field from behind as the field took the green flag. This marked the first time in modern history that a driver and passenger joined the field of the Indianapolis 500. It was the first two-man race car on the track since the days of the riding mechanic ended after 1937. Five women attempted the Indy 500; four qualified for the event. Rule changes For the first time, the Honda overtake assist system ("Push-to-pass") was utilized. Each car was permitted 15 presses (18 seconds in duration) with a 10-second recharge time. Schedule The 2010 schedule was a two-week condensed schedule, but featured only one fewer day of on-track activity compared to 2009. Entry list See Team and driver chart for further information. Practice Saturday May 15 Weather: Partly cloudy, , intermittent rain showers Practice summary: Opening day practice featured veteran practice from noon to , and rookie orientation from 2 to Hélio Castroneves became the first car out on the track for the month, and set the fastest speed of the day at 226.603 mph. Seven rookies participated in rookie orientation, and five veterans took part in refresher tests. Jay Howard (215.039 mph) was the fastest rookie of the day. Sunday May 16 Weather: Cloudy, , intermittent rain showers Practice summary: The second day of practice featured rookie orientation from to , and veteran practice from 3 to Six rookies passed their four-phase rookie tests. During veteran practice, two incidents were reported. Ryan Hunter-Reay spun in the warm up lane in turn one, but did not make contact. At Dan Wheldon lost control in turn four and hit the outside wall at the exit of turn four. he was uninjured. Hélio Castroneves led the speed chart for the second day in a row. Monday May 17 Weather: Rain, Practice summary: Practice was cancelled due to rain. Tuesday May 18 Weather: Cloudy, , intermittent rain showers Practice summary: Five different teams comprised the top five positions on the speed chart. Late in the day E. J. Viso crashed in turn one, and was transported to the hospital with back pain. Wednesday May 19 Weather: Cloudy, Practice summary: Thirty-four drivers took practice laps, with many working on race set-ups. The field completed 2,282 laps with no major incidents reported. Thursday May 20 Weather: Partly cloudy, Practice summary: A total of 44 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 44 have passed technical inspection.