•This is Helio Castroneves’ fourth career Indianapolis 500 pole, tying him with Rex Mays and A.J. Foyt for second on the all-time Indianapolis 500 list. Rick Mears leads with six poles. Castroneves’ poles have come in 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
•The last time a driver won two consecutive Indianapolis 500 poles was 1995-96, by Scott Brayton.
•This is the 16th time Penske Racing/Team Penske has won the Indianapolis 500 Pole. The years: 1977-79, 1981-82, 1986, 1988-91, 1994, 2003, 2006-07, 2009-10.
•Helio Castroneves’ 2010 Indianapolis 500 pole marks the seventh time the defending Indianapolis 500 winner earned the pole. The other years this occurred: 1927, Frank Lockhart; 1965, A.J. Foyt; 1984, Tom Sneva; 1989, Rick Mears; 1990, Emerson Fittipaldi; 2003, Castroneves.
•Helio Castroneves joins Rick Mears as the only drivers to earn the pole as both the defending pole and race winner. Castroneves won from the pole in 2009. Mears won from the pole in 1988 and again won the pole in 1989.
•Penske Racing team owner Roger Penske has had at least one car start on the front row in 27 of his 37 years competing in the Indianapolis 500 as a car owner. All told, 39 Penske-entered cars have started on the front row.
•Penske Racing/Team Penske cars have won seven time from the Indianapolis 500 pole: 1979 (Rick Mears), 1981 (Bobby Unser), 1988 (Mears), 1991 (Mears), 1994 (Al Unser Jr.), 2006 (Sam Hornish Jr.), 2009 (Helio Castroneves).
•This will be Helio Castroneves’ eight consecutive start in the top eight. He started his streak with a pole in 2003.
•Will Power qualified a career-best second. His previous best was ninth in 2009.
•Dario Franchitti qualified third for the fourth time in his seven Indianapolis 500 starts. This is the third consecutive year he will start third.
•Helio Castroneves earned a $175,000 bonus for winning the Peak Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone ($100,000 PEAK Performance Pole Award, $75,000 Indianapolis Motor Speedway bonus). Will Power earned a $75,000 bonus for qualifying second, and Dario Franchitti earned a $50,000 bonus for qualifying third.
•Ryan Briscoe qualified fourth. This will be his fourth consecutive start in the top seven.
•Alex Tagliani will start fifth in 2010 after starting 33rd and last in 2009.
•Scott Dixon qualified sixth, his fifth consecutive Indianapolis 500 start in the top six.
•Graham Rahal will start seventh, his second consecutive Indianapolis 500 start in the top seven.
•Ed Carpenter qualified a career-best eighth. His previous best at Indianapolis was 10th in 2008.
•Hideki Mutoh tied his career-best start of ninth, also set in 2008.
•Ana Beatriz is the top qualifier among Chase Rookie of the Year candidates, qualifying 21st. Other rookies to qualify today: Simona De Silvestro, 22nd; Bertrand Baguette, 24th.
•Ana Beatriz’s qualifying speed of 224.243 was the second-fastest by a rookie woman driver in Indianapolis 500 history. Only Danica Patrick was faster, at 227.004 in 2005.
•Townsend Bell qualified 10th at 225.097 mph, his career best and fastest at Indianapolis.
•Simona De Silvestro became the first Swiss driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 since Clay Regazzoni in 1977.
•Danica Patrick qualified 23rd, her Indianapolis career low. Her previous lowest start was 10th, in 2006 and 2009.
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IZOD IndyCar Series: Indianapolis 500 - Race Line-Up
Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves Earns Pole for Indianapolis 500
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