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IZOD IndyCar Series - Indianapolis 500 Preview

From The Sports Network

DATE: Sunday, May 27th

SITE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1909) -- Indianapolis, Indiana

TRACK: 2.5-mile oval - 3,330 feet (Frontstretch); 3,300 feet (Backstretch)

CAPACITY: 350,000 (257,325 Grandstand Seating)

ANNUAL: 96th

TELEVISION: ABC

ANNOUNCERS: Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever

RADIO: IMS Radio Network/SIRIUS Satellite Radio

START TIME: 11 a.m. (et)

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dan Wheldon (Not Defending)

RUNNER-UP: J.R. Hildebrand

POLE WINNER: Alex Tagliani (Finished 28th)

LAPS: 200

MILES: 500

QUALIFYING RECORD: Arie Luyendyk, 1996 (236.986 m.p.h.)

RACE RECORD: Arie Luyendyk, 1990 (185.981 m.p.h.)

TOTAL PURSE: $13,509,485 (2011 figures)

PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $2,567,255; 2nd Place - $1,064,895; 3rd Place - $646,945

2011 Finish
Finish	Driver	Start	Finish	Driver	Start
1	Dan Wheldon	6	6	Oriol Servia	3
2	J.R. Hildebrand	12	7	Bertrand Baguette	14
3	Graham Rahal	29	8	Tomas Scheckter	21
4	Tony Kanaan	22	9	Marco Andretti	27
5	Scott Dixon	2	10	Danica Patrick	25

2011 Indianapolis 500 Facts and Figures
AVERAGE SPEED: 170.265 m.p.h.
TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 56 minutes, 11.7267 seconds
MARGIN OF VICTORY: Under Caution
CAUTION FLAGS: 7 for 40 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 23 among 10 drivers
POLE WINNER: Alex Tagliani (224.864 m.p.h.)
FASTEST LAP: Dario Franchitti, 224.667 m.p.h., Lap 10

Past Indianapolis 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed

2011 -- Dan Wheldon (6th) -- Dallara-Honda -- 170.265 m.p.h.

2010 -- Dario Franchitti (3rd) -- Dallara-Honda -- 161.623 m.p.h.

2009 -- Helio Castroneves (1st) -- Dallara-Honda -- 150.318 m.p.h.

2008 -- Scott Dixon (1st) -- Dallara-Honda -- 143.567 m.p.h.

2007 -- Dario Franchitti (3rd) -- Dallara-Honda -- 151.774 m.p.h.

2006 -- Sam Hornish Jr (1st) -- Dallara-Honda -- 157.085 m.p.h.

2005 -- Dan Wheldon (16th) -- Dallara-Honda -- 157.603 m.p.h.

2004 -- Buddy Rice (1st) -- Honda -- 138.518 m.p.h.

2003 -- Gil de Ferran (10th) -- Toyota -- 156.291 m.p.h.

2002 -- Helio Castroneves (13th) -- Chevrolet -- 166.499 m.p.h.

2001 -- Helio Castroneves (11th) -- Oldsmobile -- 131.294 m.p.h.

2000 -- Juan Montoya (2nd) -- Oldsmobile -- 167.704 m.p.h.

1999 -- Kenny Brack (8th) -- Oldsmobile -- 153.176 m.p.h.

1998 -- Eddie Cheever Jr (17th) -- Oldsmobile -- 145.155 m.p.h.

1997 -- Arie Luyendyk (1st) -- Oldsmobile -- 145.827 m.p.h.

1996 -- Buddy Lazier (5th) -- Ford -- 147.956 m.p.h.

1995 -- Jacques Villeneuve (5th) -- Ford -- 153.616 m.p.h.

1994 -- Al Unser Jr (1st) -- Mercedes -- 160.872 m.p.h.

1993 -- Emerson Fittipaldi (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 157.207 m.p.h.

1992 -- Al Unser Jr (12th) -- Chevrolet -- 134.477 m.p.h.

