Facts and figures of the 91st Indianapolis 500 to be held Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Distance -- 500 miles; 200 laps around the asphalt-on-brick Indianapolis Motor Speedway track, a 2-mile rectangular oval.
Sanctioning body -- Indy Racing League; also open to Champ Car, USAC, NASCAR, SCCA, Formula One and other drivers through international FIA listing.
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| (From bottom) Pole-sitter Helio Castroneves with fellow front-row starters Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti. (IndyCar media) |
Pace car -- Chevrolet Corvette, driven by actor and Vision Racing co-owner Patrick Dempsey.
Start -- 1 p.m. EDT from a flying start, following warmup, parade and pace laps.
Finish -- Standings are unofficial until posted by the IRL.
Number of starters -- 33 cars, three abreast in each of 11 rows.
Pole position -- Helio Castroneves, who averaged 225.817 mph in four-lap qualifications. Will start first, the inside of the front row.
Slowest qualifier -- Marty Roth, who averaged 218.922 mph. Will start 30th, the outside of the 10th row.
Fastest rookie -- Phil Giebler, 219.637 mph. Will start 33rd, the outside of the 11th row.
2006 winner -- Sam Hornish Jr., who averaged 157.085 mph for his first win at Indianapolis.
Former winners in race (6) -- Al Unser Jr. (1992, 1994), Buddy Lazier (1996), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005), Sam Hornish Jr. (2006).
Rookies in race (2) -- Phil Giebler, Milka Duno.
Youngest in race -- Marco Andretti, 20 (Born March 13, 1987).
Oldest in race -- Marty Roth, 48 (Born Dec. 15, 1958).
Most previous races -- Al Unser Jr. (18).
Foreign born (13) -- Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira and Roberto Moreno, Brazil; Dan Wheldon and Darren Manning, England; Dario Franchitti, Scotland; Scott Dixon, New Zealand; Ryan Briscoe, Australia; Tomas Scheckter, South Africa; Kosuke Matsuura, Japan; Milka Duno, Venezuela; Marty Roth, Canada.
Field average in qualifications -- 222.505 mph (Record 228.648 mph, 2002)
Qualification record -- 236.986 mph, Arie Luyendyk, 1996.
Race record -- 185.981 mph, Arie Luyendyk, 1990.
Closest finishes -- 0.043 seconds, Al Unser Jr. over Scott Goodyear, 1992; 0.0635 seconds, Sam Hornish Jr. over Marco Andretti, 2006.
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| Sam Hornish Jr., the 2006 Indy 500 winner, stands eye to eye with the Borg-Warner trophy. (Getty Images) |
Crowd -- Estimated at about 400,000. Speedway never discloses attendance but admits to more than 250,000 reserved seats in permanent stands and room for 100,000 or more in the infield.
Television -- Televised live and in high definition by the American Broadcasting Co., with host Brent Musburger, lead announcer Marty Reid, analysts Rusty Wallace and Scott Goodyear, and pit reporters Jack Arute, Jamie Little, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch.
Radio -- More than 400 affiliate IMS Radio Network stations throughout the United States and Canada, plus the LeSea Broadcasting network, which provides worldwide shortwave radio coverage, and the American Forces Radio Network, which broadcasts to U.S. military installations and ships around the world. Mike King, anchor; Dave Wilson, color commentator; Donald Davidson, historian; Chris Economaki, commentator; Jerry Baker, Turn 1 reporter; Bob Jenkins, Turn 2 reporter; Mark Jaynes, Turn 3 reporter; Chris Denari, Turn 4 reporter; and Dave Argabright, Kevin Lee, Nicole Manske and Kevin Olson, pit reporters.
Mortality -- There have been 67 deaths at the Speedway, including pre-500 races of 1909-10. Last death was on Oct. 22, 2003, when driver Tony Renna crashed during private tire tests.
The trophy -- Sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy, 5-feet, 4} inches, 150-pounds, with bas-relief bust of each winner. Valued at $1 million, on permanent display at Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Each winner receives an 18-inch sterling silver replica.
