INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 29, 2026) – University of Michigan head football coach Kyle Wittingham will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, May 31 on the streets of Detroit.
Wittingham was named the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family head coach of Michigan’s football program Dec. 26, 2025. The 2026 season will be Wittingham’s first leading the Wolverines.
Utah native Whittingham arrived in Ann Arbor following 21 seasons as Utah’s head coach and 32 years overall with the Utes. He spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the program before being elevated to head coach in 2004.
With an all-time record of 177-88 leading the Utah program, Whittingham was the second-longest FBS-tenured head coach and the third-winningest FBS coach upon his hiring. He led the Utes to winning records in 18 of 21 seasons and won 10-plus games eight times (2008-10, ’15, ’19, ’21-22, ’25).
Whittingham led Utah to three conference championships, including an undefeated 2008 season capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. He earned three national Coach of the Year awards, including the AFCA and Bear Bryant Awards in 2008 and the Bobby Dodd Trophy in 2019.
In the postseason, Whittingham’s Utah teams compiled an 11-6 record, including a 2-2 mark in New Year’s Six bowl games with wins over Pittsburgh (2005 Fiesta Bowl) and Alabama (2009 Sugar Bowl). The Utes reached 11 different bowl destinations during his tenure, including two Rose Bowls.
The Fastest Seat in Sports is a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat that leads the starting field to the green flag at NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, including the 10-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit in downtown Detroit.
Wittingham joins a long list of celebrated INDYCAR Fastest Seat in Sports passengers before fans on site and the FOX national broadcast. 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, Channing Tatum and Rudy Pankow.
Coverage of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.
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. The full schedule is available here.
