Autoblog

Scott Dixon, racing for the Target Chip Ganassi IRL team, is your pole sitter for the upcoming Indy 500. Scott took the front spot with a 4-lap average of 226.366 MPH, about 0.5 MPH faster than last year's pole sitter. Slotting in behind Dixon is his teammate, Dan Wheldon, just a fraction slower at 226.110 MPH.

The first 22 slots in the 32-car field have been decided. Dixon and Wheldon will be followed by Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick, Tony Kanann and Marco Andretti as the top six. The final 11 slots will be decided this Saturday and Sunday. The 92nd Indy 500 takes place on Sunday, May 25.

[Source: AP]

Click above to view screenshots from Pole Position: Remix

NAMCO, the video game company that brought us some of the cheesiest yet most compelling video game titles of all time, is releasing Pole Position: Remix specifically for your little iPod. This is the game's 25th anniversary year, and the new title, which will thankfully not use 25-year-old graphics, has also been updated with new game play like 3D versions of its four tracks, and a Misake Point track that will only be available on the iPod version.

And since you'll be playing this on the music device du jour, the game comes with an updated soundtrack, but you can also listen to your own tunes while you spin the wheel -- we expect to find a lot of Pole Position playlists in people's libraries. If you do that, album art from your music collection will show up on billboards, both randomly and from what's playing, which is pretty trick. The game will sell for $4.99 on iTunes, and works on the iPod nano with video, and the classic and new iPods.

Thanks for the tip, Jen!

[Source: TUAW]

When kids nowadays roll their eyes when hearing about how tough we had it when WE were kids, they frequently think we might be exaggerating, especially when we talk about video games. Pong was inconceivably archaic, but the games that showed up in the next few years from the once-dominant Atari seemed like an incredible leap forward in terms of graphics and playability, games like Pole Position in particular. Full color, simulated 3-D renderings, authentic race car sounds - it had it all and was controlled with an 8-direction stick and one red button.

Those were the days. Well, thanks to YouTube, we can relive the excitement this video game instilled in gamers by viewing Atari's television campaign for Pole Position. Clearly aimed at the whole family, we see how easy it was for an everyday couple and their kids to experience the thrill of real formula racing at the flip of a switch. It was like being lifted by the hand of God and dumped from your boring Rabbit into a fleet of Formula cars. Don't worry about the helmets, kids. They won't help when you fly off course and explode on impact with that Pole Position billboard. But fear not, there's always a reset button somewhere. Click through to relive your glory days.

[Source: Atari via YouTube]