Indy 500 qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: How it works, when to watch, entries (2024)

The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place on Sunday, May 26. But before the race can commence, the lineup must be determined, and that happens over two days of qualifying this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On Saturday, every car entered in the 2024 Indy 500 will take to the track for four laps to try to record the fastest average speed. The drivers with the 12 fastest average speeds return Sunday to compete for the pole position. Drivers with the slowest average speeds on Saturday can also return Sunday to lock into the field.

Qualifying will be extra intriguing this year as 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson seeks to become the first driver since former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch in 2014 to attempt the IndyCar-NASCAR double – racing in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Here is a detailed breakdown of how qualifying works for the 2024 Indianapolis 500, the weekend schedule and which drivers are entered:

When is the 2024 Indianapolis 500?

  • The 108th running of the Indy 500 is Sunday, May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  • Television coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. The race can also be streamed on Peacock and IndyCar Live.
  • The green flag is scheduled to drop at 12:45 p.m. ET.

When is Indianapolis 500 qualifying?

Qualifying for the 2024 Indy 500 takes place Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SATURDAY

  • Qualifying runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET
  • Qualifying can be streamed on Peacock and IndyCar Live.

SUNDAY

  • Qualifying runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
  • Qualifying will be televised by NBC and can be streamed on Peacock and IndyCar Live.
Indy 500 qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: How it works, when to watch, entries (2)

How does Indianapolis 500 qualifying work?

SATURDAY

  • Following a one-hour morning practice session, which begins at 8:30 a.m. ET, the 34 entries – which include eight former winners and seven rookies – will attempt to complete four consecutive laps on the 2.5-mile track. The qualifying order is set by a random draw. The speeds of each of the four laps are averaged together for one qualifying speed.
  • The goal of Saturday's qualifying is two-fold: 1) to be one of the 30 fastest cars and lock up a spot in the Indy 500 field, and 2) to be one of the 12 fastest cars and return the following day for a chance to win the Indy 500 pole position.
  • Positions 13 through 30 on the starting grid (rows five through 10) for the 2024 Indy 500 will be locked once Saturday's qualifying session ends.
  • Once every driver has made one attempt at qualifying on Saturday, slower cars can make another run to improve their speeds. Drivers may choose from two lanes for second and subsequent attempts. Cars in the priority lane (Lane 1) must withdraw their qualified time – if the car has one – but get priority access to the track. Lane 2 is for cars that have already qualified but wish to improve their position.

SUNDAY

There will be three distinct qualifying sessions on Sunday, following another practice session that begins at noon ET.

  • Beginning at 3 p.m., the drivers with the 12 best qualifying speeds on Saturday will hit the the track in order of slowest to fastest from Saturday's session. The six fastest speeds from Top 12 Qualifying advance to another session. The other six cars will lock up positions 7 through 12 (rows three and four) on the starting grid.
  • Last Chance Qualifying then begins at 4:15 p.m. ET. During this session, the four slowest cars on Saturday will each run qualifying laps to try to lock up a spot on the last row of the Indy 500 starting grid. Three of the four cars will earn spots 31 through 33 on the starting grid, while one will be sent home.
  • The battle for the Indy 500 pole begins at 5:25 p.m. ET with the Firestone Fast Six. The order is based on times from Top 12 qualifying, from slowest to fastest. The best driver in the Firestone Fast Six will earn the pole, and the next two fastest will clinch a spot on front row. The remaining three drivers will line up on the second row in positions 4 through 6.

Kyle Larson to attempt 'The Double'

Indy 500 qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: How it works, when to watch, entries (3)

Kyle Larson will be the busiest driver in motorsports this weekend and next. The NASCAR star will take to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on Saturday to take qualifying laps for the 2024 Indy 500. Should he be among the 12 fastest drivers or four slowest, Larson, who is driving for Arrow McLaren, would return to the track on Sunday to either race for the pole or attempt to make the last row of the race.

But Indy 500 activities only make up one part of his racing plans; Larson still has his main series to focus on. On Sunday night, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is scheduled to compete in the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina at 8 p.m. ET (FS1). The following Sunday, Larson would have the Indy 500 – should he qualify – in the early afternoon – before flying from Indianapolis to Charlotte, North Carolina for NASCAR's longest race of the season: the Coca-Cola 600, which begins at 6 p.m. ET (FOX).

Entries for the 2024 Indianapolis 500

With car number, driver, team and manufacturer. R-Indy 500 Rookie of the Year candidate; W-former Indy 500 winner

  1. (2) Josef Newgarden (W), Team Penske, Chervrolet
  2. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, Chervrolet
  3. (4) Kyffin Simpson (R), Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
  4. (5) Pato O'Ward, Arrow McLaren, Chervrolet
  5. (6) Helio Castroneves (W), Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian, Honda
  6. (6) Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, Chervrolet
  7. (7) Alexander Rossi (W), Arrow McLaren, Chervrolet
  8. (8) Linus Lundqvist (R), Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
  9. (9) Scott Dixon (W), Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
  10. (10) Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
  11. (11) Marcus Armstrong (R), Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
  12. (12) Will Power (W), Team Penske, Chervrolet
  13. (14) Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chervrolet
  14. (15) Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
  15. (17) Kyle Larson (R), Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick, Chervrolet
  16. (18) Nolan Siegel (R), Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
  17. (20) Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chervrolet
  18. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chervrolet
  19. (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay (W), DRR-CUSICK MOTORSPORTS, Chervrolet
  20. (24) Conor Daly, DRR-CUSICK MOTORSPORTS, Chervrolet
  21. (26) Colton Herta, Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian, Honda
  22. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, Honda
  23. (28) Marcus Ericsson (W), Andretti Global, Honda
  24. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
  25. (33) Christian Rasmussen (R), Ed Carpenter Racing, Chervrolet
  26. (41) Sting Ray Robb, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chervrolet
  27. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
  28. (51) Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing with RWR, Honda
  29. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
  30. (66) Tom Blomqvist (R), Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
  31. (75) Takuma Sato (W), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
  32. (77) Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chervrolet
  33. (78) Agustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chervrolet
  34. (98) Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta w/ Marco & Curb-Agajanian, Honda
Indy 500 qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: How it works, when to watch, entries (2024)

