Dixon Fastest As Practice Resumes At Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, May 19, 2010: After losing a day of practice to rain, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway re-opened for business on May 18, and teams/drivers quickly got down to business of turning laps around the famed 2.5-mile oval.

Dialing in race setups was the objective for most teams on a chilly day not conducive to big speed, with the focus turning to qualification simulations the next few days in preparation for the two-stage run May 22 for the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone. With the almost five hours available for the session, a few things began to come into focus -- primarily that the competition is exceptionally close.

• Five different teams were represented in the top five on the speed chart. • The top 21 drivers were separated by 0.5755 of a second. • No. 1 (Scott Dixon) and No. 36 (Milka Duno) were separated by 1.197 seconds. • Drivers pounded out 1,590 laps (of a total for three days of 3,562).

Last year was the closest field in the history of the '500' at 3.0967 seconds. That record might not last long.

Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, posted a quick lap of 39.7265 seconds (226.549 mph) on the 2.5-mile oval. Mario Moraes was second quick (225.913 mph) in the No. 32 KV Racing Technology entry, and Marco Andretti in the No. 26 Team Venom Energy car for Andretti Autosport was next at 225.751.