, but their philosophies on winning sound familiar to each other.

One built an INDYCAR SERIES powerhouse around the phrase “I like winners.” The other transformed Indiana football with two words that became a rallying cry: “Google me.”

Those worlds collide Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Pace Car

Cignetti will drive the Pace Car for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). After his duties behind the wheel of the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X (photo, above), Cignetti will spend race day as a guest of Ganassi.

For two accomplished leaders from Western Pennsylvania who built their reputations on confidence and results, the meeting feels fitting.

Ganassi, born May 24, 1958, in Monessen, Pennsylvania, and Cignetti, born June 2, 1961, in Pittsburgh, grew up in a region known for producing tough-minded competitors. Their careers followed different paths, but both became known for demanding excellence and backing up bold statements with victories.

Cignetti’s defining quote came shortly after taking the Indiana job. Asked why he believed he could win at a program long associated with losing seasons, he delivered the now-famous response: “Google me.”

The line instantly went viral, but it also reflected Cignetti’s résumé. Before arriving at Indiana, he won consistently at every stop, including IU Pennsylvania, Elon and James Madison. The success continued immediately in Bloomington.

In his first season, Cignetti led Indiana to the College Football Playoff. One year later, the Hoosiers captured the national championship, completing one of the fastest program transformations in college football history.

Ganassi’s approach is more direct but no less demanding.

“I like winners” has become synonymous with one of the most successful owners in motorsports history. The phrase reflects the standard inside Chip Ganassi Racing, where results matter most.

Ganassi’s teams have delivered plenty of them.

Entering this year’s Indianapolis 500, Ganassi-owned teams have earned more than 270 victories across motorsports, including 148 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. His organization also has won 24 championships overall, with 17 in INDYCAR SERIES competition, including five of the last six dating to 2020.

Alex Palou Chip Ganassi

Success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway remains central to that legacy. Chip Ganassi Racing has won the Indianapolis 500 six times with five different drivers, including last season with three-time reigning series champion Alex Palou (photo, above).

Palou swept both races in the Month of May in 2025 and enters race week as one of the favorites again after winning the NTT P1 Award in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Ganassi embraces the pressure that comes with leading the field into “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“Yeah, that’s a good position,” Ganassi said. “I’d rather be in our position than everybody else’s. But still, it’s what we signed up for. This is the business we’ve chosen.

“We perform well under pressure, and that’s where we’re most comfortable. So, yeah, bring it.”

Ganassi believes the mentality shared by so many people from Western Pennsylvania helped shape both his career and Cignetti’s. Now, two of sports’ most successful leaders from the same region finally will share the same stage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the largest sporting venue in the world.

“I think people from that tri-state area, Western Pennsylvania, Youngstown, Ohio, West Virginia, they’re known for just kind of doing things, not talking about them,” Ganassi said. “You have a good work ethic that’s come out of there. People don’t want to talk about it. They just want to do it.”