Arizona Diamondbacks Legend Named Honorary Pace Car Driver At Phoenix

Luis Gonzalez, who hit a game-winning single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series to secure the first Major League Baseball World Series Title for the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been named the honorary pace car driver for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

The Avondale, Arizona racetrack is elated to have Gonzalez joining the festivities ahead of the green flag of Sunday's race, which marks the fourth event of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Luis Gonzalez to Phoenix Raceway as part of our race weekend festivities,” said Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Casuey. “Luis is an icon who means so much to sports fans across our state, and having him join us adds another level of excitement and hometown pride to an already incredible weekend.”

Gonzalez, 58, will lead the field of 37 cars around the 1-mile track during the opening pace laps of the race, and as he peels off the track heading out of Turn 4 to head down pit road, the field of hungry racers will mash the accelerator and begin the event.

The legendary left fielder was the first player to have their number retired by the Diamondbacks organization, which retired his No. 20 on August 7, 2010.

Over the course of a 19-year Major League Baseball career, Gonzalez was selected as an All-Star five times, won the Silver Slugger Award in 2001, and he also won the Home Run Derby in 2001.

In 9,157 career at bats, Gonzalez recorded 2,591 hits, 354 of which were homeruns. Gonzalez had a career batting average of .283.

Since retiring as a player following the 2008 season, Gonzalez has joined the Diamondbacks organization as a member of the front office. This season marks Gonzalez's 16th season in the Diamondbacks front officer, and his 10th season as Senior Advisor to the President & CEO.

Gonzalez also has a charitable organization called Gonzo's Hometown Heroes Fund, where he funds projects, programs, and nonprofit organizations that support police officers, fire-fighters and first responders in Arizona. Gonzalez also has a "Going Gonzo for Kids" initiative through the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, which has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars from 2010-17 to children's charities in Arizona.

Diamondbacks fans can check out Gonzalez behind the wheel of the pace car for the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8. For those unable to attend the event in person, the race will be televised on FS1 with television coverage set to kick off at 3:30 PM ET.

Tyler Reddick, who drives the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, a team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, comes into Sunday's race after a historic win last weekend at Circuit of the Americas, which made him the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history ever to win the opening three races of a season.

Reddick will look to make more history Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.