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INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 29, 2011) - JR Hildebrand stood beside A crumpled car and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to discern just what transpired on the final lap of the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.

The 23-year-old Californian was a few hundred yards from being the first rookie to win the race since Helio Castroneves in 2001 and creating a storyline that would follow him into the record books. But, as all veterans will say, nothing is for certain in 200 laps of racing on the 2.5-mile strip of asphalt.

Hildebrand's No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car drifted up the track exiting Turn 4 and smacked the SAFER Barrier. Dan Wheldon, the 2005 race and IZOD IndyCar Series champion, was Danny on the spot for the victory.

Wheldon's No. 98 William Rast-CURB/Big Machine car for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian overtook Hildebrand's sliding car and crossed the start/finish line under yellow. Chief steward Brian Barnhart said there's no requirement for cars not involved in an accident to stay behind those involved/disabled.

"It's a fantastic achievement everybody at Bryan Herta Autosport," said Wheldon, his voice choking with emotion. "I love everything about Indianapolis - the tradition, the fans, the history."

A Panther Racing car has been the Indy 500 runner-up the past four years (including 2009 and '10 driven by Wheldon).

Wheldon, who started sixth, said his surprise of seeing Hildebrand car make heavy right-side contact with the SAFER Barrier turned to "relief." Wheldon was running fifth with 10 laps remaining, but jumped into contention when race leader Bertrand Baguette pitted for a splash on Lap 197 and he overtook Scott Dixon a lap later.

"I was just trying to go as hard as I could," continued Wheldon, who was competing in his first race of the season. "I knew it was the last lap and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel (he pitted on Lap 177). I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up. It's an incredible feeling."

Hildebrand, who inherited the lead when Baguette pitted, said he was trying to conserve fuel (he last pitted on Lap 164) on the white flag lap.

"I knew we were really tight on fuel coming to the end, and the spotters were in my ear saying, 'The guys are coming and they're coming hard,' '' said Hildebrand, who qualified 12th (the fastest rookie). "We had to conserve a little fuel and the tires were coming to the end of their stint. I was hanging a little on to get the thing around.

"I made a judgment call catching up on the 83 (the lapped car driven by fellow rookie Charlie Kimball) and I thought I don't really want to slow down behind him and pull out on the straightaway, and I've been able to make this move on the outside before and so I went to the high side and because it was at the end of the stint I got up in the marbles and that was it.

"I'm OK, but this is not really about me at this point. You always show up to try to win. My disappointment is for the team and for National Guard as a sponsor. It's one of the those things, as a driver, you never really know what you're going to expect. We knew we had a fast race car. We knew if the race came to us, we may be in a position to sort of finish top three, top five."

Graham Rahal, who started 29th, finished third for his second consecutive podium, and Tony Kanaan charged from 22nd to finish fourth. Dixon, who started in the middle of the front row and led a field-high 73 laps, faded to fifth, and Oriol Servia, who started on the front row, was sixth.

Franchitti, the 2010 race winner, led 51 laps and was running second on Lap 195. But he had to pit for a splash of fuel on Lap 199 and finished 12th.

Tomas Scheckter advanced 13 positions to finish eighth and Marco Andretti picked up 18 spots to finish ninth. Andretti Autosport teammate Danica Patrick was 10th.

There were 23 lead changes among 10 drivers and seven cautions for 40 laps. Patrick led 10 laps late in the No. 7 Team GoDaddy car, but had to pit with 10 laps left.

WINNER'S QUICK QUOTE:

DAN WHELDON: "I was just trying to go as hard as I could. I knew it was the last lap, and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel. I want to thank my wife. For Bryan Herta and everyone at Bryan Herta Autosport, such a dream ride. It's been absolutely phenomenal. I love Indianapolis. I love the people, I love everything about it. The tradition, the history. I just felt a lot of relief. It's an incredible feeling. I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up." (About his mother, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease): "I want to say hi to my family back home, my mother. The Alzheimer's Association, the chance to represent them." (About his victory plans): "I'm taking my kids to Disney, taking my kids to Disney. It's just an incredible day."

RUNNER-UP, THIRD PLACE QUICK QUOTES:

JR HILDEBRAND: "Well, I knew we were running a little tight on fuel coming to the end, and I had spotters in my ears saying, 'Guys are coming, and they're coming hard because we were having to conserve a little bit of fuel,' and the tires are at the end of their stint. I was just hanging on to get the thing around. I made a last minute judgment call on the 83 car (Kimball). He was out of the pits, and I thought, 'You know what, I don't think I want slow down for him around the wrong part of the track. I would have to slow down a lot to stay behind him, then pull out a lot to pass on the straightaway so I thought, 'Well, I've been able to make this move around the outside before,' and so I went to the high side and just got caught up in the marbles, and that was it." (Were you aware that you might still be the leader, since you can't pass under caution?): "I was not aware of that, but honestly, that aside, I owe this run entirely to the Panther Racing team and the National Guard team. These guys have done an awesome job year after year after year. We've been the bridesmaid, and I didn't come to Indianapolis this year expecting to be in a position to win the Indy 500. But we were, and I guess that's why it's a little bit frustrating right now. But here on Memorial Day, I'd just like to say thanks to all service men and women that are here. We put up a heck of a fight for you out there."

GRAHAM RAHAL: "It feels good, that's for sure. I mean, this is what it's all about, you know? We needed to ride the momentum, and we did. And this is obviously a lot better than second place in Brazil, and we'll just keep going on from here. But I'm so proud of the Service Central boys, because starting where we started and to end up here, we passed 26 cars, and that's fantastic."

***

POST-RACE OWNERS' QUICK QUOTES:

JOHN BARNES (Co-owner, Panther Racing): "We came here with a rookie driver, and everybody says we're going to have trouble and everything. But I can tell you that he (JR) did a great job. He drove to a fuel number I didn't think was going to be attainable. We're so proud of him and the people at Panther and the crew."

INDIANAPOLIS 500 HISTORICAL NOTES:

•Dan Wheldon is the 18th multiple winner of the Indianapolis 500. His other win came in 2005.

•Dan Wheldon led only one lap, Lap 200. That's the fewest number of laps led by an Indianapolis 500 winner. The previous record was two, set by Joe Dawson in 1912.

•Dan Wheldon is the first multiple winner from England.

•This is the second time that a driver lost the lead of the Indianapolis 500 on the last lap. Rookies were victims both times, Marco Andretti in 2006 and JR Hildebrand in 2011.

•Dan Wheldon is the fifth driver to win the race starting from the sixth starting position. The others: Gaston Chevrolet (1920), Ray Keech (1929), Louis Meyer (1933), and Rodger Ward (1959).

•This is the third time that car number 98 has won the Indianapolis 500. The other two years were 1952 with Troy Ruttman and 1963 with Parnelli Jones.

•This is the fourth consecutive year that Panther Racing has finished runner-up in the Indianapolis 500. Vitor Meira was second in 2008, Dan Wheldon in 2009 and 2010.

•In the last three years (2009-11), Dan Wheldon recorded two second-place finishes and a victory in the Indianapolis 500 yet has led only one lap during that span.

•Will Power was the highest-finishing driver for Team Penske, in 14th. The last time Penske competed at Indianapolis and had all of its cars finish outside of the top 10 was 1992, when Paul Tracy led Penske with a 20th-place finish.

•There were 25 cars running at the finish today, the second-highest total for an Indianapolis 500 that went the full distance. The record is 26 in the inaugural event in 1911, which had 40 starters.

•The winning average speed of 170.265 mph for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 is the fourth-fastest in the 100 year history of the race. The record is 185.981 mph by Arie Luyendyk in 1990.

•There were 23 lead changes, which ties for the fifth-highest total in Indianapolis 500 history. The record for most lead changes is 29 in 1960.

•The 2011 Indianapolis 500 had 10 different lap leaders, which is the second-highest total in race history. The 1980, 1995 and 1998 fields also had 10 different lap leaders. The greatest number of different lap leaders for a race is 12 in 1993.

•The top lap leader of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 was Scott Dixon with 73 laps led. Dixon was also the top lap leader in 2008 (115 laps led) and 2009 (73 laps led).

•A Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver had led the most laps of the race for the last four consecutive years:

2008: Scott Dixon, 115 laps, won.

2009: Dixon, 73 laps, finished sixth.

2010: Dario Franchitti, 155 laps, won.

2011: Dixon, 73 laps, fifth.

•Dario Franchitti ranks 15th on the all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leader list with 306 laps led.

•Scott Dixon ranks 19th on the all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leader list with 293 laps led.

•The 2011 Indianapolis 500 set the record for the greatest number of lap leaders (nine) to finish on the lead lap. The previous record was eight in 1993 and in 2004 (180 laps were run due to rain).

•Of the 10 lap leaders, nine were running at the finish. The greatest number of lap leaders to be running at the finish is 11 in 1993.

•The greatest position advancement in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 was by Graham Rahal, who started 29th and finished third, a gain of 26 positions.

***

Sam Schmidt, owner of the pole-winning car of Alex Tagliani and the car of Townsend Bell, talked about his team's Month of May. Schmidt's team also had a technical relationship with the race-winning Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian team.

SAM SCHMIDT (Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "They dug all month. The 77 (Tagliani) and 99 (Bell) worked really well together and had fast cars. Unfortunately, they both got a little out of sequence. We probably should've finished at least second or third when all was said and done. You can't second-guess what happens in the race, and that is what this place is all about. At least we got a little piece of that car rolling up on victory circle right there. It was Bryan's (Herta), and that's cool."

***

The 96th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, 2012.

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RACE DAY AT THE TRACK: SUNDAY, MAY 29

INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, May 28, 2011 - Information about 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 activity Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

DAY: 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

SCHEDULE (all times local):

6 a.m. Public Gates Open

8 a.m. Spectacle of Bands Begins

9-10:45 a.m. IZOD Presents Fearless at the 500 Stunt (Approximate start time; exact time depends on weather, wind conditions)

9:30 a.m. Celebrity Red Carpet, Pagoda Plaza; Race Cars To Pit Lane

9:50 a.m. 1911 Cars Parade Lap

10 a.m. Indianapolis 500 Winning Drivers Parade Lap

10:15 a.m. "On the Banks of the Wabash" - Purdue University All American Marching Band; Race Cars Begin To Grid On Track

10:50 a.m. Engine Warm-up Begins

11 a.m.Past Indianapolis 500 Winners In Indianapolis 500-Winning Cars Parade Lap

11:09 a.m. Military Recognition Lap

11:15 a.m. Military Recognition March

11:33 a.m. Driver Introductions

11:47 a.m."America the Beautiful" Performed by Miss America Teresa Scanlan, Victory Podium

11:49 a.m.Speech from Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, U.S. Army, Vice Chief of Staff

11:51 a.m."God Bless America" Performed by Florence Henderson, Victory Podium

11:53 a.m. National Anthem Performed by David Foster, Seal, Kelly Clarkson

11:55 a.m. Flyover by Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit "Stealth Bomber."

11:56 a.m. "Drivers to Your Cars" Announcement

11:57 a.m. Invocation, Most. Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Victory Podium

12:01 p.m. Rifle Volley, Victory Podium

12:02 p.m. "Taps," Victory Podium

12:03 p.m. "Back Home Again in Indiana" Performed by Jim Nabors, Victory Podium

12:03 p.m. Balloon Spectacle

12:05 p.m. Command to Start Engines, Mari Hulman George, Victory Podium

12:06 p.m. Parade Lap and Pace Laps -- 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Pace Car Driver A.J. Foyt

12:12 p.m. Green Flag, Start of 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

End of race Flyover, U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawk and a T-2C Buckeye, followed by four U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets

6 p.m.  Track Closes

TICKETS: Tickets for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 remain available Race Morning. Fans wanting to attend the race need to go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ticket office at the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road or to one of the satellite ticket offices, located outside of Gates 3, 6, 9 and 10. Tickets start at $30 for general admission. All ticket offices will open at 6 a.m. and remain open until noon. Fans holding print-at-home tickets will be admitted only at Gates 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, May 28, 2011 - The Marmon "Wasp" that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 will be featured in two ceremonial laps during pre-race ceremonies for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones will drive the No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" during both laps. It will be only the third time the car has been driven on the famed IMS oval on Race Day since Harroun crossed the finish line in 1911.

The first lap with the "Wasp" also will feature cars built during the era of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Other drivers and cars in this lap:

•1989 and 1993 Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi: 1909 Alco Black Beast.

•1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier: Inter-State from 1911 era.

•1992 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James: 1911 Buick.

•Willy T. Ribbs, the first African-American starter in the Indianapolis 500, in 1991: 1909 "Blitzen Benz," which set a speed record of 141.732 mph in 1911 that stood until 1919.

•Indianapolis 500 veteran Derek Daly: National race car from the 1911 era.

Eleven Indianapolis 500 winners will drive 11 Indianapolis 500-winning cars in another parade lap.

Leading the winners' parade lap will be Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman George and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, as Foyt will drive the Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Coupe that served as the Pace Car at the 1977 Indianapolis 500, Foyt's fourth career Indy win. Also driving in the winners' lap will be legendary winning car owner Andy Granatelli, in a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car.

Other drivers and cars in the winners' lap:

•1963 winner Parnelli Jones: The No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" that won in 1911 with Ray Harroun.

•1999 winner Kenny Brack: The No. 9 Target G Force/Oldsmobile that won in 2000 with Juan Pablo Montoya.

•2003 winner Gil de Ferran: The No. 66 Sunoco McLaren that won in 1972 with Mark Donohue.

•1983 winner Tom Sneva: The Belond Salih/Offy that won in 1957 with Sam Hanks and 1958 with Jimmy Bryan.

•1969 winner Mario Andretti: The Boyle Maserati that won in 1939 and 1940 with Wilbur Shaw.

•1990 and 1997 winner Arie Luyendyk: The No. 30 Domino's Pizza Lola/Chevrolet Indy in which he won in 1990.

•1986 winner Bobby Rahal: The No. 14 Miller that won in 1928 with Louis Meyer.

•1974, 1976 and 1980 winner Johnny Rutherford: The No. 4 Pennzoil Chaparral/Cosworth in which he won in 1980.

•1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987 winner Al Unser: The No. 82 Lotus-Ford that won in 1965 with Jim Clark.

•1992 and 1994 winner Al Unser Jr.: The Blue Crown Spark Plug Diedt/Offy that won in 1947 and 1948 with Mauri Rose.

•1968, 1975 and 1981 winner Bobby Unser: The No. 8 National that won in 1912 with Joe Dawson.

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The 100th anniversary edition of the Indianapolis 500 will continue a Memorial Day weekend TV tradition that has been part of America since 1965 when the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” airs on ABC for the 47th consecutive year on Sunday, May 29. ESPN on ABC’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins at 11 a.m. ET with The Indianapolis 500 – A Centennial Celebration presented by Honda. The race telecast is presented by GoDaddy.com and begins at noon, with the race’s green flag at 12:12 p.m.

“It is an honor for us to televise the Indianapolis 500 every year,” said Jed Drake, ESPN senior vice president and executive producer. “It’s with great pride that we carry on the stewardship of ABC’s history with this marquee event in the world of sports and look forward to bringing it to our viewers around the world.”

ESPN’s production will use 64 cameras to televise the premier race of the IZOD IndyCar Series, including a 360-degree rotating onboard camera mounted behind the driver on multiple cars. Unique views will be provided by Batcam, a high definition camera running on a cable over pit road and the frontstretch that can move at more than 80 mph. All 33 cars will carry GPS boxes for the Sportvision RaceFX system to provide telemetry and pointers to help identify the cars for viewers. ESPN will use a radio replay system that can record, play back and edit radios from any of the 33 drivers and viewers will learn more about the technical aspects of the sport with segments from the Emmy-winning ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Marty Reid will call the race with analysis by former IZOD IndyCar Series star Scott Goodyear and 1998 Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever. Reporting from the pits will be Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch while Brent Musburger will host. ESPN’s Indianapolis 500 coverage will be produced under the oversight of ESPN vice president, motorsports, Rich Feinberg. James Shiftan will produce the race telecast and Bruce Watson will direct.

The one-hour pre-race show will include interviews with many of the 33 starting drivers. Some of the special features that are scheduled to air in either pre-race or in SportsCenter’s Indy 500 coverage include:

Viewers will take a journey through time of the last 100 years in American and Indianapolis 500 history. The feature will tell the story of the history of America and the Indianapolis 500 in chronological order, from 1911 to now. It will be driven by quotes from the American Presidents who served during the period. The quotes will either be spoken by the corresponding president or written graphically on the screen. The previous presidents have elicited countless words of wisdom that translate into American and Indianapolis 500 history.

Dario Franchitti is a two-time Indy 500 winner and a three-time IZOD IndyCar champion. In a juxtaposition of the chaos of his racing profession, viewers find out he is just a guy from a small town in Scotland close to Edinburgh. In a piece that is  part all-access and part bio, Franchitti takes ESPN’s Chris Connelly around to some special locations of his youth in Scotland (kart track where he learned to drive, boyhood home, lunch with his best friends) to gain a deeper understand and appreciation for the defending Indy 500 champion. His wife, actress Ashley Judd, discusses their relationship in an exclusive interview.

Alex Tagliani and his car owner, Sam Schmidt, speak at the famed “Yard of Bricks” at Indianapolis about the individual journeys that brought them together to be on the coveted pole for the 100th anniversary Indy 500..

An ensemble cast of race car drivers explain why lifting off the throttle at the Indy 500 isn’t just about letting off the gas. They explain how they determine risk vs. reward. When facing great danger is the only way to put your face on the Borg Warner Trophy, they “Don’t’ Lift”.

Simona De Silvestro discusses the odds she had to overcome in qualifying for the Centennial Indianapolis 500 after a frightening practice crash left her with second degree burns on one of her hands.

Collin Allen is 11 years old. And in 2005, his father died while serving in Iraq. Collin will write a letter describing his own father and explaining what Memorial Day means to him.  At the end of the journey viewers will see photos of other children whose parents have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

On the last lap of last year's Indianapolis 500, driver Mike Conway was involved in a terrifying crash. He was badly injured, but he survived and is back behind the wheel this season because of safety features that have been added to both cars and tracks over the years. ESPN Sport Science will analyze what happens to both car and driver in a crash like Conway's, and examine how modifications and innovations continue to improve the safety of the sport.

In his own words, Helio Castroneves describes what it's like chasing a milestone and record that only few have been able to attain. Just three drivers have been crowned winner of the Indianapolis 500 four times: A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears. Castroneves talks about the improbability of ever winning the prestigious race and now with three victories under his belt what it's like to be on the verge of joining such an elite fraternity of legendary drivers.

Charlie Kimball is the first licensed IndyCar driver with diabetes to race in competitive open wheel racing. ESPN will explore the dynamics of driving more than 230 mile per hour while keeping tabs on the drivers’ blood sugar, including the unique technology that his doctors and team monitor during the race.

Danica Patrick appears from the outside to be a complex woman. Viewers have seen her in so many different lights over the years. She was a rookie darling in the lead at Indy in 2005. She is a sex symbol as the GoDaddy Girl. She is not afraid of the drivers in NASCAR. But one thing that stays consistent is that she is a race car driver who wants to win. In an ode to a well-known commercial with Charlize Theron, a glamorized Patrick unmasks herself and, in the process, reveals her many sides.

Great drivers and other figures from Indy 500 history reveal their special Indy 500 moment, including Foyt, Mears, Sullivan, the Unsers, Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart and more.

Hockey has the Stanley Cup. There’s the Green Jacket at Augusta, the Kentucky Derby’s Blanket of Roses. And then there’s the Bottle of Milk that goes to the winner of the Indianapolis 500. To honor the history of this classic Indy 500 tradition, viewers will see the actual milk delivery process in a fun and informational way. From the cow farms in Indiana, to the police escorted milk men carrying the milk jugs into the track.

The opening segment will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500 with motion picture actor William Fichtner walking a lap around the track to remember the greatest moments and fantastic drivers throughout history. As Fichtner, who appeared in Black Hawk Down, Armageddon, Crash and The Dark Knight, walks the track, these great moments come alive around him. In the last scene, he is joined by three of the race’s biggest stars: Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick.

After the race, ABC will televise IZOD presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500 at 3:30 p.m. Inside the Speedway, a stunt driver from Team Hot Wheels will try to set a world record for a distance jump in a four-wheel vehicle. The current record is 302 feet. 

Other ESPN Platforms

In addition to the live telecast on ABC, the Indianapolis 500 will receive ESPN multiplatform coverage on the following outlets:

ESPN International’s network and joint ventures’ reach is over 207 million homes in 143 countries and territories. Add to that syndication (31 countries and 31.4 million homes), ABC’s U.S. reach of 115,900,000 and television distribution exceeds 354.3 million homes in 176 countries worldwide. In addition, U.S. troops serving overseas and on Navy vessels around the world will watch live via a broadcast agreement between ESPN and the American Forces Network, bringing the total to 213 countries and territories around the world.

