Letterman is beaming about Indy 500 'Late Show' car

Four days into retirement, David Letterman said he's enjoying a crowning career achievement.

On Wednesday, the Indianapolis native wrapped up 33 years in late-night talk. Sunday, the words "Late Show with David Letterman" decorated the side of an Indianapolis 500 car.

"Everything that's happened, that's the highlight of my career," Letterman said during a pre-race interview. "It's like Andrew Luck wearing 'Letterman' across his jersey. You know, it's crazy."

A Letterman caricature, drawn by The Star's Gary Varvel, accompanied the car's "Late Show" logo.

Letterman is co-owner of the No. 32 car driven by Oriol Servia. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team informed Letterman of the honor on Friday.

"It really increases the rooting interest," Letterman said. "It's already there, but, oh my God, (winning the race) would be both delightful and silly at the same time."

(Servia was knocked out of the race by a collision with Ed Carpenter on Lap 113.)

Looking ahead to his family's summer, Letterman said IndyCar races are on the schedule after his son, 11-year-old Harry, finishes the school year.

"It's a fun activity and it's a nice way to see different parts of the country," Letterman said. "And I got nowhere to go, anyway."

Speaking about the day after the final "Late Show" episode, Letterman said the decompression process left him feeling like a hospital patient.

"Finally, when you get the show over and done with, you feel like, 'I need some kind of intravenous medication,' " Letterman said. "Then the next day you feel a little bit better, and the next day you feel a little bit better. Now here we are. This is the pressure-cooker.

"Of course, everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to win every year. But I really want to win this race."

Letterman said he's eternally drawn to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which will host the 100th running of the Indy 500 in 2016.

"It's Yankee Stadium, isn't it," he said. "It's one of those buildings that's been here. And if you think about it, it probably shouldn't have been here. It probably got a lot of breaks. During (World War II), it lay fallow and it was covered with weeds.

"Against pretty long odds, the place has not only withstood the test of time, but flourished, actually. (The 500) is more than a sporting event. But, boy, when it goes right, it's a hell of a sporting event."

Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.