How the Lincoln Imp is going straight to the Indianapolis 500

Lincoln City have been dominating the League 1 Football Season this year, and as a special treat, the infamous Lincoln Imp is going straight to the Indy 500 for the second year in a row. 

(Image credit to Jack Harvey on Facebook and Dreyer and Reinbold Racing on Instagram)

As the Indy 500 approaches, and with testing underway, there are a couple of familiar faces on the grid this year (and last year), and there is one that motorsport fans love to see, but also for the football fanatics too: that of Jack Harvey and the Lincoln Imp. 

Whilst at first random together, it makes sense. Jack “Hollywood” Harvey is a former IndyCar driver-turned-commentator with 93 IndyCar starts and one podium to his name. Harvey still competes part-time in IndyCar racing, including the Indy 500, which allows entries from those not racing in the full championship, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports. Jack Harvey is from Bassingham in the UK, a village on the outskirts of Lincoln, and has supported Lincoln City FC since he was a child.

(Image credit to Lincoln City Football Club Website )

In 2025, it was announced that Jack Harvey and his parents, together with the Jabara family, Lincoln City Holdings' largest stakeholders, would gain partial ownership of the club. The two have become friends, and the Jabara family have been regular visitors to the Indy 500 races. Jack maintains a close connection to the club through his family, mentioning that some relatives attend every match, and he continues to keep up with games from abroad whenever possible. 

At the announcement, Jack Harvey said, "This has been a very organic thing and grew out of a conversation with Harvey Jabara. It means a lot to be an ever-so-tiny part of my hometown team, but also to show everybody that we are prepared to give back to our local community, where the club does so much.”

So, the Lincoln Imp?

The Lincoln Imp is the mascot of Lincoln City Football Club, and a symbol of Lincoln, being seen in the famous Lincoln Cathedral. The two show Jack Harvey's love for the club and symbolise his support for it. 

Lincoln City Football Club has also been on a winning streak this year in League One, sitting at the top of the table. After their defeat of Port Vale in the last game of the season, they finished with a 29-game unbeaten run, setting an English Football League record. They also equalled the record for most away wins, building on the record of the 1974/1975 season, and secured promotion to the Championship for the first time since 1961. As a result, Lincoln is in the middle of football fever, with an open-top bus going round the city on the 9th of May, and the Lincoln Imp is well and truly present. It even got its own football shirt!

(Image credit to Chris Vaughan / Lincoln Cathedral via the BBC)

So, Jack Harvey’s Lincoln Imp mascot is not only love for his local team and backing, but also a showcase of a great football season for the Lincoln Imps as they bring on the Championship. 

Article Written by Amy Powis