ESPN.com will provide surround coverage of the Indy 500 with senior motorsports writers Ed Hinton and Terry Blount, IndyCar correspondent John Oreovicz, pit reporter Jamie Little and motorsports editors K. Lee Davis and Joe Breeze for the 100th anniversary running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The staff has been busy in May running down the 100-year history of the race as well as naming the Field of the Century, the 33 drivers (and five additional pioneers) that best exemplify the spirit of the 500-mile race. ESPN.com staff will cap off the coverage on race day with Racing Live! Indianapolis 500 on ESPN.com as the writers, editors and fans interact on every aspect of the race. In addition, anchor Marty Reid and analysts Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever will provide exclusive digital coverage leading up to and after the race.

On television, extensive reports, interviews and highlights will air on SportsCenter and ESPNEWS.

SportsCenter has been celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 throughout the month of May with a series of Indianapolis 500 Centennial Moments. The video segments look back on some of the greatest moments and biggest heroes over the history of the race. There is a new segment each day and each runs a minimum of three times a day, included in the daytime, prime time and West Coast prime time programs. The moments also are available for viewing on ESPN.com.

ESPN Classic will present a week-long tribute in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. All week long beginning Monday, May 23, ESPN Classic will air classic Indy 500 races and SportsCentury programming. On the actual 100th anniversary, May 30, ESPN Classic will present a 22-hour marathon anchored by a re-air of the 2011 race.

ESPN Radio’s Saturday RaceDay starts its engines at 6 a.m. with an hour of news, previews and analysis. ESPN Radio also provides auto racing fans the comprehensive Sunday RaceDay (6-7 a.m. Sundays), which covers the auto racing world.

ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language television, radio and Internet in the U.S., will cover the Indy 500 via SportsCenter, the network's flagship news and information program. The network’s motorsports expert Andres Agulla and former professional driver Alex Pombo, will provide special reports and interviews with the racers directly from Indianapolis. In addition, ESPNdeportes.com will provide comprehensive coverage with previews, qualifying, photo galleries, videos and live chats with Agulla and Pombo.

ESPN the Magazine’s “Busted” issue, which went on sale May 20, contains an in-depth feature with driver Marco Andretti. Andretti is an outsize name in racing. But Marco Andretti is beginning to like the way it fits. Award-winning ESPN the Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee profiles the third-generation driving star. Also included in the issue is a fun image of “The Five Widest and Tightest Gaps Between Indy 500 Winner and Runner-Up.”

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INDIANAPOLIS May 24, 2011--Difficult times make for hard choices.  Both A.J. Foyt and Michael Andretti made some hard choices  in the past 24 hours which will result in Ryan Hunter-Reay replacing Bruno Junqueira in A.J. Foyt’s No. 41 Dallara/Honda in the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

When Marco Andretti bumped his way back into the field in the final minute of qualifying on Bump Day, his successful run  booted teammate Hunter-Reay from the race.  Faced with the prospect of disappointing his major sponsors, Andretti looked to Foyt at the suggestion of Hunter-Reay, who had driven for Foyt in 2009.

Foyt had helped out Hunter-Reay in the past when Tony George’s team closed its doors leaving Hunter-Reay without a ride.  
Foyt hired him to replace regular ABC Supply driver Vitor Meira who was sidelined for the season after his accident at Indy that year. Meira returned to Foyt for 2010 and Hunter-Reay landed a ride with the Andretti Autosport team.

A.J. Foyt cast a new light on the famed Foyt-Andretti rivalry which sparked some of the best battles on the track and most
colorful remarks off of it.

“We’ve been competitors for many years but still it’s the kind of relationship when someone is really down and out, you can’t turn your back on them—at least I can’t,” said Foyt, whose fulltime driver Vitor Meira will start 11th in the No. 14 ABC  Supply car.  “This is going back to the way racing used to be, where if people were in a lot of trouble, you tried to help  each other out. I know it’s a tough deal for Bruno but he understood the situation. I appreciate that more than anyone  knows.”

Junqueira was philosophical about the driver switch, noting that he enjoyed his brief experience working with the Foyt team. 

He said, “I have to thank A.J., Larry and the team for giving me this opportunity to drive at Indy this year because otherwise I would have been riding my bike in Miami. I always respected A.J. before, but after working with him, I respect  him even more. He has a lot of knowledge and I learned a lot from him. I had a great time working with him and Vitor, and I hope my work helped them this month. I also hope the team has a great race.”

Hunter-Reay, who has experienced both the highs and lows of a sport dependent on corporate sponsorship, said, “There has been an incredible range of emotion these past few days.  Commercial decisions and corporate support is what makes it possible for both of our teams to compete and this was a commercially driven decision. I am an IndyCar driver and I’m also a representative for DHL, Dr Pepper and its brands, including Sun Drop Citrus Soda. I know this is not the first time this has happened in Indy 500 history but I feel terrible for Bruno and I thank him for his efforts and I hope he understands.  It’s cool to be driving for A.J. again, especially with Michael’s support and encouragement.  This is not how I envisioned the month of May this year but we are still committed to winning this race for DHL and Sun Drop.”

Hunter-Reay, the winningest American driver currently competing in Indy car racing, joined the Andretti Autosport family in  advance of the 2010 season and immediately broke through with a popular win at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach – giving Michael Andretti his first win as the sole team owner.  He went on to have a successful year laying claim to 12 top-ten finishes in 17 starts.  Hunter-Reay extended the Andretti relationship with a two-year contract that will take him through the 2012 season. The 2008 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, will make his fourth Indianapolis 500 start in Sunday’s running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

"I can't thank A.J. and his team enough for giving us an opportunity to put Ryan, DHL, Sun Drop and our other valued sponsors in the Indy 500,” said Michael Andretti, team owner of Andretti Autosport. “Obviously, this is a unique circumstance for our team, but the thought of A.J. Foyt joining forces with the Andrettis for the Indy 500 could result in something special. It's a credit to A.J. for being willing to help us with one of our full-season IndyCar entries at a time when we need it."

According to the rules, the driver switch will move the No. 41 car to the back of the 33-car field.

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INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 22, 2011) - Marco Andretti and Alex Lloyd bumped their way into the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 with dramatic qualifying runs in the final 10 minutes of Bump Day qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The two were among 14 drivers seeking to secure one of the nine spots on the 33-car grid in a six-hour session interrupted twice by rain.

With 75 minutes left, Danica Patrick put the No. 7 Team GoDaddy car solidly in the field with a four-lap average of 224.861 mph. But that left teammate Andretti on the bubble while Ryan Hunter-Reay sat 32nd.

Eight drivers failed to gather the necessary consistent speed to force Andretti to re-qualify until Lloyd of Dale Coyne Racing, who finished fourth in the Indy 500 last May, put together an average speed of 223.917 mph. Teammate James Jakes sought to knock Hunter-Reay out, too, but his attempt was waved off after two laps.

That left Andretti as the final contestant. As the gun went off to end the session, so did Andretti on his qualifying attempt. Three minutes later, and with an average speed of 224.628 mph, he jumped to the inside of Row 10. That left his teammate and close friend on the outside for the May 29 race.

The fourth Andretti Autosport driver, Mike Conway, who recovered from a season-ending crash in last year's Indianapolis 500 to win at Long Beach in mid-April also was among the entrants who failed to find the consistent speed.

Also not making the show were Raphael Matos, Sebastian Saavedra and Jakes. Dragon Racing's Ho-Pin Tung and Scott Speed did not complete qualifying attempts.

Lloyd is joined on the last row by rookie Pippa Mann of Conquest Racing and Ana Beatriz of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Andretti will start on Row 10 with rookie Charlie Kimball and Graham Rahal, while Paul Tracy will share Row 9 with Patrick and Ryan Briscoe.

This is the closest matched field by time in Indianapolis 500 history -- 2.5399 seconds separate fastest qualifier Alex Tagliani and slowest qualifier Beatriz. The record was 3.0622 seconds set in 2010.

BUMP DAY NOTEBOOK:

Panther Racing rejoined an old friend and will have a familiar look in the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, as the team announced today that Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka has partnered with the team to be the primary sponsor on former Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice's No. 44 entry. Rice, who won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 from the pole position, qualified seventh yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Panther's second-best starting position at the historic 2.5-mile race track.

"It's great to have Fuzzy Zoeller and Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka back home with Panther Racing," Panther Racing Managing Partner and CEO John Barnes said. "Fuzzy is the kind of guy we like to have on our team - he's a champion, a fierce competitor and somebody who wants to win the Indianapolis 500 just as badly as everybody on our team. Buddy Rice hasdone an unbelievable job for us this month and we're happy to find a great partner like Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka to help get us one step closer to victory lane at the Brickyard."

Zoeller is the winner of two Major Championships, as the golf legend won The Masters in his first appearance in the event in 1979. He won the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club and won the Senior PGA Championship in 2002 and is a native of Indiana.

"In racing, like golf, sometimes you play two balls," Zoeller, winner of 12 tour victories on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, said. "We're looking forward to rejoining last year's partner Panther Racing and sponsoring the No. 44 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka driven by Buddy Rice. We had a great run last year with Panther and we look forward to another exciting Indianapolis 500 together."

Rice is the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner and is returning to the Indianapolis 500 this season after a two-year hiatus during which he won another of the world's most prestigious auto races - the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In his career Rice has a total of three IZOD IndyCar Series victories and finished a career-best third in the series championship in 2004.

"I'm just really happy to have Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka on the No. 44 car for the race next weekend," Rice said. "All the guys on the team talked about how great it was to have Fuzzy around last season and I'm looking forward to meeting him and putting the Fuzzy's Vodka car at the front of the field in the 500. We've had a great month so far, and the car's been quick out of the gate and, for me, I'm just excited to be back at Indianapolis - especially for the Centennial. This only comes around once and thanks to John Barnes, Panther Racing and Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka we're going to have a great package for next Sunday."

***

Indianapolis 500 veteran Willy T. Ribbs will serve as the honorary starter today. This is the 20th anniversary of Ribbs becoming the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, in 1991.

Ribbs announced May 12 that he has formed Willy T. Ribbs Racing to field an entry for 21-year-old African-American driver Chase Austin, starting in the Firestone Freedom 100 on Friday, May 27. The team was created in partnership with Starting Grid Inc. principal Chris Miles.

WILLY T. RIBBS: "Well, this place, to say it's special for me is an understatement. It is where my most important happening in my life took place. I could say career but what happened in 1991 was the most special moment in my life, apart from my three kids being born." (Have your feelings changed in 20 years compared to how you felt that day?): "Every time you walk in here, it feels the same. It's an unbelievable experience. The Hulman-George family has been very good to me. The Speedway has been very good to me. The city of Indianapolis has been good to me. I don't live in Indianapolis, but it's my home." (On being a Firestone Indy Lights car owner with driver Chase Austin): "Well, it's no secret my long-term goal is to be an IndyCar team owner in the big championship (IZOD IndyCar Series). I've got a one-race deal with Chase Austin. I think he's going to be a hell of a driver. He's young, and if he has the right resource around him, he'll be able to do real well."

Riley Hoffman, from Greenwood, Ind., was crowned 500 Festival Queen on Saturday during the annual 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard.

Hoffman, a student at Indiana University, will receive a $2,500 educational scholarship from the 500 Festival and Indianapolis television station WTHR.

Laken Kurtz of Muncie and Alexandra Norman of Zionsville were selected as members of Hoffman's court from the field of 33 Festival princesses.

***

Members of the Indianapolis 500 starting field will disperse across the United States and Canada on Monday for a media tour promoting the 100th Anniversary race. Drivers will visit these markets: Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Dayton, Ohio, Las Vegas, Louisville, Ky., Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., New York, Orlando, Fla., Tampa, Fla. and Toronto.

***

Indianapolis 500 veteran Patrick Carpentier talked about his accident this morning and his relationship with Dragon Racing.

PATRICK CARPENTIER: "I feel good. I was a little bit dizzy at first, as I hit pretty hard. I thought it was going to be a fun comeback, but it was a hard comeback. What can you do? I was just starting to enjoy it. I started to go sideways a little bit, and I hit the white line. You don't want to do this with these cars, and it just swapped around on me." (On his emotions the last 24 hours): "They (the team) told me yesterday at about 2:30. The last flight was at 4:50, so I flew all night and got in at 12:30 this morning. It was a short night, but I enjoyed it. The car was pretty good at first. We had a lot of downforce in it. We were just running around and taking some of the downforce out and trying to loosen it up a little bit. That worked out pretty well. We did loosen it up." (On the mood of the team after two accidents): "It's really disappointing, I'll tell you. I know these guys had a tough month. I thought I'd be able to come in and at least post a time for qualifying." (On the background of how the deal with Dragon Racing came together): "I went to Long Beach and met with these guys a little bit and saw everyone there. I guess with me being a good friend of Paul Tracy, Paul said, 'You've got to give Pat a shot and try him out.' Paul called me, these guys called me, and I was on my way here. I was pretty happy. I want to try it again. It's been awhile." (On the plans for Dragon Racing today): "It's a great team. I'm so disappointed for these guys. They were working hard and had their hopes up wanting to make it in. But, unfortunately, I think the car is pretty damaged. That's going to be it for them, I think."

100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 FIELD NOTES:

•There are five former Indianapolis 500 winners in the starting field: Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), Scott Dixon (2008), Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010), Buddy Rice (2004) and Dan Wheldon (2005). Between them they have eight victories. 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 five Chase Rookie of the Year candidates in the field. This year's rookies: JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, Jay Howard, Charlie Kimball and Pippa Mann. Last year there were six rookies.

•John Andretti is the most experienced driver in the field, with 11 previous Indianapolis 500 starts. The record is 35, set in consecutive years from 1958-1992 by A.J. Foyt.

•Dario Franchitti has led 255 career laps in the Indianapolis 500, more than any other driver in this year's field. Other drivers in the field who have led more than 200 laps are Dan Wheldon (234), Helio Castroneves (231), Scott Dixon (220) and Tony Kanaan (214).

•Seventeen different drivers in this year's field have led a total of 1,563 laps in previous Indianapolis 500 Mile Races.

•There is a combined 142 previous Indianapolis 500 starts among the 33 drivers in this year's field. The record is 260 years of experience, set in 1987 and 1992. There were 140 years of combined experience in last year's field.

•The oldest driver in the starting field is Davey Hamilton, 48. The youngest qualifier is Graham Rahal, 22.

•There are 10 veterans of the INDYCAR-sanctioned Firestone Indy Lights series in the field: Marco Andretti, Ana Beatriz, Ed Carpenter, JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, Jay Howard, Charlie Kimball, Alex Lloyd, Pippa Mann, and Graham Rahal.

•Eight Indy Lights champions, under CART and INDYCAR sanction, qualified for the race: Townsend Bell, Scott Dixon, JR Hildebrand, Jay Howard, Alex Lloyd, Tony Kanaan, Oriol Servia and Paul Tracy.

•In addition to the five rookies in the race, there are three drivers - Buddy Rice, Oriol Servia and Paul Tracy - who did not start in last year's race.

•This is the closest-matched field by time in Indianapolis 500 history: 2.5399 seconds separate fastest qualifier Alex Tagliani and slowest qualifier Ana Beatriz. The previous record was 3.0622 seconds set in 2010.

•This is the fifth-closest matched field by speed in Indianapolis 500 history: 3.593 mph separate fastest qualifier Alex Tagliani and slowest qualifier Ana Beatriz. The record is 3.130 miles per hour set in 1953.

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 BUMP DAY QUALIFYING NOTES:

•Mike Conway failed to qualify for the first time in his "500" career. His previous starts came in 2009 and 2010, both with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

•Ryan Hunter-Reay failed to qualify for the first time in his "500" career. His previous starts came in 2008 with Rahal Letterman Racing, 2009 with Vision Racing and 2010 with Andretti Autosport.

•Raphael Matos failed to qualify for the first time in his "500" career. His previous starts came in 2009 with Luczo Dragon Racing and 2010 with de Ferran Dragon Racing.

•Sebastian Saavedra failed to qualify for the first time in his "500" career. His previous start came in 2010 with Bryan Herta Autosport.

INDIANAPOLIS 500 BUMP DAY QUALIFYING QUOTES:

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "Well, we finally cured the speed problem we had. We've cured our handling issues. We made so many changes overnight. This morning we weren't happy with the car at all. I went out there with no idea of what I was going to have going into that run. I went into and, 'OK, this will work.' I wish I had that knowledge going in, and we could've been a bit braver. I've got all my fingers and all my toes crossed. I know it's bad sportsmanship, but I really hope it rains so that I don't have to do that again. I'm sorry, everyone else. I know it's cruel, but does anyone know a good rain dance? I just look at the sky and think, 'Come on, give me a break; you haven't done it all week.'"

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen): "We knew we missed the speed a little bit yesterday morning. We got the setup wrong. I had a little bit to learn as a rookie. Having said that, the 83 Levemir NovoLog FlexPen car was going to be quick. We knew it was going to be fast. The whole Chip Ganassi Racing crew has given me a good car all month. We just had to go out and do it. Last night, we got caught short by rain trying to get a practice run in. This morning we had traffic. Then we were in line, and it rained. We finally got to go out and put up the number I know we're capable of. I was talking to Arie Luyendyk, who has helped me all month. He said, 'Man, (Turn) 3 and (Turn) 4 take forever.' I said, 'Yeah, absolutely, they do.' It's a long run long around those last two corners to the checkered." (About qualifying for this race): "When I got out of the car I thought, 'I've qualified for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.' Now it's a dream come true. And to do that as the first licensed driver with diabetes to qualify for the Indy 500 is special; not just for me but for the whole diabetes community out there. I hope I get a chance next Sunday to stop and soak it all in, because it's going to be probably one of the greatest days of my life so far."

ALEX LLOYD (No. 19 Boy Scouts of America): "We're slower again. Since Fast Friday, we were OK. We thought we would be 15th to 20th on the grid at the end of Pole Day. And then we lost a mile an hour Saturday and other mile an hour today. I don't know what's going on with the car because we've been throwing everything at it. We have an issue somewhere. Unless we figure out something big, we'll be in trouble. We're losing so much speed. We're just so slow, and we are running out of time to figure it out. Last year we had speed; this year, we never had great speed but better speed than we're showing now. We're flat out every single lap and going slower."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6T IZOD Team Penske): "The track was pretty good. The wind changed a little bit for my run. It actually died down. We'd been setting it up, and I had been getting prepared for my adjustments for the wind. The conditions were really good. We did a consistent run in the mid 224s, and it felt solid. We made improvements on the car overnight. I just can't tell you how good it feels to get those four laps in. Hopefully, we don't have to be too stressful the rest of the day. I have a great car. I have a great setup. For some reason this T car hasn't been pulling the speeds we've been expecting with what we were seeing with the primary car. Unfortunately, with my crash yesterday, we can't get that back together. We're racing with the T car. We ran it on Opening Day, and it felt great. So I'm just looking forward to the race. We're going to have a great race car. I'm starting in the back, but we'll be able to get to the front. I've got a Roger Penske calling my race, and we want to bring one home for IZOD."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): "We can't get any speed out of the car. It's been like that all month, unfortunately. Our team has great race cars - I've been saying that - and if we get in the race, we'll be a contender, but we got to get through qualifying. Hopefully the weather will hold off, and we'll get to work on it a little bit and get it back in line. The last run was just loose. It was sliding around in the rear, eating up all the racetrack. I don't know, we'll see. Luckily there's still some time left. How much? We don't know."