1991 -- Rick Mears (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 176.457 m.p.h.

1990 -- Arie Luyendyk (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 185.981 m.p.h. (race record)

1989 -- Emerson Fittipaldi (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 167.581 m.p.h.

1988 -- Rick Mears (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 144.809 m.p.h.

1987 -- Al Unser (20th) -- Cosworth -- 162.175 m.p.h.

1986 -- Bobby Rahal (4th) -- Cosworth -- 170.722 m.p.h.

1985 -- Danny Sullivan (8th) -- Cosworth -- 152.982 m.p.h.

1984 -- Rick Mears (3rd) -- Cosworth -- 163.612 m.p.h.

1983 -- Tom Sneva (4th) -- Cosworth -- 162.117 m.p.h.

1982 -- Gordon Johncock (5th) -- Cosworth -- 162.029 m.p.h.

1981 -- Bobby Unser (1st) -- Cosworth -- 139.084 m.p.h.

1980 -- Johnny Rutherford (1st) -- Cosworth -- 142.862 m.p.h.

1979 -- Rick Mears (1st) -- Cosworth -- 158.899 m.p.h.

1978 -- Al Unser (5th) -- Cosworth -- 161.361 m.p.h.

1977 -- A.J. Foyt (4th) -- Foyt -- 161.331 m.p.h.

1976 -- Johnny Rutherford (1st) -- Offenhauser -- 148.275 m.p.h.

1975 -- Bobby Unser (3rd) -- Offenhauser -- 149.213 m.p.h.

1974 -- Johnny Rutherford (25th) -- Offenhauser -- 158.589 m.p.h.

1973 -- Gordon Johncock (11th) -- Offenhauser -- 159.036 m.p.h.

1972 -- Mark Donohue (3rd) -- Offenhauser -- 162.962 m.p.h.

1971 -- Al Unser (5th) -- Ford -- 157.735 m.p.h.

1970 -- Al Unser (1st) -- Ford -- 155.749 m.p.h.

1969 -- Mario Andretti (2nd) -- Ford -- 156.867 m.p.h.

1968 -- Bobby Unser (3rd) -- Offenhauser -- 152.882 m.p.h.

1967 -- A.J. Foyt (4th) -- Ford -- 151.207 m.p.h.

1966 -- Graham Hill (15th) -- Ford -- 144.317 m.p.h.

1965 -- Jim Clark (2nd) -- Ford -- 150.686 m.p.h.

1964 -- A.J. Foyt (5th) -- Offenhauser -- 147.350 m.p.h.

1963 -- Parnelli Jones (1st) -- Offenhauser -- 143.137 m.p.h.

1962 -- Rodger Ward (2nd) -- Offenhauser -- 140.293 m.p.h.

1961 -- A.J. Foyt (7th) -- Offenhauser -- 139.131 m.p.h.

1960 -- Jim Rathmann (2nd) -- Offenhauser -- 138.767 m.p.h.

1959 -- Rodger Ward (6th) -- Offenhauser -- 135.857 m.p.h.

1958 -- Jimmy Bryan (7th) -- Offenhauser -- 133.791 m.p.h.

1957 -- Sam Hanks (13th) -- Offenhauser -- 135.601 m.p.h.

1956 -- Pat Flaherty (1st) -- Offenhauser -- 128.490 m.p.h.

1955 -- Bob Sweikert (14th) -- Offenhauser -- 128.209 m.p.h.

1954 -- Bill Vukovich (19th) -- Offenhauser -- 130.840 m.p.h.

1953 -- Bill Vukovich (1st) -- Offenhauser -- 128.740 m.p.h.

1952 -- Troy Ruttman (7th) -- Offenhauser -- 128.922 m.p.h.

1951 -- Lee Wallard (2nd) -- Offenhauser -- 126.244 m.p.h.

1950 -- Johnnie Parsons (5th) -- Offenhauser -- 124.002 m.p.h.

