Bachelor star and Warsaw native Ben Higgins returns for Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The world's most famous autorace tends to bring out a star-studded lineup each year, and the 102nd running of the Indy 500 was no different.

The red carpet saw plenty of high-profile names including Kelly Clarkson, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Cannon, and two stars from ABC's "The Bachelor" who both had ties to Indianapolis.

Ben Higgins, who is a Warsaw native and attended Indiana University, returned to his home state to take in the sights and sounds of a familiar event.

"This is awesome," he said. "I got invited back to my home state to the coolest event in the state. It's kind of surreal to come back to the Indy 500 and actually be a guest of the race."

Being a guest of the race also brought some perks Higgins hadn't experienced in the past.

"It's a little different now that I got to sit in air conditioning. For years and years, I'd come here and sit and just bake. You come here expecting a nice tan," he said. "But also I just have a lot of good childhood memories here. My grandfather, who just recently passed two months ago, owned a car dealership and was a huge race fan. I'm actually able to bring my uncle and my cousin to the race with me who had gone for years with my grandfather, so this is really special to me."

In addition to Higgins, fellow Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr. was in attendance as well. A former IndyCar driver, Luyendyk actually raced in the Indy 500, while his legendary father, Arie Sr., is a two-time winner.