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Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines:

1. Hildebrand to return to Panther Racing with two-year extension

2. Kimball, Ganassi to renews with Ganassi

3. Power, Castroneves to help Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix ticket launch:

4. Clauson renews scholarship with second USAC drivers title

1. Hildebrand to return to Panther Racing with two-year extension: Panther Racing has exercised its two-year option on JR Hildebrand’s contract, ensuring he will drive the No. 4 National Guard entry for the 2012 and 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series seasons.

Hildebrand, 23, the reining Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, recorded two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

His first full season was eventful, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Indianapolis 500. A week later, he tore the ACL in his left knee during a media event at Texas Motor Speedway, but bounced back two weeks later and recorded his best career qualification effort (fourth) at Iowa Speedway. In September, he broke a bone in his hand during an incident in the Baltimore race, but again responded the following race with a seventh-place result at Twin Ring Motegi. He also suffered a bruised sternum and a concussion in a crash at the final race of the season.

“We’re happy that we’re able to keep JR in the No. 4 car for the next two years,” managing partner and CEO John Barnes said. “We signed him last year with every intention that he would be in the No. 4 car for the foreseeable future and he proved both inside and outside the race car that he was a perfect fit for this team and what we represent.

“The true test of any athlete is how they handle adversity, and I couldn’t be more impressed with how he handled himself during the course of this season. Everybody at Panther has learned a lot from the soldiers in the National Guard, and it’s great to see how well Hildebrand represented all those soldiers. We’ve all got our work cut out for us for next season, and we’re very pleased that JR is going to be a part of that.”

Hildebrand had knee surgery after the season to repair the torn ACL and is not expected to miss any off-season testing. He is scheduled to test the 2012 Dallara chassis for Chevrolet in early December.

Hildebrand, a Sausalito, Calif., native, signed with Panther Racing in December after a two-day driver evaluation test at Phoenix International Raceway. He was the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion and prior to coming to Panther made two IZOD IndyCar Series starts with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing during the 2010 season.

“I’m super stoked that I’m going to be back at Panther for the next two years,” Hildebrand said. “It was a crazy year for us, but we had some really strong runs and I enjoyed being a part of this team.

“I worked really well with my engineer David Cripps this season and I know everybody is already working really hard on improving for 2012. And I’m especially excited to be able to continue to work with the National Guard; that was a special opportunity and it was a very educational experience for me. To see the sacrifices these soldiers make and to realize that they’ve entrusted us to tell their stories and represent them is an honor for all of us.

“Everybody at Panther is excited about getting started on next year and especially looking forward to getting back to the Indianapolis 500 so we can avenge our battle scar.”

2. Kimball, Ganassi to renews with Ganassi: Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, announced (November is Diabetes Awareness Month) a multi-year extension as primary sponsor of the No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing car driven by Charlie Kimball.

Kimball, 26, from Camarillo, Calif., is the first licensed driver with type 1 diabetes to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Diagnosed in 2007, he monitors his blood sugar before, during and after each race. Kimball utilizes the Novo Nordisk insulin Levemir and NovoLog to help manage his diabetes, administering it with a prefilled insulin pen device called FlexPen.

“After an exciting first year, we are extremely proud to continue our partnership with Charlie Kimball and Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Camille Lee, Corporate Vice President, Diabetes Marketing at Novo Nordisk. “This team represents a unique opportunity for us, as a pharmaceutical company, to raise disease awareness on a broader scale and show everyone that diabetes doesn’t need to slow you down.”

Following two years of sponsorship of Kimball in Firestone Indy Lights, Novo Nordisk partnered with Chip Ganassi Racing to form Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and in December 2010 became the title sponsor of Kimball in his IZOD IndyCar Series rookie season. Kimball posted two top-10 finishes in 2011 and finished 13th in his debut at the Indianapolis 500.

“My partnership with Novo Nordisk is very unique because they make the insulins I take every day and they produce the delivery device I use to manage my diabetes,” Kimball said. “I am fortunate to have Novo Nordisk and Chip Ganassi Racing support me in my career and I am proud and honored to be associated with these two outstanding organizations.”

Novo Nordisk has been actively involved in providing information about diabetes awareness at INDYCAR events through the “Drive the Switch” program and the “Race with Insulin” campaign.

“It speaks volumes that a company like Novo Nordisk is making this type of long-term commitment to our team, to Charlie, and the IndyCar Series,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “Charlie has done everything that we have asked of him on the track and we certainly feel his future is bright. As for Novo, they have been a tremendous partner both on and off the track.”

3. Power, Castroneves to help Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix ticket launch: Team Penske drivers Will Power and Helio Castroneves will help the launch of ticket sales for the return of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on Nov. 22.

The drivers will visit Detroit to celebrate tickets going on sale and will be on site at the Grand Prix office in downtown Detroit to field calls from ticket buyers and help sell tickets to the event during the morning.

“In both 2007 and 2008 the Grand Prix welcomed over 100,000 fans to Detroit over the course of the three-day weekend,” said Bud Denker, Event Chairman of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. “This is a great event for the Motor City and all of southeast Michigan and we will provide even more family entertainment and great racing for our fans as we bring the Grand Prix back to Belle Isle. Our region has been through some difficult times the past few years and we are excited to keep ticket prices the same as they were four years ago and we encourage everyone to secure their seats early and take advantage of the opportunity to buy your tickets from Helio or Will on November 22nd.”

Tickets for the 2012 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011 and prices will remain the same as they were four years ago for the last Grand Prix event in Detroit.

World-class auto racing will return to the Motor City the weekend of June 1-3, 2012 as the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will roar through the streets of Belle Isle Park for the first time since 2008. The action-packed weekend will feature four premiere racing series competing on the 2.1-mile road course at Belle Isle. The cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series and the Firestone Indy Lights Series will all race at the Grand Prix to wave the green flag on summertime in Detroit.

Tickets for the three-day event can be purchased by calling 1-866-464-PRIX (7749), by visiting the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix office located in suite 2311, above the Wintergarden in the GM Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit or online at www.DetroitGP.com beginning Nov. 22.