1949 -- Bill Holland (4th) -- Offenhauser -- 121.327 m.p.h.

1948 -- Mauri Rose (3rd) -- Offenhauser -- 119.814 m.p.h.

1947 -- Mauri Rose (3rd) -- Offenhauser -- 116.338 m.p.h.

1946 -- George Robson (15th) -- Sparks -- 114.820 m.p.h.

1945 -- Not Held

1944 -- Not Held

1943 -- Not Held

1942 -- Not Held

1941 -- Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose (17th) -- Offenhauser -- 115.117 m.p.h.

1940 -- Wilbur Shaw (2nd) -- Maserati -- 114.277 m.p.h.

1939 -- Wilbur Shaw (3rd) -- Maserati -- 115.035 m.p.h.

1938 -- Floyd Roberts (1st) -- Miller -- 117.200 m.p.h.

1937 -- Wilbur Shaw (2nd) -- Offenhauser -- 113.580 m.p.h.

1936 -- Louis Meyer (28th) -- Miller -- 109.069 m.p.h.

1935 -- Kelly Petillo (22nd) -- Offenhauser -- 106.240 m.p.h.

1934 -- William Cummings (10th) -- Miller -- 104.863 m.p.h.

1933 -- Louis Meyer (6th) -- Miller -- 104.162 m.p.h.

1932 -- Fred Frame (27th) -- Miller -- 104.144 m.p.h.

1931 -- Louis Schneider (13th) -- Miller -- 96.629 m.p.h.

1930 -- Billy Arnold (1st) -- Miller -- 100.448 m.p.h.

1929 -- Ray Keech (6th) -- Miller -- 97.585 m.p.h.

1928 -- Louis Meyer (13th) -- Miller -- 99.482 m.p.h.

1927 -- George Souders (22nd) -- Duesenberg -- 97.545 m.p.h.

1926 -- Frank Lockhart (20th) -- Miller -- 95.904 m.p.h.

1925 -- Peter DePaolo (2nd) -- Duesenberg -- 101.127 m.p.h.

1924 -- L.L.Corum and Joe Boyer (21st) -- Duesenberg -- 98.234 m.p.h.

1923 -- Tommy Milton (1st) -- Miller -- 90.954 m.p.h.

1922 -- Jimmy Murphy (1st) -- Miller -- 94.484 m.p.h.

1921 -- Tommy Milton (20th) -- Frontenac -- 89.621 m.p.h.

1920 -- Gastno Chevrolet (6th) -- Frontenac -- 88.618 m.p.h.

1919 -- Howdy Wilcox (2nd) -- Peugeot -- 88.050 m.p.h.

1918 -- Not Held

1917 -- Not Held

1916 -- Dario Resta (4th) -- Peugeot -- 84.001 m.p.h.

1915 -- Ralph DePalma (2nd) -- Mercedes -- 89.840 m.p.h.

1914 -- Rene Thomas (15th) -- Delage -- 82.474 m.p.h.

1913 -- Jules Goux (7th) -- Peugeot -- 75.933 m.p.h.

1912 -- Joe Dawson (7th) -- National -- 78.719 m.p.h.

1911 -- Ray Harroun (28th) -- Marmon -- 74.602 m.p.h.

NOTE: Formerly called International 500-mile Sweepstakes Race (1911-16),

Liberty Sweepstakes (1919), International Sweepstakes (1920-80). Race is

The 500, The 500-Mile Race, Indy 500 or

Indianapolis 500.

