Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton gets 1st IndyCar experience in 2-seater with Mario Andretti

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton had his first experience sitting in a race car on Saturday. During the rain delay of the GMR Grand Prix, Haliburton met with the media and climbed in to the secondary cockpit of the IndyCar two-seater to get a feel for what it's like in an Indy car. 

"At first I was kinda hesitant because I don't like to do risky things," said Haliburton, who also gave the starting command for the race. "This is something different for me and I probably won't get another chance to do this."

Haliburton stated that this was his first time attending an IndyCar event and that he didn't know much about the sport prior to accepting the two-seater opportunity. He decided to immerse himself in the sport to better understand the details of what makes IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway such fan favorites. 

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"As soon as someone told me about it, I had to start googling everything I could to learn all the information," said Haliburton. 

While sitting in the car, Haliburton continued to smile from ear to ear even without the engine running. It was a completely new experience for the 22-year-old Wisconsin native. He was excited to get an opportunity to  be chauffeured around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course by the legendary Mario Andretti. 

During the delay, fans gathered to watch Haliburton and Andretti chat inside the garage.

"The community and fans have always been amazing to me since I've gotten here. They've showed me a lot of love so I'm very happy to be here," noted Haliburton. 

Haliburton had to wait out the rain delay with the fans, but was finally able to climb into the two-seater prior to the start of the GMR Grand Prix.