INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Qualifying format for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is changing.
IndyCar announced Monday that it’s adding an additional qualifying round on Sunday called the Final 15. This will replace the traditional last chance qualifying round, which would bump the slowest car out of the field of 33, since there are only 33 entries in this year’s field.
Instead, all teams will have qualifying runs on Saturday to try to advance to Sunday. Cars ranked 10-15 will then compete in the Final 15 round beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday to fight for the final three spots in the Top 12 round. Teams not making it will then earn positions 13-15.
The rest of the Sunday’s schedule remains the same. The newly-determined Top 12 cars will then fight for a spot in the Fast Six. Top 12 will run at 5 p.m. with the Fast Six scheduled at 6:35 p.m. The fastest car from that group will then earn this year’s coveted pole position.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou is the defending Indy 500 champion after a historic year in the IndyCar Series last year, while Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard returns to the IMS oval with the momentum of Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix win on the IMS road course.
Practice for the 110th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing will be from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Qualifying begins Saturday at 11 a.m.
Full Qualifying Weekend Schedule
Saturday, May 16
8:30-9:30 a.m. Pre-Qualifying Practice
11 a.m.-5:50 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying (Determining positions 16-33): 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, May 17
1-2 p.m. Final 15 Practice (Positions 10-15 from Day One)
2-3 p.m. Top 12 Practice (Positions 1-9 from Day One)
4 p.m. Indianapolis 500 Final 15 Qualifying (Positions 13-15 determined, fastest three advance to Top 12)
Fans will be able to salute the advancing teams during a cool-down period, which will include laps behind the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Pace Car. Traveling at 100 mph, the laps will allow air to flow through the air ducts to help cool the engines before the dramatic next round.
5 p.m.* Top 12 Qualifying (Positions 7-12 determined, fastest six advance to Firestone Fast Six)
Fans will be able to salute the advancing teams during a cool-down period, which will include laps behind the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Pace Car. Traveling at 100 mph, the laps will allow air to flow through the air ducts to help cool the engines before the dramatic next round.
6:35 p.m.* Firestone Fast Six
7 p.m.* NTT P1 Award Presentation
*Times are approximate