Past Indianapolis 500 Pole Winners (Finish)

2011 -- Alex Tagliani -- 28th

2010 -- Helio Castroneves -- 9th

2009 -- Helio Castroneves -- 1st

2008 -- Scott Dixon -- 1st

2007 -- Helio Castroneves -- 3rd

2006 -- Sam Hornish Jr -- 1st

2005 -- Tony Kanaan -- 8th

2004 -- Buddy Rice -- 1st

2003 -- Helio Castroneves -- 2nd

2002 -- Bruno Junqueira -- 31st

2001 -- Scott Sharp -- 33rd

2000 -- Greg Ray -- 33rd

1999 -- Arie Luyendyk -- 22nd

1998 -- Billy Boat -- 23rd

1997 -- Arie Luyendyk -- 1st

1996 -- Tony Stewart -- 24th

1995 -- Scott Brayton -- 17th

1994 -- Al Unser Jr -- 1st

1993 -- Arie Luyendyk -- 2nd

1992 -- Roberto Guerrero -- 33rd

1991 -- Rick Mears -- 1st

1990 -- Emerson Fittipaldi -- 3rd

1989 -- Rick Mears -- 23rd

1988 -- Rick Mears -- 1st

1987 -- Mario Andretti -- 9th

1986 -- Rick Mears -- 3rd

1985 -- Pancho Carter -- 33rd

1984 -- Tom Sneva -- 16th

1983 -- Teo Fabi -- 26th

1982 -- Rick Mears -- 2nd

1981 -- Bobby Unser -- 1st

1980 -- Johnny Rutherford -- 1st

1979 -- Rick Mears -- 1st

1978 -- Tom Sneva -- 2nd

1977 -- Tom Sneva -- 2nd

1976 -- Johnny Rutherford -- 1st

1975 -- A.J. Foyt -- 3rd

1974 -- A.J. Foyt -- 15th

1973 -- Johnny Rutherford -- 9th

1972 -- Bobby Unser -- 30th

1971 -- Peter Revson -- 2nd

1970 -- Al Unser -- 1st

1969 -- A.J. Foyt -- 8th

1968 -- Joe Leonard -- 12th

1967 -- Mario Andretti -- 30th

1966 -- Mario Andretti -- 18th

1965 -- A.J. Foyt -- 15th

1964 -- Jim Clark -- 24th

1963 -- Parnelli Jones -- 1st

1962 -- Parnelli Jones -- 7th

1961 -- Eddie Sachs -- 2nd

1960 -- Eddie Sachs -- 21st

1959 -- Johnny Thomson -- 3rd

1958 -- Dick Rathmann -- 27th

1957 -- Pat O'Connor -- 8th

1956 -- Pat Flaherty -- 1st

1955 -- Jerry Hoyt -- 31st

1954 -- Jack McGrath -- 3rd

1953 -- Bill Vukovich -- 1st

1952 -- Fred Agabashian -- 27th

1951 -- Duke Nalon -- 10th

1950 -- Walt Faulkner -- 7th

1949 -- Duke Nalon -- 29th

1948 -- Rex Mays -- 19th

1947 -- Ted Horn -- 3rd

1946 -- Cliff Bergere -- 16th

1945 -- No Race

1944 -- No Race

1943 -- No Race

1942 -- No Race

1941 -- Mauri Rose -- 26th

1940 -- Rex Mays -- 2nd

1939 -- Jimmy Snyder -- 2nd

1938 -- Floyd Roberts -- 1st

1937 -- Bill Cummings -- 6th

1936 -- Rex Mays -- 15th

1935 -- Rex Mays -- 17th

1934 -- Kelly Petillo -- 11th

1933 -- Bill Cummings -- 25th

1932 -- Lou Moore -- 25th

1931 -- Russ Snowberger -- 5th

1930 -- Billy Arnold -- 1st

1929 -- Cliff Woodbury -- 33rd

1928 -- Leon Duray -- 19th

1927 -- Frank Lockhart -- 18th

1926 -- Earl Cooper -- 16th

1925 -- Leon Duray -- 6th

1924 -- Jimmy Murphy -- 3rd

1923 -- Tommy Milton -- 1st

1922 -- Jimmy Murphy -- 1st

1921 -- Ralph DePalma -- 12th

1920 -- Ralph DePalma -- 5th

1919 -- Rene Thomas -- 11th

1918 -- No Race

1917 -- No Race

1916 -- Johnny Aitken -- 15th

1915 -- Howdy Wilcox -- 7th

1914 -- Jean Chassagne -- 29th

1913 -- Caleb Bragg -- 15th

1912 -- Gil Anderson -- 16th

1911 -- Lewis Strang -- 29th

Last Race Results
RACE: Sao Paulo Indy 300 (April 29th)
