With high heat, the new Dallara cars on the track for its first oval race, extreme competition and competitive storylines, there are plenty of “Hot Spots” in Sunday’s 96th Indianapolis 500.

CAN’T BEAT THE HEAT

By the time the Indianapolis 500 gets rolling it could be the hottest temperature in the 101-year history of this race with temperatures expected to reach 96 degrees. That means drivers will face challenging and slippery track conditions as well as be physically drained by the high heat.

“The heat on is going to be for sure the biggest factor,” said Ryan Hunter-Reay who starts on the outside of the front row. “It’s going to be one that changes the balance of the race cars through the race.  It will either, I think, make or break your race.  We have to make sure that we run 500 miles with no errors, good pit stops and be there in the end to fight it out."

PUNCHING A HOLE IN THE AIR

The biggest impact of the Dallara chassis is it punches a huge hole in the air, which creates a slipstream or “tow” for the cars that are following. This should produce some incredible competition.

“The hot spot will be lead changes,” pole sitter Ryan Briscoe said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a record number of lead changes in the race.”

TURN 1

After zooming down the long frontstraight of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s into the most famous turn in racing.

“When you go into Turn 1, if you don’t time yourself right and get slowed down in the short chute and you have to come off the throttle when you come off of Turn 2 you will be a sitting duck,” said Tagliani, the 2011 pole sitter who is starting 11th this year. “To me, Turn 1 is always the hardest turn because we always have a headwind going into Turn 1 and rarely do we have a headwind going into Turn 3. When you get a headwind on the nose of the car it is pinned to the track. If you have a tailwind going into Turn 3 it’s always easier to drive with a push.”

Although all four corners look the same they are far from identical.

“It depends on the wind but typically it’s Turn 1,” Briscoe said. “There are a lot more grandstands into Turn 1 and it feels more enclosed while Turn 3 seems like an open road.”

TURN 3

Just as Turn 1 is at the end of a long straightway, the third turn is the key point after coming down the long backstretch.

“Turns 1 and 3 will be where all the action will be,” said Team Penske’s Will Power. “Everyone is wide open. I think the two turns are very similar but they are different, too. It’s still a one-groove race track but it would be nice if this car lets you open up another groove.”

ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Because of the huge impact the “tow” will have in the race many cars that don’t have the speed on their own will be sucked up to the rear of the car in front because of the drafting effect.

“If you can be within two car-lengths to a guy that tow will make you pass him but if you are three car-lengths to a guy that will pull you to the rear of the next car and that is where the accordion effect starts,” Tagliani explained. “And that will affect the 10 cars behind you and I think that is how those new wings with the turbulence and big tows will change the outcome of this race dramatically.”

Because of that, it will create an Indy 500 where no single driver should dominate.

LONG STRAIGHTAWAYS WILL BE THE PLACE TO PASS

Another byproduct of the new car should provide plenty of action on the two long straightaways.

“The hot spot to me will be the two straightaways after 2 and after 4 because with 33 cars there will situations on the race track where cars will have to come off the throttle because of traffic, because of passing people, because he is passing people with newer tires and drivers on older tires will be sliding around and you will have to lift and the turbo lag will kill your speed,” Tagliani said. “It’s going to be crazy.”

FUEL ECONOMY THE KEY ON A BUSY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Fuel economy will be important for the drivers and teams in the race, especially toward the end of the 200-lap contest when many of the cars will be trying to make it to the checkered flag without having to make one more pit stop. The past three Indianapolis 500s have been determined by fuel strategy, including Helio Castroneves’ third Indy win in 2009, Dario Franchitti’s second Indy 500 title in 2010 and the late Dan Wheldon’s stunning and dramatic victory last year.

“The driver that is capable of saving 2 gallons on you if he saves enough fuel he will leapfrog by you no matter what,” Tagliani said. “The more you save the better it is. You can go longer on green or two a quicker stop to pack up. The fuel strategy will determine the race.”

“The driver can determine the race by saving fuel as well but I’m not always a fan of fuel races,” Briscoe said. “But you have to be prepared for that.”