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IndyCar: Tony Dungy to serve as grand marshal for 2019 season opener

By Asher Fair

DENVER - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts watches the game against the Denver Broncos on October 29, 2006 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. The Colts won 34-31. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
DENVER - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts watches the game against the Denver Broncos on October 29, 2006 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. The Colts won 34-31. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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Former NFL player and head coach Tony Dungy is set to serve as the grand marshal for the 2019 IndyCar season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

After an offseason of nearly six months, the 2019 IndyCar season is scheduled to get underway this Sunday, March 10. The first race of the 17-race season is the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

This race has been the season opener in each of the last eight seasons going back to the 2011 season. It is scheduled to be a 110-lap race around the 14-turn, 1.8-mile (2.897-kilometer) temporary street circuit on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Former National Football League (NFL) player and head coach Tony Dungy is set to serve as the grand marshal for this race and give the command to start engines to the 24 drivers who are set to compete in it to open up the 2019 season.

Here is what Dungy had to say about the opportunity to give the command to start engines to open up the 2019 season, according to Tampa Bay Times.

"“I am honored to kick off the 2019 NTT IndyCar season by serving as the grand marshal of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg inaugural race, and leading the field to the green flag in Honda’s Fastest Seat in Sports. After Sunday’s race, I am looking forward to watching NBC Sports’ coverage this season, but especially the legendary Indianapolis 500, coming to us from my second home, Indianapolis, Indiana.”"

Here is what Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race co-owner Kim Green had to say about Dungy serving as the grand matshal for this race, according to Tampa Bay Times.

"“It’s a great privilege to have Tony Dungy join us and be honored as the grand marshal of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Coach Dungy will no doubt receive a great reception from the fans attending from across the country and especially from the Tampa Bay area. He’s not only a highly regarded football analyst, but his continuous commitment to community service, particularly creating and supporting programs for children, is spectacular.”"

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Dungy played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1977 and 1978 seasons, and he played safety for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1979 season. He became the defensive backs coach for the Steelers in the 1981 season and remained there through the 1983 season.

From the 1984 season through the 1988 season, Dungy served as the defensive coordinator of the Steelers. He then became the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1989 season and remained there through the 1991 season before moving to the Minnesota Vikings and becoming their defensive coordinator in the 1992 season. He remained there through the 1995 season.

Dungy’s ties to the St. Petersburg area stem from his first NFL head coaching job. In the 1996 season, began his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He served as the team’s head coach through the 2001 season before landing his second head coaching job as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts for the 2002 season. He stayed through the 2008 season.

Naturally, Dungy’s tenure as the head coach of the Colts gives him another tie to IndyCar, as Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana is the home to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, the Indianapolis 500.

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Be sure to tune in to NBC Sports Network this Sunday, March 10 for the live broadcast of the 2019 IndyCar season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. For details regarding the whole 2019 schedule, click here.