1. INDYCAR Conference Call with Simon Pagenaud

2. Conway to drive for Coyne at Detroit

3. Andretti vaults to top of standings

4. Of note

1. INDYCAR Conference Call with Simon Pagenaud: Earlier today, IZOD IndyCar Series driver Simon Pagenaud participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to discuss the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season and preview the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans on June 1 and 2. Selected quotes from the call are below.

Q. Simon, you started the season off with a DNF, but rebounded nicely with four straight top-10 finishes. How important is the doubleheader at Detroit to your season?

SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, certainly it has been an interesting season for everybody. For the (IZOD) IndyCar (Series) championship also. There's a lot of new faces on the board.

All the teams have raised their games. Everybody is doing a great job. It's interesting to see how it's going at the moment. We're very happy with four top-10 finishes. Hopefully we can continue to go forward on the ladder.

This weekend is going to be very, very important. Two races in one weekend, that's a lot of points, and a good opportunity for us to march our way through.

Q. You finished on the podium last year in Detroit. The course has been changed a little bit from what it was last year. Do you have all the tools capable of getting back to the podium or even winning your first race?

SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, as I said, all the teams have improved a lot. We did improve also. But it's certainly a lot tighter than it was last year. There's a lot more drivers and cars capable of winning, which makes it difficult for everybody to expect finishing on top of the podium.

That's certainly the goal. When you go racing, you go and expect to win. So the goal for Detroit is to show up there and be as competitive as we were last year, hopefully qualify in the (Firestone) Fast Six, try to contend for the win in both races.

Q. The doubleheader, the format poses a new challenge for you. Obviously there's two races. Qualifying is on Friday, For Saturday, it's not knockout qualifying, but straight qualifying session on Saturday and then the race, then you race again on Sunday. You come from a background of endurance racing. Have you been taking an endurance racing approach to two races in 24 hours?

SIMON PAGENAUD: It's going to be physically and mentally very demanding, not only for the drivers but for the crew and for the car. The biggest thing is if you crash in qualifying, then you can't really go racing.

It's going to be very important to take as much risk as possible without crashing the car because that would be quite dramatic on the event itself.

I'm looking forward to it. There's a lot of points available, obviously. Detroit is a racetrack I really enjoy being at, driving on. So, yeah, it should be an interesting weekend.

But the approach, it's still to attack as much as possible, because that's what everybody is going to do.

2. Conway to drive for Coyne at Detroit: Mike Conway will join Dale Coyne Racing for the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans this weekend on the 2.3-mile, 13-turn Belle Isle circuit.

Conway, who last drove at Long Beach in April for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (started fifth; retired with electrical issue), will drive the Honda-powered No. 18 car in the 25-car field.

"I am very thankful for this opportunity with Dale and look forward to having a race weekend where I will have two chances to race with my fellow competitors," said Conway, who started 15th and finished ninth at Belle Isle last year in an A.J. Foyt Racing-prepared car.  "I miss being in the car full time, and teaming with Justin (Wilson) again will be quite exciting for me."

Conway and Wilson, who finished third at Long Beach and is coming off a fifth-place finish in the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, were teammates at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in 2010.

The No. 18 car had been driven the first five races of the season by Ana Beatriz, who was the biggest mover in the Indianapolis 500 by advancing 14 positions to finish 15th. Team owner Dale Coyne said the team is looking at several combinations for summer and fall races.

"First, I want to say what a great job Bia has done in the No. 18 car," Coyne said.  "I think it was beneficial to run concurrent races with Bia where she could truly show her competitiveness as she did in Brazil and Indy. We are also excited to have a street course racer like Mike Conway join our efforts. Mike has shown over the years how competitive he can be on all types of circuits and we look forward to having our all-English team go at it at Belle Isle."

Conway, who will make his 55th and 56th IZOD IndyCar Series starts in the inaugural series doubleheader June 1 and 2, won the 2011 Long Beach race. He has 13 top-10 finishes over his IZOD IndyCar Series career.

3. Andretti vaults to top of standings: Consistency has paved the way for Marco Andretti to climb to the top of the championship standings with top-seven finishes, including podiums on two street courses, in each of the five races. He leads Takuma Sato of A.J. Foyt Racing by 11 points and Team Penske's Helio Castroneves by 16.

"It's great to head to Belle Isle with the points lead. We need to keep the momentum going with consistency," said Andretti, who last year at Belle Isle advanced from 22nd on the starting grid to finish 11th. "The new layout should be good for passing so we're looking forward to two great races for the fans."

4. Of note: Quicken Loans' President and Chief Marketing Officer Jay Farner will be the grand marshal for the June 1 race. ... Helio Castroneves has two victories, including his first in Indy car competition, and two pole starts at Belle Isle.... In four starts at Belle Isle, Scott Dixon has one win (2012), two poles, two top-fives and three top-10 finishes.

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The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday June 2 at the The Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. Both races will be televised live at 3:30 p.m. (ET) by ABC  and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211 and www.indycar.com. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Milwaukee 100 on Saturday, June 15 at The Milwaukee Mile. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network at 3 p.m. (ET) on June 15.