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): "I don't think there's a really great answer for why I was faster in qualifying today. I was disappointed with how slow I went at the end. That's Indy. I've always said that this place is its own person. It reads you when you're nervous. It reads you when you're not confident. It reads you when you are. It throws a lot at you, but that's why this is the greatest racetrack in the world." (On what was going through her head before qualifying): "It kind of seemed like everything was just not going the way it needed to go. I just kept going up against things, whether it was not explaining the loss in speed yesterday or going through the tech line and not passing and having to go back through, losing my spot, which was second. It was right where the cutoff was for this morning for the very first round this morning. I would've at least been done and known how fast I was. And then to get in line again after the rain had cleared and have it come with only me left to go, it just kind of seemed like maybe it's just not supposed to happen this year. That's just the roller coaster you ride here. It makes you value the good days even more and it makes you want to try like hell to never have these days ever again." (On how she feels after her run): "I feel like I need a drink. That's really how I feel. I might know after about two of those, maybe even one because I haven't eaten much this weekend. I'm mad. I'm mad because I really thought we had a fast car. I really thought when we started out that we had a fast car that was fast enough to be in the top nine, even. Friday came and that kind of went away a little bit, and then to have it go the way it did, I'm relieved. I'm relieved that I'm in the race. I'm frustrated with some of the process that's happened and some of the things that have happened. I'm excited for everyone that we can go to sleep tonight and know that we're in the race. It's a lot going on, but I'd say I'm between angry and happy. I'm on both ends of the spectrum. I think it's just a lesson that we need to learn why we're fast and why we're not. We need to figure it out and until you have those answers, you can't make it all the same. Maybe it's because Indy is its own little person and you get what you get." (On how her team handled having some cars in the field and some out): "I don't know if anyone's got it figured out. I think it was great for John (Andretti) to get it in. It was a big relief for the team that someone got in, but the reasons why … I don't know if we can put our finger on it. I wouldn't say that anyone feels like they have it figured out. I don't think so. All of us, at times, have felt like we have it figured out and, at times, we feel completely lost. To be honest, you might be able to go up and down pit lane and find a lot of people like that. You have a good day or you have a bad day and, you know what, I had good days all the way up until Saturday, and then I had bad days. I don't think we have a clear answer, but it definitely pushes us to get one. (On how qualifications have played out for all entries): "I don't think we know. I'm sure Roger (Penske) is not sure. When teams make cars, they make one as best they can. I'm sure Roger is scratching his head. Look at Paul Tracy, his teammate Justin Wilson got in but he didn't, so every team has that kind of situation. Unless everyone goes out and is the exact same speed, you're always asking questions. It just seems harder than any other place to put your finger on it here. Some cars go really well by themselves, and some cars just need to see a car and they instantly go faster. It just depends on so many things. That's what makes this place so great and so frustrating all at the same time. It's hard to put your finger on it." (On what she has learned this week): "You learn to never take it for granted. That's definitely one thing. I don't know. Maybe you need to go work on the car constantly to narrow down what you need in the car. Every time I come here, it's a different situation, a different story, a different field out there. But every time I get to participate in the race, I learn more for the next race, and that's all I can do as a driver is take in as many situations on the track as possible and go on to the next one. And that's all I can do, as far as getting the car right and knowing what I need. You would think after seven years I'd be better off, but I'm worse than ever. I mean, not ignoring the fact that the competition has only gotten more difficult. A lot of people have said in their opinions this is the hardest they have ever seen the field. It's as competitive as they've ever seen it. I would have to agree." (About race setup): "I'll be putting some downforce back on. Although my car seems to be going the same speed at all my downforce levels. That was the problem. We didn't get to do a lot of race work, so you might see me playing around on Carb Day. You got to do it. You got to get a run. You got to get it right. And that's one thing I learned when I came here. If you don't get in on the first day, the first weekend, whatever it is, you're just putting yourself back even further because if you have to keep working on qualifying and the race car. Not only are you starting from the back, but you can't work on your race setup and the problems come then. Hopefully with our experience and everything will pay off, and we'll be able to have a good race car, but I'm not sure right now." (About qualifying run): "I had no idea (what my car was going to do). I can tell a little bit when the lights come up when I accelerate and how many lights I can see on the steering wheel and going down the back straight and coming around and then around three and four and got to the front straight, and it felt good. Got around the short chute, had the lights on, out of (Turn) 2 it felt good. Getting lights down the back straight, and I thought, 'OK, it seems like it's OK right now.' Then you come back to start-finish line and it showed 225, and I was happy. Maybe I should've backed off a little. I think that can happen: You can push it too hard on the outset to see what you've got and you penalize yourself in the end, and that wasn't the situation I wanted to put myself in. It was better that it was yesterday, for sure. Unfortunately, we didn't have consistency, but I don't think anyone is thinking about that right now anyway. We'll probably wait until tomorrow. (About Bump Day emotions): "This place can whip you into shape - or out of shape. But I was talking to (Ryan) Hunter-Reay the other day, and he said: 'Bump Day is just where I am. I'm experienced with Bump Day." And that's when I told him: 'You know what? It is the good memories that make me love this place so much, and it's unfortunate for anyone who hasn't had those really good days or really good moments here.' The relief that comes with it, because the highs are what we go for here. So the lows are really low, which means that the highs are really high here. And until you've experienced them, you've never really experienced Indy for all it can be for you. And I've been there. I feel lucky for that. Hopefully, I can continue to finish well, and I think our goal will have to be just stay on the lead lap until the first yellow comes out and go from there." (Before today, have you ever felt like this?): "Sure. I'm a race car driver. It's not always good out there. I remember the first year, probably 2006, we were having a horrible month. It was a struggle. I was doing 211. You know that 211 is pretty slow, and we worked, worked, worked. We had all bad days. Friday got better. And Saturday was fine. I went out there, and I put it in 10th place. I was way happier to be in 10th place in 2006 then fourth in 2005. That is for sure. So I've had those days where you just feel like, 'I'll just take whatever you got.' You just kind of want to be done with your day. Unfortunately, last year I was sitting in a pretty tough situation, too. I don't envy Marco's (Andretti) situation right now. I don't. That's a tough spot to be in. He's going to be strapped in that car until the end of the day, stressing until 6 o'clock. He's got 43 more minutes of this, and I feel really bad for him because that is a bad spot to be in. Last year when I qualified on the first day, our times were slow enough that I was within two people of being bumped if the speeds were over ours, which they were. I was really like 30 seconds coming into the final minute strapped into my car. Oh, geez. It seemed like the weekend would never end. Unfortunately, this one felt kind of similar. I suppose I'm done two hours earlier than I was last year. You just keep the faith the whole time and let it play out." (If you would not have qualified due to the rain and had the opportunity to jump in a teammate's car, would you have taken that to get in?): "I don't know if that would happen. I remember when Alex (Tagliani) took Bruno's (Junqueira) spot two years ago. I did think about that today, but it's not like that. They all have sponsors. They all have people relying on this race. If I don't get to go out today, I will not be in the Indy 500. That's just the way it was going to go. What do you do? I think we've all been rather speechless today. You know, you're rolling around on your rolly chairs in the office room, and you just roll over and you're like, 'What do ya' think?' And nobody has words. Nobody. I didn't have words. I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. I can't believe this was happening. But it is exciting, I guess."

PAUL TRACY (No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "I'm real happy for the WIX team. They did a great job. We knew we could run those kinds of speeds if we got the opportunity to do it. Indianapolis has dealt me a tough deck over my career. You know, we didn't get it on the first day. We missed the set up a little bit and didn't get a chance to run again. We didn't want to pull ourselves out of the lineup, but to go out and have it start raining and continue to keep it going is great. The last lap was pretty sketchy. The waiting is stressful. Over last night and this morning, I got a fever blister on my lip. That's how stressful it is. I don't get them unless I'm really stressed out. That's what Indianapolis will do to you. It'll drive you crazy. It'll give you the best highs and the biggest lows. I mean, with '02, last year, and qualifying a lap and a half in the rain, I definitely have a flair for bringing the dramatics. (While we were waiting in line) I said to my engineer, 'I think it's going to frickin' rain.' And I didn't say frickin'. It definitely relieves the pressure off the team. We've got all four cars in now so we don't know what's going to happen with the weather. I feel for Danica. She's on the outside looking in, and I know that feeling. Hopefully she'll get a chance to go at it because we want all the best drivers."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central): "We got lucky. We got a pretty good draw to go early. Obviously, Danica failed tech, so we got further up the draw. We were very fortunate to get a run in. Now, at the same time, the conditions at which we ran were pretty slow. It was literally as it was starting to rain. The air gets really dense, and therefore it gets pretty slow. Also, when I was looking at data, I was lifting a little bit in (Turn) 1, and I can tell you that the only reason that is because I couldn't see a thing. It was dark, and I had a dark visor on. It all looked like it was a whole bunch of black to me. The Service Central guys did a good job last night. On our second run yesterday - a lot of people thought we aborted it - but we didn't. We had a fuel pickup issue. The car shut itself off. Still, I don't think we're exactly sure what it is. We went through the fuel cell and changed the fuel pump, the collector, all the fuel lines, you know, everything inside. But it was one of those mysterious things. We didn't even touch the fuel cell when we changed engines yesterday, but the next thing we know it didn't want to run. They did a great job getting this car back on track, getting us out there this morning. This morning we ran low 225.3 by ourselves, so I thought that's where I would expect to be in qualifying pace. But it just didn't quite work out."

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "It's a huge relief, and I'm very happy. It's been an up-and-down week, and yesterday was the toughest day that we had all week long. What a day to have it. The boys stayed here so late last night, and we thought it all the way around. I think I'm the only one-off rookie to put it in the show, so that's not a bad achievement."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): (After being bumped from the field): "I can't even process this right now. It's just devastating. We struggled all month, or all week, to find speed, and it just wasn't there. It wasn't enough in the end. Sun Drop and DHL have given us a lot of great support, and we've been strong all year. This is terrible. It was my teammate that bumped me out of the field. I've been on that side of it before. In 2009, I was the last car out on track, and I bumped my way into the field. I know what that's like. This is a hard one to take. I don't know how it's going to be on Race Day. We just missed it. We couldn't find the speed. I don't know what to tell you. This is the worst. I don't think it's really hit just yet. I can't process it."

RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 17 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc.): "Oh, man. I would just say that qualifying in Indianapolis is the most stressful day. Bump Day is definitely the most stressful day. I don't ever want to experience this again. I'm very frustrated. Obviously, the whole team is bummed out. All we can do now is keep our heads up and regroup ourselves and go to the next one. Unfortunately, racing is like that sometimes."

JAMES JAKES (No. 18 Acorn Stairlifts): "Every lap we ran out there, we've been flat out. The car was trimmed down and didn't seem to go anywhere. The conditions (weather) varied, but that happens at every racetrack. My thanks to the guys on the Dale Coyne crew, and Alex (Lloyd, teammate) did a great job at the end. The event is awesome, and this is a great show. Hopefully I can be a part of it next year."

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): "It's a tough break - both me and Ryan, not in the show. I'm pretty gutted. Danica spent some time with me, putting me back together, after I got back to the garage. I'm obviously happy for Danica, Marco and John to be in, but gutted for me and Ryan. I never wanted to experience this feeling. You see it happen every year, and you hope it's not you. It's not nice."

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

INDIANAPOLIS - (Saturday, May 21, 2011) -Alex Tagliani earned the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone in a winner-take-all "Fast Nine" segment -- in which seven different IZOD IndyCar Series teams were represented -- on a wild Pole Day for the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.

Twenty-four starting positions were filled on the first day, and the remaining nine will be determined on Bump Day. That also portends to be another drama-filled day as at least 15 drivers are expected to make qualifying attempts to secure a spot in the May 29 race. Once 33 spots are filled, bumping begins. Each entrant receives three attempts.

Tagliani, the final driver to go out in the Fast Nine, is the first Canadian to earn the pole for the 500 Mile Race. He recorded a four-lap average of 227.472 mph to swipe the award from Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon (227.340). Oriol Servia will join them on the front row.

"I'm probably going to be pinching myself until I go to bed," said Tagliani, whose No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports topped the speed charts in practice throughout the week. "It's been an amazing team effort. We have a great group of people, and the additions with the other cars. I had good input from Townsend (Bell) and Dan (Wheldon) and it's been nice to work as a big group this week.

"I wanted this one so bad."

That's understandable, especially after being bumped from the field in 2009. He did start the race, however, replacing Bruno Junqueira in the Conquest Racing car and went on to earn Rookie of the Year (advancing from 33rd to finish 11th).

"This is a reward for Sam as well," Tagliani said about Schmidt, who is celebrating his 10th year as a team owner at Indianapolis. "He got involved and helped to continue it. He's an amazing team leader and this is a great result for him. I hope there's more to come."

Bell, IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power, who started from the pole in the first four races, and 2005 Indy 500 winner Wheldon will share Row 2. Buddy Rice, the '04 winner, will be on Row 3 with Ed Carpenter and reigning 500 Mile Race champion Dario Franchitti.

Franchitti looked to be on pace to grab the provisional pole with an average of 227.043 mph through three laps in the Fast Nine, but the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car ran out of fuel on the final lap. Dixon said his car also ran out of fuel -- just after completing the 10-mile run. Four Indy 500 winners participated in the Fast Nine.

"We were pretty close on setup with the Target car, but not good enough for the pole today," said Franchitti, a two-time race winner. "We were definitely good enough for third place. We obviously ran out of fuel at the end of the third lap and that was it. It's disappointing for us, but I'm happy for Sam Schmidt, Allen McDonald (Franchitti's former engineer), Alex Tagliani and their whole team."

A brief shower cut short the first round of qualifying by 23 minutes and limited the scheduled 90 minutes of the Fast Nine to one attempt by each entrant. After Rice posted a four-lap average of 225.786 in the No. 44 Panther Racing car, Servia popped in at 227.168 in the No. 2 Telemundo entry to move to second, where he sat until begin supplanted by Dixon and Tagliani.

"I couldn't believe we were in the top nine and then we decided to go all out at it and the Telemundo car was really fast," said Servia, who didn't compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010. "I'm just very proud of the whole crew. The work they put in over the winter, even with the uncertainty, when we didn't know 100 percent what the program was going to be. To be on the front row is just unbelievable."

It is the first time since 2004 that a Penske Racing car didn't qualify on the front row. Castroneves, a three-time race winner, will be on the inside of Row 6 in the No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske car -- his lowest in 11 starts.

Rookie Ho-Pin Tung sustained a minor concussion in the only incident during qualifying when he No. 8 Dragon Schmidt Racing car made hard contact in Turn 2.

DAY 8 NOTEBOOK:

More than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars are appearing today and Sunday at IMS. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. today, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.

Quotes from owners of selected Pace Cars on display:

GREG WILSON (1969 Chevrolet Camaro Supersport Convertible Pace Car): "This particular car was used in the Festival parade. It's wonderful bringing this car out for the 100th anniversary. It's awesome. What better opportunity is there to bring a Pace Car to a Pace Car reunion at the '500?' It's going to be a great race and qualifying. You can't beat Indy. I've had this car for 11 years, and I've put 10,000 miles on it - so not a whole lot. I drove it here today."

DAVE HUBER (Gasport, N.Y., 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car): "This car was a festival car. It was a pole sitter's car, Helio Castroneves' car. He's a three-time winner and winner of 'Dancing With the Stars.' That's what most of the women know him for. General Motors gives the cars to the drivers, and this was one he had for two or three months. He put 4,000 miles on it. We like being here. We both enjoy it. There's quite a collection of cars here."

CHUCK PRITCHETT (McCordsville, Ind., 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car): "This is the sixth Pace Car that I have owned. It is special to me because I owned a 1978 Pace Car, and this is the one that was the Pace Car 30 years later, and it is the only signature (Emerson Fittipaldi) model. I have put 26,000 miles on this car; a lot of the miles are from trips to the University of Kentucky, where I teach at their dental school. This is a special occasion to be here with a Pace Car for the racetrack's Centennial celebration. I have attended every '500' since 1957. My most memorable race was in 1967. I had just graduated from dental school and sat in Grandstand C. That was the year that the turbine (Parnelli Jones) quit, and A.J. Foyt had to wind his way through race cars on the frontstretch that had crashed so he could win his third '500.'"

Fifteen-time Indianapolis 500 starter Roberto Guerrero is working with Conquest Racing's Sebastian Saavedra this month as a driver coach. Guerrero finished runner up twice at the famed 2.5-mile oval, had five top-five finishes and held the qualifying speed record from 1992-96.

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA: "It's an honor to have Roberto here. His experience at Indy really gives us a different view of what we can do and what can we improve. He's a team player and brings such a positive energy. He has so many Indy 500 starts that the 100th anniversary is big for him, as well, getting together with other pole sitters. I'm very happy to have him around this month."

***

The new trackside Public Address stand was dedicated in the memory of legendary IMS Public Address Announcer Tom Carnegie, who died Feb. 11 at 91. Carnegie was the voice of the track from 1946-2006, announcing 61 consecutive Indianapolis 500-Mile Races.

A plaque is affixed to the stand featuring many of Carnegie's famous sayings and the inscription, "In Loving Memory of Tom Carnegie, 1919-2011."

Carnegie's son Bob Kenagy was the honorary starter today on "Tom Carnegie Day," honoring his father, who was born Carl Kenagy before using the name Tom Carnegie when working in radio in the early 1940s.

BOB KENAGY: "It's truly a special day for our family. This has always been a special place for Dad. He loved this place, and I know he's watching. Mom is doing very well, and I know she was watching."

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE QUALIFYING NOTES:

•This is the first Indianapolis 500 pole for Alex Tagliani. His previous best start was fifth in 2010, with the FAZZT Race Team.

•Alex Tagliani is the first Canadian-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 pole. The previous best starting spot for a Canadian driver was third, by Scott Goodyear in 1995. Tagliani is a native of Lachenaie, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal.

•This is the sixth career Indy car pole for Alex Tagliani. His last pole came in 2003 at Montreal, while competing in Champ Car.

•This is the second Indy car pole for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. The team's other pole came in 2001 at Richmond, Va., with Jaques Lazier driving.

•This is the first time since 2005 that three different teams occupy the front row for the Indianapolis 500, with Sam Schmidt Motorsports (Alex Tagliani, pole), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon, second) and Newman/Haas Racing (Oriol Servia, third). In 2005, the front row was comprised of Andretti Green Racing (Tony Kanaan, pole), Marlboro Team Penske (Sam Hornish Jr., second) and Delphi Fernandez Racing (Scott Sharp, third).

•Scott Dixon earned his second career front-row start for the Indianapolis 500. He won from the pole in 2008.

•This is the fourth consecutive year that a Target Chip Ganassi Racing car will start the Indianapolis 500 on the front row.

•Oriol Servia is starting third, his career best in the Indianapolis 500. His previous best was 25th, in 2008 and 2009, his only two prior starts.

•Newman/Haas Racing qualified a car on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 1993, when Mario Andretti started second.

•This is the first Indianapolis 500 since 2004 that a Team Penske car is not starting on the front row. Helio Castroneves started eighth and Sam Hornish Jr. 11th that year.

•Helio Castroneves is starting a career-low 16th in the Indianapolis 500. His previous low was 13th in 2002, when he earned his second victory. This will be Castroneves' 11th Indianapolis 500 start.

•Townsend Bell is starting fourth, his career best in the Indianapolis 500. His previous best was 10th in 2010.

•Buddy Rice qualified seventh, his best Indianapolis 500 starting spot since he won the race from the pole in 2004.

•Ed Carpenter is starting eighth, tying his Indianapolis 500 career best set in 2010.

•Dario Franchitti is starting ninth, his lowest Indianapolis 500 starting position since 2006, when he qualified 17th. Franchitti started third in each of the last three years he has participated in the Indianapolis 500, in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

•Takuma Sato qualified 10th, an Indianapolis 500 career best. His previous best was 31st in 2010, his only previous start.

•JR Hildebrand is the highest-qualifying rookie, in 12th. It's the best starting position by a rookie since 2009, when Raphael Matos also qualified 12th.

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 19, 2011) - IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power topped the speed charts as practice for the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 resumed following a two-day weather-related break. Patrick posted a quick lap of 226.267 mph to place 10th on the speed chart.

With 12 minutes left in the six-hour session, Verizon Team Penske's Power unseated Alex Tagliani atop the speed chart with a lap of 227.778 mph (fastest of the month) to earn the $5,000 Grady Brothers Construction Fastest Lap of the Day award. All 40 entrants took on the track, recording a total of 2,394 laps, and the top 38 cars were separated by one second.

Tagliani, driving the No. 77 Bower & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, had a quick lap of 227.652. Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe (227.217) and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves (226.927) followed, and Townsend Bell in the No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing car was fifth (226.741).

The yellow flag flew early in the session when Simona de Silvestro's No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car made heavy contact with the outside retaining wall in the North Short Chute and became airborne before catching fire. She was transported to Methodist Hospital to be treated for burns to her hands and released. Her driving status will be determined on Friday.

DAY 6 NOTEBOOK:

Three Indianapolis 500 teams earned the final three spots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge during time trials this morning. Teams changed four tires and performed a simulated fueling hookup. The three qualifiers:

1. #82 Tony Kanaan KV Racing Technology-Lotus 7.895 seconds

2. #27 Mike Conway Andretti Autosport 8.634

3. #3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 9.097

#28 Ryan Hunter-Reay was fourth, 9.134.

Twelve teams will compete in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 27. These nine teams previously qualified based on pit performance between the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle earlier this month:

KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#5 Sato), Team Penske (#6 Briscoe), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#9 Dixon), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#10 Franchitti), Team Penske (#12 Power), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (#22 Wilson), Andretti Autosport (#26 M. Andretti), Newman/Haas Racing (#06 Hinchcliffe), Dale Coyne Racing (TBD).

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:

At noon, the ambient temperature was 66 degrees with a relative humidity of 68 percent and winds from the west at 10 mph. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 92 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

Noon - GREEN. #27 Conway first on track.

12:10 p.m. -- #67 Carpenter fastest at 224.134.

12:25 p.m. - YELLOW. Sparks shower from bottom of #78 De Silvestro's car entering Turn 3. Car hits outside retaining wall between Turns 3 and 4. Car jumps, spins and rides wall backward, making secondary contact with catch fence in entrance of Turn 4. Car stops upside down on fire in apron in Turn 4. Fire extinguished, De Silvestro climbs from car with assistance from Holmatro Safety Team.

