INDIANAPOLIS — Of course the biggest race in the world also has one of the most intense qualifying formats in all of motorsports.
Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 begins Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and runs from 11 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. ET. For the first time since 2022, all 33 entries are locked into the field, meaning there will be no bumping drama this year. While that removes some of the traditional tension, qualifying weekend still remains one of the most unique spectacles in racing.
Each driver is guaranteed one qualifying attempt on Saturday consisting of four laps around the famous 2.5-mile oval. Unlike most forms of qualifying, the field is not determined by a single fastest lap. Instead, positions are set by the average speed over all four laps, meaning consistency is just as important as outright speed.
After every car has completed an initial run, teams are allowed to make additional four-lap attempts in hopes of improving their position in the field.
Once Saturday’s session concludes, the top 15 drivers in average speed advance to Sunday’s qualifying rounds.
Sunday’s action begins at 4 p.m. ET with the Top 15 session. Drivers who qualified from 10th through 15th on Saturday will each make one four-lap attempt, with the three fastest advancing into the Top 12 round.
From 5 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. ET, the Top 12 session takes place. The session begins with the three advancing drivers from the Top 15 round, followed by the remaining nine drivers in inverse order based on Saturday’s speeds. This round determines starting positions 7 through 12, while the six fastest drivers advance into the Fast Six.
The Fast Six shootout then determines the front two rows and ultimately the pole sitter for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. Drivers run in inverse order of their speeds from the Top 12 session, with the fastest qualifier from that round going out last.
At over 230 mph for four straight laps, qualifying at Indianapolis is just as much about bravery and precision as it is speed — and earning the pole for the Indy 500 remains one of the greatest accomplishments in motorsports.
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