4. Clauson renews scholarship with second USAC drivers title: Bryan Clauson will get another season as an INDYCAR racer.

The USAC short-track standout clinched his second USAC National Drivers Championship – and the scholarship to compete in Firestone Indy Lights – with a sixth-place finish in the USAC Sprint Car race at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif.

“It was a busy year with a lot of ups and downs, and to lock down and get the job done late in the year to put this thing away was just awesome,” the 22-year-old native of Noblesville, Ind., said. ” I couldn’t have done it without my great car owners, Tony Stewart, Mike Curb, and Corey Tucker or all the great crew guys that I get to work with.”

Clauson will try to become the first driver since Billy Boat to win three-straight Turkey Night Grand Prixs at Irwindale, Calif., later this month, as well as lock up his second consecutive USAC Midget title. He will officially receive his $40,000 prize and his INDYCAR scholarship for winning the National Drivers Championship at USAC’s “Night of Champions” Banquet on Dec. 9 in Indianapolis.

Until then, he said he’ll work with INDYCAR officials to determine how best to utilize the scholarship for 2012.

“I’m really excited about moving forward on the Indy Car side of things,” he said. “We had already been hard at work trying to put something together without the scholarship and had some great meetings, so I feel like the scholarship will only help solidify whatever program we put together.

“As far as a direction for where I’ll land for sure, I think it’s too early. Obviously I have an idea of where I’d like to land, but there are a lot of people involved in the scholarship program that we need to make sure we take care of. When I get home from this west coast swing after Turkey Night, you can be sure that I will be back hard at work to put a solid program together whether it ends up being on the Lights side or the IZOD IndyCar side.”

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Will Power - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 9, 2011) –

Power was diagnosed with two small compression fractures of his thoracic vertebrae following the multi-car accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16 that claimed the life of driver Dan Wheldon.

After further evaluation, series orthopedic specialist Dr. Terry Trammell has determined that Power is cleared to participate in a previously-scheduled two-day test of the 2012 Chevy IndyCar at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on November 14 and 15.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car,” said Power. “I actually haven’t had any pain in my back in the last couple of weeks and I am excited to continue testing the new Chevy IndyCar.”

Power will return to action at a track where he has had his share of success. The driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car won the IZOD IndyCar Series race from the pole at Barber Motorsports Park back in April after finishing fourth in the inaugural race at the venue in 2010.

- Team Penske Racing, Press Release

Team Penske Logo

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 3, 2011) –

Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power will all return to Team Penske next season, keeping in place the same driver lineup that the team has fielded since 2009. Next season will mark the third consecutive year that Team Penske will compete with three full-season IndyCar entries. Since 2009, Team Penske has generated an impressive 21 wins and 28 poles in IZOD IndyCar Series competition between the three drivers.

“We are excited to return with a three-car team in 2012,” said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. “The combination of Helio, Ryan and Will has been a formidable one on the track and they work very well together as teammates. Our goal all along has been to continue running three cars and thanks to our terrific partners, we have been able to make everything work from the business side. Now, all of our focus will be on developing the new Chevrolet IndyCar and getting ready for a strong return to the track in 2012.”

Team Penske expects to make several sponsorship announcements in the next few months it prepares for the 2012 season.

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 348 major race wins – including a record 15 Indianapolis 500 victories, 411 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

Will Power - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

After experiencing pain in his upper back following the tragic accident that ultimately claimed the life of driver Dan Wheldon, Power was evaluated and released from University Medical Center in Las Vegas on the evening of the crash with no evidence of significant injuries.

On Monday, however, it was determined by series orthopedic specialist Dr. Terry Trammell that Power suffered a compression fracture of his fourth thoracic vertebra in the accident. Dr. Trammell expects Power to recover from the injury with rest and rehabilitation.

Trammell will consult further with Power in the coming days to determine the next steps in his recovery. Power hopes to be able to continue testing the 2012 IndyCar in the coming weeks and he is expected to be fully healed and ready to compete for Verizon Team Penske in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.

- Team Penske, Press Release

Team Penske Logo

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Oct. 13, 2011) –

Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves led the way with the sixth-fastest lap of the session as he clocked in at 223.519 mph in the No. 3 Guidepoint Systems Team Penske Dallara/Honda.

“It was a good start today for the Guidepoint Systems car,” said Castroneves. “It’s my first time here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and we took our time to get to know the track and I think we have a pretty good idea where we need to go for the weekend.”

Ryan Briscoe posted a fast lap of 223.482 mph in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda, the eighth-fastest lap of the session.

“We had a good practice today,” said Briscoe, who enters the weekend ranked sixth in the series standings. “The IZOD Team Penske car had good speed and we feel good about our chances this weekend. It’s definitely going to be an interesting race.”

Will Power, who is 18 points behind Dario Franchitti in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship standings heading into Friday’s qualifying session, had the 14^th-fastest lap Thursday – 222.220 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Honda.

“We still have some speed to find in the Verizon car but it was a decent start for us today,” said Power. “It’s good to get some laps in here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and we’ll be working hard to get the most out of the car in practice and qualifying tomorrow.”

Friday’s qualifying session begins at 6 p.m. ET. Coverage of Sunday’s 200-lap race will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC-TV.

- Team Penske, Press Release

SPEED.com open wheel reporter Robin Miller - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

“Miller: “In the long list of things Barnhart has done that have been inconsistent and lacked common sense, I think he topped himself on this one.”

While rain forced the postponement of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race today at Watkins Glen International, rain eventually forced an early end to the IndyCar Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … but not before all hell broke loose.

After a yellow-flag period due to rain, IndyCar Series officials waved the green flag with nine laps remaining. However, wet conditions triggered a large accident, as well as a flurry of emotions and criticism of Brian Barnhart, IndyCar Series president of competition and racing operations.

