2010 INDIANAPOLIS 500 FIELD NOTES:

•The field average is 224.974 mph, the fastest since 2002. The field average in 2002 was 228.648, the fastest field in Indianapolis 500 Mile Race history.

•This is the closest matched field by time in Indianapolis 500 history. 3.0622 seconds separate fastest qualifier Helio Castroneves and slowest qualifier Sebastian Saavedra. The previous record was 3.0967 seconds set in 2009.

•This is the eighth-closest matched field by speed in Indianapolis 500 history. 4.336 mph separate fastest qualifier Helio Castroneves and slowest qualifier Sebastian Saavedra. The record is 3.130 mph, set in 1953.

•There are a record four women in the starting field: Ana Beatriz, Simona De Silvestro, Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick. The previous record was three, from 2007-09 with Fisher, Patrick and Milka Duno.

•There are four Indianapolis 500 winners in the starting field: Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), Dan Wheldon (2005), Dario Franchitti (2007) and Scott Dixon (2008). Between them they have seven 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 six Chase Rookie of the Year candidates in the field. This year’s rookies are #5 Takuma Sato, #25 Ana Beatriz, #29 Sebastian Saavedra, #34 Mario Romancini, #36 Bertrand Baguette and #78 Simona De Silvestro. #66 Jay Howard was the only Chase Rookie of the Year candidate to fail to qualify. There were four Chase Rookie of the Year candidates in the 2009 starting lineup.

•In addition to the 6 Chase Rookie of the Year candidates in the race, there is one driver – Bruno Junqueira – who did not start in last year’s race.

•John Andretti is the most experienced driver in the field, with 10 previous Indianapolis 500 starts. The record is 35, set in consecutive years from 1958-92 by A.J. Foyt.

•Dan Wheldon has led 234 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 Helio Castroneves (228), Scott Dixon (220) and Tony Kanaan (214).

•Fifteen different drivers in this year’s field have led a total of 1,282 laps in previous Indianapolis 500 Mile races.

•There is a combined 125 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 125 years of combined experience in last year’s field.

•The oldest driver in the starting field is Davey Hamilton, 47. The youngest qualifier is Sebastian Saavedra, 19.

•There are nine Firestone Indy Lights veterans in the field: Marco Andretti, Ana Beatriz, Ed Carpenter, Alex Lloyd, Hideki Mutoh, Raphael Matos, Graham Rahal, Mario Romancini and Sebastian Saavedra.

•Tony Kanaan is starting 32^nd. His previous worst starting position in eight previous starts was sixth, in 2008 and 2009.

•Rookie Takuma Sato will be the fifth driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 and United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Formula One race, joining Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tomas Enge and Justin Wilson. Sato competed in the USGP in 2004, 2004, 2006 and 2007, with a best finish of third in 2004.

•Mario Romancini is the fastest rookie qualifier for the Indianapolis 500, with a four-lap average of 224.641 mph.