Our coverage of the race begins with a look at the pole positions (see the following chart). Three out of five of the top spots are held by past winners (highlighted in green)…who also happen to have the most experience driving on this track. Will this experience prove to be the most important factor in the outcome? We’ll answer that question later in this article. Drivers and cars which will leave the field due to contact or mechanical difficulties are highlighted in orange. Two substitutions occurred prior to race day: James Davidson replaced Dale Coyne’s Carlos Huertas and veteran driver Ryan Briscoe stepped in to replace the injured James Hinchcliffe (who we hope is recovering). Scott Dixon’s qualifying speed of 226.7 mph was not the fastest ever recorded…and some probably looked to him as the favorite to win…but as we will see, a lot can happen during a 500 mile race.