Robin Miller, longtime SPEED open wheel reporter/analyst, has never been one to shy away from offering his opinion. Below is a Q&A with Miller regarding his reaction to the events that unfolded in New Hampshire:

On the decision to restart the IndyCar Series race with 10 laps remaining:

Miller:“We’d been running under the yellow because it obviously was raining pretty hard, and when they announced they were going back to green, my producers and I started laughing and said, ‘Really? Let’s go watch the big screen for this crash because it’s going to be a big one.’ You’ve got slick tires and it was raining harder when they restarted the race than when they’d thrown the caution a few laps earlier.

I haven’t heard what Brian Barnhart (IndyCar Series president of competition and racing operations) said yet, although I’ve heard he originally said he had no communication with the drivers. But the drivers were going crazy, telling everybody – the spotters and team managers – that it was raining too hard. But Barnhart hears everything – he’s always monitoring everyone. In the long list of things Barnhart has done that have been inconsistent and lacked common sense, I think he topped himself on this one.”

On Will Power’s display of an obscene gesture toward officials after wrecking on the restart:

Miller: “He snapped. He totally lost it. That should be the indicator about how incensed and crazy he was that they restarted that race in the rain. In an emotional sport, you’re out there risking your life and you’re on slick tires in the rain and they tell you you’re going to restart the race. I think Power was entitled to everything he did. I imagine Randy Bernhard (CEO of IndyCar Series) will pay his fine because I imagine Randy is happy because Power flipping them off will be on every sports highlight across the country.

It’s the best PR you can get. It’s auto racing. It’s a highly volatile and sadistic sport, and when you’re out there hanging your ass out, and some guy who has never driven a race car in his life decides to go green, you can’t believe it. It’s too bad Power couldn’t get to Barnhart because he probably would have choked him and given us even better video.”

On Barnhart’s questionable decisions throughout the years:

Miller:“When the race restarted at the cone, Ryan Hunter-Reay spun his tires and Oriol Servia and Scott Dixon both passed him. So, when it went yellow, Ryan actually was third in line and they reverted to the last lap and declared him the winner after they red-flagged the race. Scott Dixon so eloquently said this isn’t go-kart racing or USAC on dirt. We don’t revert to the last lap. We’ve never reverted. He said (Oriol) Servia should have won the race, I (Dixon) should have been second and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) should have been third if you go by what the rules usually are. But he (Dixon) said Ryan (Hunter-Reay) deserved to win the race because he had the best car.

Dixon wanted to know what the hell was going on. How can the rules change like this? People like me have been calling for Barnhart’s head for years because I don’t think he knows anything about racing and plays favorites. He’s never driven a race car and I don’t think he makes good decisions about racing. On top of this, look back at the 2002 Indy 500 finish. This clearly illustrates why there has been such an outcry to get rid of him this year from the owners and drivers. The drivers don’t respect him and the owners don’t trust him and I think Randy Bernhard has to make a pretty tough decision but it’s not a tough decision from most people’s standpoint – just get a new chief steward.”

On his overall thoughts on the race:

Miller:“NASCAR doesn’t race in the rain because they don’t have rain tires on a road course, yet Indy cars race on slicks on an oval in the rain. I don’t think there’s a question of who wins the battle of the balls this weekend – it’s IndyCar. And if people didn’t enjoy that race, I give up. It had everything. It had guys upside down, guys crashing the points leader on the restart, guys giving the double bird to the chief steward. It had everything everyone wants.”

- SPEED Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines:

1. Championship duel firing up on ovals

2. MoveThatBlock.com to Sponsor race at New Hampshire

3. Inside the numbers – Texas

4. Texas overnight rating up from 2010

1. Championship duel firing up on ovals: Long before the initial oval race of the IZOD IndyCar Series season in late May, Will Power ruminated on 11.375 — his average finish on left-turn-only racetracks in 2010. It was his Achilles’ heel in the championship chase in which he wound up five points shy to Dario Franchitti.

Of course, he pored over the data, digested input, took a hard look at his driving and formulated a plan to improve results, complemented by his crew’s abilities to put the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car up front.

“Going into the ovals last year I just didn’t feel I knew what to expect,” said Power, who completed his first full season with Team Penske and second in the IZOD IndyCar Series. “I didn’t have the experience. I’m working on building what I did last year, and I know I’ll be quick and be challenging for wins.”

Buoyed by two road/street course victories, Power took a 16-point advantage over main early championship challenger Franchitti into the June 11 Firestone Twin 275s at Texas Motor Speedway – two 114-lap sprints on the dizzying-fast 1.5-mile, high-banked oval. He heads to the Milwaukee Mile and the Milwaukee 225 with a 21-point lead, but a lot more in the form of momentum.

Power, starting third in Race 2, overtook pole sitter Tony Kanaan on Lap 39 and went on to record his first oval victory. He leaped out of the Dallara chassis on cue for the cameras in Victory Circle, but his enthusiasm was bubbling over as he crossed the start-finish line.

“Gained points overall. That was the objective,” said Power, who has competed in 22 oval events in the series. “It was great to get my first oval win.”

Power said the final four races of 2010, in which he closed strong on the 1.5-milers by averaging a starting position of 2.75 and a pair of top-10 finishes, gave him confidence, but nothing like a win.

“The last four races last year, we shouldn’t have lost that many points,” he said. “We were knocking on the door all the time there for a race win. Now we just put it all together, no mistakes. I really think that we’ll be running up front on all the ovals.”

Franchitti won the first race – moving in between Johnny Rutherford (27) and Rick Mears (29) on the all-time Indy car victory list – and charged from the 28th starting position in the blind draw to finish seventh in Race 2.

His Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Scott Dixon, also gained some momentum with a pair of runner-up finishes to move to third in the championship (70 points behind Power). He’s the A.J. Foyt Oval Championship award leader.

“Pretty good result for the team, obviously, a 1-2,” said Dixon, referencing Race 1. “Second race, you could see it sort of trickling down with the draw that it wasn’t looking too good for us. Obviously, me starting from 18th and Dario 28th, it’s a huge deficit when the competitor for the championship starts third and with not too much competition in front of him. It was a tough race. Thought we had enough for him toward the end there. I just burnt the rear tires off and was too loose and lost a bit of time going into that last pit stop and could never really get it back.”

