The 2010 Indianapolis 500, which is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and broadcast live on ABC and the IMS Radio Network. It is the second edition of the race during the track’s Centennial Era, a three-year celebration that honors the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track in 1909 and the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

Of Interest:

•Can Helio make it four? Helio Castroneves will attempt this year to become just the fourth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. Castroneves earned his third victory in 2009. His other wins came in his first two starts in the event – in 2001 and 2002. All of his victories have come for Team Penske and owner Roger Penske, who is the winningest team owner in Indianapolis 500 history, with 15 victories.

•Women’s movement. There could be a record five women in the Indianapolis 500 field this season. Attempting to qualify will be veterans Danica Patrick for Andretti Autosport, Sarah Fisher for Sarah Fisher Racing and Milka Duno for Dale Coyne Racing, and rookies Simona de Silvestro for HVM Racing and Ana Beatriz for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

•IZOD creating momentum. This is the first Indianapolis 500 with clothing brand IZOD as title sponsor of the open-wheel series for which this event is the crown jewel. The IZOD IndyCar Series has gained tremendous momentum this season, thanks in part to IZOD’s aggressive promotion and advertising across a variety of mediums.

•Dramatic qualifying. An exciting new qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500, featuring a 90-minute “shootout” in which the nine fastest cars make a dramatic, late-day run for the PEAK Performance Pole Award, will debut Saturday, May 22 on Pole Day. A substantial increase in prize money – $175,000 – also will be offered to the pole winner, with money also awarded to the other two front-row qualifiers. IZOD IndyCar Series points also will be awarded after qualifying to all 33 drivers who earn a spot in the starting field. The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be available through traditional four-lap attempts from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (ET) on Pole Day. The times of the top nine drivers from the first segment of qualifying will be erased at 4 p.m., with all of those competitors guaranteed to start no worse than ninth in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 30. “The Fast Nine” then will be required to make at least one four-lap qualifying attempt between 4:30-6 p.m. Each driver’s best run during the 90-minute session will set their position within the top nine spots on the starting grid.

•Roberts driving Pace Car. “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts will drive the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car to lead the field of 33 starters to the green flag in the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Roberts is just the second woman to be honored with Pace Car-driving duties, following model Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp in 2001.

•Fathers and sons. There will be two father-son tandems as owners and drivers in this year’s Indianapolis 500. Marco Andretti will attempt to qualify for Andretti Autosport, owned by his legendary father, Michael Andretti. Graham Rahal will attempt to qualify for Rahal Letterman Racing, owned by his legendary father, 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal. While Marco Andretti has driven for his father’s team since his rookie year in 2006, this will be the first IZOD IndyCar Series start with RLR for Graham Rahal, who started the race in 2008 and 2009 for Newman/Haas Racing.

•Action-packed schedule. The 2010 Indianapolis 500 will feature a two-week event schedule that provides an opening week of busy daily track activity, two pressure-packed days of qualifications and a traditional Race Week format that includes all of the pageantry of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” There will be 12 days of on-track action during the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, starting on Indianapolis Star Opening Day, Saturday, May 15 and continuing through Race Day, Sunday, May 30.

•1-2-3 finish? No team ever has swept the top three spots in the Indianapolis 500. Could the powerful Team Penske, with drivers Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, achieve the feat? Castroneves has won the race three times, and Power leads the IZOD IndyCar Series points this season, with two victories. Penske teams also have won the Indianapolis 500 a record 15 times.

•Andretti and Petty: John Andretti will drive in an entry this May owned by his cousin Indianapolis 500 veteran and Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti and seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty. It’s the second consecutive year Petty has been one of the owners of John Andretti’s entry but the first year John has driven for his cousin Michael.

•The Greatest Spectacle. The Indianapolis 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the world’s largest spectator-sporting facility in the world, with more than 250,000 permanent seats.