FAQs

How does qualifying for the Indy 500 work? ›

Order based on times from Top 12 qualifying, slowest to fastest. Each car is guaranteed one attempt. The fastest driver in the Firestone Fast Six will earn the coveted NTT P1 Award for pole. Qualifying is broken into three segments, progressively narrowing the field to determine the pole winner.

How to watch Indianapolis 500 qualifying? ›

Qualifying for the 2024 Indy 500 takes place Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Qualifying can be streamed on Peacock and IndyCar Live.

What is the qualifying order for the Indianapolis 500? ›

Indianapolis 500 qualifying order
  • Kyle Kirkwood.
  • Scott McLaughlin.
  • Kyffin Simpson.
  • Rinus VeeKay.
  • Romain Grosjean.
  • Kyle Larson.
  • Agustin Canapino.
  • Callum Ilott.
May 17, 2024

What time does Indy 500 qualifying start? ›

QUALIFYING INFORMATION
DateEventTime (ET)
Sat., May 18Indy 500 Practice8:30-9:30 a.m.
Indy 500 Full Field Qualifying11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.
Sun., May 19Indy 500 Top 12 and Last Chance Practice12-2 p.m.
Indy 500 Top 12, Last Chance, and Fast Six Qualifying3-6 p.m.
7 more rows
May 19, 2024

Will IndyCar qualifying be televised? ›

NBC Sports has race fans covered with more than 60 hours of Indy 500 coverage, including practice rounds, qualifiers, and all the race festivities.

How many cars try to qualify for the Indy 500? ›

A year ago, Graham Rahal was the only driver to miss the race after he couldn't post a fast enough qualifying attempt to make the 33-car field. And just like last season, there are 34 cars entered for 33 spots for the 2024 Indy 500 on May 26.

What were the TV ratings for the Indy 500 qualifying? ›

NBC got 1.145 million viewers for Sunday's Indy500 quali session (TV only), up 35% from 842,000 last year.

Will Indy 500 be televised locally in Indianapolis? ›

Why the Indianapolis 500 is blacked out in Central Indiana. The ban on the traditional broadcast of the race via local NBC affiliate WTHR has been in place for decades. This is due to the fact that IMS wants local fans to attend the race in person.

How to watch Indy 500 for free? ›

It's race day at the brickyard as we get set for the Indy 500. However, eyes will be on the skies as rain is in the forecast ahead of the race. Sunday's race will air on TV via NBC. Fans can watch IndyCar racing for free by signing up for a trial of fuboTV.

How much does a driver get for winning the Indianapolis 500? ›

In addition to etching their name in history, the Indy 500 winner also receives a hefty payday. The total amount has fluctuated since the race first ran way back in the 1900's and now it's routine for drivers to take home around $2.5 million or more. Check out every Indy 500 winner and their payday since 2000 below.

Who is Kyle Larson driving for in the 2024 Indy 500? ›

Larson announced his intention to run the 2024 Indianapolis 500 back in Jan. 2023, with HendrickCars.com the confirmed sponsor of an Arrow McLaren entry.

What is the driver lineup for the Indianapolis 500? ›

2024 Indy 500 Row 1
  • ( 3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, Penske, 234.220.
  • ( 12) Will Power (W), Chevrolet, Penske, 233.917.
  • ( 2) Josef Newgarden (W), Chevrolet, Penske, 233.808. ...
  • ( 7) Alexander Rossi (W), Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren 233.090.
  • ( 17) Kyle Larson (R), Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 232.846.
  • ( ...
  • ( ...
  • (
May 26, 2024

How does IndyCar 500 qualifying work? ›

How 2024 Indianapolis 500 qualifying works. Every car in the 34-strong field is guaranteed one four-lap run of the 2.5-mile oval, with the qualifying speed then calculated by taking the average speed of those four laps in miles per hour. In 2023, Alex Palou set a new-all time record of 234.217mph on his pole run.

Where can I watch Indy qualifying? ›

Please note: INDYCAR SERIES practice, qualifying and races and INDY NXT races are exclusive to NBC/Peacock in the USA.

What is the qualifying lane 1 and 2 at the Indy 500? ›

Cars in the Priority Lane (Lane 1) must withdraw their qualified time but get priority access to the track ahead of Lane 2. That second lane is for cars that have already qualified and want to try to improve their position but choose not to risk forfeiting the speed average they have already set.

How do Indy 500 drivers get paid? ›

The prize money is awarded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the cash going to each entrant's car. The drivers have contracts that state what percentage of the winnings they take, while the team owner will then spread that around the team as well as taking his or her own share.

How much does it cost to compete in the Indy 500? ›

How much does it cost to enter the Indy 500? In 2024, there are 27 full-time IndyCar Series cars that require up to $10 million to run for a full season. For cars competing only in the Indy 500, it's believed the cost to in the $1 million-$2 million range.

How many drivers make the Indy 500? ›

Here's how much money each Indy 500 driver earned during the 2024 race. A record-setting purse of $18,456,000 was split between all 33 drivers in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

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