INDYCAR (BELLE ISLE) - FAST FACTS

WHAT: IndyCar® Series: Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone, 16th race in 17-race 2007 season

WHERE: Raceway at Belle Isle, 14-turn, 2.125-mile temporary street circuit

WHEN: IndyCar Series: 3:30 p.m. (ET), Sunday, Sept. 2

DISTANCE: IndyCar Series: 90 laps/191.25 miles

POSTED AWARDS: IndyCar Series: More than $1 million

CARS: IndyCar Series: Dallara chassis; Honda Indy V-8; Firestone tires; 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol

PREVIOUS RACE WINNERS: IndyCar Series: Inaugural event

2006 SERIES CHAMPIONS: IndyCar Series: Sam Hornish Jr.

TV: IndyCar Series: Race: ABC (live), 3:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 2 Talent: Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, (announcers); Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo, Vince Welch (pit reporters) Note: Live streaming video coverage of practice and AAMCO Transmissions Pole Qualifying (11:45 a.m., (ET) Sept. 1) is available at www.indycar.com and www.espn360.com.

RADIO: IndyCar Series: Qualifying: IMS Radio Network, live web-cast, 11:30 a.m. (ET) Sept. 1 Qualifying wrap up: IMS Radio Network, 3:30 p.m. Pre-race: IMS Radio Network (live), 3 p.m. (ET), Sept. 2 Race: IMS Radio Network (live), 3:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 2 Talent: Mike King (host); Davey Hamilton (analyst); Dave Wilson (color commentary); Bob Jenkins, Mark Jaynes, Jerry Baker (turns); Kevin Lee and Jake Query (pit reporters); Kevin Olson (special assignments) Live coverage of AAMCO Transmissions Pole Qualifying (11:30 a.m., (ET) Sept. 1) and the race also will be available at www.indycar.com. The race broadcast is also available on XM Satellite Radio channel 144 “XM Sports Nation” and XM channel 145 “IndyCar Racing”

SCHEDULE (all times local; subject to change): Friday, Aug. 31 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. IndyCar Series garages open 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. IndyCar Series practice #1 (all cars) 2 – 3 p.m. IndyCar Series practice #2 (two groups)

Saturday, Sept. 1 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. IndyCar Series garage open 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. IndyCar Series practice #3 (two groups) 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. IndyCar Series AAMCO Transmissions Pole Qualifying (single-car, single lap followed by Firestone Fast Six shootout)

Sunday, Sept. 2 8 a.m. IndyCar Series garage opens 10:30 – 11 a.m. IndyCar Series warmup 3 p.m. Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone pre-race 3:30 p.m. Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone (90 laps/184.5 miles) ABC (Live)

THE TRACK: 2.125 -mile temporary street circuit; with a minimum width of 34 feet. Mainstraight: 1st: 1,000 feet; 2nd: 830 feet Backstretch: 1st: 2,500 feet; 2nd: 1,100 feet Turns: 14 • A 982-acre island in the Detroit River, Belle Isle is managed by the Detroit Department of Parks and Recreation. It was home to the Detroit Grand Prix from 1992-2001, utilizing a temporary street circuit that was constructed specifically for the grand prix. Beginning in 2007, it will again host open-wheel cars with the IndyCar Series racing there for the first time.

INDY CAR RACING IN DETROIT: With Detroit serving as the Automotive Capital of the World, it’s fitting that auto racing returns to the Motor City in 2007. The Detroit Grand Prix was originally contested on a 2.5-mile street circuit located around the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. Formula One initially competed on the course (1982-1888) then CART held three races on the course. In 1992, the race was moved to the streets of Belle Isle Park, an island located on the Detroit River, approximately two miles from downtown. Helio Castroneves won the final two races held on Belle Isle in 2000 and 2001.

INDYCAR SERIES NOTES: • Five Indianapolis 500 champions are expected to participate in the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone: Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005), Sam Hornish Jr. (2006) and Dario Franchitti (2007).