SITE: Streets of Sao Paulo -- Sao Paulo, Brazil
MILES: 195
LAPS: 75
WINNER: Will Power
RUNNER-UP: Ryan Hunter-Reay
THIRD: Takuma Sato
FOURTH: Helio Castroneves
FIFTH: Dario Franchitti
POLE WINNER: Will Power (Finished 1st)
TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 8 minutes, 18.2816 seconds
AVERAGE SPEED: 88.945 m.p.h.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.9045 second
CAUTION FLAGS: 5 for 15 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 5 among 5 drivers
LAP LEADERS: Will Power 1-51; Dario Franchitti 52; Helio Castroneves 53-54;
	James Hinchcliffe 55; Scott Dixon 56-63; Power 64-75.

Indianapolis 500 Entry List
Car	Driver, Hometown	Car/Name
2	Ryan Briscoe (Sydney, Australia)	IZOD/Team Penske
3	Helio Castroneves (Brazil)	Shell V-Power/Team Penske
4	J.R. Hildebrand (Sausalito, CA)	U.S. National Guard/Panther Racing
5	E.J. Viso (Caracas, Venezuela)	Citgo/PDVSA/KV Racing Technology
6	Katherine Legge (Guildford, England)	TrueCar/Dragon Racing
7	Sebastien Bourdais (Le Mans,France)	Dragon Racing
8	Rubens Barrichello (Brazil)	BMC/Embrase/KV Racing Technology
9	Scott Dixon (Auckland, New Zealand)	Target/Chip Ganassi Racing
11	Tony Kanaan (Sao Paulo, Brazil)	GEICO/KV Racing Technology
12	Will Power (Toowoomba, Australia)	Verizon/Team Penske
14	Mike Conway (Bromley, England)	ABC Supply Co./AJ Foyt Enterprises
15	Takuma Sato (Tokyo, Japan)	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
17	Sebastian Saavedra (Columbia)	Team AFS/Andretti Autosport
18	Justin Wilson (Sheffield, England)	Sonny's Bar B-Q/Dale Coyne Racing
19	Jamie Jakes (Leeds, England)	Boy Scouts America/Dale Coyne Racing
20	Ed Carpenter (Indianapolis, IN)	Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing
22	Oriol Servia (Pals, Spain)	Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
25	Ana Beatriz (Sao Paulo, Brazil)	Ipiranga/Andretti Autosport/Conquest
26	Marco Andretti (Nazareth, PA)	RC Cola/Andretti Autosport
27	James Hinchcliffe (Toronto, Canada)	GoDaddy.com/Andretti Autosport
28	Ryan Hunter-Reay (Ft Lauderdale, FL)	DHL/Sun Drop/Andretti Autosport
30	Michel Jourdain (Mexico City, Mex.)	Office Depot/Rahal Letterman Lanigan
38	Graham Rahal (New Albany, OH)	Service Central/Chip Ganassi Racing
39	Bryan Clauson (Noblesville, IN)	Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing
41	Wade Cunningham (New Zealand)	ECat/ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Enterprise
46	Jean Alesi (Avignon, France)	Fan Force United/Lotus-FP Journe
50	Dario Franchitti (Scotland)	Target/Chip Ganassi Racing
67	Josef Newgarden (Hendersonville, TN)	Dollar General/SFH Racing
77	Simon Pagenaud (Poitiers, France)	Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports
78	Simona de Silvestro (Switzerland)	Nuclear Clean Air Energy/Lotus-HVM
83	Charlie Kimball (Camarillo, CA)	NovoLog FlexPen/Chip Ganassi Racing
98	Alex Tagliani (Lachenaie, Canada)	Team Barracuda/Bryan Herta Autosport
99	Townsend Bell (San Luis Obispo, CA)	BraunAbility/Sam Schmidt Motorsports

Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years)
Driver	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
J.R. Hildebrand	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	2nd
Graham Rahal	---	---	---	---	---	33rd	31st	12th	3rd
Tony Kanaan	3rd	2nd	8th	5th	12th	29th	27th	11th	4th
Scott Dixon	17th	8th	24th	6th	2nd	Won	6th	5th	5th
Oriol Servia	---	---	---	---	---	11th	26th	---	6th
Marco Andretti	---	---	---	2nd	24th	3rd	30th	3rd	9th
Ed Carpenter	---	31st	11th	11th	17th	5th	8th	17th	11th
Dario Franchitti	---	14th	6th	7th	Won	---	7th	Won	12th
Will Power	---	---	---	---	---	13th	5th	8th	14th
Helio Castroneves	2nd	9th	9th	25th	3rd	4th	Won	9th	17th
Ryan Hunter-Reay	---	---	---	---	---	6th	32nd	18th	23rd
Ryan Briscoe	---	---	10th	---	5th	23rd	15th	24th	27th
Alex Tagliani	---	---	---	---	---	---	11th	10th	28th
James Hinchcliffe	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	29th
Simona de Silvestro	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	14th	31st
E.J. Viso	---	---	---	---	---	26th	24th	25th	32nd
Takuma Sato	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	31st	33rd
Rubens Barrichello	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Josef Newgarden	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---

Mover of the Week

Takuma Sato - Started 25th on the grid and finished 3rd

Sports Network Selections

Pick to Win - Dario Franchitti

Darkhorse - Simon Pagenaud

Last Week's Pick to Win (Will Power) - Finished 1st

Last Week's Darkhorse (Mike Conway) - Finished 19th

NOTES:

The 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 will have a somber staging this year, due to the passing of 2011 race champion Dan Wheldon, who died last October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wheldon, a two-time winner of the Indy 500, died from injuries sustained in a crash at the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship.

Last season, Wheldon capitalized on rookie J.R. Hildebrand's costly mistake on the last turn of the final lap to post a stunning victory in the centennial anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

Hildebrand had the checkered flag in sight in what would have been one of the greatest upsets in the illustrious history of the Indy 500. Instead, the 23- year-old driver from Sausalito, CA slapped the wall in turn four. Wheldon then drove past Hildebrand on the front straightaway, en route to his second win in this prestigious race.

Wheldon led only the final lap. He became the 18th different driver to win the Indy 500 multiple times.

While Wheldon took the traditional sip of milk and hoisted the 110-pound Borg- Warner Trophy in Indy's Winner Circle, race officials reviewed the finish to determine if Wheldon was indeed ahead of Hildebrand when the caution lights came on around the 2.5-mile oval. The field is frozen when the caution occurs. Officials made a lengthy examination of the finish and then officially declared Wheldon as the winner.

Alex Tagliani started on the pole but failed to finish the race due to contact on lap 147.

Back in 2010, Dario Franchitti stretched his fuel long enough to capture his second Indianapolis 500. Franchitti, the 2007 Indy 500 winner, dominated the race by leading 155 of 200 laps. The Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver last pitted on lap 164. During that stop, several drivers, including pole sitter Helio Castroneves, remained on the track.

Castroneves gave up the lead to Franchitti with nine laps remaining when Castroneves was forced to pit for fuel. Franchitti went into fuel conservation mode from there until the final lap when Mike Conway was involved in a horrifying crash between turns three and four. Franchitti, a four-time winner in 2011, en route to his third straight IndyCar title, has 20 career IndyCar wins.

