INDYCAR SERIES Indianapolis 500
Final
for this game
Indianapolis 500 Preview
May 24, 2008 - 10:29 AMMay 25, 2008
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race 5 of 17 in the 2007 IndyCar Series season
TV: ABC, 12 p.m. EDT
Laps: 200
Track length: 2 1/2 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Arie Luyendyk, 236.986 mph, 1996
Race record: Arie Luyendyk, 185.981 mph, 1990
DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------
Marco Andretti
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 95 (7th)
Started ninth and finished second in 90th Indianapolis 500 in
2006 and earned Chase Rookie of the Year honors; was involved in
an accident in last year's race and finished 24th; last season,
finished 11th in IndyCar Series standings; recorded career-best
six top-five finishes, with best finish of second at Iowa and
Michigan; currently sits seventh in the standings; opened the
season by running second at Homestead; was 25th at St.
Petersburg and 18th at Japan before bouncing back with a fifth
at Kansas; starts seventh Sunday.
Ryan Briscoe
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 72 (16th)
The Australian started seventh and finished fifth in last year's
Indianapolis 500 for Luczo Dragon Racing; took over at Penske
this season for Sam Hornish Jr., who left the IRL for NASCAR;
finished 21st in 2006 IndyCar standings while driving a limited
schedule with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; made four starts that
season, finishing career-best third at Watkins Glen in debut
with team; also recorded a ninth-place finish at Nashville;
finished 19th in 2005 IndyCar standings for Target Chip Ganassi
Racing, with a best finish of eighth at Nashville; ran 10th at
the 2005 Indy 500; was fifth here last year and starts third on
Sunday.
Helio Castroneves
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 144 (1st)
Opened the year by finishing fourth at Homestead and second in
St. Petersburg and Japan; took fourth at Kansas; sits atop the
standings, six points ahead of Scott Dixon; finished sixth in
the standings last year, 191 points behind champion Dario
Franchitti; captured a series-record seven poles last season,
but managed to win just once - at St. Petersburg; recorded six
top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes last season; in 98 career IRL
starts, has 12 wins, 75 top-10s and 24 poles; became the first
driver to win the Indianapolis 500 two years in a row (2001-02)
since Al Unser won in 1970 and 1971; is only the fifth driver in
Indianapolis 500 history to win in consecutive appearances;
finished third in this race last year; starts fourth on Sunday.
Scott Dixon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 138 (2nd)
Opened the season with with a solid win at Homestead, but had
mechanical issues at St. Petersburg and finished 22nd; bounced
back with thirds in Japan and Kansas; finished as an unlucky
runner-up in the 2007 season, 13 points behind Dario Franchitti,
after running out of fuel on the final lap of the final race;
failed to win an unprecedented fourth straight race at Michigan
when he was involved in a spectacular six-car accident that sent
Franchitti's car airborne; had four wins last season and was a
runner-up five times; bounced back from the DNF at Michigan by
finishing second to Tony Kanaan at Kentucky; enjoyed a stretch
of three straight wins early in the season; took the checkered
flag at Mid-Ohio for his ninth career IndyCar series victory;
also won at at Nashville after starting on the pole to became
the first repeat winner there; started his winning streak on
July 8 at Watkins Glen; finished second to Franchitti at this
race last year; start from the pole on Sunday.
Tony Kanaan
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 129 (4th)
Ran eighth at Homestead to open the season, but bounced back to
claim third place at St. Petersburg, fifth at Japan and second
at Kansas; finished 2007 season strong and wound up third in the
standings, 61 points behind Franchitti; had a series-best five
wins last year - at Motegi, Milwaukee, Michigan, Kentucky and
Belle Isle; started second at the Indianapolis 500, but finished
a disappointing 12th; finished fourth three times - at Watkins
Glen, Richmond and Mid-Ohio; captured pole at Kansas, yet
finished 15th last season; won the 2004 IndyCar Series
championship; finished second in the 2004 Indy 500 to Buddy Rice;
starts sixth on Sunday.
Vitor Meira
Team: Panther Racing
2008 Points: 58 (21st)
Finished 12th in IndyCar standings for Delphi Panther Racing,
with best finish of fourth at Homestead; recorded three top-five
and 10 top-10 finishes last season; led 71 laps at Iowa before
retiring from the race because of mechanical failure while
leading; still seeking first IndyCar win; had his best season in
2005, when he finished fifth in final standings for Panther with
a best finish of second at Watkins Glen and Richmond; opened the
season with a 10th at Homestead but has struggled since with an
average finish of 19th over last three races; ran 10th at the
Indy 500 last year; starts eighth on Sunday.
Danica Patrick
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 98 (3rd)
Has become one of the most recognizable female athletes in the
United States - especially after winning her first race at
Japan in her 50th start; became the first women to win a race in
a major auto racing series; followed by finishing 19th at Kansas
with mechanical problems; started the season by running sixth
at Homestead and 10th at St. Petersburg; posted a second-place
finish at Detroit last year; finished seventh in the final
standings with four top-fives and 11 top-10s; started second at
Sonoma but finished sixth; was involved in an accident and
finished 16th at Kentucky; struggled to a disappointing
seventh-place finish at Michigan; posted her second consecutive
top-five finish with a fifth place showing at Mid-Ohio; took
third at Nashville prior to that; ran eighth here last year;
starts fifth on Sunday.
