Most of the stars we expected to be on the Indianapolis 500 Red Carpet today were (Howie Mandel, Olivia Newton-John, Gladys Knight, et al). Some we expected weren’t (Rick Springfield).
And some surprised us, like disgraced Major League Baseball hit king Pete Rose, who appears to have consulted a stylist since we remember last seeing him. Bye-bye, Joan of Arc haircut and ill-fitting suit. Hello, fedora and designer shades and jeans. And who’s the arm candy? Must be Playboy bunny wannabe Kiana Kim. Seems Pete still knows how to get on base.
>> See our photo gallery of all the stars who came out in the daytime heat.
Other random observations from the Indy 500 Red Carpet:
> An Indianapolis Star reporter we won’t name tried to impress Howie Mandel by asking about an obscure project from the ’70s. Mandel was not impressed.
> Guy Fieri, practically an Indianapolis regular of late, says he hasn’t had a chance to get out and eat at any of our fine local restaurants on this turn. And he doesn’t expect Diners, Drive-ins and Dives to be back in town for about a year. But his son, Hunter, who walked the carpet with him, seemed to be enjoying his Indy trip nonetheless. “This is awesome!” he said, just before his dad exchanged squirt-gun fire with a tipsy fan.
> A disembodied voice from the press peanut gallery shouted at Gladys Knight, asking if she planned to attend the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration. She pretended not to hear him.
Photos by Tony Valainis
