The “Hot Spots” are not only on the racetrack but also in the garage area and on the race cars that will compete in the Firestone 550 on the 1.5-mile oval.

DOWNFORCE LEVEL WILL BE IMPORTANT

INDYCAR officials have made several adjustments this weekend to the aerodynamic setup of the new Dallara car, including a one-eighth-inch-tall wicker that will add downforce.

“I like it; it’s definitely in the right direction,” said IZOD IndyCar Series championship leader Will Power, who starts fifth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car. “You are taking the right race line and thinking about driving and being on top of the car the whole time. It’s what we have been looking for around here. It is tougher around here.

"People are used to being flat and driving around the white line. The race is definitely going to be different than normal. I think things will be spread out and there will be more people with better mechanical setups that will come through the field. I think that is the type of racing will be. It won’t be a pack race, but I think it will be good.”

BREAK UP THE PACK

After the 15-car crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October, major changes have been made to break up pack racing. One way was to make the cars harder to drive and put the control back in the drivers' hands.

“There is no way with this configuration it will be a pack race,” Power said. “There will be passing as cars go off and people run different lanes. After that, it will be good racing.”

“I think it will be better racing – it won’t be fake racing,” Scott Dixon said. “When you see passes they will be complete passes now and not cars stuck side-by-side.”

PIT ROAD HAS IMPROVED BUT STILL HAS ITS CHALLENGES

Drivers have been critical of the bumpiness on pit road, the hard entrance onto pit lane and the abrupt entrance back onto the banking. Changes have been made to correct those issues, but some challenges remain.

“It’s dark on pit road because the lights are aimed out on the track,” Ed Carpenter said. “That is one thing that makes it hard. The other thing is it is bumpy on pit road. I know that in my pit box you can hardly see so if there is a car behind you have to go slow to keep it safe. It’s been a hard track for a while with the way the banking falls off in the corner it’s been a challenge for quite awhile.”

TURN 1 MAY BE THE BEST PLACE TO PASS

With the current downforce package and aerodynamic changes, either end of the track will be difficult so where are the best places to pass?

“I don’t think we know that yet,” James Hinchcliffe said. “On the old package the best place to pass was coming off Turn 4.”

“You can pass everywhere here,” Dixon said. “A lot of us tried to get the high line working and that will be tough. Your passing zones will be exit of Turn 2 and exit of Turn 4.”