Oriol Servia of Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing posted finishes of 21st and 15th, being supplanted by Dixon in the standings. Kanaan brought home the No. 82 GEICO KV Racing Technology car in 11th and fifth place to remain fifth, while sixth- and third-place finishes in the No. 6 Guidepoint Systems Team Penske car moved Ryan Briscoe to sixth (93 points out).

The IZOD IndyCar Series’ first doubleheader also made history as the latter race was the first to run caution-free at Texas Motor Speedway, prompting the second-fastest closed-course race in series history (206.64 mph; the record set at Fontana, Calif., in 2003).

2. MoveThatBlock.com to Sponsor race at New Hampshire: New Hampshire Motor Speedway and MoveThatBlock.com announced today that the innovative, cutting edge website will be the title sponsor for the return of the IZOD IndyCar Series on Sunday, Aug. 14.

Founded in 2010 by Todd Drowlette and Patrick Gray, MoveThatBlock.com offers a one-stop-shop for jobs, dating, commercial real estate, residential real estate, apartments, home rentals and vacation rentals. There custom features are simple to use and allow easy searching and posting in an uncluttered environment.

“We are ecstatic to have such a modern company like MoveThatBlock.com sponsor our IZOD IndyCar Series race,” said Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager of the speedway. “INDYCAR continues to be one of the most innovative forms of motorsports. It is fitting that a technologically saavy brand such as MoveThatBlock.com signed on for this exciting opportunity.”

The Albany, N.Y., based site also provides internships, part-time and full-time jobs to students who want hands-on experience with advertising, sales and software development.

“MoveThatBlock.com is committed to being the premier online marketplace, offering our visitors multiple categories to help with their life’s biggest decision,” said Patrick Gray of MoveThatBlock.com. “We are extremely excited and proud to sponsor an event as prestigious as the IZOD IndyCar race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, especially as it comes on the heels of the launch of our new ‘cars’ site.”

The MoveThatBlock.com INDY 225 will feature some of the world’s best drivers including, Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves going wheel-to-wheel at 200 mph around the speedway’s 1.058-mile oval. The action-packed weekend will also include the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the American-Canadian Tour.

3. Inside the numbers – Texas: Numbers to note following the Firestone Twin 275s, the sixth of 17 events in the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

1 - Oval win for Will Power, who collected his 11^th Indy car win in Race #2 at Texas…number of laps led in each race at Texas by Helio Castroneves, his first laps led in 2011.

2 - Two-man championship points chase heading into the Milwaukee 225, with Will Power leading reigning title-holder Dario Franchitti by 21. Third-place Scott Dixon is 70 points behind Power.

4 - Different teams represented in the top 5 at Brazil, and four different teams represented in the top 5 of the championship standings.

4.4 - Average finish of Franchitti through the first six events.

4.6 - Average finish of Power through the first six events

13 – Positions advanced by Jay Howard in Race #1, most of any driver in that race.

16 – Drivers who have recorded at least one top-five finish.

21 - Positions advanced by Marco Andretti and Dario Franchitti in Race #2. …

25 – Second place finishes for Scott Dixon, who tied Dario Franchitti and Gordon Johncock for ninth on the all-time list.

26 - Drivers who have recorded at least one top-10 finish.

28 -Indy car wins for Franchitti, breaking a tie for ninth Johnny Rutherford. Rick Mears (29) is up next on the list.

40 - Consecutive races running at the finish for Danica Patrick, extending her series record.

138 - Consecutive races started by Tony Kanaan, who could break Scott Sharp’s series record at Milwaukee.

225 - Laps led in 2011 by Will Power. Power has led 29.7 percent of the laps, so far.

255 – Laps led in 2011 by Dario Franchitti. Franchitti has led 29.7 percent of the laps, so far.

758 – Laps completed by Dario Franchitii in 2011, so far. He is the only driver to complete every lap of every race.

4. Texas overnight rating up from 2010: VERSUS’ coverage of the Firestone Twin 275s from Texas Motor Speedway had a 12 percent increase in overnight ratings from a year ago.

According to data from Neilsen Media Research, the prime-time telecast on June 10 produced an overnight rating 0.38 for the twin 114-lap races won by Dario Franchitti and Will Power.

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Milwaukee 225 on June 19 at The Milwaukee Mile. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 3:30 p.m. (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the David Hobbs 100 at the Milwaukee Mile on June 19.

- INDYCAR,  Press Release

Firestone Twin 275s

1. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 215.186

2. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 214.801

3. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 214.716

4. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 214.470

5. (67) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 214.373

6. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 214.252

7. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 214.021

8. (99) Wade Cunningham, Dallara-Honda, 214.013

9. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 213.891

10. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 213.850

11. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 213.458

12. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 213.429

13. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 213.232

14. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 213.023

15. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 212.970

16. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 212.938

17. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 212.797

18. (11) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 212.555

19. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 212.494

20. (38) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 212.404

21. (8) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 212.305

22. (27) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 212.260

23. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 212.223

24. (24) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 212.221

25. (19) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 212.091

26. (34) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Honda, 212.033

27. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 211.762

28. (88) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 211.691

29. (78) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 210.855

30. (18) James Jakes, Dallara-Honda, no speed

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Team Penske

FAST FACTS

Drivers: Helio Castroneves (No. 3 AAA Insurance Team Penske), Ryan Briscoe (No. 6 Guidepoint Systems Team Penske) and Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske)

Event: Firestone Twin 275s

Texas Motor Speedway

Ft. Worth, Texas

(1.5-mile oval)

When: Qualifying – Friday, June 10 at 4:45 p.m. ET (aired at 6 p.m. ET on Versus)

Race #1 (114 laps) – Saturday, June 11 at 8:45 p.m. ET (Live on Versus)

Race #2 (114 laps) – Saturday, June 11 at 10:45 p.m. ET (Live on Versus)

TV/Radio: Versus-TV/IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM Channel 94

Tough at Texas: Team Penske has a tremendous track record at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). The team has won six IZOD IndyCar Series races at the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval, including five out of the last seven events at the venue. Over the last six IndyCar Series races at Texas, Team Penske has led 770 of 1,512 laps of competition (51%). After a difficult Indianapolis 500 that saw all three cars finish outside the top-10, the team looks forward to returning to the TMS track this weekend.