***

Senators Dick Lugar and Dan Coats are proud to announce the passage of a U.S. Senate Resolution recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. The resolution passed the Senate through unanimous consent May 18.

The full text of the resolution is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-05-18/pdf/CREC-2011-05-18-pt1-PgS3113-5.pdf#page=1.

DICK LUGAR (U.S. Senator, R-Ind.): "The Indy 500 is a proud Hoosier tradition. Each May, the Indy 500 brings hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we are pleased to showcase Indiana to so many wonderful visitors. The Indy 500 serves as a demonstration of Indiana's proud automotive heritage. I am pleased to join with Senator Coats and the rest of the United States Senate in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the race and look forward to many more years of this Hoosier institution."

DAN COATS (U.S. Senator, R-Ind.): "The Indianapolis 500 is the world's most famous and prestigious automobile race. The 500 holds a special place in the history of the automobile and Indiana. This May, Hoosiers celebrate the 100th anniversary of this great tradition and look forward to another exciting race and century of Indianapolis motorsports."

***

Amos Brown, Indianapolis AM 1310 The Light radio talk show host, was the honorary starter today. Brown also rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater car this morning.

AMOS BROWN: (About his ride in the two-seater Indycar): "It was a great experience. First of all, having the honor to be driven around by Johnny Rutherford was a great experience. And it's something that I will remember when my granddaughter is trying to drive. I won't be as nervous with her as I was when I was in the car with JR. I didn't realize all of the g-forces that the drivers deal with. I felt like I was getting pressed down. It gave me a better understanding of what these men and women go through to do their jobs." (On waving the green flag to start practice for the Indianapolis 500): "That was fun. I think once I got used to the cars going by, it felt no different than if I was on the other side of the catch fence. It was a thrill to be that close to the action. That's when I realized that: 'Oh, OK. This is pretty fun.' I also realized that these guys have a job to do, and there are lot of them that are trying to make the race. I never want to be in the way of people doing their job. I'm just in awe of what they are doing. I'm glad that I brought, hopefully, good weather and full day of practice so they can get ready for Saturday."

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro is awake and alert and being transported via ground to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation of second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand.

***

Today is the 38th birthday of two-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti.

***

ESPN Classic will present a week-long tribute in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. The 2011 edition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" airs Sunday, May 29 on ABC, with pre-race at 11 a.m. (ET).

All week long beginning Monday, May 23, ESPN Classic will air classic Indy 500 races and "SportsCentury" programming. On the actual 100th anniversary, May 30, ESPN Classic will present a 27-hour marathon anchored by a re-air of the 2011 race.

***

Jenna Wolfe, the Sunday co-anchor of "Weekend TODAY" and a correspondent for "TODAY" on NBC, visited the track today to film an upcoming segment on the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 for "Weekend Today."

Wolfe rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seat car with Mario Andretti driving and interviewed 2010 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro, IMS Historian Donald Davidson and IMS Director of Photography Ron McQueeney.

***

The Indiana Section of SAE International will announce the winner of the 45th annual Louis Schwitzer Award sponsored by BorgWarner at 11 a.m. Friday, May 20 in the Economaki Press Conference Room.

The Louis Schwitzer Award, presented by engineers to engineers, recognizes individuals with the courage and conviction to explore and develop new concepts in motorsports technology for use in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The award has been presented annually since 1967 by the Indiana Section of SAE International in honor of early racing pioneer and past Indiana Section Chairman Louis Schwitzer.

Award sponsor BorgWarner provides a $10,000 cash prize to the winner. SAE International also provides a $1,000 scholarship to the engineering school of the winner's choice and doubles the scholarship amount if the winner was a past Formula SAE participant. In addition, the winner's name is added to the permanent trophy on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

***

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Bruce P. Crandall has been named honorary starter for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 29, waving the green flag to begin racing for the field of 33 drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Retired Col. Crandall, who flew more than 900 missions as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, received the Congressional Medal of Honor - the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government - in 2007.

Crandall was honored for his leadership, heroism and courage during the Battle of Ia Drang on Nov. 14, 1965. He led the first major division operation of airmobile troops into Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley and is credited with evacuating some 70 wounded comrades with his wing man and fellow Medal of Honor recipient Major Ed Freeman. The two also flew in the ammunition needed for the 1/7th Cavalry to survive. The craft Crandall was flying was unarmed.

During his military career, Crandall also received a Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Presidential Unit Citation and a Purple Heart among numerous other citations.

The 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers" was based on the operation for which Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor, with 1997 Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear appearing as Crandall.

BRUCE P. CRANDALL: "I'm thrilled and honored to be selected as the honorary starter for the Indianapolis 500 in its 100th anniversary year," Crandall said. "The race is an American tradition, and I'm very grateful for the continued tributes to the U.S. Armed Forces during the pre-race ceremonies every year. I can't wait to get into the starter's stand."

JEFF BELSKUS (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation): "It's a great honor to welcome Bruce Crandall to serve as the honorary starter of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The Indianapolis 500 has paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces since its inception on Memorial Day weekend in 1911, and it's a privilege for a true American hero to send the field of 33 on its way toward Victory Lane at such a historic race."

***

U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe will dedicate and issue for the first time the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 United States Postal Service commemorative stamp at a ceremony Friday, May 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the IMS Pagoda Plaza on the Coca-Cola Stage.

The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 stamp, which features the Marmon "Wasp" driven by inaugural Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Harroun, is one of 25 subjects highlighted in the USPS 2011 Commemorative Stamp Program. The stamp will be a "Forever Stamp," always equal in value to the current First Class Mail 1-ounce letter regardless of price changes in the future.

Also participating in the ceremony will be Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and 1985 Indianapolis 500 pole winner Pancho Carter.

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro has been released from Methodist Hospital. She will meet with INDYCAR medical officials Friday to evaluate her driving status.

De Silvestro suffered second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand in a crash earlier today.

She will be available for interviews at 11:15 a.m. Friday on the fourth floor of the Media Center.

***

BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan American Le Mans Series driver Joey Hand visited the track today.

JOEY HAND (About coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "I've never gotten out here and watched Indy cars go around. I thought it would be a good time to come around and see some people. My Rahal guys are all here. I've got a bit of a break from the American Le Mans Series, so I came out here to support them. I once said I wasn't going to come out here unless I was racing, so some people had to talk me into coming here and meeting people." (On his interest in Indy cars): "To come here and finally see an Indy car go by is really cool. I get to see what Indy is all about. I watched it all the time as a kid. I watched Indy. In fact, I watched my boss, Bobby Rahal, race here when I was growing up. To be honest, I've definitely got some interest in the Las Vegas race at the end of the year. I just wanted to get my face out here. A long time ago, Kim Green told me that I'm not going to get a job sitting on my couch. So I wanted to make sure I got out here and met people. I met Randy Bernard, and he's really nice. I'm obviously going to stay in sports cars, but this Las Vegas deal for 5 million bucks is something that's really intriguing. The Rahal guys are interested in it and, who knows, maybe we'll get to Indy next year."

***

HVM Racing owner Keith Wiggins reported this afternoon that the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing entry driven by Simona De Silvestro was damaged beyond repair in a crash this afternoon.

De Silvestro drove the team's backup car on Indianapolis Star Opening Day practice Saturday, reaching a top speed of 219.522 mph in 13 total laps. The backup car was the team's primary car in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, Wiggins said.

KEITH WIGGINS (Owner, HVM Racing): (How confident are you that you can get back in pretty good shape?): "Yes, we can build a good car, but it probably won't be as good as the original car because that was built specifically for here. There are a lot of specialities about building a car for here, and we only had one of those built because that is all our resources will allow. So the question is will this car be as quick as the other one? That's the challenge."

***

Officials from the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) and C&R Racing Inc., announced today that the "Rally In The Alley," a reception exclusively for all INDYCAR team members participating in the Indianapolis 500, will take place Sunday  in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway immediately following the conclusion of on-track Bump Day activities.

During the reception, the C&R Racing / IMIS "True Grit" Award will be bestowed upon a member of the INDYCAR community. The $5,000 award is given to a veteran INDYCAR team member who has achieved success, overcome adversity, excelled in preparation and has exemplified dedication to the highly skilled trade of building and maintaining IZOD IndyCar Series cars.

Paulsen and C&R established the "True Grit" Award in 1998 for crew members in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

The third annual IMIS event is scheduled for Dec. 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center.

CHRIS PAULSEN (Owner, C&R Racing; co-founder, IMIS): "Many years ago, Joe Ball and all the guys at DieHard Batteries used to conduct a big party in Gasoline Alley when the track closed on Bump Day. It was something all the mechanics and crews looked forward to after a long month of working toward the Indianapolis 500. It gave them a chance to relax a little bit after qualifying and before the race preparation began. Unfortunately, we haven't had an event like that at the Speedway in a few years, so we wanted to do something to give back to the crews who work so hard during the month. The Hulman-George family and Randy Bernard really liked the idea of bringing an event like this back, and we really appreciate their support and involvement."

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): "Finally we got to do some laps, and again I think we had a good day. We had a full day of running, and that allowed us to try a number of different things. Most of them were good, but there were some that didn't work. It's all part of the process that you have to go through here, and I have been really impressed with the way this team goes through their processes. If we keep working like this, we're going to have some good speed at qualifying."

JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): "What we were able to do in our last outing (this afternoon) shows just how hard this team works and how good their development process is. The Service Central crew has worked very hard to find some more speed in the car, and the engineers keep coming up with more options for us. So we just take the car out with those changes they suggest and keep going faster. I am very encouraged by what we did today."

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "We did well today. We learned a lot. We had good track position, and we weren't in a lot of traffic. That lap (227.652 mph), I was behind Dario Franchitti, so I had a bit of a tow. But it shows that the car is quick and capable of doing it. I think we still have more to come. We just need to make sure that when it comes time to do it, we have the right balance." (Do you have a chance for the pole?): "The way the car is running right now, for sure it is. I think we would be foolish to think that we couldn't do it. But the truth is that Penske and Ganassi have really good cars, and they know their way around this place. They have 10 times more experience than us. I'm sure by qualifying they're going to do something amazing to their cars, and all of a sudden they're going to be up to the top and we're going to end up fighting with them. But if that happens, that's OK. We should be proud that guys like Roger and Chip are looking at us, going, 'Why are those guys so quick?' That's kind of our mindset right now."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "It was a good, long day. Running lots of laps and in race setup was what is was all about. It was nice to have the sun out after we lost a few days. So far so good, and tomorrow it will be about speed."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We focused on race setup because we weren't sure how much more time we'd get doing that. We're just working through the program right now, but we've got more work to do. I'm OK with where we're at right now. The last run there we found something. Looking forward to tomorrow."

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): "Today confirmed what we were cautious about. We didn't know how fast the car is, and I think today confirmed that the car is very fast. There isn't anybody really playing around today. Everybody at one point or another did a qualifying run, maybe not as aggressive as they are going to go in qualifying, but they did a qualifying run. And I think we stuck up pretty good on that. I feel very confident, very good about the car. Once we qualify on the first day, hopefully we can focus on the race setup on Sunday. Right now it's very doable, so I'm happy about that."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central): "Overall, it was a really good day for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing. The No. 38 Service Central Honda is good with both high- and low-downforce setups. I'm excited to go out and qualify this weekend."

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): "It's very good to be back in the car. And straight out of the box, we made a good improvement on the last two days that we didn't run. The guys were able to fit the engine cover properly. We were able to run 224, which at the time we were P4 on a tow, but then we worked on the car and at the end we could run decent laps by ourselves. I think we're getting better every time, and we're learning about the car. Still have a little bit to improve but getting better, so I'm happy."

DAN WHELDON (No. 98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine): "We had a good day. It was obviously nice to be on track. I think one thing the fans don't see is how hard the guys work on the Bryan Herta Autosport team. They did a phenomenal job in the days off track. They weren't sitting in the garage waiting for it to stop raining. They worked incredibly hard. The car today was good. It seemed certainly reasonable in qualifying trim. We were able to work on the race car, which is obviously important to me. There are still some improvements to be made but, for as limited running as we have had, I am pretty encouraged."

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): "It was a tough day for the No. 34 Conquest Racing car. We were very confident in what we had. We felt very good about where we ended up the last time we went out, but today was just one of those days when we couldn't find anything. We struggled with the rear, and we were not able to settle down. We will just keep working on it and be positive for tomorrow."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): "We got a lot of work done today. We had made a change to the Sprott car back on Monday night that we have been waiting three days to try. It was good that we did it, but unfortunately it wasn't a step forward, and it took quite a lot of downtime to go back on it and we missed a big chunk of the afternoon. But we still got a good number of laps in and really started to trim the car a bit more. We were focusing on running by ourselves and not really trying to compete in the 'tow Olympics' out there, so I don't think 30th on the time charts is very representative of where we are speed-wise, but there is always time in it, and always more speed to find. We're going to keep chipping away at it. Tomorrow we will focus on qualifying runs, and we will see where we are at the end of the day."

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): "I ran a lot of laps in the Telemundo car today; I think I only got out of the car once today. It was fun to be able to go through many of the test items that we planned, and the car feels good; it keeps feeling better. Of all the things we tried, there was only one that didn't really improve the car, so we gained a lot of valuable information today. Tomorrow is going to get fun out there when everyone is super-trimmed. I have to say that some cars are impressively fast. I'm not sure where we stand, but Friday we will have a better idea and Saturday we will have the real one. I am very happy with how the whole team has been sticking to our plan. It's easy to get caught up out there when everybody starts to go fast. We had a good lap with a little bit of a tow, but everybody kind of got tows. I feel good about where we stand right now."

SCOTT SPEED (No. 20 Dragon Racing Fuzzy's Vodka): "It was an eventful day, to say the least. We had a lot of trouble with the car earlier in the day, luckily without doing any damage. However, on our last time out today, we were able to get the car where we wanted it to be. Tomorrow we are going to continue to make changes and continue to make progress."

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen): "It was a really good day for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing. We were able to run a lot of miles in the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen Honda. We made a lot of progress today, and the Novo Nordisk crew did a great job. We just have to focus on getting me, as the rookie, the experience and the miles needed to be ready for qualifications this weekend."

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "On Monday when we were first running, we were struggling a bit with the back of the car. Today we finally got on top of that, and picked up quite a bit of pushing off the corners, so the oversteer and changed to a bit of understeer. We've been battling that for most of the day, and this afternoon, right at the very end, we finally made a little bit of progress toward understanding what that is and why it might be happening. We feel we have a definite direction to go in tomorrow to see if we can fix the handling issues. However, overall, with a one-lap job, we've got to be fairly pleased with my first lap at over 225 mph. Tomorrow will be similar to how it was at the end of today's session, with a lot of cars out on track. We've just got to keep on working away, and fingers crossed we'll get to the root of these problems by the weekend. I never thought I'd be so happy to be 21st in a practice session, but in this instance, I genuinely am."

ED CARPENTER (No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing): "Overall, it was a very productive day for the Dollar General team. We were able to get in a lot of laps, and we ran with some traffic and stuck to our game plan. We worked on a variety of things: some for the race, some for quals. We really learned a lot that's going to help us not only for this weekend, but for the following weekend, as well. The speed charts weren't our focus today, but we ended up P9. It was good to be up there in the mix."

HO-PIN TUNG (No. 8 Schmidt Dragon Racing): "It was very nice to get back into the car again after so many days off the track due to rain. During those days, we discussed how we wanted the program we had set to progress, and today we were able to hit all of those points. I am very happy overall and look forward to continuing to progress tomorrow before we qualify this weekend."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "It was certainly a good and full day for the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra team. We ran a lot of laps and all of them were really about race setup. My teammates, Will and Ryan, did some qualifying runs so we know what we need to do there, but we really just focused on getting our car right for the race. Tomorrow will be all about speed for us. It's going to be fun!

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): "The Venom car is comfortable, so it's good in that aspect, but maybe a bit too comfortable because we just don't have the speed. We'll keep working at it and hopefully make some big gains tomorrow."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "It was a very good day, overall. We worked on the race setup on the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car, and I worked a lot with my teammates on track. We made a ton of changes throughout the day, and we were very productive. We trimmed out the car at the end of the session and focused a bit more on speed. All in all, it was a very productive day."

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): "At least it didn't rain today, so everybody got a lot of track time. Some people seemed to be doing race runs, and at the end there were people getting a lot of tows. Therefore it's hard to get a good read on just how fast everyone really is. We'll gauge it and find more speed, but we feel pretty good about the Window World car. It is what it is when you get to Indianapolis. It's always a fight to find that last little bit of speed."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): "Our progress today was pretty good. The DHL/Sun Drop car right now is very, very well balanced, probably the best car I've ever had at Indy. But we need to find some more speed, and tomorrow is the next opportunity to do that. The car is great; the guys have done an amazing job with it. This is the stressful time of the week for the drivers. We're doing a lot of low-downforce runs right now, and we're only going to be doing more of that as we head toward Pole Day."

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): "I think we found a direction for tomorrow. The Hire Heroes/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper car felt pretty comfortable at the end there, so it's just a case of finding what speed we have tomorrow. I just feel more comfortable now with the whole package that we have, so that's good. Just more track time, really, is what I needed. I feel good from that standpoint; I just need to see what we have now."

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): "I thought it was a productive day. We made slow but steady changes in the GoDaddy car. We are still pleased with the speed at our downforce level, but there's still work to do."

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): "Starting with rookie orientation, it is going quite smoothly for us. Panther Racing and the strength of the team has been a huge part of it. Buddy Rice and I are learning from each other and getting to know one another as we work as a team on a different discipline here with the oval. For me, in particular, we are just trying to chip away at it, and that has been working well for us so far. We have had really positive results with small changes, and this is what we hope to continue to do going forward. I am happy with the car in traffic and pleased with the speed we have on our own now. It is going to come down to a pretty serious shootout for the top 15 spots with all of the competitive cars here this year. It is going to be tough to put in the big numbers, but we are confident with where we are at right now."

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "I don't think the speeds are very representative of where anyone is at. You go out and happen to get a really good tow, and you get a big number. That's what happened at the end. Verizon Team Penske worked on race setup most of the day. I was very comfortable following cars. We haven't changed much from last year. We had good cars last year and need to rub on them a little bit, and that will do the trick." (On dealing with the rain-shortened practice time before Pole Day): "I think tomorrow, early on, we'll be working on race stuff, and then we'll start trimming out for qualifying. We'll be working on the car. I think it's pretty important to focus on the race. You could spend a lot of time screwing around with qualifying things, and then it'll be different conditions the next day. We have to have a good car in the race. That's what we'll be focusing on."

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): "We did a good amount of running. It was good to get out with the Herbalife car after the rain the last two days. We learned a lot and tried several things that were on our list. We've very comfortable." (Is the pole the goal?): "I hope so. Tagliani's car is a rocket ship. Every time I walk past it in the garage, I sort of rub by it with my arm hoping some of that speed dust sort of rubs off on me. I think we're going to be OK." (About work on pit stops): "It's probably the most important thing we did today, quite frankly. We've got a quick car it seems, but you've got to get in and out of the pits. My guys need practice doing 'hot' stops, and I probably need the most practice. These cars aren't that easy to get in and out of the pit box. It felt pretty good. We've got some tweaking to do, but it was great to get practice doing that." (About returning to Indy): "Every year it gets a little bit easier, not much, but just a little bit. It has been 11 months since I was here last, and it is good to be back with good equipment and great people in Sam Schmidt Motorsports. I also have a good sponsor in Herbalife, and consistency is nice. Even though we aren't going out for every race, it sure feels nice to be back in Indy. Alex Tagliani's car is very fast, and we seem to be doing well working together and learning from each other. We have a sister program with Dan Wheldon this year, so it has been neat to work with him, as well. We are just inching our way toward it and trying to keep our minds on what is important with finding a good balance and sticking to our plan." (About the car's balance): "I think we're still pretty much in the balance window. I would say we're toward the aggressive end of our downforce window. Tomorrow we'll be thinking a lot about trimming out and going faster and getting ready for Saturday. I'm excited for the fans. I'm excited to participate. I'm just excited to watch. I think it's going to be a great qualifying weekend. I think it's going to be a lot of fun to duke it out just like Indy should be."

***

A total of 58 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 53 have passed technical inspection.

Forty drivers were on track today, turning 2,394 laps. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 4,873 total laps.

There were three cautions for 54 minutes today.

***

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):

7 a.m. Garages open

Noon-6 p.m. Indianapolis 500 practice

6:15 p.m.
Pole Day Qualifications Draw, Coca-Cola Stage

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

-end-

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 18, 2011) - Rain washed out practice for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

Rain fell steadily on the Speedway throughout the day, and IZOD IndyCar Series officials canceled the day's track activities shortly after 4 p.m. (ET).

The last time two entire days of Indianapolis 500 practice were washed out in one week was May 12-13, 2006.

Since veteran practice opened Saturday, May 14, 17 hours and 58 minutes of the scheduled 30 hours of track time have been lost due to rain.

