Meijer Indy 300 presented by Red Baron and Edy’sStarting this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, IndyCar Series teams will have aerodynamic options at their disposal that potentially will accentuate side-by-side racing and increase overtaking on ovals. Teams can add tire ramps, sidepod extensions and wheel in-fills – as a package or in any combination in qualifying and/or the race -- to the cars for the remaining four 1.5-mile oval racetracks this season.Last lap, last turn, last corner

Last year, Scott Dixon passed Helio Castroneves exiting the final turn of the 200-lap race at Kentucky Speedway to steal the victory. Dixon, who led 151 laps after starting from the pole, found himself running third for most of the final 30 laps. When he exited pit lane after a splash of 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol on Lap 194, Dixon was more than 6 seconds behind Castroneves, who had last pitted on Lap 143. Castroneves ran out of fuel on the final lap and couldn’t hold off the charging Dixon. It was Castroneves’ seventh runner-up finish.Newman/Haas/Lanigan aims for another 1-2 start

Now in its second year of IndyCar Series competition, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing continues to build on its oval package. Earlier this season, the cars of Graham Rahal and Robert Doornbos swept the front row at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway. Can the team find similar success in qualifying at Kentucky Speedway, another tri-oval with similar banking?

No repeat pole winner at KentuckyIn the nine previous years that Kentucky Speedway has hosted an IndyCar Series event, not a single driver has been able to amass more than one pole start. Five previous polesitters are entered: Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2007), Helio Castroneves (2006), Danica Patrick (2005) and Sarah Fisher (2002). Will one of these drivers be the first to repeat or will someone else top the charts in PEAK Performance Pole Qualifying?

Teams return to oval racingAfter a month of natural-terrain road courses and bumpy temporary street circuits, the IndyCar Series prepares to tackle a 1.5-mile oval. How will teams adjust to the return of high-speed oval racing after a month of turning both left and right?

Wheldon aims to add another 1.5-mile win to his rosterOf the six 1.5-mile ovals on the schedule, Dan Wheldon has yet to win at two – Kentucky Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The pairing of Wheldon with the team that gave him his IndyCar Series start, Panther Racing, could do the trick this weekend. Wheldon has earned nine wins on 1.5-mile ovals while Panther Racing has 10 wins with drivers Scott Goodyear, Sam Hornish Jr. and Tomas Scheckter. Can Wheldon and Panther Racing find the winning combination at Kentucky?

The Meijer Indy 300 will be the 10th IndyCar Series event conducted at Kentucky Speedway. Previous race winners entered are: Scott Dixon (2008) and Tony Kanaan (2007).Previous pole winners entered are: Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2007), Helio Castroneves (2006), Danica Patrick (2005) and Sarah Fisher (2002).

Twenty drivers entered in the event have competed in previous IndyCar Series races at Kentucky. Nine of those drivers have led laps: Tony Kanaan (285), Scott Dixon (177), Dan Wheldon (176), Dario Franchitti (52), Marco Andretti (40), Helio Castroneves (40), Sarah Fisher (35), Tomas Scheckter (9) and Danica Patrick (1).

Three drivers will make their first IndyCar Series start at Kentucky: Mike Conway, Robert Doornbos and Raphael Matos.Season-to-Date:  Twenty-five drivers have recorded top-10 finishes. Fourteen drivers have recorded top-five finishes. The top 10 drivers in points come from six teams. Will Power earned his first IndyCar Series victory at Edmonton. His previous-best finish was second at Long Beach earlier this season. Scott Dixon finished third at Edmonton, his seventh consecutive top-five finish. Robert Doornbos leads the Rookie of the Year standings by three points over Raphael Matos (197-194).

Dario Franchitti earned his 11th career IndyCar Series victory and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 30th IndyCar Series victory in the race at Toronto. Ryan Briscoe has finished second in five of the last seven races, including Toronto. Ryan Hunter-Reay finished seventh at Toronto, his best finish since joining A.J. Foyt Racing at Iowa.

Justin Wilson gave Dale Coyne Racing its first career open wheel win at Watkins Glen. It was the first victory for a team other than Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing since Wilson won Aug. 31, 2008 at Belle Isle in a Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing car, a streak of 10 points races and one non-points race. Dario Franchitti finished 15th at Watkins Glen, just his second finish outside the top 10 this season. He finished 18th at Kansas. Scott Dixon’s win at Richmond gives him two or more victories in three consecutive seasons. Ryan Briscoe earned his third career victory and Team Penske’s 30th IndyCar Series victory in the season opener at St. Petersburg. With his pole at St. Petersburg this season, Graham Rahal became the youngest polesitter in IndyCar Series history at the age of 20 years, 90 days.

Milestones & Records: Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 109th consecutive start, the active leader among IndyCar Series drivers. Scott Dixon has 26 consecutive top-10 starts. Ryan Briscoe’s 11th place start at Toronto ended his series of 17 consecutive top-10 starts. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 32. Scott Dixon has tied Sam Hornish Jr. for most career victories at 19. Andretti Green Racing’s next victory will be its 35th. The team ranks first in the IndyCar Series.

A victory in 2009 will give Tony Kanaan a victory in seven consecutive seasons, becoming the fourth driver to do so. Helio Castroneves has 71 career top-five finishes, the most in IndyCar Series history. Helio Castroneves has 95 top-10 finishes, the most in IndyCar Series history. Helio Castroneves has led 76 races, the most in IndyCar Series history. Helio Castroneves has at least one race victory in each of the last nine seasons, an IndyCar Series record. Helio Castroneves has at least one victory from the pole in each of the last eight seasons, an IndyCar Series record. His eight career wins from the pole is also a record. Helio Castroneves has 27 career poles, the most in IndyCar Series history. Helio Castroneves ranks second all-time with 106 races running at the finish. Scott Sharp holds the record with 111. Helio Castroneves ranks second all-time with 3,204 laps led. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 3,428.

At-Track Schedule (all times local):

Friday, July 311:15-3:45 p.m. – IndyCar Series practice5:45 p.m. – PEAK Performance Pole Qualifying9-9:45 p.m. – IndyCar Series Practice

Saturday, August 14 p.m. – IndyCar Series systems check8 p.m. – IndyCar Series pre-race8:45 p.m. – Meijer Indy 300 (200 laps /300 miles)