Ryan’s Roost: Ryan Briscoe returns as the defending polewinner and champion of this race and he has fared well at TMS in his career. In his three starts for Team Penske at Texas, Briscoe has earned three podium finishes, one win and one pole and he’s led 274 laps of competition.

Lone Star Helio: Helio Castroneves has an impressive history at Texas as well. The three-time Indy 500 winner has produced three wins, a pole position and seven top-five finishes in 12 starts at TMS. Castroneves is looking to become the first four-time IZOD IndyCar Series race winner at Texas this weekend – he and former Team Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr. each hold the current record with three career victories at Texas.

Power’s Texas Ties: Current IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power will try and secure his first career oval course victory Saturday at Texas. Power qualified third at TMS last year before he finished 14^th. After marrying a Texas girl – Elizabeth (formerly Cannon, now Power) – in the off-season, Power hopes a little Lone Star State luck will come his way this weekend.

TMS Rewind: Last season, Briscoe made it four wins for Team Penske in the last five races at Texas. Starting from the pole, Briscoe led four times for a race-high 102 laps in 2010 to earn his sixth career IZOD IndyCar Series victory. Briscoe captured the lead from Danica Patrick and led the final 36 laps to claim the checkered flag.

Texas Two-Step: This weekend’s Firestone Twin 275s mark the first Indy Car race doubleheader in nearly 30 years. Team Penske advisor and four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears swept the last Indy Car twin races at Atlanta in on June 28, 1981 so he’ll be in a unique position to advise the drivers on the best way to approach this weekend’s races. Qualifying for the first race will be held on Friday and the field for the Saturday night’s second race will be determined via live blind draw after completion of the first event. Each race will be 114 laps in length and the championship points/prize money will be half of a normal single race in the current IZOD IndyCar Series.

Pole Performance: Team Penske will be looking for its fifth pole in the first six races of the season during Friday’s qualifying session. Power won the first four poles of the season – all on road or street courses – before his streak was snapped at Indianapolis. Both Castroneves (2004) and Briscoe (2010) have won poles at Texas previously.

Power on Point: With wins at Barber Motorsports Park and Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the No. 12 Verizon car, Power continues to lead the IZOD IndyCar Series standings for Team Penske. Power currently holds a 194-178 point edge over Dario Franchitti in the chase for the series crown. Briscoe enters this weekend ranked seventh overall in points while Castroneves is 17^th in the standings after a tough start to the season.

Briscoe Wins Again: Following his victory at Texas last season, Briscoe got a chance to experience another win at TMS on Wednesday. He beat fellow IndyCar driver and Indy 500 runner-up JR Hildebrand in a “boot camp” style obstacle course challenge set up at the speedway. Former Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson was on hand to present the gold boots award to Briscoe following his strong performance.

Proud Partners: Team Penske is proud to welcome several new sponsors to its family in 2011. Joining Power’s No. 12 car team primary sponsor, Verizon, in the Team Penske stable this season, AAA Insurance will compete as a sponsor of the No. 3 car driven by Castroneves this weekend. Guidepoint Systems will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 6 car driven by Briscoe at Texas. Team Penske also welcomes Shell-Pennzoil, IZOD, PPG and Penske Truck Rental as primary sponsors in 2011 along with new associate sponsors Meijer, Coca-Cola and Comfort Revolution.

Verizon Visit: Power will appear at the Verizon store located at 1400 William D Tate Avenue in Grapevine, Texas on Thursday night, June 9, from 7-8 p.m. CT. The IZOD IndyCar Series point leader will meet with fans and sign autographs at the store.

Sign of the Times: All three Team Penske drivers will meet with fans and sign autographs at the team merchandise trailer located in the midway at Texas Motor Speedway from 4-4:30 pm CT on Saturday, June 11.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE FIRESTONE TWIN 275s

Helio Castroneves: “Texas is a place with great energy and now with the doubleheader it’s going to be an even bigger thrill. I am really excited to start what may become a new tradition at Texas in the AAA Insurance car this weekend. The new format of the race will give it whole different feel and I am sure the fans will love it!”

Ryan Briscoe: “I have always enjoyed racing in Texas and the No. 6 car always seems to do well there. I’m very much looking forward to racing there again, this time with Guidepoint Systems on board as our sponsor. With the added excitement of the Twin 275′s, it should be a great event. There is sure to be plenty of action and excitement for drivers and fans alike.”

Will Power: “I think this will be a very interesting weekend with the two-race format. The start of the second race is going to require a lucky draw to get a good starting position, so that will likely factor in on the outcome of that race. We have been working hard on finding speed and hopefully the Verizon car will have a good pace this weekend.”

- Team Penske, Press Release

Team Penske

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (May 29, 2011) –

All three cars had trouble during the 200-lap event. Ryan Briscoe was involved in an accident on the 158^th lap and was scored in 27^th place, Helio Castroneves lost a lap and spent a good portion of the race trying to return to lead-lap racing before he finished 17th, and Power fell behind early after he lost a wheel in the pits before he eventually raced back to finish 14^th.

“It was a tough day, but we’ve got to execute better,” said team owner Roger Penske. “It’s a great place to race, but a tough place to win.”

Power, who started fifth, lost a wheel on the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Honda during the team’s first pit stop on the 23^rd lap. The car eventually lost its brakes as a result of the mishap and the ensuing repairs left Power running a lap down to the race leaders. He continued to work hard and managed to battle back for the team’s top finish of the day.

