Actor Rudy Pankow To Kick Off Season in Fastest Seat in Sports

Actor Rudy Pankow will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg this Sunday, March 1.

The race marks the start of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, featuring a global roster of superstar drivers bringing the “Fastest Racing on Earth” to a full schedule of exhilarating and hyper-challenging events.

Pankow will next star in Universal’s upcoming feature film adaptation “Reminders of Him,” in theaters Friday, March 13, and also will soon be seen in Hulu’s “Never Change!” and in the rodeo drama, “Cowboy.” He is most widely known for his portrayal of “JJ” in the hit Netflix series “Outer Banks.”

Pankow joins a long list of celebrated INDYCAR Fastest Seat in Sports passengers as he leads the field to green in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. This high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride has been taken by the likes of Tom Brady, Simu Liu, Jon Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga and Channing Tatum.

Coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of. St. Petersburg begins at noon ET on FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel racing series, with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a thrilling and demanding set of ovals and road and street circuits. More information is available on INDYCAR.com.