In 2009, pole sitter Castroneves led twice for 66 laps, including the final 58, to claim his third Indianapolis 500 win. Castroneves led the opening seven laps, until Dario Franchitti took over for the next 45. Ryan Briscoe then gained the advantage, leading for 11 laps, before Scott Dixon took control. Dixon led for 73 of the next 78 laps. Castroneves then gained the lead and avoided a rash of accidents to cross the finish line 1.9819 seconds ahead of 2005 race winner Dan Wheldon for his 15th career IZOD IndyCar Series victory.

Scott Dixon dominated the race in 2008, as he led 115 of 200 laps to capture his first Indianapolis 500. Despite the domination, Dixon still needed a great final pit stop from his No.9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing team to secure the win, as he finished 1.7498 seconds ahead of Vitor Meira. On his last pit stop, Dixon was running in second place, but his crew put up a lightning 7.0-second stop. He beat Meira out of the pits to take the lead for good.

In 2007, Franchitti took the checkered flag under caution, as he defeated Scott Dixon to capture the coveted racing title. Starting in the third position, Franchitti moved into the top spot on the 74th lap and held the position through lap 88. Franchitti reclaimed the lead on the 137th lap for another seven laps, until Jaques Lazier took the lead. Tony Kanaan moved in front on lap 146, but Franchitti overtook him on the 155th lap. With rain pending, Franchitti stayed in front and maintained the lead through lap 164, as the rain came. Franchitti eased his car around the flooded track and saw the checkered flag for his first win at Indy.

The 2007 race was the seventh shortened by rain. The first time this occurred in Indy 500 history was in 1926, when only 160 laps (400 miles) were completed. The shortest rain-plagued event was in 1976 when 102 laps (255 miles) were finished. The 2004 race was the longest, rain-shortened race with 180 laps (450 miles) completed.

Sam Hornish Jr scored the victory in the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500, as he clipped Marco Andretti by less than one second for his 15th career IndyCar title and his first at the famed Brickyard. Helio Castroneves, who held the lead for the first nine laps, failed to finish due to an accident, completing only 109 laps. Dan Wheldon dominated most of the race, leading five times for a race-high 148 laps, but finished fourth. Hornish led on three separate occasions for only 19 laps, but he overtook Andretti on the final lap for the .0635-second win. The margin of victory was the second closest in Indianapolis 500 history.

When Wheldon won in 2005, he fought off a late challenge from Danica Patrick to capture the 89th running of the Indianapolis 500. His seventh career IndyCar title was his first at the famed Brickyard. The win also enabled Michael Andretti to earn his first Indy 500 win as an owner after going 0- for-14 as a driver. Wheldon grabbed the lead from Patrick on lap 193, and held it the rest of the way. The race finished under caution following a crash by Sebastien Bourdais. Patrick, trying to stretch her fuel for more than 38 laps, fell to fourth place behind Vitor Meira and Bryan Herta.

This race traditionally has run on Memorial Day weekend since 1911, except war years (1917-18, 1942-45). It is the oldest automobile race in the United States.

The track was once paved with 3.2 million bricks, earning the nickname "The Brickyard." A 36-inch "Yard of Bricks" remains at the start/finish line. They are the only remaining visible bricks on the track.

Eddie Cheever Jr's win in 1998 came from the 17th starting position, only the second driver to win from that spot in the history of the race. This is the largest single-day sporting event in the world, with an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 spectators.

Twenty drivers have won this race from the pole position, the last coming in 2009, when Castroneves captured the checkered flag. The pole sitter has won four of the last eight Indy 500s.

There are nine drivers who have won this race three or more times. Four-time champions are: A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Al Unser (1970-71, 1978, 1987), Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), while three-time winners are: Louis Meyer (1928, 1933, 1936), Wilbur Shaw (1937, 1939, 1940), Mauri Rose (1941, 1947-48), Johnny Rutherford (1974, 1976, 1980), Bobby Unser (1968, 1975, 1981) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02, 2009).