DAY 5 NOTEBOOK:

Recent Butler University graduate and basketball standout Matt Howard visited the track today. Howard, from Connersville, Ind., helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA men's basketball final each of the last two seasons.

Howard was scheduled to wave the green flag to start practice today, but had to leave the track before the rain-delayed start of the session due to prior commitments.

MATT HOWARD: (On having the opportunity to wave the green flag for practice): "Just to be a small part of this place is something really special. If we're able to go and have cars on the track, I can't wait to wave the green flag and see everybody doing their thing. I'm definitely excited about doing that. It's a very nice honor. Not a whole lot of people are able to do it, and to be selected is quite an honor." (On the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "I came to the race last year with the team, and that was a lot of fun. This place is something that holds a lot of tradition. It's a special place, and I think anyone here will tell you that this track and this event are pretty special. I think it's a big part of Indianapolis. I've tried to watch at least portions of every race for the last five years or so. I understand quite a bit about it, and I've gotten to know Ed Carpenter a bit because he's from Butler and he's someone I'll follow to see how he does. Hopefully, I'll get to see him a little bit today."

***

Some fun with Indianapolis 500 numbers, provided by Sam Schmidt Motorsports:

Not only has car number 77 never won the Indianapolis 500, no car with a number between 70 and 79 has ever been to victory lane in the race. Perhaps more interesting is that cars carrying single-digit numbers and numbers in the teens, 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's 80's and 90's all have been to Victory Lane with only the 70s left out. Alex Tagliani, driver of the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins Dallara/Honda Firestone for SSM, is certainly hoping to change that in 2011.

***

1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal talked about the effect of rain delays this month. Rahal co-owns Rahal Letterman Lanigan LLC, which is fielded a car for Bertrand Baguette.

BOBBY RAHAL: "Well, it's the same for everybody. I think we've had time to get these cars prepared pretty well for this month. We've had some good practice so far, but it's like I said, it's the same for everybody, and we'll just have to find a way to deal with it. There are a lot of little things you can do. You get more time to look the car over, go through all of the data, find ways to make it better and really dig deeper."

***

A special Team Penske/Indianapolis 500 edition of the acclaimed "The Charlie Rose Show" at 11 p.m. (ET) tonight on PBS. The show will feature in-depth interviews with Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, and team owner Roger Penske.

The show also will be rebroadcast in the United States at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) Thursday, May 19 on the Bloomberg Network.

***

Japanese racer Takuma Sato is collaborating with local students in a project to support the With You Japan charity program, which he created to help empower local child-care professionals in Japan to provide responsive and proactive care to thousands of children as they try to move forward with their lives.

A total of 137 students from the Towne Meadow Elementary School in Carmel, Ind., are taking part in an arts project. They will assemble themselves at ground level to recreate the Japanese flag when photographed from above. The local fire department also is involved by providing a fire truck rescue bucket to serve as the elevated platform for the photograph.

The students want to send this personal and original message of togetherness and solidarity to their counterparts in Japan, many of whom have had their lives torn apart by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

Sato visited the school today to thank the school for its participation and to answer questions about the disaster. He visited the affected areas near Sendai last week and has first-hand experience of the extent of the devastation.

TAKUMA SATO: "I really appreciate the local kids getting involved in this project. There is so much work to be done over in Japan, and people there really need to know that they are not alone. The whole world is doing what it can to help them. I love the idea of the flag picture; it will make a really powerful and interesting message to Japanese kids."

TIM PHARES (Principal, Towne Meadow Elementary School): "We are extremely excited to partner with Takuma Sato and his project With You Japan. Each year it is tradition for Towne Meadow fifth-grade students to participate in a service project before heading off to middle school. We want our students to understand the importance of giving to others, and this endeavor brought a unique opportunity to connect with students through art all the way across the world. It is our hope we can make a difference by sending a message of togetherness and support to the boys and girls in Japan. Our students thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity and learned a great deal from this project. Towne Meadow is with you, Japan."

***

2005 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon will team up with the Alzheimer's Association at this year's 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 to raise awareness for the disease. Wheldon will carry the Alzheimer's Association logo on his No. 98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine entry fielded by Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian.

According to the 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and today as many as 5.4 million Americans are living with the disease. Every 69 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease, and by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer's every 33 seconds.

To learn more, visit alz.org.

DAN WHELDON: "I'm honored to announce my partnership with the Alzheimer's Association at the Indianapolis 500. My mother was recently diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 55. You can imagine the impact this news has had on me and my family. This is a cause very dear to my heart, and I hope that by teaming up with the Alzheimer's Association, I can help raise awareness on the toll this devastating disease has on individuals with the disease and their families as well as how important early diagnosis is for this population."

The time trials to qualify teams for the remaining slots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge were rained out today. They will take place Thursday morning.

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "Welcome to Groundhog Day! Actually, today wasn't quite Groundhog day because we did get as far as pit lane, and I actually got as far as being strapped into my car before it started to rain again. One minute to green - I'm sitting there, and suddenly the rain started coming down all around me, so we headed back to the garage area. We only wanted to get out there and do a couple of runs today, to see if we finally had a handle on this small niggle we've got going on, but unfortunately the weather is just not playing ball. It's going to make the next few days pretty insane, not just for us but for everyone. the track is going to be extremely busy, and it's going to be fairly intense. But, to use an American phrase, it is what it is!"

SCOTT SPEED (No. 20 Dragon Racing Fuzzy's Vodka): "As a rookie, having less track time is definitely not the best thing in the world. It definitely makes things a little more difficult. We'll do our best to take it in stride. I think we'll be OK with it. We have a lot of resources here. There's nothing extra you can really do to prepare for the race, but I feel good right now. I think we're making good moves and going about everything intelligently. I can't ask for anything more right now. At this point, it's all about track time. I mean, we're just waiting."

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): (About sitting through rain delays): "I'm used to it now. As long as I've driven a little bit this month, I feel fine at least in terms of knowing what I've got and knowing that we're strong. So, the anxiety is much less, especially having done this for a few years. You learn rain is always going to be an issue." (What advice would you provide to a younger driver during delays?): "I don't know if it'd be so much the younger guys as it would be the guys who in their first couple of runs felt they really needed to work on the car a lot more. If I was in that situation, I'd really be hoping to get out there and keep making adjustments."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "It's kind of like the same story all over again. We came close to getting on track today, but once again, Mother Nature had something else in mind for us. We'll just work a little harder when we do get a chance to run - hopefully tomorrow. Things are looking good on the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske car and we'll be ready to go as soon as we get the opportunity."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "Unfortunately the weather hampered our chances of getting back out on track again today, which tests our patience with not being able get more laps done here in Indy.  It's frustrating, but knowing we have such good data to fall back on here at Team Penske keeps us from getting too anxious just yet. Hopefully tomorrow provides better weather and we can get back to work in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car."

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "It was just a waiting game today. We almost had the chance to run. Two days in a row of not getting on track is kind of a bummer. The Verizon car is in great shape and I have every confidence that the team will give me a fast race car. It is definitely going to be busy when we finally do get on track. On a positive note, I've had plenty of time to meet with the media and our sponsors over the last couple of days. Let's hope we can get on track Thursday for fans and drivers alike."

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Z-Line Designs/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "Another wet day. We tried to get out there and we took the Z-Line Designs car out to pit lane, but every time it looked like we were close to going out, it would start raining again. It's not good conditions. You didn't want to be caught out on track when it started to sprinkle like that. It's disappointing because it's another day gone, but hopefully from here the weather will get better and we will be able to get some good running in. At least this way we are not going to be restricted on miles or tires; we can do all of the running we want once the weather clears up."

PAUL TRACY (No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "It is what it is out there today; we can't control Mother Nature.  I'm just thankful that I'm with the team that I'm with in Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. We've got a solid car and a solid foundation, and we already know where we're at. We know exactly what we want to do. In terms of not being on track, I would be more upset if we were struggling, but I think that we are in a pretty good position to put it in on the first day. I think our cars are strong, and I'm not overly upset about not being able to get out on track. We can't control what the weather does, and like I said, I'm just glad that I'm with the team that I'm with because we have great cars under us."

ANA BEATRIZ (No. 24 Team Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing):  "It's just disappointing, another day without running. We got so close to being able to go out, but as soon as we started the engine it started to rain again, and it takes forever to dry up the track and we are done for the day because of it. It's disappointing, but we just have to breathe and wait for tomorrow, and maybe we can finally run more."

DAVEY HAMILTON (No. 11 HP/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "It's another rain day at Indy. We made some changes to the HP car, and we were anxious to go try them. On the program that we have, we are getting back on pace with everybody else with our tire allotment, so I'm not sure if this helps us or hurts us or what, but it's the same for everybody. Tomorrow, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all look good, so we will shoot for that."

***

A total of 59 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 59 have passed technical inspection.

No drivers were on track today. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,479 total laps.

There was one caution for four hours, four minutes today, due to rain.

THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):

8 a.m. Garages open

Noon-6 p.m. Indianapolis 500 practice

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

-end-

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 16, 2011) - Three hours before the green flag flew to start the six-hour practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Alex Tagliani bounded into the Sam Schmidt Motorsports garage and started preparing for the day's activity.

"He's amped up," team owner Sam Schmidt laughed following the daily engineering meeting.

Stretching out the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car on the 2.5-mile oval for the first time was the best remedy for two weeks of on-track inactivity since the IZOD IndyCar Series race in Brazil for the Quebec native, and he enjoyed the ride. Tagliani topped the speed chart with a best lap (of his 17) of 225.878 mph -- the best of the nine-plus total hours of track time.

Seven different teams were represented in the top 10 as 39 drivers recorded 1,379 laps in a stiff, cool breeze without incident. Rookie Jay Howard was the lone entrant not to make an appearance -- by design based on tire management. The field was separated by a scant 1.2 seconds.

Scott Dixon (225.124) of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Graham Rahal (225.071) of Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, Ryan Briscoe (225.016) of IZOD Team Penske and Oriol Servia (224.903) of Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing filled out the top five.

A year ago, preparations for the Indianapolis 500 didn't kick off as Tagliani would have planned.

As the one-day snapshot of track activity revealed, there will be a number of strong teams rising for Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day (May 21) and the 100th anniversary race May 29. Dixon, Rahal, Briscoe, Dario Franchitti -- the reigning Indy 500 champion of Target Chip Ganassi Racing -- Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport, Vitor Meira of A.J. Foyt Racing, and Team Penske's Helio Castroneves have been in the top 10 both days of practice as teams progress through their test programs.

DAY 3 NOTEBOOK:

Owners of more than 250 vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will have the opportunity to take a ceremonial lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21.

Held in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and a month-long celebration of great race and passenger cars at IMS, more than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will appear May 21-22 at the Racing Capital of the World. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. Pole Day, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.

Headlining this amazing array of automobiles will be a Stoddard-Dayton, the same type that paced the inaugural Indianapolis 500 won in 1911 by Ray Harroun, who drove the legendary Marmon-Wasp to victory. The 1911 Indianapolis 500 was the first major auto race to use a Pace Car, which is now a tradition at races around the world. At the wheel of the Stoddard-Dayton at the 1911 "500" was Carl G. Fisher, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Another featured car at the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Reunion will be the Chevrolet Camaro from the 1969 "500" won by Mario Andretti. The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car is painted to look exactly like its 1969 predecessor.

From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, the Pace Cars will be staged for a "Fans Choice" vote. The cars also will be on display in the infield from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22. As an added attraction, car clubs featuring muscle cars, exotics and more will provide fans plenty of eye candy.

***

Team Penske teammates Will Power and Ryan Briscoe talked about the significance of racing in the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and their prospects to win the PEAK Performance Pole Award this Saturday.

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "Every year it's a special feeling. But somehow I think this year with more cars, more good drivers - and I think there will be a bigger crowd - I think this will be something else." (On what it would mean to win the pole at Indy after capturing pole for the first four races of the season): "Yeah, for me, it would be a really big deal. It's something that I'd love to do. I sort of had a chance last year, a close chance. After the experience of last year, I know what I need to do. Obviously, the conditions are changing every year, but the car's exactly the same. I'm definitely keen to giving it everything I can to get the pole, no question."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "Obviously, I'm grateful to be here and be able to do it with Team Penske. It's an amazing team, and Roger (Penske) is just so passionate about this race. It gives me, as a driver, a whole lot of confidence going into it with the goal of winning. That's the one and only goal coming here, to win the race. The 100th anniversary is very special." (On the importance of going for the pole as a driver at Team Penske): "It certainly felt like in the last three years I've been in a great position to fight for the pole. Sometimes it just comes down to timing or whatever. But Helio, our teammate, he's really good at getting on the pole here. But I feel we have exactly the same equipment. We've just got to make sure we put ourselves in the right position to be able to go for it on Saturday."

***

Maintenance personnel for the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, visited the Speedway on Sunday. They met with Indianapolis 500 drivers and team officials, including Ed Carpenter and Sarah Fisher Racing owner Sarah Fisher.

The Blue Angels participated in the Indianapolis Air Show on May 14-15.

AVCM(AW) VIRGIL CRAVEN (Maintenance master chief, U.S. Navy Blue Angels): (About the maintenance personnel who visited the track): "You can break it down just like the crew that maintains those race cars. You have engine guys, tire guys, suspension guys, etc. Crew chiefs are responsible for launching and recovering the aircraft and performing visual inspections after each flight. Logistics order and receive all parts required to maintain our aircraft. Avionics maintains all power distribution systems, radar, navigation, communication and instrumentation systems. Airframes maintains all hydraulically powered systems and flight control surfaces. Power plants maintains the engines and fuel systems. All shops were in attendance, and we really appreciated the opportunity. Being invited and getting treated so well by the track staff and all the teams we visited was exceptional. The team really enjoyed talking with Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter. The whole trip was outstanding. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget."

***

Purdue University and HVM Racing announced a strategic partnership Saturday at IMS.

The HVM-Purdue relationship brings to the HVM team advanced engineering technologies in aerodynamics, manufacturing and advanced materials, providing opportunities for Purdue students and faculty to participate in motorsports with HVM.

The Purdue name will be displayed on the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing car driven this month by 2010 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona de Silvestro. Purdue engineering students also will work as interns on the team, and HVM will collaborate with Purdue students and faculty to optimize the aerodynamic package for the new 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series cars under development by Dallara.

Another key component of the partnership is to develop educational programs for children, young adults and the public that uses the excitement of IZOD IndyCar Series racing as the starting point for the introduction of engineering and science. Of particular interest is to use electric motorsports as a venue to engage students and adults in a discussion on the technologies needed for economic, green and sustainable electric energy in the 21st century.

Electric motorsports are a key component of the HVM-Purdue partnership. Purdue conducted the Collegiate evGrandPrix on Saturday, May 7 during the Emerging Tech Day at IMS. College teams from across the nation and Europe designed, built and raced electric go-karts in the 100-lap event.

JAMES CARUTHERS (Reilly professor of chemical engineering, Purdue): "Our objectives are, first, use the 'cool' of IndyCar racing to attract students' attention, and then introduce the students to the incredible engineering required in these race cars. Finally, we want to encourage interested students to consider a career in engineering or technology. If these students choose a career in motorsports, great! If they choose a technology career in some other industry, great! And even if the students choose a non-technical career but have a greater appreciation of technology, that is also great!"

KEITH WIGGINS (President, HVM Racing): "This relationship with Purdue enables HVM to work with one of the premier engineering schools in the U.S. to exploit the latest technological innovations in aerodynamics, advance materials and manufacturing, as well as being able to interact with bright, fresh-thinking Purdue students in a variety of ways for the future."

***

Ryan Hunter-Reay hopes to race in his fourth Indianapolis 500 later this month, but he took advantage of the complete rainout of practice Sunday, May 15 to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum for the first time.

"I can't believe I hadn't been there," said Hunter-Reay, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year. "It was amazing. "The place is what Indy car racing is all about, and that's what makes Indy car racing special. To go there as a current Indy car driver made it even more special. To see the cars that were driven by owners of teams I've driven for and the ones driven by my heroes and know they all went to Victory Lane here at Indy made for a very special day."

The one car that that the Andretti Autosport driver wanted to see was Rick Mears' 1984-winning Pennzoil Z-7 Special. Hunter-Reay's first go-kart was modeled after Mears' race car, and seeing the real car for the first time brought back childhood memories for the IZOD IndyCar Series standout.

"The No. 6 Pennzoil car, in smaller form, was my first ride," he said. "That's what I got into a lot of trouble in. It was my neighborhood wheels, and I did my first right front wing damage in that car when I hit a stop sign.

"It was really cool to see the actual car. I've never seen it before, but to see the evolution of the Indy car was really neat to see. To see where the sport actually started and how the cars have developed over the years, and see what made these cars go faster and faster. Indianapolis has always been a proving ground as much as it is a huge race."

Hunter-Reay was far from the only driver in the Museum during his visit. 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones and Dreyer & Reinbold's Justin Wilson were visitors to the exhibit of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars.

And while Hunter-Reay told all the well-wishers in the Museum his plan was to have his Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda car join the winning cars in the Museum next year, he hopes to get another visit to see the cars on display again.

"I'm going to go back again before I leave this month," Hunter-Reay said.

***

Spectators holding an admission ticket to Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21 or Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can redeem them for a free general admission ticket to the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Visit the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships display in Pagoda Plaza from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. both days. Ticket redemption will continue - for those with Pole Day, Bump Day and Race Day tickets - Wednesday, May 25 through Sunday, May 29 at the INDYCAR Fan Village in the IMS Hall of Fame Museum lot.

***

Major Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard, placed an Indiana unit patch decal this afternoon on the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing entry driven by rookie JR Hildebrand.

MAJOR GEN. R. MARTIN UMBARGER: (About the National Guard and the Indianapolis 500): "I'm a born and bred Hoosier. The Indianapolis 500 is just part of our DNA here in Indiana. The National Guard has been a sponsor on the No. 4 Panther Racing car for the past four years. I think everyone knows that we've come in second place the last two years in this great race. We're hoping to improve one rank this year. That's all we're asking for." (On the connection between the military and the Indianapolis 500): "Memorial Day weekend is the weekend when we honor all of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this company. It's special that this race is broadcast all over the world, particularly on the Armed Forces Network. I know Hoosier Guardsmen that are over there will be watching this race regardless of the hour, and they will be very proud to see that we're sponsoring a car in this race. What I think of most is what Memorial Day means to all of us, and we should never forget. This facility is steeped in tradition, and the military is also one that is steeped in tradition. To have this race on Memorial Day, it becomes even more special for any soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine, no matter what decade you served."

JR HILDEBRAND: (About being an American and driving the National Guard car): "It's an honor as an American to be representing the National Guard, but, more than that, it's a really humbling experience. It's not like these types of things where you're representing 'Joe's Bakery' and you have to talk to people about how awesome their muffins are or something. With the National Guard, it's something really meaningful for us. We have a lot of different programs that we get involved with, like the youth challenge and things like that. It's a good deal to get involved on a much deeper level." (On carrying the Indiana unit patch on the car): "I consider myself a resident of Indiana. I from California originally, but I've been living here for the past four years now. And as a team based here in Indianapolis, we're really excited to represent them and everything they do."

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): "We could have weather like this in qualifying or on Race Day, so you have to be able to run in it. The car was moving around out there with the wind, but it wasn't that tough. I like what we are doing with the car and with our plan, and I think we are getting there. I think it was another good day for us. We keep improving the car with every change, so we are headed the right way."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "It felt great to be back on track today. We took out our primary No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car for practice, and it felt very comfortable out there. It's nice to be in the 225 bracket. We'll keep chipping away at it for the rest of the week and get ready for qualifying on Saturday."

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "We did limited running again today in the Verizon Team Penske car. We're just trying to use our miles wisely. We worked on some race setup today, and the car feels good. We still have plenty of time on track this week before we qualify on Saturday, and we plan to make the most of it."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "It was a good day today in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car. We got a chance to run side-by-side with Will (Power), and we were pretty happy with the car. We stuck with our plan to run the primary car. Hopefully tomorrow the weather cooperates, and we'll continue to work hard and get ready for qualifying."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): "Today the focus was on trying to run more laps in traffic and the Sprott team managed to accomplish that. It was sort of tough to find guys out there so we had to do a little collaboration and planning with a few different guys and did find some guys out there.  I definitely got some good running in with Oriol. We staged some laps in front of each other, and behind each other and it was good; that's a big thing for me to learn. You only have to do four laps to qualify but you have to do 200 in the race with a lot of other cars around you. I think we got a lot accomplished and certainly, from just my perspective, I learned a lot and gained some valuable experience. I think we will carry on with this for the next couple of days and then closer to qualifying, look more into the qualifying setup. The car felt great in traffic. It was a lot more fun running out there with other guys than just pounding around by yourself. Again, it's sort of similar to the Lights car. I think the experience in the Lights car was certainly very valuable but there is no doubt that the racing is a lot different once you're going 35 mph faster. It will be an interesting race, there's no doubt. I just look forward to getting more laps under my belt and over the week and running in more packs, and bigger packs."