“Our day went bad early when we had a problem in the pits that resulted in the wheel falling off as the Verizon car was leaving the pit lane,” said Power, who now has a 194-178 lead over Dario Franchitti in the series point standings. “That caused the brake line to get loose and I lost the brakes. When we came in to fix that I lost a lap. I fought hard all day trying to get that lap back, but it didn’t work out. It just wasn’t our day, unfortunately, but we’ll learn from this and come back strong at Texas.”

After starting 16^th, Castroneves fell a lap down, but he also experienced tire problems after the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske machine struck some debris following an accident. However, he regained the lap momentarily and held on to a 17^th-place finish.

“Well, we struggled a bit today in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car,” said Castroneves. “Unfortunately, the turbulence of our season continued today. First we had a vibration in the car, then an unscheduled pit stop and then a flat tire, which set us back. It was a tough result for Team Penske but I think we learned a lot today that should be valuable for us on the ovals. We’ll keep fighting and the results will come. We just have to keep working and we’ll get there.”

Briscoe actually looked to be in the best position to post a solid result for Team Penske. He went from a 26^th-place starting position to running inside the top-10 in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda midway through the race before making contact with Townsend Bell. It appeared that Bell swerved into Briscoe and both cars made contact with the wall as Briscoe’s day ended at Indy with contact for the second consecutive season.

“I saw Townsend brush the wall in Turn 4,” said Briscoe. “Everyone was going down the inside. I was just following through on the inside into Turn 1. I just think he didn’t know I was there and he just came down and pinched me. As soon as we made contact, the wheels interlocked. And that was it. It’s a shame. We were following our game plan and we looked to be positioned for a solid finish before that.”

Dan Wheldon claimed victory Sunday after rookie J.R. Hildebrand hit the wall on the final turn while heading for the checkered flag.

For Team Penske, which has won the Indianapolis 500 a record 15 times, Sunday’s results were disappointing. However, all three of the team’s drivers have shown good speed this season after five of 17 races in the IZOD IndyCar Series. The season resumes June 11 with the Firestone Twin 275s at Texas Motor Speedway.

- Team Penske, Press Release

Team Penske

FAST FACTS

Drivers: Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske), Ryan Briscoe (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske) and Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske)
Event: Indianapolis 500
he Indianapolis Motor Speedway
(2.5-mile superspeedway)

When: Sunday, May 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET (Live on ABC-TV)
TV/Radio: ABC/IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM Radio Channel 94

Team Penske at Indy: Team Penske is the most successful team in the history of competition at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team has earned a record 15 wins and 16 poles at the Indianapolis 500 and it holds virtually every performance-based record at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” including laps led (1,925), winning drivers (10), wins from the pole (7), front-row starts (39) and race starts (84). Drivers Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power will try to add to those records on Sunday.

Sweet 16? Team Penske will be looking to extend its record of 15 team victories at Indianapolis this Memorial Day weekend. If the team wins on Sunday, it would mark five consecutive decades with an Indy 500 victory for Penske Racing.

Going Four It: Castroneves will try and tie the all-time record of four victories on Sunday. Three other legends of racing have won four Indy 500s – Al Unser, A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears. Castroneves will have the benefit of having the last driver to win four times at the Brickyard in his corner. Mears is the longtime team advisor at Team Penske and he will also serve as one of the spotters for Castroneves at Indianapolis.

Helio Castroneves - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Power-ed Up for Indy: Verizon Team Penske driver Will Power fell just short of winning his fifth consecutive pole position to start the season during Pole Day qualifying last Saturday. But Power, the current IZOD IndyCar Series points leader, did earn his second consecutive top-five starting spot as he qualified fifth to lead Team Penske. The winner of two out of the first four races this season, Power will be searching for his first Indy 500 victory and first oval track win of his career on Sunday.

Briscoe’s Battles: It was an emotional roller coaster of a weekend for Ryan Briscoe last weekend. The fourth-year Team Penske driver had hoped to battle for the pole on Saturday but he made hard contact with the wall in the No. 6 IZOD car in morning practice, suffering bruised knees. His team rallied to prepare the backup car and Briscoe returned to the track just about an hour after the crash. The speed just wasn’t the same in the “T” car, however, and he was unable to qualify among the top 24 cars. Briscoe and the team came back strong on Sunday, however, and he will start from the 26^th position in the Indianapolis 500.

Ryan Briscoe - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor - Paul Powell

Follow the Leaders: Entering the Indy 500, Team Penske leads the IZOD IndyCar Series standings. After winning the last race on the streets of Sao Paulo and qualifying fifth at Indy, Power holds an 18-point edge (178-160) over Dario Franchitti in the championship rankings. After back-to-back podium finishes, Ryan Briscoe is ranked fifth in points, while Castroneves is 17^th in the standings after suffering contact in each of the first four races of the season,

Prime Partnerships: Team Penske is proud to welcome several new sponsors to its family in 2011. Joining Power’s No. 12 car team primary sponsor, Verizon, in the Team Penske stable this season, Shell V-Power and Pennzoil Ultra will compete as a sponsor of the No. 3 car driven by Castroneves beginning with the Indy 500. IZOD will once again serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 6 car driven by Briscoe at Indy. Team Penske also welcomes Guidepoint Systems, AAA, PPG and Penske Truck Rental as primary sponsors in 2011 along with new associate sponsors Meijer, Coca-Cola and Comfort Revolution.

Meijer Men: All three Team Penske drivers will sign autographs for fans at the Meijer store located at 150 S. Marlin Dr. in Greenwood, Ind. on Friday, May 27 from 6-7 p.m. ET.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

Will Power - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Helio Castroneves: “I am so excited about the opportunity to race in the 100^th anniversary of the Indy 500 this Sunday. We didn’t qualify the way we would’ve liked to for this race, but we certainly know that we have a fast car and it’s a very long race and so many things can happen. The No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra team has been working hard all month and we’re ready to go for it when we see the green flag this weekend.”