Castroneves took a controversial win in 2002 over Paul Tracy when it was determined that Tracy passed him after the yellow flag had been displayed for a caution. Castroneves also became the eighth rookie to win this race in 2001 when he started from the 11th spot. Castroneves took the lead on lap 149 and held on the rest of the way to beat Gil de Ferran by just over one second. The other rookies to win the Indianapolis 500 are: Ray Harroun (1911), Jules Goux (1913), Rene Thomas (1914), Frank Lockhart (1926), George Souders (1927), Graham Hill (1966) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2000).

Only three rookies have started on the pole position, other than the inaugural event in 1911: Walt Faulkner (1950), Teo Fabi (1983) and Tony Stewart (1996).

With his win in 2009, Castroneves became the all-time money winner in Indianapolis 500 history. He has currently won $9,539,528. Castroneves has appeared in 11 Indy 500s, with nine top-10 finishes, including three victories and four poles.

When Al Unser Jr clipped Scott Goodyear for the 1992 title, he took the checkered flag by just 0.043 seconds, the closest margin of victory in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

THIS AND THAT FOR 2012: Martina McBride will sing the national anthem during pre-race ceremonies. Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri will drive the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 pace car, leading the field to the green flag.

There are three former Indianapolis 500 winners in the starting field: Helio Castroneves (2001, '02 and '09), Dario Franchitti (2007, '10) and Scott Dixon (2008). The record for most former winners in the field is 10, in 1992. The fewest, other than the inaugural race in 1911, is zero in 1912.

There are eight rookies in the field; Josef Newgarden, Rubens Barrichello, James Jakes, Simon Pagenaud, Wade Cunningham, Katherine Legge, Bryan Clauson and Jean Alesi.

The Borg-Warner Trophy, which is one of the most recognizable trophies in all of sports, has been awarded to every Indianapolis 500 winner since 1936. Crafted out of sterling silver by Spaulding-Gorham of Chicago, it was unveiled at a dinner in New York in February 1936, featuring bas-relief sculptures of every "500" winner up until that time. The new winner has been added every year since, and in 1986 (the trophy's 50th anniversary), the final space became filled. The solution for 1987 was to add a base, but this too became filled, and in 2004, an even larger version replaced it, this one with enough spaces to last through 2034. The only sculptured face not of a winning driver is that of the late speedway owner Tony Hulman, whose likeness, in gold, was placed on the base in 1987.

DID YOU KNOW: Only three of the 731 drivers who have competed in the race have won four times: A.J. Foyt (1961, '64, '67, '77), Al Unser (1970, '71, '78, '87) and Rick Mears (1979, '84, '88, '91). Rick Mears holds the record with six Indianapolis 500 pole positions (1979, '82, '86, '88, '89, '91). Eight rookies have won the Indianapolis 500, with Helio Castroneves in 2001 the last driver to achieve the feat. Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and immediately retired as a race driver. Troy Ruttman is the youngest driver to win the Indianapolis 500, age 22, in 1952; Al Unser is the oldest driver to win, age 47, in 1987. Arie Luyendyk won the 1990 Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 185.981 mph, the record average speed for the race. Luyendyk also holds the all-time speed record for qualifying at the race, a four-lap average of 236.986 mph in 1996. Helio Castroneves earned $3,048,005 for his 2009 victory, a record winner's purse for the race. The top three positions have won 42 of the 95 previous Indy 500s. A car with the number of 1, 2 or 3 has won the Indianapolis 500 26 times.

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to Detroit on June 3 with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at Raceway of Belle Isle Park. Justin Wilson won the most recent race there in 2008.

05/21 16:50:55 ET

As of May 21, 2012, at 04:51 PM ET

that's racin'? (phrase): Expresses frustration or emotion. 1. When a small part costing just a few dollars fails and stops a $150,000 race car, that's racin'. 2. When you race a competitor for 500 miles and lose to him by just a few feet, that's racin'. 3. When a hot dog wrapper blows out of the stands, gets caught across the air vent on the front of your car and causes your engine to overheat, that's racin'.