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): "The day went well for the Telemundo team. It was very cold, colder than we think it will be for Race Day. We had a good run. We went through our test plan, and we ran well. I got my fast lap with a tow, so the time isn't very representative. But I have to say, tow or no tow, downforce or no downforce, it's the first time I am in the top five at the end of the day in Indy, so it feels good. I'm happy with the Telemundo car so far. We're still not where we want to be, but it is really the first test day we have had to try new things. We are happy with where we are, progress-wise."

TOMAS SCHECKTER (No. 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme - Circle K): "Yesterday's session was canceled because of rain, so it felt good to be back in the 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme car working through our program. However, we had a small mechanical issue, which is fixable, but that ended my day very early. I am looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow."

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): "It was good. I think we evolved a little bit from where we were on Saturday when we last ran. I think the ABC Supply car is competitive, but it's hard to tell exactly how competitive we are at this point. The car is good, but we'll be able to tell how good later in the week when we really start dropping the hammer, as will everyone else. In preparation for that, today was a good day."

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): "It was an exciting day. The second lap, the engine cover fell off, but my team did a good job to replace it and get me out for some laps at the end of the day. It felt OK. I think the balance is good. We need to work a little more to get more straight-line speed."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): "We just didn't get a lot of track time today. We were trying some big stuff with the DHL/Sun Drop car, so we'll see. We'll get our heads together on it - the whole team - and we'll figure it out from there. Today is just the tip of the iceberg; there is a lot of week left."

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "It was the not the best conditions that we have seen in Indy, but it was OK. We didn't run on the first day and Sunday was raining, so today was the first opportunity for us to run. Thanks to the boys; they did a fantastic job preparing an amazing car. It is early in the week, but it is quite nice to show that the Bowers & Wilkins car is strong for an Indy run. When we came here last year, we didn't know what to expect. We came in apprehensive because it's a very tough place to get it right and very difficult to win. Obviously, we had some speed, and it worked out quite well last year. We build from it. We had a chance in 2010 to develop a good base and in the winter, the guys worked really hard on the car and cleaned it up a bit and always paid attention to details. That's what this place wants, and it's nice to start the week with a car that's quite strong. Hopefully we can build on it. You can never take anything for granted at this place. We have to stay on our toes all week and roll the car out for qualifying and hope for the best."

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): "We were just trying to get the Hire Heroes car more comfortable through Turn 1. We tried a few things but didn't really sort it out. We just need to look at all the data tonight and figure out how we can move forward. I think our teammates tried a few different things, so hopefully we can figure out some good things for tomorrow."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): "We spent a lot of time today with the Venom car working on the race car, and we're getting to where it feels pretty good. But right now I'm a little worried about our speed. I think that if we had qualified today, we might have ended up on the bubble. So we'll put our heads together tonight, have a think on it and then hit it hard again tomorrow."

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): "It was a very productive day. We did an amazing amount of changes on the development side of the car. We found exactly what we were looking for. We focused mainly on finding the right balance of the car first. Once we got there, we started taking a lot of downforce off, and that really paid off. I'm really happy how it turned out. It's still very early in the week, so we are still very conservative. As the week progresses, we'll start to push it a little bit harder. But today was exactly how we wanted the week of Indianapolis 500 practice to start."

TONY KANAAN (No. 82 GEICO - KV Racing Technology - Lotus): "Today was a normal Monday at the Speedway. We tried different things and worked on the setup to get comfortable with the car. We're making what I like to call the 'cookbook' so by the end of the week, we'll look which dish we want to cook, and hopefully it will be a good one."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 5 KV Racing Technology - Lotus): "It was a windy day, but the weather was clear and consistent, so it didn't have an effect on our program. We made steady progress throughout the day, and I am getting more comfortable each time I go out on track. It was a very productive day."

E.J. VISO (No. 59 PDVSA - KV Racing Technology - Lotus): "Today was our second day on track, and we accomplished everything we had planned for the day. We did a lot of research into the dampers and we found some valuable data. Basically, with what I did and what the other drivers on the team are doing, we are going to come up with a good package. That is the good thing about having a four-car team and the right way of working. It is always difficult to make comparisons at a place like Indianapolis because teams are working on different things and some drivers are getting tows, but I ran today without a tow so the data we collected is realistic."

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): "Windy - that's one thing you can say about today. I think Team Window World stayed on plan and were cautious about how many sets of tires we're using. Maybe we didn't run as much as we wanted, but we learned a lot and made a lot of gains today. It seems like the things we're trying are working really well. Usually 99 out of the 100 things you try don't work, but it's working in our favor right now. I'm looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "Today was just a pretty tough day at the office. I've heard from all the veterans that this place can do that to you sometimes, and we definitely just have one of those days. We seemed to spend it chasing our tail a little bit - both literally and figuratively. We've still got a minor handling issue but we're chasing after it, and until we sort that out we just can't risk going after speed.  We also didn't run with any tows today when we were running fast, so I actually don't think the lap time is that bad for the amount of aero we had on and the fact that we weren't in the tow when we did our best lap. We still have the handling niggle, which we do need to fix, but we're going to make some fairly big changes overnight, and hopefully we can come out stronger in the morning."

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): "I thought we were good on our own today and made a little bit of progress. We just need to stay consistent and find speed. It was a steady day."

BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Panther Racing): (On being back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his win in 2004): "It's good. I see the Indiana weather hasn't changed much. I think on that day (in 2004) with or without the weather, I thought the weather just made it more exciting. It made it a more exciting race. The 2004 race was an exciting day, for sure." (About last start at Indianapolis, in 2008): "We were in contention for a top five. Obviously, it got a little hairy there on the final restart. We dropped back a ways, and I was able to work my way back up to seventh or eighth. Our car was in contention. It wasn't too bad. We put ourselves into a hole on the very first pit stop and had to really dig ourselves out of that hole all day. It took all day to get back up there but, yeah, my last run here was good." (On his day of practice for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and Panther Racing): "For us at Panther, everything is going good. With myself and JR in the National Guard car, I think we're progressing. We're moving along like we should, and I just need to familiarize myself with the team, the car and get rolling. They have solid cars. I mean, their performance the last few years, I think speaks for itself. We know they have a strong, solid oval program, especially here at the Speedway. That's what made my decision really easy when John (Barnes) called right around Long Beach and started putting everything into motion. So I'm excited to be here. I'm happy to be here. It's good to be here and gives me an opportunity for a second win. Also, it's the Centennial. This only comes around once. There are five of us that are previous winners that are running here, and it's an exciting time to be here right now." (On his approach to securing an entry in the Indianapolis 500): "I think everybody has their own way of going about it. I wasn't going to stand around and also, the way the times were and the way things were going, some things had changed. I get paid to drive race cars. That's my job. That's what I do. So for me, it took a little bit. I wanted to make sure I came here and had an opportunity to have a good run. When I showed up, I didn't just want to show up and run. There's a lot of different things that I wanted to make sure were in place before I just jumped back in."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "It was a good day for the Target team.. We shook down the primary car, which seemed pretty fast. We should run more tomorrow, weather permitting."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We had a pretty decent day for the Target team. We switched to the primary car today, and it ran smooth. Hope to run a little more tomorrow."

***

A total of 58 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 34 have passed technical inspection.Thirty-nine drivers were on track today, turning 1,379 laps. Pippa Mann turned 70 laps today, most of any driver. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,466 total laps. There were five cautions for a total of 39 minutes today.

***

TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):

8 a.m. Garages open

Noon-6 p.m. Indianapolis 500 practice

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Pace Cars, muscle cars, exotic cars to provide plenty of eye candy May 21-22

INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 15, 2011 - Owners of more than 250 vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will have the opportunity to take a ceremonial lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21.

Held in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and a month-long celebration of great race and passenger cars at IMS, more than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will appear May 21-22 at the Racing Capital of the World. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. Pole Day, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.

Headlining this amazing array of automobiles will be the historic Stoddard-Dayton model that paced the inaugural Indianapolis 500 won in 1911 by Ray Harroun, who drove the legendary Marmon-Wasp to victory. The 1911 Indianapolis 500 was the first auto race ever to use a Pace Car, which is now a tradition at races around the world. At the wheel of the Stoddard-Dayton at the 1911 "500" was Carl G. Fisher, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Another featured car at the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Reunion will be the Chevrolet Camaro from the 1969 "500" won by Mario Andretti. The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car is painted to look exactly like its 1969 predecessor.

From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, the Pace Cars will be staged for a "Fans Choice" vote. The cars also will be on display in the infield from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22. As an added attraction, car clubs featuring muscle cars, exotics and more will provide fans plenty of eye candy.

Additional highlights of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on May 21 include question-and-answer sessions at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. with a past Indy 500 pole winner on the Coca-Cola Stage, hosted by IMS Historian Donald Davidson.

Musical performances on the Coca-Cola Stage includeSixteen Candles at 1 p.m. and All Time Low at 3:30 p.m.

Featured events on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on May 22 include an amazing collection of military vehicles on display in the Pagoda Plaza for fans to review. The traditional, annual Armed Forces Enlistment Ceremony will begin at 10:15 a.m.

Willy T. Ribbs, the first African-American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, will appear in a question-and-answer session at 10:45 a.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage, followed by an autograph session at 11:30 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza.

Three musical performances will take place on the Coca-Cola Stage: Rapid Fire at 9 a.m., Blank Pages at noon and Living Proof at 3:30 p.m.

Admission is $15, with kids 12 and under are free, each day May 21-22.

The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 starts at noon (ET) May 29. Live coverage on ABC and the IMS Radio Network-XM 94 starts at 11 a.m.

***

2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.

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SPEEDWAY, Ind. (May 12, 2011) – No event in auto racing is bigger than the Indianapolis 500 and this year, the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” carries an even greater significance with the 100th anniversary of the race set to be run on May 29. Team Penske will look to add to the historical elements of this landmark event as the team pursues its record-breaking 16th Indy 500 victory.

No team has experienced more success over the years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and as practice begins this weekend for the centennial Indy 500, Team Penske is anxious to get back to the Victory Podium at Indy for the first time since 2009.

“Our team has built its history around our success at the Indianapolis 500 and this is truly a special opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this great race,” said Roger Penske. “There is so much tradition and history at Indianapolis but that is just part of what makes this event so unique. Our teams have been working hard to prepare for the Indy 500 and we believe we have three cars and three drivers that are very capable of winning this race. I am looking forward to an exciting few weeks.”

Driving the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car for the first time, Helio Castroneves hopes to make a little history of his own at Indy. Castroneves will be looking to tie the all-time record with four Indy 500 victories. Though his IZOD IndyCar Series season has gotten off to a tough start in 2011, Castroneves feels that his track record and familiarity with “The Brickyard” provide him with a great opportunity to get back on track in the month of May.  Castroneves will attempt to join A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Team Penske’s own Rick Mears as the all-time winningest drivers in the history of the 500. The veteran of 25 career Indy car victories will also be chasing his fifth Indy 500 pole position.

“Indianapolis is such special place and it has definitely been significant for me and my career,” said Castroneves, who enters Indy ranked 17th in the series standings after four races. “This year promises to be really big, with the 100th anniversary adding an air of excitement surrounding not only the race, but all of the great events associated with it. Team Penske has some terrific history at Indy with Shell-Pennzoil and I am going to do my best to add to that legacy in the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil-Ultra car. Indianapolis is the perfect place for me to turn my season around and I can’t wait to get that opportunity.”

Ryan Briscoe begins opening weekend at Indianapolis as one of the hottest drivers in the series. Fresh off back-to-back podium finishes at Long Beach and Sao Paulo, Brazil, the driver of the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda has jumped to fifth in the championship standings. He will make his sixth career Indy 500 start on Memorial Day weekend and would like nothing better than to continue his momentum with a strong result in the biggest race of the season.

“I’m obviously very excited to run this historic event – it could very well be the biggest race of my life,” said Briscoe, who owns one top-five and a pair of top-10 finishes in his previous five starts at Indy. “I’m also very focused and determined to run well and put myself in a position towards the end of the race that will allow me to challenge for the win. The No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car has been fast everywhere this year and our team’s hard work has started to pay off over the last couple of events. We are going to do our best to bring home another strong finish for the team.”

After producing two wins and four consecutive poles to start the 2011 season, Verizon Team Penske’s Will Power arrives in Indianapolis as IZOD IndyCar Series points leader. With a career-best finish of fifth at Indianapolis (in 2009), Power knows there would be no better place to secure his first oval victory than at IMS.

“Yeah, this is going to be a pretty big deal, with the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 – the biggest race in the world,” said Power, who will be making his fourth Indy 500 start. “Our No. 12 Verizon car should be better than it was last year and it was pretty good in 2010. Team Penske has been working really hard and we should be in great shape for this race. It is such a long event. We have plenty of time to practice before we qualify so we should be able to sort our car out. The race itself is also really long which means that we just have to be smart and be there at the end. It should be a pretty good few weeks. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Practice for the Indianapolis 500 gets underway on Saturday, May 14 at 12 pm ET. IndyCar Series practice runs from 12-6 pm ET through May 20 with Pole Day qualifying set for Saturday, May 21. Bump Day is Sunday, May 22 and Carburetion Day will be Friday, May 27. The green flag for the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 is set for 12 pm ET on Sunday, May 29 and will be seen live on ABC-TV.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 12, 2011 - 1966 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Sir Jackie Stewart and legendary chief mechanic and race strategist Jim McGee are the 2011 inductees into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame, officials announced May 12.

The induction ceremony will take place Thursday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. An esteemed panel of nearly 150 electors, comprised of Hall of Fame members, leading auto racing participants, motorsports journalists and officials, votes annually for Hall of Fame inductees.

"It's a great honor to welcome Jackie Stewart and Jim McGee into the Hall of Fame," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "Their skills and achievements are a significant part of the history of IMS and, in particular, the Indianapolis 500. They're both very deserving of motor racing's highest honor on this 100th anniversary year for the '500.'"

Stewart, from Scotland, only made two Indianapolis 500 starts, in 1966 and 1967, but came within a few laps of finishing first and second.

He dropped out while leading with just nine laps remaining in 1966 and was running just behind Parnelli Jones and eventual winner A.J. Foyt when his engine failed at 168 laps in 1967.

Three-time Formula One World Champion Stewart stayed connected to "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" by serving as a commentator during ABC's television coverage for 13 years between 1971-84.

Stewart has been a tireless advocate for racing safety during and after his driving career. He was knighted for his numerous accomplishments by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.

McGee has contributed to more than 90 major open-wheel victories in the U.S. during his illustrious career, including four Indianapolis 500s.

He entered the sport in 1960 as a protégé of legendary chief mechanic Clint Brawner on the Dean Van Lines team in 1960. Brawner later promoted McGee to co-chief, where he became an integral part of many of Mario Andretti's race victories in the late 1960s, including Andretti's 1969 Indianapolis 500 triumph.

McGee also worked as a chief mechanic for Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing and Team Penske. He also worked as a race strategist for Patrick Racing and Newman/Haas Racing.

During his career as a mechanic and strategist, he worked with some of the sport's most outstanding drivers, including Andretti, Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Nigel Mansell, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi and Danny Sullivan

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INDIANAPOLIS (May 12, 2011) – Conquest Racing’s Pippa Mann is one of six rookies who completed all four phases of the mandatory Rookie Orientation Program today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Mann will be one of 42 drivers – and the fourth female – vying for a spot on the grid of the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500. The Chase Rookie of the Year candidate was last year’s Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 polesitter and the first and only female to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Pippa Mann, No. 36 Conquest Racing

“Our plan for Rookie Orientation today was simply to go out there and just work through the first three phases of the program. As it turned out, things went so well today that we went through all four phases. I actually found the balance of the car fairly similar to the Indy Lights car, so the past two years have been great training.

“It's the first time I’ve been back in a racing car since my debut IndyCar test with Conquest Racing back in March, so I'm very happy with how things went out there today. The team did a great job to put the car together.  I know just how hard they have worked, so I cannot thank them enough, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there at the weekend."

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing Team Owner

"Pippa has done a sensational job today. It only took her 35 laps to go through the four phases of the program and I have to say this has been the smoothest rookie test we have ever done. She is ready, she gave us good feedback, and we can't wait to get back on the track on Saturday for the opening of the  practice week."

Mann and teammate Sebastian Saavedra will be back on track for  practice from noon to 6 p.m. (ET) Saturday for Opening Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gates open at 9 a.m.

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INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 12, 2011) - While many Midwesterners were completing lunch, Pippa Mann dutifully completed the paperwork for engineers and exited the stuffy conference room with a broad smile. An hour earlier, she systematically completed all four phases of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program and exited the confines of the No. 36 Conquest Racing car with a broad smile.

"I really enjoyed it. It surprised me how difficult it was to stay within the limits that were set, especially toward the end when we put on our second set of tires," said Mann, who seeks to make her IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29. "I went out there and got into a rhythm really quickly because the new tires have so much grip, but was told to back it down a little. We completed all 35 laps of ROP in 35 laps so the boss (team owner Eric Bachelart) is happy.

"It was a good first day, and now we can spend some time on the car and spend some time on my fit to get at it Saturday."

That's Opening Day at the Speedway, when the seven ROP participants will be joined on the 2.5-mile ribbon of asphalt by any/all entrants for a practice session from noon-6 p.m. (ET). The day includes other fan events, including autograph sessions with Parnelli Jones and Danny Sullivan.

All the ROP participants -- JR Hildebrand (National Guard Panther Racing), James Hinchcliffe (Newman/Haas Racing), Charlie Kimball (Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing), Ho-Pin Tung (Schmidt Dragon Racing), James Jakes (Dale Coyne Racing), Scott Speed (Dragon Racing) and Mann - completed at least three phases of the exercise. Jakes, driving a race car on an oval anywhere, will complete the fourth phase (10 consistent laps above 215 mph) any time before qualifications May 21. Hildebrand posted the quickest lap at 221.533 (on Lap 59 of his 68 for the day), while Hinchcliffe recorded the most laps (101).

ROP DRIVER QUOTES:

HO-PIN TUNG (No. 8 Dragon-Schmidt Racing): "It was a very exciting day. Everyone knows that the Indianapolis (Motor) Speedway is one of the greatest tracks in the world and to be here as a driver and to be actually driving a car here is a very special experience. I really have to thank Sam Schmidt and Jay Penske for giving me the opportunity to be here today. It's a great honor." (About passing ROP): "When I started today, I went through a lot of things with my driver coach, Jeff Andretti, and (INDYCAR's) Al Unser Jr. They were a great help to get me through the first few laps. From there, it went really smooth. We had to finish the program pretty rapidly because we only had one car available for our team, so my teammate Scott Speed had to finish ROP in my car. Basically when I was done, I got out of my car and handed off to Scott."

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): "We were just trying to work our way through (ROP). We got through the phases pretty easily in the morning and I was having a good time. Buddy Rice, my teammate this year, and I went out on track late yesterday and I got a ride around this morning from Arie (Luyendyk). I felt pretty comfortable right away. Once we got going, I settled in. Obviously tire wear, because the track is pretty green, is something we had to pay attention to, so we had to be pretty efficient with the use of our tires. We ended up having a pretty good day."

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "We went through all four phases on a couple of sets of tires, which was the plan. I really enjoyed it. It surprised me how difficult it was to stay within the limits that were set, especially toward the end when we put on our second set of tires. I went out there and got into a rhythm really quickly because the new tires have so much grip, but was told to back it down a little. We completed all 35 laps of ROP in 35 laps so the boss (team owner Eric Bachelart) is happy. It was a good first day, and now we can spend some time on the car and spend some time on my fit to get at it Saturday."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): "The first couple of laps in the Sprott Indy car were certainly a wake up call because I haven't been on an oval in a long time; since Homestead last October. The speed was a bit of a refresher the first couple of laps but as I got up to speed, again, like I said on the road and street courses, the car is a pretty logical progression from the Indy Lights car so I was very happy to see that. Obviously we were running a very conservative setup today just to make sure we got through Day 1 and rookie orientation. The car felt very good and the team worked well today. I am getting acclimated with the spotters a little bit which will be important come race time. Overall, I think it was a very good first day on all fronts."

ROP NOTEBOOK:

Ribbs forms Firestone Indy Lights team, fields car for Austin: Twenty years after Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American to compete in the Indianapolis 500, he has formed a Firestone Indy Lights team in order to help another African-American driver achieve his dream. 

In partnership with Starting Grid, Inc. principal Chris Miles, Ribbs has formed Willy T. Ribbs Racing to campaign 21-year-old Chase Austin in the 2011 Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"As we celebrate the centennial of the Indianapolis 500, as well as the 20th anniversary of Willy breaking the color barrier at the Speedway, I felt it was imperative that Starting Grid build a program that would honor the past while establishing the foundation for a strong future in motorsports," Miles said.