Will Power
Team: KV Racing Technology
2008 Points: 97 (6th)
The 2006 Champ Car World Series Rookie of the Year finished
fourth in the Champ Car standings last year for Team Australia;
had wins at Las Vegas and Toronto, and captured poles at Las
Vegas, Edmonton, Surfers Paradise and Mexico City; recorded
eight top-five and nine top-10s; opened IndyCar season with a
25th at Homestead but bounced back with an eighth at St.
Petersburg and won the Champ Car finale at Long Beach; was 27th
at Kansas; Australian starts 23rd on Sunday.
Tomas Scheckter
Team: Luczo Dragon Racing
2008 Points: 12 (31st)
Finished 10th in IndyCar Series standings for Vision Racing the
past two seasons; last year, had a best finish of fifth at
Kansas and Kentucky; recorded two top-five and nine top-10
finishes; has run just one race this season, placing 23rd at
Kansas; ran seventh in last year's Indy 500; best finish in
this race is fourth in 2003 while driving for Target Chip
Ganassi Racing; finished career-best seventh in IndyCar
standings for that season, with five top-five and 10 top-10
finishes; starts 11th on Sunday.
Dan Wheldon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 135 (3rd)
Kicked off the season by running third at Homestead, 12th at
St. Petersburg and fourth in Japan; enters Indy 500 having won
at Kansas; finished fourth in the final standings last year with
two wins and a pole at Homestead-Miami; recorded six top-five
and 11 top-10 finishes; won the 2005 championship with a
series-record six victories; last year finished out of the top
five for a six-race stretch prior to Detroit; in 82 career starts
has 14 wins, 63 top-10s and five poles; finished second in the
final standings in 2004 and 2006; won the 89th Running of the
Indianapolis 500 in 2005 from 16th starting position; ran 22nd
in this race last season; starts second behind Dixon on Sunday.
2007 Top 10
-----------
1. Dario Franchitti (27)
2. Scott Dixon (9)
3. Helio Castroneves (3)
4. Sam Hornish Jr. (6)
5. Ryan Briscoe (12)
6. Scott Sharp (8)
7. Tomas Scheckter (2)
8. Danica Patrick (7)
9. Davey Hamilton (02)
10. Vitor Meira (4)
Past Winners
------------
2007 Dario Franchitti
2006 Sam Hornish Jr.
2005 Dan Wheldon
2004 Buddy Rice
2003 Gil de Ferran
2002 Helio Castroneves
2001 Helio Castroneves
2000 Juan Montoya
1999 Kenny Brack
1998 Eddie Cheever Jr.
1997 Arie Luyendyk
1996 Buddy Lazier
1995 Jacques Villenueve
1994 Al Unser Jr.
1993 Emerson Fittipaldi
1992 Al Unser, Jr.
1991 Rick Mears
1990 Arie Luyendyk
1989 Emerson Fittipaldi
1988 Rick Mears
1987 Al Unser, Sr.
1986 Bobby Rahal
1985 Danny Sullivan
1984 Rick Mears
1983 Tom Sneva
1982 Gordon Johncock
1981 Bobby Unser
1980 Johnny Rutherford
1979 Rick Mears
1978 Al Unser, Sr.
1977 A.J. Foyt
1976 Johnny Rutherford
1975 Bobby Unser
1974 Johnny Rutherford
1973 Gordon Johncock
1972 Mark Donohue
1971 Al Unser, Sr.
1970 Al Unser, Sr.
1969 Mario Andretti
1968 Bobby Unser
1967 A.J. Foyt
1966 Graham Hill
1965 Jimmy Clark
1964 A.J. Foyt
1963 Parnelli Jones
1962 Roger Ward
1961 A.J. Foyt
1960 Jim Rathmann
1959 Roger Ward
1958 Jim Bryan
1957 Sam Hanks
1956 Pat Flaherty
1955 Bob Sweikert
1954 Bill Vukovich
1953 Bill Vukovich
1952 Troy Ruttman
1951 Lee Wallard
1950 Johnnie Parsons
1949 Bill Holland
1948 Mauri Rose
1947 Mauri Rose
1946 George Robson
1945 no race
1944 no race
1943 no race
1942 no race
1941 Floyd Davis/Mauri Rose
1940 Wilbur Shaw
1939 Wilbur Shaw
1938 Floyd Roberts
1937 Wilbur Shaw
1936 Louis Meyer
1935 Kelly Petillo
1934 William Cummings
1933 Louis Meyer
1932 Fred Frame
1931 Louis Schneider
1930 Billy Arnold
1929 Ray Keech
1928 Louis Meyer
1927 George Souders
1926 Frank Lockhart
1925 Peter DePaolo
1924 L.L. Corum/Joe Boyer
1923 Tommy Milton
1922 Jimmy Murphy
1921 Tommy Milton
1920 Gaston Chevrolet
1919 Howard Wilcox
1918 no race
1917 no race
1916 Dario Resta
1915 Ralph DePalma
1914 Rene Thomas
1913 Jules Goux
1912 Joe Dawson
1911 Ray Harroun
