INDIANAPOLIS — Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 has often been called the most challenging 10 miles in all of auto racing.
This year, winning the pole will be twice as tough.
An IndyCar announcement on Tuesday said qualifications will see an adjustment from what teams, drivers and fans have become accustomed to.
On Saturday, May 21, all drivers will make a 4-lap run to lock themselves into the race. This is not a change from previous years.
The changes will be evident on Sunday, May 22. Instead of the “Firestone Fast 9”, now the top 12 qualifiers from Saturday will return to the track to vie for the pole in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
All 12 drivers will make a single 4-lap run to begin Sunday’s session. From this, the “Firestone Fast 6” will advance to the final round of qualifications.
In the final round, the fastest six qualifiers will take to the track for one final run with the fastest earning the pole for the race and a $100,000 payday.
The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to run on May 29.
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