Austin will take the wheel of the Willy T. Ribbs Racing/ Starting Grid Inc./Brooks Associates Racing entry in May 27 race, the premier event on the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights schedule. With sponsorship support from American Honda Motor Company, Inc., the car carries No. 75 in homage to Ribbs' car number when driving for comedian Bill Cosby in 1993 and 1994.

With his debut, Austin will be following in the footsteps of the only two African-American drivers to have competed at the Indianapolis oval; his team owner Ribbs (1991, 1993-1994) and George Mack (2002). Lewis Hamilton was the last person of African heritage to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and is the only driver of African descent to have won there, having claimed the 2007 United States Grand Prix.

By qualifying for the Freedom 100, Austin will be the first African-American to start a Firestone Indy Lights race. A previous attempt to make the FIL field was made in 2003 by Lloyd Mack (younger brother of George), when he qualified but failed to race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Austin underwent a successful rookie test on May 9-10 at Chicagoland Speedway in preparation for the team's first Firestone Indy Lights competition, and feels confident about taking the green flag for 40 laps on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"The test in Chicago went incredibly well," Austin said. "It probably went better than expected, being that these cars are so much different from stock cars. However, I adapted very quickly and was able to accomplish the team's goals for the test. As for competing at Indianapolis and for Willy T. Ribbs Racing, it is a tremendous honor. I have to thank Chris, Willy and American Honda for believing in me and providing this incredible opportunity. This experience has been amazing so far, and I hope it will not end any time soon."

Austin, much like his team owner, is no stranger to setting new benchmarks as he works his way up the racing ladder. Born in Eudora, Kansas, he spent his formative years competing in anything from tiny 900-pound midgets to intimidating, 700-horsepower dirt late-models. By 15 years of age, Austin was the youngest driver ever to sign a developmental contract in NASCAR, doing so with the Hendrick Motorsports team. He made history again in 2007 with Rusty Wallace Racing, becoming the first black driver to compete in a Nationwide Series oval event; highlighted by a sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway. Austin has spent the past two seasons competing in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

Ribbs' 23 years of professional auto racing included milestones as the first African-American to compete in open-wheel racing with 47 Indy car starts, and also included three NASCAR Cup races and 23 truck races, in addition to a test for a Formula 1 Grand Prix team.

"My first rodeo at Indy was 1991," said Ribbs. "It was without a doubt the greatest experience of my 23-year career. Without question, there is no bigger race on the planet; it is the biggest, most prestigious race in the world. To return in a team capacity, even for one event, is an honor and the direction I want to go long term. I've known about Chase for a long time. I could tell from the first time I spoke with him that he was very talented and that he was committed. To be successful in this business, ultimately, you must have commitment. Having Chase a part of INDYCAR is great for the sport and our sponsors, and I'm honored to bring him into the fold. I'm really happy he's doing it in INDYCAR, which is where he will have an opportunity to succeed."

***

INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard got a unique perspective on half the challenge that Bryan Clauson will face on May 27 during the Hoosier Hundred Media Day on May 12 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Clauson, who will compete in both the Firestone Indy Lights Firestone Freedom 100 and the USAC Silver Crown's Hoosier 100 on the same day, took Bernard around the dirt oval in a two-seat USAC Silver Crown car.

"We were hauling down the straightaway, and when we came around the corner, that's when it got scary," Bernard said with a laugh. "The power in this thing is unbelievable. I was shaking. I wouldn't do this with anybody else, that's how much trust I have in Bryan."

The ride with Clauson gave Bernard a new appreciation for the short-track racing. A similar experience attending a race helped spur Bernard into creating the scholarship which is enabling Clauson to race in the seven oval races on the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights schedule.

"Our sport has been so instilled with USAC since the very beginning," Bernard said. "It has to be our job to make sure we're doing everything we can to work together. If we say we want the best Americans in the world, we have to prove it. And one of the best ways is to partner with USAC and ask its highest points finisher to compete in INDYCAR."

Added Clauson: "As long as he enjoyed it, I think I will keep him on my good side as best as I can."

***

Indianapolis 500 winners lend expertise to ROP: The speedometer inched above 90 mph heading into Turn 3 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Al Unser Jr. behind the wheel. Sure it was exceptionally slower than the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion is used to driving on the 2.5-mile oval, but on this early morning he was on a mission to relay pointers to even Rookie Orientation Program participants.

BTW: He was driving with his left hand, using his right to point out details on the track, as the speedometer topped 100 mph on the frontstretch.

"You have lots of time out there today so have respect for the racetrack, focus and patience," said Unser, who was joined by two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk in an identical Chevrolet Impala on the racing surface. "The car will let you know what it's doing. All your moves should be nice and smooth, and the more you'll run the more you'll start noticing things."

Such as: The proper attack on the acceleration lane out of the pits on cold tires. Check mirrors when joining traffic coming off the acceleration lane. Stay in the middle of the track on the backstretch coming off the acceleration lane. Check the position of the right-front tire for position upon entry to the turns. Look up on pit lane as cars pop out on you. You don't have the road course downforce.

"Everything is anticipation," Unser added. "If you react, it likely will be too late. Your head is ahead of the car."

Luyendyk, a 17-time Indy 500 starter who went through a rookie program in 1985, noted that the 41 driver/car combinations entered have more practice time in the upcoming week than the other 16 IZOD IndyCar Series events combined.

"It gives you time on the track without the fast cars around you and you feel a little bit intimidated by everyone being there at the same time," said Luyendyk, who was coaching Charlie Kimball of Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing. "Today they go out there a little more relaxed. The (program) is necessary because it gets you mentally more ready to run in traffic at high speeds."

Kimball, driving the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen car, dispatched with the four speed phases before noon and was using the post-lunch break to get used to the car anew as the crew shed some downforce.

"As you build up speeds over 215 mph, what you do with input becomes even more critical," said Kimball, who also received pit lane input from two-time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti. "What you're doing with your hands and where you're looking and what you're thinking, and a lot of times everything just quiets down because that is what the car is set up to do.

"To do my first laps in an IndyCar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a perfect day, away from the fanfare that is Opening Day and to get my head around it is a great way to go about it."

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

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INDIANAPOLIS May 11, 2011--It’s been said that when race drivers visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time, they feel the spirit of those who have raced before at the historic race track which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 this year.

This year, Bruno Junqueira will be driving for A.J. Foyt, a man who has experienced firsthand more than half of the Brickyard’s history as a driver and a team owner as he participates in his 54th consecutive Indy 500.  When Junqueira sits in the No. 41 ABC Supply Indy car this weekend for the first time, he too may sense the echoes of years past.  His car’s paint scheme hearkens back to Foyt’s 1967 and 1977 Indy 500 winning cars with the distinctive Coyote Red color and the car numbers set on a white circle.  On the ’77 car’s nose, the number 14 was centered in the upper half of the small letter ‘g’ -- the logo of Foyt’s longtime sponsor Jim Gilmore.

Foyt’s signature color, dubbed Coyote Red, is actually warm poppy red--first used by Foyt in 1967 when he won the Indy 500.  That was the same year that he used the number 14 for the first time after finishing 13th in the standings and experiencing his first winless season in 1966.  Foyt went on to win the 1967 championship—his first as a team owner and fifth as a driver.  His cars remained Coyote Red for 20 years.

Junqueira, who has been competing in the American LeMans Series this year, will be getting his first practice laps in the No. 41 this weekend.  For the talented Brazilian, it will mark an entire year since he last drove an Indy car but if the two last years are any indication, it won’t take long for him to find his groove.

In 2010, Junqueira’s first laps in an Indy car came on Bump Day.  After just seven laps, he qualified the car at a four lap average speed of 225.6mph to earn the fastest qualifier of the day award!  This year Junqueira is expected to get in quite a bit of practice before qualifying begins on Pole Day, May 21.

In 2009, his second week program turned into a one day program when his first time on track was on Bump Day.  He successfully qualified the car for Conquest Racing and then graciously stepped out for the race when the team’s full-time driver Alex Tagliani was bumped in the final minute of qualifying.

Junqueira’s teammate Vitor Meira is driving the No. 14 ABC Supply car which, although still red, white and blue, pays homage through design to Foyt’s Indy 500 winning car from 1961 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his first of four victories at Indy.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, May 9, 2011 - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the place to be this month for anyone crazy about cars of all shapes, sizes and eras.

IMS will play host to an unprecedented series of unique, one-of-a-kind events providing fans an extraordinary opportunity to learn about and cherish great automobiles as the Indianapolis 500 celebrates its 100th anniversary. Nearly 1,000 vehicles will be featured throughout this month at these events.

All of these events are included in the price of admission for their respective display days except for the special exhibit of Indianapolis 500-winning cars in the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.

•67 Indy-winning cars: This salute to great cars began when the largest collection of Indianapolis 500-winning cars ever assembled exhibit opened to the public in March at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.

This incredible exhibit, which will be on display through June 1, provides fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see 67 winning cars, representing 71 Indianapolis 500 victories. Among many other noteworthy winning cars on display, each winning car driven by the three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, are showcased in the exhibit. The display includes the 31 winning cars owned by the IMS Hall of Fame Museum and 36 privately owned cars that have been loaned for this unique display.

Museum admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youths 6-15, with under 6 free.

•Celebration of Automobiles: More than 250 classic cars will be on display Saturday, May 14 during the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Celebration of Automobiles. Many of these machines have won awards in Concours d'Elegance competition at such revered venues as Pebble Beach and Amelia Island.

The cars are divided into two divisions, one a general collection and the other presenting for the first time anywhere classic cars produced by the 24 manufacturers that competed in the first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 1911. A preview of the cars to be displayed can be found in the official IMS blog at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

A team of judges headed by 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones will reveal its choices for the best of show in several categories at the elegant Condon-Skelly Celebration of Automobiles dinner May 14, where several exquisite trophies will be presented to winning car owners.

The Marmon and Stutz Clubs also will have their collections of classic automobiles on display May 14 at IMS, numbering more than 100 additional cars. A collection of vintage racers also will be showcased, including 1950s roadsters, early rear-engine cars from the 1960s and race cars through the 1970s to the present day.

•Pace Car Reunion: The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Reunion will take place on Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day, Saturday, May 21 and Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22. The event will return more than 250 Pace Cars dating back to 1911 to IMS in the greatest collection of Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars in history.

From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, the Pace Cars will be staged for a "Fans Choice" vote to take place. The cars will also be on display in the infield from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 22.

As an added attraction, car clubs featuring muscle cars, exotics and more will provide fans plenty of eye candy.

•Vintage sprints, midgets: During A.J. Foyt Day on Saturday, May 28, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will feature a display of vintage sprint and midget cars of the past driven by the greatest names of Indy lore: Foyt, Andretti, Unser, Rutherford and more.

•Winning drivers, winning cars: Eleven Indianapolis 500 winners will drive iconic winning cars of the "500" during pre-race ceremonies Sunday, May 29 for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones will provide one of the highlights of the day when he drives the No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" that won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 with Ray Harroun. It will be only the third time the car has been driven on the famed IMS oval on Race Day since Harroun crossed the finish line in 1911.

A comprehensive list of participants, with the years of their victories and the cars they will drive on Race Morning: Parnelli Jones (1963): The No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" that won in 1911 with Ray Harroun; Kenny Brack (1999): The No. 9 Target G Force/Oldsmobile that won in 2000 with Juan Pablo Montoya; Gil de Ferran (2003): The No. 66 Sunoco McLaren that won in 1972 with Mark Donohue; Tom Sneva (1983): The Belond Salih/Offy that won in 1957 with Sam Hanks and 1958 with Jimmy Bryan; Mario Andretti (1969): The Boyle Maserati that won in 1939 and 1940 with Wilbur Shaw; Arie Luyendyk (1990, 1997): The No. 30 Domino's Pizza Lola/Chevrolet Indy in which Luyendyk won in 1990. Luyendyk averaged 185.981 mph, which stands as the race record; Bobby Rahal (1986): The No. 14 Miller that won in 1928 with Louis Meyer; Johnny Rutherford (1974, 1976, 1980): The No. 4 Pennzoil Chaparral/Cosworth in which Rutherford won in 1980; Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987): The No. 82 Lotus-Ford that won in 1965 with Jim Clark; Al Unser Jr. (1992, 1994): The Blue Crown Spark Plug Diedt/Offy that won in 1947 and 1948 with Mauri Rose; Bobby Unser (1968, 1975, 1981): The No. 8 National that won in 1912 with Joe Dawson.

•1911 Indy 500 cars: A collection of five cars from the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and the famous "Blitzen Benz" will be driven on the famous IMS oval during pre-race ceremonies Sunday, May 29.

•Current race cars: The stars of the Indianapolis 500 will be on track at 225-plus mph for 11 days this month, including practice, qualifying and the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

Practice is scheduled Saturday, May 14 through Friday, May 20, with qualifying May 21-22. Miller Lite Carb Day final practice is Friday, May 27, with Race Day Sunday, May 29.

The future stars of the sport will be on display in the Firestone Freedom 100 for Firestone Indy Lights. Practice and qualifying are scheduled for Thursday, May 26, with the race Friday, May 27.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 6, 2011 - A.J. Foyt, the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, will drive the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car at the 100th Anniversary race Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Foyt's first Indianapolis victory, in 1961. Foyt also won as a driver in 1964, 1967 and 1977 and as a team owner in 1999 with Kenny Brack driving.

Houston native Foyt also will mark his 54th consecutive Indianapolis 500 as a driver or team owner this year, an unprecedented span. He made a record 35 consecutive starts as a driver from 1958-92 and led a record 13 races. He also completed 12,272.5 career miles in the race, another record.

"Since I won my first Indy 500 50 years ago, I had hoped to still be racing in it, but driving the Pace Car is the next best thing!" Foyt said. "Seriously, racing has always been very important in my life - it's been my life - and the Indianapolis 500 is the most important race in the world. I lived for that race. When I got hurt in race cars, I always made it back for Indy because it is that important. That's where people know me from - Indy. So being asked by my good friend Mari George to drive the Chevy Pace Car for the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 - well, I couldn't have a bigger honor come from the Speedway and the Hulman-George family."

The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," starts at noon (ET) Sunday, May 29. Live coverage will begin at 11 a.m. on ABC and the IMS Radio Network/XM 94-Sirius 212.

"We're very happy to welcome A.J. Foyt as the driver of this beautiful Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car at the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "A.J. is one of the greatest and most beloved drivers in the 100-year history of the race, a true icon. I'm one of the millions of Foyt fans worldwide who can't wait to see A.J. back where he belongs, out in front of the '500' and leading the field to the start."

Equipped with a 400-horsepower V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car requires no performance modifications to perform its duty in front of the 33-car racing field. The color combination is similar to the design used on 1969 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas - cars which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.

Joining Foyt ahead of the Indianapolis 500 field on one of the parade laps will be Addison Brown of Scottsdale, Ariz., who will drive a special-edition Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replica that she won at the Barrett-Jackson auction Jan. 22.

Chevrolet donated Brown's winning bid of $225,000 to the David Foster Foundation (http://www.davidfosterfoundation.org), a charity devoted to supporting families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. David Foster, the 16-time Grammy-winning music producer and songwriter, founded the organization in his native Canada.

Foyt also will be honored Saturday, May 28 on A.J. Foyt Day at IMS. He will participate in a question-and-answer and autograph session with fans. Video highlights of Foyt's incredible career also will air on the video boards located around IMS throughout the day.

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American Teams with JR Hildebrand in No. 44 Entry for Greatest Spectacle in Racing

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (April 28, 2010) – Panther Racing announced today it has signed 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice to drive the team’s No. 44 entry in the 100th Anniversary of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Rice will be making a return to the IZOD IndyCar Series after a two-year hiatus and will team with league rookie JR Hildebrand, driver of the team’s No. 4 National Guard entry, to solidify Panther’s Indianapolis effort. The team has finished runner-up in three consecutive Indy 500s, in 2008 with Vitor Meira and in 2009-2010 withformer Indianapolis champion Dan Wheldon.

“I’m pumped to be at Panther, and the intention is that we’ll be able to run more than Indy, but this is the first step, and I’m here to help JR and help the team,” Rice said. “The whole key for me coming back is that I wanted to be in competitive equipment and have a chance to win. I didn’t want to come back to Indy just to pound out laps, and given how competitive the series has become that’s how it has to be. I’ve had offers in the past that didn’t work out for different reasons, and I wasn’t coming back and driving unless I had the chance to run up front – that’s always been my goal. Panther is a team that can win the race so when I had the opportunity, I couldn’t say no.”

Rice becomes the third former Indy 500 winner to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Panther, joining Buddy Lazier and Dan Wheldon. Rice last competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2008 with Dreyer & Reinbold, and won the Indianapolis 500 in 2004 while driving for Rahal-Letterman Racing. He has made a total of 97 IndyCar Series starts, with three victories, five pole positions and finished a career-high third in the championship in 2004.

“Buddy and I have talked for years about him joining the team and never had an opportunity that aligned itself, so when this came about to run a second car at the Speedway, he was high on our list and he was excited about being a part of Panther,” Panther Managing Partner and CEO John Barnes said. “He’s going to make a huge impact on JR and his development, and from the time we decided Hildebrand was the future of our team we wanted to bring along a mentor and somebody that could help our entire team, and when the opportunity came along with Buddy, it was a no-brainer for us. We hope this isn’t a one-and-done thing; we want Buddy for more races this season, and we feel this opportunity is a win-win for all of us.”

Hildebrand had reached out to Rice on more than one occasion earlier in the season about helping the team in some capacity, and the 23-year-old Californian was instrumental in ensuring Rice was his teammate for his first experience in the Indianapolis 500.

“I’m super excited to have Buddy on board,” Hildebrand said. “He’s a guy that from the beginning of this year I’ve been pursuing to come help myself and Panther. Having him as a teammate at Indy is the best case scenario; he’s a guy that for his accomplishments and his attitude is a guy I’ve always admired and thought that he took things very seriously and has been known to be a good teammate. All those things for me personally make it even more exciting to have him on board with Panther. It will really hit when we actually show up to Indianapolis. I definitely never would have thought when I was young that I’d have an  opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500. To be in a position with a team that’s capable of winning at Indy and with a teammate that’s done it before, it’s just a crazy circumstance when you really think about it and I’m really looking forward to the month of May.”

Hildebrand is the current leader in the IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year standings and will become the first rookie to start in the Indy 500 for Panther since Tomas Enge in 2005. Rice, who owns a Tony Kart go-kart race team, is more than happy to do anything he can to assist Hildebrand’s development. Former Panther driver Vitor Meira, who worked with Rice at Rahal-Letterman, often referred to Rice as one of the best teammates he ever had.

“I own my own go-kart team and I like helping out young drivers and seeing them develop,” Rice said. “For me to deal with JR, we have some mutual friends and my reputation as a teammate has been good, so I’m excited about it and I like the challenge. I’m looking forward to helping him out and helping him grow. I’ve been in JR’s shoes before and I feel like I have a lot to offer especially because he’s a kid who wants to learn and I feel like I have some insight and it will be great to help him out and be a part of Panther.”

Sponsorship details for Rice’s No. 44 car will be announced at a later date.

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Fans can enjoy special activities, including Q&A, autograph sessions on 'A.J. Foyt Day'

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, April 21, 2011 - The legendary first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, A.J. Foyt, will be honored Saturday, May 28 during "A.J. Foyt Day" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Foyt's first Indianapolis victory, in 1961. Foyt also won as a driver in 1964, 1967 and 1977 and as a team owner in 1999 with Kenny Brack driving.

Houston native Foyt has participated in the Indianapolis 500 as a driver or owner for an unprecedented 54 consecutive years. He made a record 35 consecutive starts as a driver from 1958-92.

Foyt will participate in a question-and-answer session from 11:30-11:45 a.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage in the Pagoda Plaza, followed by an exclusive autograph session from 11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m. in the Plaza. One-hundred wristbands will be distributed for the autograph session at 9 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza, with one per person.

Video highlights of Foyt's incredible career will air on the video boards located around IMS throughout the day.

The activities honoring Foyt are the highlight of a full day of fan-friendly fun at IMS the day before the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, with all of these events included in free gate admission:

•The "World's Largest Autograph Session." Every living driver from the Indianapolis 500 has been invited to IMS to participate in this session, which consists of two signing groups, one from 9-10 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza and another from noon-4 p.m. in the IMS infield.

The morning group will feature all 33 drivers in the starting field of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 plus most of the 27 living winners of the "500," while the afternoon group will feature veteran drivers, including "roadster" standouts from the 1950s and 1960s.

•A full-scale memorabilia show from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the IMS infield already so popular that vendor space sold out within 48 hours.

•A public question-and-answer session with Chase Rookie of the Year candidates on the Coca-Cola Stage in the Pagoda Plaza from 10-10:15 a.m.

•The annual drivers' meeting from 10:40-11 a.m. on pit road adjacent to the Tower Terrace grandstand, which includes awards presentations and last-minute instructions to the starting field.