• Five IndyCar Series champions are scheduled to participate in the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone: Scott Sharp (1996 co-champion), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002, 2006), Scott Dixon (2003), Tony Kanaan (2004) and Dan Wheldon (2005).

• Drivers entered in the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone have combined for 87 IndyCar Series victories, 83 IndyCar Series pole positions and 1,300 IndyCar Series starts.

• The Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone is the last of five road/street course races in the 2007 season. Helio Castroneves (St. Petersburg) and Scott Dixon (Watkins Glen International, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Infineon Raceway) won the previous events.

• In 14 races thus far in 2007, there have been six winners. Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon are multiple winners. Franchitti won at Indianapolis, Iowa and Richmond. Wheldon won at Homestead-Miami and Kansas, Dixon won at Watkins Glen, Nashville, Mid-Ohio and Infineon and Kanaan won at Twin Ring Motegi, Milwaukee, Michigan and Kentucky. Other winners in 2007: Helio Castroneves at St. Petersburg, Sam Hornish Jr. at Texas. In those 14 races, 16 drivers have finished in the top five in at least one event.

INDYCAR SERIES STORY IDEAS:

•Championship Contenders Take the Battle to Belle Isle: As the IndyCar Series championship point standings currently sit, two of the three contenders – Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan– have been victorious on road courses in their IndyCar Series careers. Dario Franchitti, who trails Dixon by four points and a former Belle Isle winner in CART, has yet to win on a road course since their addition to the IndyCar Series schedule in 2005. With just two races left in the battle, find out how the race at Belle Isle will factor into the championship hunt for these drivers.

• Castroneves Returns To Site of First Fence Climb: Helio Castroneves returns to the Raceway at Belle Isle, where his signature victory celebration first occurred. Castroneves won his first Indy car race at the circuit in 2000 and celebrated by climbing the fence – a feat he repeated in 2001. Riding a two-race win streak at Belle Isle, Castroneves returns to the track seeking another chance to climb a fence.

• Unique Qualifying Format Debuts at Belle Isle: In 2005, the IndyCar Series introduced a unique road/street course qualifying procedure in which the race for the pole begins when the cars hit the track. All cars participate in the initial practice session of race weekend, with the times determining the two groups that will be used in the remaining pre-qualifying practice session. Friday's combined practice times determine the qualifying order, with the driver posting the fastest time having the option of driving first or last in single-lap qualifying. At the conclusion of single-lap qualifying the fastest six cars will participate in a 10-minute, European-style session to determine the first three rows.

• Ethanol Power: The 2007 IndyCar Series season marks the first year where the full field is fueled by ethanol. All IndyCar Series competitors employ the 3.5-liter Honda Indy V-8 engine fueled by 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol. The IndyCar Series is the first in motorsports to embrace a renewable fuel source. Ethanol is an environmentally-friendly fuel, distilled from high-starch crops (primarily corn) grown in the United States.

MILESTONES: • Scott Dixon won his 10th IndyCar Series race at Infineon Raceway, becoming the fifth driver to win at least 10 IndyCar Series races in his career. • Scott Dixon’s win at Infineon Raceway was Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 16th IndyCar Series victory. • Sam Hornish Jr. qualified in the top-10 in every race since California in 2005, a span of 30 races, breaking the record he shared with Helio Castroneves for consecutive top-10 starts • Scott Sharp can extend his series record for consecutive starts to 137 straight races at the Raceway at Belle Isle • Vitor Meira has gone 74 starts without a victory in the IndyCar Series, the longest drought of any IndyCar Series driver. *** The next IndyCar Series event is the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 2 at the Raceway at Belle Isle. The race will be televised live by ABC and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. The next Indy Pro Series event is the Chicagoland 100 on Sept. 9 at Chicagoland Speedway. ESPN2’s coverage of the race will be televised at 5 p.m. on Sept. 13.