There are some tangible conclusions that can be drawn for the driver who wins the 92nd Indianapolis 500 pole position this weekend:

♦He (or Danica) is a legitimate contender to win. More winners have come from the pole than from any other starting spot. Two of the last four winners have come from the pole, and six in the last 20 years.

♦He (or Danica) will be at least $100,000 richer. That's the traditional paycheck for the pole, but the pride of the achievement is worth more.

♦He (or Danica) is guaranteed nothing on Race Day. The difference in the setup for cars between pole day and race day isn't as significant as the difference between IndyCar and NASCAR. But if you're a mechanic, it's just as dramatic.

When it comes to the Indy 500 pole, there's special meaning that doesn't exist for other races. And anyone who believes he or she has a shot this Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will stop at nothing to achieve it.

“With more cars and with a deeper field, we're going to see a lot of cars that think they can go for the pole,” fan favorite driver Danica Patrick said. “A pole run is not out of the question at all.”

Patrick is among a select group of drivers in contention for the pole. If you're a history buff, go with Helio Castroneves or Ryan Briscoe. They drive for Team Penske, which has won more poles (14) than any other team. The next closest, Al Dean (1960-67) and Mike Boyle (1929-1937), had four.

Here's a list of the 10 contenders, starting with Marco Andretti. Andretti goes first because it's in alphabetical order, but he's also smart enough to put Indiana Jones on his car, which is sure to open any weekend with big numbers, right?

Marco Andretti: He hasn't quite lived up to his promise as a driver. Then again, he's only 21. Cut him some slack. He used a tow to log the fastest time on the first day of practice, and his team co-owner and father, Michael Andretti, would love to see him on the pole. He has yet to win a pole since joining the series in 2006.

Ryan Briscoe: He'll be driving in his third Indy 500, but his first as a full-fledged member of Team Penske. So Briscoe has the power of his team's pole knowledge on his side. On the other hand, he's inconsistent and unlikely to unseat his teammate Castroneves.

Helio Castroneves: The main man at Team Penske, also a dancing star, has been on the Indy pole twice before, including last year. He leads the IndyCar Series in points. In short, no driver is better equipped with knowledge and support. Oddly enough, his two race wins came in years he wasn't on the pole.


Scott Dixon: Dixon has won two poles in five starts this season and has 10 in his career. If the Target car is on target, he's the prohibitive favorite to start on the pole. No driver is more consistent nor has a better grasp of what he wants out of his car's setup.

Tony Kanaan: The 2005 pole sitter, Kanaan knows what it takes to get the most out of his car. He's never started at Indy outside of the first two rows and has a pair of No. 2 starting spots to go with his single pole.

Danica Patrick: Patrick has won a pole three times, all in her rookie season with Rahal Letterman Racing. Her best qualifying spot at Indy is fourth. Now that she's with Andretti Green, she still has the capability to post the four-lap speed necessary to land the pole. She came out strong to open the week, building on teammate Andretti's set-up.


Will Power: Don't you just love this guy's name? Last season in Champ Car, he took five poles in 14 starts. None of those were at Indy, of course. Like Rahal, he soaks in everything, and he broke 223 mph his first day of practice. A legitimate threat.

Graham Rahal: This is the rookie with name recognition, over from Champ Car, who slid into the driver's seat and took off like a veteran. Rahal won the IndyCar Series' road race in Florida, and he's a quick learner. He says he learned a lot from Rick Mears. No one won more poles than Mears.


Dan Wheldon: Wheldon has started in the Top 6 in four of his five Indy 500s. The odd year was 2005, when he started 16th and won the race. Typically, Wheldon is a strong qualifier, but not a go-for-the-pole-type driver. He's a good bet for the front row, not so much for the pole.


Justin Wilson: Wilson, another newcomer, was right behind Power in the fastest time on the first day of practice. He took the pole in the last Champ Car event in Long Beach, a race won by Power.

It's safe to say any driver who wins the pole outside of these 10 drivers would be a significant surprise. But in this year of unification in American open-wheel racing, maybe a surprise is what's in store.