Every thing to know in regards to the Indy 500: Entry checklist, schedule, Carb Day, favorites

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

Welcome to the best spectacle in racing.

The subsequent two weeks shall be full of motion at Indianapolis Motor Speedway main into the 109th working of the Indianapolis 500, the place 33 drivers will compete for 200 laps on the two.5-mile rectangular IMS oval.

We hope to reply a lot of your questions right here:

When is the Indianapolis 500?

The Indianapolis 500 is Sunday, Might 25. Reside protection on FOX begins at 10 a.m. ET with driver introductions at 11:47 a.m., the invocation and nationwide anthem at 12:18 p.m., the command to begin engines at 12:38 p.m. and the inexperienced flag at 12:45 p.m. (all occasions are estimates).

What are the observe dimensions?

The observe is 2.5 miles in size with the frontstraight and backstraight every 0.625 mile. The 4 turns are 0.25 mile every and every of the 2 brief chutes (one between Turns 1-2 and one between Turns 3-4) is 0.125 mile. The turns are banked 9.2 levels. The straightaways usually are not banked in any respect. The straightaway width is 50 toes. The flip width is 60 toes.

What occurs over the following two weeks?

Here’s a fundamental schedule (all occasions Jap):

Tue-Fri, Might 13-16: Follow, Midday-6 p.m. most daysSat., Might 17: Qualifying Day 1, 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.Solar., Might 18: Qualifying Day 2, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. (apply previous to that at 1 p.m.)Mon., Might 19: Follow, 1-3 p.m.Fri., Might 23: Carb Day with ultimate apply 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and pit cease competitors 2:30-4 p.m.Solar., Might 25: Indy 500 with a 12:45 p.m. inexperienced flag.

What occurs on Saturday, the primary day of qualifying?

There are 34 automobiles entered, with 33 drivers making the sphere. Qualifying is a four-lap run (one automobile on the observe at a time). The qualifying order shall be set by random draw on Friday night time. After each driver has had the chance to exit on observe (whether or not they acquired out at the moment or not), then drivers are free to make their run when they’re prepared. They’ll make a number of makes an attempt, with those that abandon their earlier pace getting precedence in line over those that wish to preserve their pace however attempt to exit and enhance their time. As soon as the clock hits the top of the session, no further automobiles might start their warmup lap for his or her run.

The drivers who rank Thirteenth-Thirtieth on Saturday are locked within the discipline in these positions. That’s Rows 5-10 (three automobiles per row).

For qualifying, FS1 shall be stay from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., FS2 from 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m. after which FOX from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

What occurs on Sunday, bump day and Quick Six?

The second day of qualifying units the order for Rows 1-3 and Row 11.

The 12 quickest from Saturday do a spherical of qualifying beginning at 4:05 p.m. with the six quickest advancing to a ultimate spherical and the slowest incomes the beginning spots 7-12.

Then comes the “bump day” portion because the 4 drivers who have been Thirty first-Thirty fourth Saturday will exit (they probably might do multiple try) from 5:15-6:15 p.m. — the three quickest will begin spots Thirty first-Thirty third with the slowest “bumped” out of the Indy 500 discipline.

The Quick Six will observe from 6:25-6:55 p.m. to set the order of the primary six spots, together with the pole for the Indy 500.

The three-hours of qualifying Sunday shall be on FOX.

What’s Carb Day?

Carb Day is the normal final day apply for the Indy 500. There shall be two hours of apply adopted by a pit-stop competitors.

The automobiles haven’t had carburetors since 1963, however the identify has caught for the ultimate apply to nice tune the automobile for the race.

Who makes the automobiles and engines?

Dallara makes all of the chassis. Firestone producers all of the tires. Chevrolet and Honda construct engines.

Who’s trying to make the race and what groups do they drive for?

Listed below are the drivers damaged down by workforce with automobile numbers:

Staff Penske: 2-Josef Newgarden, 3-Scott McLaughlin, 12-Will Energy.A.J. Foyt Racing: 4-David Malukas, 14-Santino Ferrucci.Arrow McLaren: 5-Pato O’Ward, 6-Noal Siegel, 7-Christian Lundgaard, 17-Kyle Larson.Meyer Shank Racing: 06-Helio Castroneves, 60-Felix Rosenqvist, 66-Marcus Armstrong.Chip Ganassi Racing: 8-Kyffin Simpson, 9-Scott Dixon, 10-Alex Palou.Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: 15-Graham Rahal, 30-Devlin DeFrancesco, 45-Louis Foster, 75-Takuma Sato.Dale Coyne Racing: 18-Rinus VeeKay, 51-Jacob AbelDreyer Reinbold Racing: 23-Rayn Hunter-Reay, 24-Jack HarveyEd Carpenter Racing: 20-Alexander Rossi, 21-Christian Rasmussen, 33-Ed Carpenter.Andretti World: 26-Colton Herta, 27-Kyle Kirkwood, 28-Marcus Ericsson, 98-Marco Andretti.Juncos Hollinger Racing: 76-Conor Daly, 77-Sting Ray RobbPrema Racing: 83-Robert Shwartzman, 90-Callum Ilott

There are seven drivers who don’t race full time within the collection however try to make the Indy 500: Castroneves, Larson, Sato, Hunter-Reay, Harvey, Carpenter and Andretti

Who’re the favorites?

