Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Qualifying results || Starting lineup, tire designation || Complete Month of May calendar

Twitter: @IMS, #GPofIndy; @IndyCar, #IndyCar

Weather forecast: Partly cloudy; high in low 70s

Circuit: 2.439 miles, 14 turns (five left and nine right) ... 2,869-foot frontstretch; 2,503-foot backstretch

Race laps: 82 (200 miles) in clockwise direction

Start: Standing start on frontstretch, crossing the Yard of Bricks. There's 2,200 feet from the first row to Turn 1 entrance ... second standing start of season (Long Beach) ... restarts will be single file. Anatomy of standing start

Tires: Firestone has supplied the same primary tire construction used at Barber Motorsports Park for the April 27 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, with a more durable tread compound. The alternate tires, which will be used at Mid-Ohio in August, provide more grip for the trade-off of quicker degradation.

Pit box dimensions: 47 x 14 feet

Race day fuel: 70 U.S. gallons of E85 ... Verizon IndyCar Series cars carry 18.5 U.S. gallons

Radio/web: Race broadcast on IMS Radio Network affiliates, XM 209 and Sirius 213, www.indycar.com and INDYCAR 14 app (both in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring). Paul Page is the chief announcer.

Verizon P1 Award: Sebastian Saavedra, driving the No. 17 AFS KV AFS Racing car (1:23.8822) in Firestone Fast Six on rain-soaked, slick track.

He said it: "After getting more time on this track, I think the restarts are going to be incredibly exciting," said Simon Pagenaud, driver of the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports car, who will start on Row 2 and set the lap record in qualifying on the reconfigured course. "We can definitely run side by side for quite a while around here. We're going to put on a good show for the fans. With such a long straight line before you reach Turn 1, there's an opportunity for teams to pick a level of downforce that's different from the competition to get an advantage. It's going to add another element of intrigue on race day."

Notable: A 2014 Corvette Stingray convertible will serve as the pace car. A Corvette has been a pace car for the Indianapolis 500 a record 12 times, starting in 1978. A 2014 Corvette Stingray paced the Indianapolis 500 field last year. ... There have been three different race winners in the three races this season. Will Power of Team Penske, who has finished first, second and fifth, is the series championship points leader. ... Helio Castroneves marks his 39th birthday on race day. ... About 18 hours after the checkered flag flies on the Grand Prix, the 2.5-mile oval opens for the initial practice session for the 98th Indianapolis 500. Verizon IndyCar Series team owner and Indianapolis 500 veteran Sarah Fisher will be the honorary starter for the noon-6 p.m. session Mother's Day. Fisher and husband Andy O'Gara are expecting their second child June 19.

Spectator viewing primer: In addition to permanent and temporary seating locations that offer multiple-turn views, spectators will have great vantage points by roaming the grounds. New viewing mounds were established near the oval Turn 2 exit, where spectators get a great view of cars going through the weaving Turns 8-10 before upshifting to enter the oval short chute. Spectator mounds also are located at the end of the fronstretch (where during the Open Test last week cars reached 196 mph) entering the hard right-hand Turn 1 (a driver-identified overtaking zone) and near the Turns 2-6 complex (exiting the chicane drivers upshift for the Hulman Boulevard straight). Spectators also can see the Turns 12-14 section (just to the west of the museum); Turn 14 rejoins the frontstretch at the oval Turn 1 entrance.

Race day bonus: The Celebration of Automobiles Vintage and Classic Car Show returns to the Speedway, with this year's edition featuring entries from racing luminaries Bobby Rahal and Ray Evernham. Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Al Unser is the honorary judge. The collection in the infield is free to race day ticket-holders.