Ryan Briscoe: “It’s a huge honor to be racing in the 100th anniversary of the world’s biggest race. This is the most important race I’ve ever participated in – it could be the biggest of my career. With Roger calling the shots on Sunday, I know we have a good chance to win this historic race. I would love to give him his 16th Indianapolis 500 win on such a big day for IndyCar racing. And to do it while flying the IZOD colors – it’d be amazing.”

Will Power: “I feel honored to be a part of this historic race. This race is very important to Roger and there is nothing I would like better than to bring him another victory here at the Brickyard. The Verizon crew has been working diligently preparing the car and practicing pit stops. I am ready to race, the double file restarts are going to make it very interesting. The competition is going to be tough out there and this should be a great race.”

- Team Penske, Press Release

100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Logo

2011 IZOD IndyCar Series
100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500
Official Starting Lineup

INDIANAPOLIS - Results of qualifying Sunday for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Rank, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.2613 (227.472)

2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.3528 (227.340)

3. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.4727 (227.168)

4. (99) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.6696 (226.887)

5. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.7493 (226.773)

6. (98) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.9477 (226.171)

7. (44) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4431 (225.786)

8. (67) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.9137 (225.121)

9. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.0253 (226.379)

10. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4785 (225.736)

11. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5814 (225.590)

12. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5895 (225.579)

13. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5942 (225.572)

14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.7973 (225.285)

15. (11) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8223 (225.250)

16. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8464 (225.216)

17. (43) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0133 (224.981)

18. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.1907 (224.732)

19. (41) Bruno Junqueira, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2203 (224.691)

20. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3488 (224.511)

21. (88) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3685 (224.483)

22. (07) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4040 (224.433)

23. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4156 (224.417)

24. (78T) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4335 (224.392)

25. (23) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0433 (224.939)

26. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0987 (224.861)

27. (6T) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2572 (224.639)

28. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2648 (224.628)

29. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3574 (224.499)

30. (38) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4424 (224.380)

31. (19) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.7451 (223.957)

32. (36) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.7600 (223.936)

33. (24) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.8012 (223.879)

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Will Power in car prior to qualifying - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Power led the way for Team Penske by earning a spot in the “Fast Nine” and the right to fight for the pole at the end of the long day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He posted the fifth-fastest time in the pole shootout in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Honda and will start in the middle of the second row when the Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag on Sunday, May 29.

Unfortunately, Team Penske’s other two drivers were frustrated by Saturday’s results. Helio Castroneves, who posted the fastest lap of practice leading up to qualifying on Friday and was trying to win a record three Indy 500 poles in a row, will start 16^th in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car as the No. 3 Team Penske team just couldn’t find the speed it needed. Ryan Briscoe, who had the fourth-best lap of the week on Friday, crashed during the practice session before qualifying on Saturday morning and was unable to qualify his backup car among the top 24.

After posting an average speed that ranked seventh on the leaderboard in the opening segment of qualifying, Power recorded a four-lap average of 226.773 mph in the Verizon machine during the Fast Nine pole run. Alex Tagliani won the pole for Sam Schmidt Motorsports with an average speed of 227.472 mph.

“It was a bit of a surprising day really,” said Power, who saw his pole winning streak snapped at four races but secured his second consecutive top-five Indy 500 starting position. “We maybe got caught out a little, but the Verizon car was strong today and we have a great race car. I am really happy to be in the show. Row two is a good place to start this race. Congratulations to (Alex) Tagliani and Sam Schmidt – they have been showing good speed all week and they deserve to win this pole. Thanks to Verizon Team Penske for all they do to give me a shot at winning this historic race.”

Castroneves had a four-lap average of 225.216 mph in the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske Dallara/Honda. The three-time Indy champion was in line to qualify a second time and try to earn a spot in the Fast Nine when rain doused the 2.5-mile superspeedway, effectively ending the first segment of qualifying and locking in the top 24 starting spots.

“Well, to be honest, it was kind of a challenging day for the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra team,” said Castroneves. “We tried some different things today on the car and we didn’t get the speed we were hoping for. The weather also made things difficult and I think we could have improved our position and tried to make the top nine if the rain didn’t come before four o’clock. We have proven that we can win this race starting from outside the top-10 before and that’s certainly our goal now. We will focus on our strategy for the race over the next week and Team Penske will be ready next Sunday. I also want to say congratulations to Alex (Tagliani) and his team. Awesome job guys!”

Ryan Briscoe with Penske Racing President Tim Cindric - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

“Today was a really hard day,” said Briscoe. “After we lost the primary car, the team did everything they could to get the T car prepared in time to run a few laps before the end of practice this morning. After I got back on track, I got my confidence back very quickly. We just weren’t going to have the same speed in the T car as we did in the primary. We will work hard tonight and get after it tomorrow in the No. 6T IZOD Team Penske car.”

While the results weren’t what Team Penske was hoping for on Saturday, the team and its drivers remained optimistic about winning the historic running of the race.

“Roger (Penske) loves this track,” said Power, who put things in perspective for the team that has won the Indy 500 a record 15 times. “He loves this place. He loves to get the pole. He loves to win. It’s such a long race. You can most definitely make up a lot of positions in this race. The pole would have been great, but I would really rather have a really good race car.”

The final nine Indy 500 starting positions will be determined during Sunday’s Bump Day qualifying session, which begins at 12 pm ET.

The 100^th anniversary Indy 500 will be seen live on ABC beginning at 12 pm ET on May 29.