•An all-day display of 19 vintage sprint and midget race cars in the IMS infield, with several driven by the greatest legends of the Brickyard: Foyt, Andretti, Rutherford and the Unsers. 

•The Red Bull Battle at the Brickyard will showcase top bicycle motocross riders from around the world competing on a concrete playground from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Flag Lot. The Flatland BMX competition is similar to break-dancing on a bicycle.

•A display of cars from the Mazda Road To Indy that is grooming the future stars of the Indianapolis 500. Cars from The Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Firestone Indy Lights will be on display starting at 11 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza.

•Book signings featuring authors of new books about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its history.

•A "Virtual Indy 500" that will feature fans across the world racing in a full-length Indianapolis 500 on the PC simulation iRacing.com at noon. Selected fans also will compete at 3:30 p.m. against Indianapolis 500 drivers in an iRacing.com sprint race appearing on the large video boards at IMS, with prizes including Race Day packages to the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and more.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum will be open with its incredible new exhibition of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars. Museum admission is just $5 for adults and $3 for ages 6-15, with children under 6 free.

The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for noon (ET) Sunday, May 29. It will be broadcast live on ABC and the IMS Radio Network/XM 145-Sirius 212.

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Jones, Brack, de Ferran, Sneva join legendary drive; Mann to drive Conquest entry

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - Parnelli Jones, Kenny Brack, Gil de Ferran and Tom Sneva round out the impressive lineup of 11 Indianapolis 500 winners who will drive iconic winning cars of the "500" during pre-race ceremonies Sunday, May 29 for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Jones will provide one of the highlights of the day when he drives the No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" that won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 with Ray Harroun. It will be only the third time the car has been driven on the famed IMS oval on Race Day since Harroun crossed the finish line in 1911.

"When I was a rookie in 1961, I remember Ray Harroun driving around the track on Race Day," Jones said. "Looking at the car then, it represented so much history at the track. Now that the track is 100 years old, the Wasp has even more special meaning for me.

"I was in Indy a month ago and I went to the Hall of Fame Museum to get a good look at the Wasp - I wanted to really look at it. It will be very, very special to drive it on Race Day. I want to thank the Speedway for that. Maybe I need to start to get into shape and work out! I really look forward to driving the car and seeing the 2011 Indy 500 - the 100th anniversary for the race and the 50th anniversary of me driving in my first '500.'"

A comprehensive list of participants, with the years of their victories and the cars they will drive on Race Morning:

•Parnelli Jones (1963): The No. 32 Marmon "Wasp" that won in 1911 with Ray Harroun.

•Kenny Brack (1999): The No. 9 Target G Force/Oldsmobile that won in 2000 with Juan Pablo Montoya.

•Gil de Ferran (2003): The No. 66 Sunoco McLaren that won in 1972 with Mark Donohue. It was the first of a record 15 victories for legendary team owner Roger Penske.

•Tom Sneva (1983): The Belond Salih/Offy that won in 1957 with Sam Hanks and 1958 with Jimmy Bryan.

•Mario Andretti (1969): The Boyle Maserati that won in 1939 and 1940 with Wilbur Shaw.

•Arie Luyendyk (1990, 1997): The No. 30 Domino's Pizza Lola/Chevrolet Indy in which Luyendyk won in 1990. Luyendyk averaged 185.981 mph, which stands as the race record.

•Bobby Rahal (1986): The No. 14 Miller that won in 1928 with Louis Meyer.

•Johnny Rutherford (1974, 1976, 1980): The No. 4 Pennzoil Chaparral/Cosworth in which Rutherford won in 1980. The car is affectionately nicknamed "The Yellow Submarine."

•Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987): The No. 82 Lotus-Ford that won in 1965 with Jim Clark. This is the first rear-engine car to win the "500."

•Al Unser Jr. (1992, 1994): The Blue Crown Spark Plug Diedt/Offy that won in 1947 and 1948 with Mauri Rose.

•Bobby Unser (1968, 1975, 1981): The No. 8 National that won in 1912 with Joe Dawson. The car features a second seat for a riding mechanic, which will be filled by Unser's wife, Lisa, on Race Day.

Brack said it will be tough to resist the temptation to stay in Montoya's car past the ceremonial laps.

"I just want to know if they will let me stay out there after the slow laps," Brack said. "I'd really like to win the Indy 500 again, and if I got an hour or so head start, I just might be able to do it!

"Seriously, I can't wait to drive the car and see the other historic cars from the Museum that will be on the track on Race Day. Race Morning is always so electric, but I am sure this display will be very cool for everyone, the drivers and the fans."

All of the cars also are on display throughout April and May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum in the largest collection of Indianapolis 500-winning cars ever assembled. The exhibit features 67 winning cars, representing 71 Indianapolis 500 victories.

The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 starts at noon (ET) May 29. Live coverage on ABC and the IMS Radio Network starts at 11 a.m.

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Mann to drive Conquest entry: Pippa Mann, who sat on the pole for the Firestone Freedom 100 last May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will attempt to be among the 33 starters for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

Mann will drive the No. 36 car for Conquest Racing, joining full-time entrant Sebastian Saavedra. Mann is the fourth female confirmed as one of the 42 entries for next month's Indianapolis 500, but she will be the first British female to be on the entry list for the 500 Mile Race. She is the sixth driver vying for Chase Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors.

"Having the chance to compete in the Indy 500 is something that we have been working extremely hard to bring to fruition over the winter," Mann said. "I tested with Conquest Racing earlier this year, and given how well that test went, we have since been working tirelessly to put this deal together.

"The past few months have been a rollercoaster ride for me, and I'm just thrilled that we're now able to tie things up. There are a lot of entries for the race this year, so it's a somewhat interesting time to be a rookie. But my qualifying record on superspeedways is good, and I'm definitely up for the challenge."

Mann recorded one victory, in 2010 at Kentucky, and seven top-10 finishes in 27 Firestone Indy Lights starts over two seasons.

"Pippa is a natural on ovals, and we could judge how good she is when we tested her about six weeks ago in Texas," Conquest Racing owner Eric Bachelart said. "She has been part of the team since then, and we are all looking forward to working with her at the Speedway this year."

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Famous No. 98 returns to Indy with BHA, Wheldon: Car No. 98 has been in Victory Circle twice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - both times with an association with the Agajanian family. Dan Wheldon, the 2005 Indianapolis 500 champion, hopes to make it three.

The No. 98 entry of Bryan Herta Autosport for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 was unveiled last week at the IZOD IndyCar Series Fan Village that's part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Globally-recognized fashion brand William Rast and record labels Curb and Big Machine will be the primary sponsors.

"A couple of weeks ago we confirmed that Dan Wheldon - a good friend, former teammate and Indy 500 winner - would be driving our car at Indianapolis this year," said Herta, who formed BHA with race engineer Steve Newey in 2009. "We made that announcement in Dan's hometown of St. Petersburg, Fla., and here at my home race and William Rast's back yard we wanted to unveil our partnership lineup.

"We are obviously thrilled to have William Rast back with us at Indianapolis for the second year in a row, and we are excited about our new involvement with Curb/Big Machine - record labels for some of country music's biggest stars. We are equally excited about our new collaboration with Mike Curb, Cary Agajanian and Scott Borchetta, and to be associated with such highly respected names in and outside of racing."

The No. 98 car won the Indy 500 in 1952, when 22-year-old Troy Ruttman became the youngest winner of the race in the Agajanian Kuzma/Offy, and 1963 when Parnelli Jones triumphed in the Agajanian Willard Battery Watson/Offy (aka the "Ol' Calhoun" Watson roadster).

A replica of the No. 98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine car will be on display from May 27-Oct. 23 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library in Simi Valley, Calif., as part of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration. Reagan was the track announcer at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines in the 1930s.

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Foyt Racing offering VIP weekend to Indy through Continental auction: A.J. Foyt Racing is offering a VIP weekend to the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 to the highest bidder in the Continental Airlines Frequent Flyer Program's Onepass Online Auction.

It's the seventh straight year for the popular auction.

The winner and a guest will receive two Race Day tickets and two Bronze Badge garage credentials for the race weekend May 28-29.

On Saturday, May 28, the winners will meet four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt and Foyt Racing driver Vitor Meira, and see the No. 14 car as it is being prepared in the team's garage in Gasoline Alley at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After the private meet-and-greet with the Foyt team Saturday, the winner and guest will attend the Drivers' Meeting on the front straightaway near the famed Yard of Bricks finish line. They also will tour the garage area as teams make their final preparations for the race.

Bidders can participate by visiting www.continental.com and clicking on the Frequent Flyer tab, then to the Online Auction section. The Indy 500 package is listed in the Sports section.

The auction will close at 9:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, May 13.

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Conquest Racing has announced that Pippa Mann will drive for the team in this year’s Indianapolis 500.

The British driver joins Sebastian Saavedra to complete Conquest Racing’s line-up for the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, where Mann will make her debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series driving the #36 car.

The team will be looking to secure two of the 33 available grid slots, in a year where 42 entries have so far been confirmed for the race.

Mann, who was last year’s Freedom 100 polesitter and the first and only female to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, spoke about the announcement:

“Having the chance to compete in the Indy 500 is something that we have been working extremely hard to bring to fruition over the winter. I tested with Conquest Racing earlier this year and given how well that test went, we have since been working tirelessly to put this deal together. The past few months have been a rollercoaster ride for me, and I’m just thrilled that we’re now able to tie things up.

“There are a lot of entries for the race this year, so it’s a somewhat interesting time to be a rookie, but my qualifying record on super speedways is good and I’m definitely up for the challenge. For obvious reasons, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of my favourite ovals, so I can’t wait to
get out there in the #36 car and see what we can achieve.”

Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart added: “I am delighted to confirm Pippa alongside Sebastian for the Centennial edition of the Indy 500. Pippa is a natural on ovals and we could judge how good she is when we tested her about six weeks ago in Texas. She has been part of the team since then and we are all looking forward to working with her at the Speedway this year.”

Mann enters the IZOD IndyCar Series off the back of a strong Firestone Indy Lights campaign with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2010, where the British driver scored three pole positions, four top five finishes and a dominant win, seeing her finish fifth in the driver's championship.

Mann will be the fourth female confirmed as one of the 42 entries for next month’s Indy 500, but she will be the first ever British female to be on the entry list for the 500-mile race.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, April 14, 2011 - Four past winners and four IZOD IndyCar Series champions are among the drivers named to the 42 entries filed for the 2011 Indianapolis 500, scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Eighty-three cars comprise the 42 entries, the most entries since 2002. It's the third consecutive year with at least 40 entries on the list. It's also the eighth consecutive year in which the number of entries has climbed or held steady.

Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010) leads the list of past winners, which also includes Helio Castroneves (2001-02, 2009), Scott Dixon (2008) and Dan Wheldon (2005). Franchitti will attempt to become just the 10th driver to earn at least three Indianapolis 500 victories, while Castroneves is trying to become just the fourth four-time winner in the illustrious history of the race, joining A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears.

Series champions include Dixon (2003, 2008), Franchitti (2007, 2009, 2010), Tony Kanaan (2004) and Wheldon (2005).

Thirty-five drivers have been named to the 42 entries filed this year for the 33 starting spots in "The Most Important Race in History." This guarantees plenty of dramatic action on both qualifying days, Pole Day on Saturday, May 21 and Bump Day on Sunday, May 22.

The 2010 Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at noon (ET) Sunday, May 29 and will be broadcast live by ABC, the IMS Radio Network and XM 145/Sirius 212. Opening Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, which also will feature the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Celebration of Automobiles.

There is outstanding depth and quality in this year's field. Besides four past race winners and four series champions, 18 of the 35 drivers named to entries have won at least one race in either IZOD IndyCar Series or Champ Car World Series/CART competition.

Five drivers comprise a strong rookie crop: IZOD IndyCar Series rookie regulars JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, James Jakes and Charlie Kimball, and Jay Howard.

Plenty of young talent that recently advanced through the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system also will be on display, as the field includes three of the last five Firestone Indy Lights champions - Howard (2006), Raphael Matos (2008) and Hildebrand (2009). Other recent Firestone Indy Lights graduates on the entry list include Marco Andretti, Ana Beatriz, Ed Carpenter, Kimball, Graham Rahal and Sebastian Saavedra.

Three women were among the drivers named to entries: 2005 Chase Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick, 2010 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro and Beatriz.

Andretti Autosport is involved in five entries, more than any other team. The team, which won the 2005 and 2007 Indianapolis 500, filed four entries and is co-entrant along with NASCAR legend Richard Petty on another entry.

DRIVERS (35)

Former race winners (4): Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), Dan Wheldon (2005), Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010), Scott Dixon (2008).

Former pole winners (4): Bruno Junqueira (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003, 2007, 2009, 2010), Tony Kanaan (2005), Scott Dixon (2008).

Rookies (5): JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, Jay Howard, James Jakes, Charlie Kimball.

Youngest: Sebastian Saavedra, 20.

Oldest: Davey Hamilton, 48.

Most previous starts: John Andretti, 11.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, April 5, 2011 - Global business icon Donald J. Trump will drive the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car to lead the field of 33 drivers to the start of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," starts at noon (ET) Sunday, May 29 and will be televised on ABC for the 47th consecutive year.

"It's a great honor to be selected as the Pace Car driver for such an American institution as the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500," Trump said. "The Indianapolis 500 has been the gold standard of motorsports for a century, and I can't wait to get behind the wheel of the Camaro and bring the famous field of 33 drivers to the green flag."

Trump is the very definition of the American success story. He has set new standards of excellence while expanding his interests nationally and internationally, with personal involvement in every one of his ventures.

A native of New York, Trump is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Trump Organization, the pre-eminent developer of quality real estate around the world. Trump is also a world-class golf course developer, best-selling author, successful television producer and star of the hit reality television series, "The Apprentice."

The Trump signature is synonymous with the most prestigious addresses around the world, including significant holdings in New York. Among them is the world-renowned Fifth Avenue skyscraper, Trump Tower. Luxury residential buildings include Trump World Tower at the United Nations Plaza, Trump Park Avenue at 59th Street and Park Avenue, Trump Place on the Hudson River and Trump Palace.

In 1997, Trump International Hotel & Tower opened its doors to the world, a 52-story super luxury hotel and residential building in New York designed by the famed architect Philip Johnson. The property is one of only three in the country to have received a double Mobil Five-Star rating for both the hotel and its restaurant, Jean-Georges.

The 92-story Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago opened in 2008 and was touted by Condé Nast Traveler as the "best new hotel in North America." The Trump Hotel Collection has projects going up around the world.

Trump also has developed award-winning golf courses in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles (Trump National Golf Clubs), Palm Beach, Fla. (Trump International Golf Club), Canouan Island in the Grenadines, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with one in development in Aberdeen, Scotland (Trump International Golf Links Scotland).

An avid golfer, Trump's latest acquisitions are Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, N.J., and Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., which fronts the Potomac River for 3 miles, and Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia. His popular golf show, "Donald Trump's Fabulous World of Golf," can be seen on the Golf Channel.

As an accomplished author, Trump has written numerous best sellers, including the business classic "The Art of the Deal," "The Art of the Comeback," "The America We Deserve," "How To Get Rich," "Think Like a Billionaire," "Trump 101," "Why We Want You To Be Rich," "Think Big," "Never Give Up" and "Think Like a Champion."

Trump and the NBC Television Network are partners in the ownership and broadcast rights for the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. Miss Universe is broadcast in more than 180 countries.

In January 2004, Trump joined forces with Mark Burnett Productions and NBC to produce and star in "The Apprentice." The show quickly climbed to No. 1 on television and is in its 11th season, hitting a season high in ratings. Trump's production company, Trump Productions, is based in Los Angeles. Trump also had a successful radio program on Clear Channel for several years and is one of the highest-paid speakers in the world. Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.

"We're thrilled to welcome Donald Trump as the driver of the Pace Car for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "He is an iconic American success story, a business leader without peer who is a fitting choice to bring the field for 'The Most Important Race in History' to the green flag."

Equipped with a 400-horsepower V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car requires no performance modifications to perform its duty in front of the 33-car racing field. The color combination is similar to the design used on 1969 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas - cars which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.

"It's a special honor for the new Camaro Convertible to pace Indianapolis 500, especially this year, which is the 100th anniversary of the founding of both Chevrolet and 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,'" said Rick Scheidt, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet marketing.

Joining Trump ahead of the Indianapolis 500 field on one of the parade laps will be Addison Brown of Scottsdale, Ariz., who will drive a special-edition Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replica that she won at the Barrett-Jackson auction Jan. 22.

Chevrolet donated Brown's winning bid of $225,000 to the David Foster Foundation (http://www.davidfosterfoundation.org), a charity devoted to supporting families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. David Foster, the 16-time Grammy-winning music producer and songwriter, founded the organization in his native Canada.

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Many from 'roadster' era to participate in 'World's Largest Autograph Session'

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, April 1, 2011 - Legendary winners Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford lead a growing number of drivers from the "roadster era" of front-engine cars at the Indianapolis 500 who are returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 28 for the "World's Largest Autograph Session."

The "World's Largest Autograph Session" is comprised of two signing groups May 28, one from 9-10 a.m. and another from noon-4 p.m. Every living driver from the Indianapolis 500 has been invited to IMS to participate in this special autograph session to celebrate the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

The morning group will feature all 33 drivers in the starting field of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 plus most of the 27 living winners of the "500," including Unser and Rutherford.

Many other veteran drivers will be the stars in the afternoon group, including "roadster" standouts Don Edmunds, Paul Goldsmith, Bob Harkey, Chuck Hulse, Art Malone and Chuck Weyant.

IMS also expects commitments from more drivers from the 1950s through the current decade for both groups as the Month of May approaches.

The "World's Largest Autograph Session" is among the highlights of new fan attractions scheduled at IMS the day before the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. Other exciting features of Saturday, May 28 at IMS include:

•A public question-and-answer session with Chase Rookie of the Year candidates on the Coca-Cola Stage in the Pagoda Plaza from 10-10:15 a.m.

•The annual drivers' meeting from 10:40-11 a.m., which includes awards presentations and last-minute instructions to the starting field.

•A full-scale memorabilia show already so popular that vendor space sold out within 48 hours.

•A display of vintage sprint and midget race cars, with several driven by the greatest legends of the Brickyard.

•Book signings featuring authors of new books about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its history.

•The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum will be open with its incredible new exhibition of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars.

•A "Virtual Indy 500" will feature fans across the world racing in a full-length Indianapolis 500 on the PC simulation iRacing.com. Selected fans also will compete against Indianapolis 500 drivers in an iRacing.com sprint race at IMS, with prizes including Race Day packages to the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and more.

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Fans to enjoy unprecedented access to legends of the Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - Indianapolis 500 fans will be treated to a reunion with many of their favorite drivers Saturday, May 28, as many of the 269 living veterans of the race plan to return for the spectacular, fan-friendly event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The "World's Largest Autograph Session" is one of the highlights of new fan attractions scheduled at IMS the day before the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. Every living driver from the Indianapolis 500 has been invited to IMS for Race Weekend, with many indicating they will return, including some who raced in the roadster era of the 1950s.

"One consistent message has come through loud and clear during our conversations with fans - they love the rich history of the Indianapolis 500," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. president and chief executive officer. "We have the greatest fans in the world, and we want to provide them with the history and memories they cherish. They are going to love it."

Fans will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reconnect with their heroes for autographs, photos and maybe even a little conversation during the new autograph session with veteran drivers from noon-4 p.m.

Other exciting features of the day include:

•A full-scale memorabilia show already so popular that vendor space sold out within 48 hours.

•A display of vintage sprint and midget race cars, with several driven by the greatest legends of the Brickyard: Foyt, Andretti, Rutherford and the Unsers.

•Book signings featuring authors of new books about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its history.

•The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum will be open with its incredible new exhibition of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars.

All of this entertainment will be presented along with the traditional offerings at the Speedway on the day before the Indy 500, such as the Field of 33 drivers' autograph session from 9-10 a.m. and the annual drivers' meeting with awards presentations and last-minute instructions. The Field of 33 drivers' autograph session will be enhanced by the inclusion of most of the 27 living winners of the Indianapolis 500.

Drivers from across the decades, some coming from great distances, have confirmed their attendance at this event and the entire race weekend. Three examples are Teo Fabi, Kenny Brack and Don Edmunds.

Fabi is traveling from his native Italy. Former Formula One and CART star Fabi won the pole for the 1983 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie. He also scored four victories the same year, finishing second in the championship.

1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Brack is returning to the Speedway from his home in London. Brack, a native of Sweden, won nine Indy-style races during his career and the 1998 IZOD IndyCar Series championships. He is also an accomplished musician best known in racing circles for his rock song "Legend of the Speedway" about four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, who owned the car Brack drove to victory at Indianapolis.

Edmunds drove a Kurtis-Kraft Offenhauser roadster to 19th place in the 1957 Indianapolis 500, winning the Rookie of the Year award in his only "500" start. Edmunds continued his career in sprint cars and midgets, earning Hall of Fame honors for his success.

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