DISTANCE — 500 miles; 200 laps around the asphalt-on-brick Indianapolis Motor Speedway track, a 2½-mile rectangular oval.
SANCTIONING BODY — Indy Racing League; also open to USAC, NASCAR, SCCA, Formula One and other drivers through international FIA listing.
RACE CARS — Open-cockpit, open-wheel and single-seat, with 3.5-liter, 650-horsepower normally-aspirated Honda HI7R Indy V-8 engines.
PACE CAR — Chevrolet Corvette Z06, driven by two-time Indy winner Emerson Fittipaldi.
START — 1 p.m. from a flying start, following warmup, parade and pace laps.
FINISH — Standings are unofficial until posted by the IRL.
NUMBER OF STARTERS — 33 cars, three abreast in each of 11 rows.
POLE POSITION — Scott Dixon, who averaged 226.366 mph in four-lap qualifications. Will start first, the inside of the front row.
SLOWEST QUALIFIER — Marty Roth, who averaged 218.965 mph. Will start 33rd, the outside of the 11th row.
FASTEST ROOKIE — Hideki Mutoh, 223.887 mph. Will start ninth, the outside of the third row.
2007 WINNER — Dario Franchitti, who averaged 151.744 mph in a race shortened to 415 miles by rain. Franchitti, now racing in NASCAR, is not entered this year.
FORMER WINNERS IN RACE — Buddy Lazier (1996), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005).
— Associated Press
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