•Snake Pit returns. The Snake Pit is returning to the Indianapolis 500 in 2010 as the premier party spot for the race. The Snake Pit was an unofficial, unorganized and usually unruly area for partying in the infield adjacent to Turn 1 during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. This year, it returns in Turn 3 as an officially sanctioned spot with live music, tailgating and partying on Race Day, May 30.

•Miller Lite Carb Day. Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 28, once again will be one of the best all-action, party days of the year in Indianapolis. Activity starts at 11 a.m. with final Indianapolis 500 practice and continues at 12:30 p.m. with the Firestone Freedom 100 race for the Firestone Indy Lights series. The popular Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge takes place at 1:30 p.m., and the day wraps up with the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring legendary Texas blues rockers ZZ Top. It’s all included in the admission price of just $10.

•Great deal. The Indianapolis 500 remains one of the best fan values in sports in the world. Admission on practice days is just $5, with admission on Pole Day, Bump Day and Miller Lite Carb Day just $10. A general admission ticket for Race Day is just $20. Children 5 and under are free on all days except Race Day.

•Cool tunes. The Month of May at Indianapolis 500 features a diverse lineup of musical talent, including national acts ZZ Top, Everclear and Eddie Money, and a wide variety of regional and local bands. ZZ Top is the premier show of the month, headling the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Friday, May 28. Everclear will play the Coca-Cola Stage in the Speedway’s Pagoda Plaza on Indianapolis Star Opening Day, Saturday, May 15, while Eddie Money will play one week later – Pole Day, Saturday, May 22. Other bands scheduled to play include Psychodots (May 16), The Elms (May 21), Jon E. Gee Band (May 21), Healing Sixes (May 22), Rapid Fire (May 23), No More Goodbyes (May 23). All musical performances are free with admission to the IMS grounds for the day.

•Work of art. Indianapolis artist Walter Knabe is the first Indiana-based artist to be named the Official Artist of the Indianapolis 500. Knabe created the cover art for the Official Program, using a screenprint technique he learned during his five years of work at “The Factory” in New York with the legendary Andy Warhol. Knabe’s work has earned universal acclaim and appeal. Warhol and pop artist Keith Haring commissioned Knabe to create artwork for them, and he has designed custom work for Madonna and Michael Jordan, among other clients. Walter Knabe Studios has been located in Indianapolis for the last 15 years and has become a trusted resource for high-profile collectors and interior designers.

•Loyal fans. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has contacted some of its most longtime, loyal Indianapolis 500 fans, many of whom have purchased tickets for more than 60 consecutive years for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Their stories of personal Race Day rituals and traditions are fascinating, compelling and filled with anecdotes.

•Win big. Indianapolis 500 fans can win more than 180 prizes, including the grand prize of an all-expenses VIP trip to 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 in 2011, in the Race to Victory Lane 2010 Indianapolis 500® Mile Race Sweepstakes. Fans can enter the Sweepstakes once per day through May 31, 2010, either online at www.indy500.com/race2victory or by texting SWEEPS to 234500.

•Rookie crop: As many as seven drivers could vie for the Chase Rookie of the Year Award in this year’s race. Rookies assigned to entries: Bertrand Baguette and Mario Romancini (Conquest Racing), Ana Beatriz (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), Takuma Sato (KV Racing Technology), Jay Howard (Sarah Fisher Racing), Sebastian Saavedra (Bryan Herta Autosport) and Simona De Silvestro (Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing).

•Golf, anyone? Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, the Pete Dye-designed championship course located on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, remains open for public play on many days in May. Playing 18 holes on the course, which includes four holes inside the famous IMS oval, while IZOD IndyCar Series cars are on track for practice creates the memory of a lifetime for golfers.

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2010 Indy 500 tickets: Tickets for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, scheduled for Sunday, May 30, are on sale now. Race Day ticket prices start at just $20.

Fans can order tickets online at imstix.com, call the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visit the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Online orders can be made at any time. Hours for phone orders and the ticket office are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.