- Team Penske, Press Release

100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Logo

IZOD IndyCar Series 100th Annversary
Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Results

INDIANAPOLIS – Results of qualifying Saturday for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Rank, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.2613 (227.472)

2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.3528 (227.340)

3. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.4727 (227.168)

4. (99) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.6696 (226.887)

5. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.7493 (226.773)

6. (98) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.9477 (226.171)

7. (44) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4431 (225.786)

8. (67) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.9137 (225.121)

9. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.0253 (226.379)

10. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4785 (225.736)

11. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5814 (225.590)

12. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5895 (225.579)

13. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5942 (225.572)

14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.7973 (225.285)

15. (11) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8223 (225.250)

16. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8464 (225.216)

17. (43) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0133 (224.981)

18. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.1907 (224.732)

19. (41) Bruno Junqueira, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2203 (224.691)

20. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3488 (224.511)

21. (88) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3685 (224.483)

22. (07) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4040 (224.433)

23. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4156 (224.417)

24. (78T) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4335 (224.392)

- INDYCAR, Press Release

Team Penske

FAST FACTS

Drivers: Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske), Ryan Briscoe (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske) and Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske)

Event: Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

(2.5-mile superspeedway)

When: Qualifying – Saturday, May 21 beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET (Live on Versus)

TV/Radio: Versus-TV/IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM Radio Channel 94

Pole Pursuit: Team Penske has earned a record 16 poles at the Indianapolis 500 and the team will be looking to extend that record on Saturday, May 21, on Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Team Penske has won the pole at Indy in four out of the last five years including the last two years in a row with Helio Castroneves.

Power-ful Streak: Verizon Team Penske driver Will Power will try to secure his fifth consecutive pole to start the season on Saturday. Power has won the pole at St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Long Beach and Sao Paulo, Brazil – all road or street courses – this season. Power, who won his first oval pole position last year at Iowa Speedway, qualified second in the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Power, the current IZOD IndyCar Series points leader, has also won two out of the first four races this season.

Helio’s Home Away From Home: Castroneves continues to excel at Indianapolis. Not only is he a three-time winner of the Indy 500, the native of Sao Paulo, Brazil is also four-time pole winner at the Brickyard and he’ll be looking to establish a new record with a third straight pole on Saturday. Recently voted as the fifth-best driver in Indianapolis 500 history, Castroneves will fight for his fifth career Indy pole this weekend.

Sweet 16? Team Penske will be looking to extend its record of 15 team victories at Indianapolis this Memorial Day weekend. If the team wins on Sunday, May 29, it would mark five consecutive decades with an Indy 500 victory for Penske Racing.

Going Four It: Castroneves will try and tie the all-time record of four victories at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Three other legends of racing have won four Indy 500s – Al Unser, A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears. Castroneves will have the benefit of having the last driver to win four times at the Brickyard in his corner. Mears is the longtime team advisor at Team Penske and he will also serve as one of the spotters for Castroneves at Indianapolis.

Pit Perfect: On Friday, May 27 – Carburetion Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Team Penske will try to extend its record and win its 13^th title in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge. Helio Castroneves and the No. 3 Team Penske crew have won the last four consecutive pit stop competitions at Indianapolis.

Follow the Leaders: Entering the Indy 500, Team Penske leads the IZOD IndyCar Series standings. After winning the last race on the streets of Sao Paulo, Power holds a 14-point edge (168-154) over Dario Franchitti in the championship rankings. After back-to-back podium finishes, Ryan Briscoe is ranked fifth in points, while Castroneves is 17^th in the standings after suffering contact in each of the first four races of the season.

Prime Partnerships: Team Penske is proud to welcome several new sponsors to its family in 2011. Joining Power’s No. 12 car team primary sponsor, Verizon, in the Team Penske stable this season, Shell V-Power and Pennzoil Ultra will compete as a sponsor of the No. 3 car driven by Castroneves beginning with the Indy 500. IZOD will once again serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 6 car driven by Briscoe at Indy. Team Penske also welcomes Guidepoint Systems, AAA, PPG and Penske Truck Rental as primary sponsors in 2011 along with new associate sponsors Meijer, Coca-Cola and Comfort Revolution.

Meijer Men: All three Team Penske drivers will make three appearances for new team partner, Meijer, during the month of May. Castroneves, Briscoe and Power will all signed autographs for fans at the Meijer store located at 10841 Rockville Rd. in Avon, Ind. on Tuesday, May 17. The Penske trio will also appear at the Meijer store located at 8375 E. 96th St. in Indianapolis on Wednesday, May 25 from 6-7 p.m. ET and at the Meijer located at 150 S. Marlin Dr. in Greenwood, Ind. on Friday, May 27 from 6-7 p.m. ET.

Visit Us at Verizon: Power, Castroneves and Briscoe will also meet with fans and sign autographs at the Verizon store located at 313 Metropolis Mile, Suite 105 in Plainfield, Ind. on Tuesday, May 24, from 7:30-8:30 pm ET.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

Roger Penske: “Our team has built its history around our success at the Indianapolis 500 and this is truly a special opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this great race. There is so much tradition and history at Indianapolis but that is just part of what makes this event so unique. Our teams have been working hard to prepare for the Indy 500 and we believe we have three cars and three drivers that are very capable of winning this race. I am looking forward to an exciting few weeks.”

Helio Castroneves: “Indianapolis is such special place and it has definitely been significant for me and my career. This year promises to be really big, with the 100th anniversary adding an air of excitement surrounding not only the race, but all of the great events associated with it. Team Penske has some terrific history at Indy with Shell-Pennzoil and I am going to do my best to add to that legacy in the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil-Ultra car. Indianapolis is the perfect place for me to turn my season around and I can’t wait to get that opportunity.”

Ryan Briscoe: “I’m obviously very excited to run this historic event – it could very well be the biggest race of my life. I’m also very focused and determined to run well and put myself in a position towards the end of the race that will allow me to challenge for the win. The No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car has been fast everywhere this year and our team’s hard work has started to pay off over the last couple of events. We are going to do our best to bring home another strong finish for the team.”

Will Power: “Yeah, this is going to be a pretty big deal, with the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 – the biggest race in the world. Our No. 12 Verizon car should be better than it was last year and it was pretty good in 2010. Team Penske has been working really hard and we should be in great shape for this race. It is such a long event. We have plenty of time to practice before we qualify so we should be able to sort our car out. The race itself is also really long which means that we just have to be smart and be there at the end. It should be a pretty good few weeks. I’m really looking forward to it.”

- Team Penske, Press Release