Josef Newgarden has received the final two Indianapolis 500s, so he must be thought of one of many favorites as he goes for an unprecedented third consecutive win. His Staff Penske teammates Will Energy and Scott McLaughlin are also within the combine. McLaughlin led a race-high 64 laps in 2024.

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward has come shut however has by no means received the Indy 500 and few can be shocked if that is his yr.

You possibly can by no means depend out Scott Dixon from Ganassi. His teammate, Alex Palou, because the collection factors chief, may very well be thought of a favourite — however he has by no means received on an oval.

Ed Carpenter Racing has a powerful historical past of being quick at Indianapolis, and so does Alexander Rossi.

Multi-time winners Helio Castroneves and Takuma Sato actually shouldn’t be counted out.

What number of previous winners are within the race?

There are eight previous winners on this race:

Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021)Takuma Sato (2017, 2020)Josef Newgarden (2023, 2024)Scott Dixon (2008)Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014)Alexander Rossi (2016)Will Energy (2018)Marcus Ericsson (2022)

(if climate retains Kyle Larson from racing and Tony Kanaan fills in for him, Kanaan received in 2013).

Which drivers have the very best probability for his or her first Indy 500 win?

Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Kyle Larson.

Which underdogs might stand up?

Santino Ferrucci and Conor Daly. Each have sturdy Indy 500 histories.

So clarify what the massive deal of what Kyle Larson is doing?

Kyle Larson, the NASCAR Cup Sequence factors chief, is trying to race 1,100 miles in in the future — the Indianapolis 500 after which the NASCAR Coke 600 in Charlotte. Final yr, he completed 18th within the Indianapolis 500, but it surely was rain delayed and he acquired to Charlotte in time for … nothing because the storm that hit Indianapolis had made it to Charlotte and stopped the race, which was later deemed official. Justin Allgaier had began and ran all of the laps within the race in Larson’s Cup automobile.

Rick Hendrick, who owns the Cup workforce for Larson and companions with Arrow McLaren to discipline the automobile for Larson, is also Larson’s sponsor in each Cup and the Indy 500 effort by means of the net automobile gross sales division of Hendrick Automotive.

With new NASCAR guidelines this yr, Larson is dedicated to attending to the 600 in time. If Larson leaves Indy earlier than the beginning, Arrow McLaren workforce principal Tony Kanaan will race. Kanaan will get within the automobile for a refresher program on the opening day of apply this week.

Just one driver, Tony Stewart, has accomplished all 1,100 miles in in the future. Solely 4 drivers — John Andretti, Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch – have achieved each races in in the future.

What’s the Snake Pit?

The Snake Pit was an space within the infield of IMS the place followers have been identified to social gathering laborious all through the Indianapolis 500. The observe embraced the identify and has put up a stage for concert events on the observe.

The race-day live performance begins at 8 a.m. and runs into the race itself (with a break for pre-race actions).

The EDM live performance this yr is headlined by Illenium and consists of Two Mates, Sammy Viriji, Kayzo and Oliver Heldens.

Which celebrities are coming to the race?

A lot of these haven’t been introduced but.

A number of acquainted faces from the FOX household shall be there. Michael Strahan will drive the tempo automobile for the beginning of the race. And Rob Gronkowski will assist run the festivities within the Snake Pit.

The “Letterman” in Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is the well-known former late-night talk-show host David Letterman.

What’s the winner’s trophy?

The Borg-Warner Trophy has the faces — 111 of them as a result of two of the races have been received by automobiles pushed by a number of drivers plus former Speedway proprietor Tony Hulman Jr. is on the trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1936 at a value of $10,000, commissioned by Borg-Warner Automotive Firm.

The trophy is 64.75 inches tall and weighs 110 kilos.

Why do they drink milk in victory circle?

After Louis Meyer received his third Indianapolis 500 in 1936, somebody gave him a bottle of buttermilk to drink. That began the custom of consuming milk in victory circle. Now each driver chooses what kind of milk the motive force needs in victory lane in affiliation with the American Dairy Affiliation of Indiana.

What’s the purse?

IMS doesn’t announce the purse till after the race.

Final yr, the purse was a document $18,456,000 with winner Josef Newgarden being awarded $4,288,000.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.