Indy 500 qualifying format, schedule, entries, how to watch this weekend

• Qualifying for the 110th Indianapolis 500 will take place on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17.
• The qualifying format has been altered for this year’s event to set the 33-car starting grid.
• Katherine Legge aims to be the first woman to attempt “The Double,” racing in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

All eyes will be on Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for two days of qualifying that will determine the pole winner and set the full lineup for the 110th running of the Indy 500.

This year provides even more intrigue with changes to the qualifying format and because multiple drivers will take the first step toward potential history-making endeavors.

The events begin May 15 with Fast Friday practice sessions as drivers will run full speeds at the Brickyard to gear up for qualifying sessions the next two days. Then the pressure really kicks in Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 as drivers lock in their spots on the starting grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24.

Among the drivers who will be behind the wheels of Indy cars this weekend are two who are seeking to make history.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves is back, trying to become the first driver to win the iconic race five times. The Brazilian driver, who celebrated his 51st birthday on May 10, won the Indy 500 back-to-back in 2001 and 2002, again in 2009 and then in 2021 to tie A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for most wins all time.

Meanwhile, Katherine Legge has a different, but equally epic, historic opportunity. The 45-year-old British driver announced earlier this week that she will attempt “The Double” this year: racing in the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Only five drivers have ever attempted “The Double” – John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson – and Legge would be the first woman.

Here is everything you need to know about qualifying for the 2026 Indianapolis 500, the weekend schedule and the full entry list:

Indy 500 2026 event schedule by day

Practice, qualifying and the 2026 Indianapolis 500 can be streamed on the Fox Sports website (by signing in with your TV or satellite provider), Fox One (free seven day trial) and the Fox Sports app. Viewers can also stream events on Fubo.

All times Eastern

Friday, May 15

• Noon — Fast Friday, FS2
• 3 p.m. — Fast Friday, FS1
• 5 p.m. — Fast Friday, FS2

Saturday, May 16

Determines starting positions 16-33

• 8:30 a.m. — Practice 5, FS2
• 11 a.m. — Qualifying Day 1, FS2
• 2 p.m. — Qualifying Day 1, FS1
• 4 p.m. — Qualifying Day 1, Fox

Sunday, May 17

Determines starting positions 1-15

• 1 p.m. — Practice 6, FS2
• 4 p.m. — Qualifying Pole Day, Fox

Monday, May 18

• 1 p.m. — Practice 6, FS1

Friday, May 22

• 11 a.m. — Carb Day Final Practice, FS1
• 2 p.m. — Oscar Mayer Wienie 500, Fox
• 2:30 p.m. — Pit Stop Competition, Fox

Sunday, May 24

• 10 a.m. — Pre-race show, Fox
• 12:30 p.m. — 110th Indianapolis 500, Fox

Stream Indy 500 race, qualifying and practice on Fubo

Indy 500 2026 qualfying format

• Qualifying for the 110th Indy 500 begins Saturday when all drivers will take four consecutive laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the conclusion of the day, positions 16 through 33 will be set on the starting grid.
• The top nine fastest drivers on the first day will be locked into the Top 12 qualifying session on Day Two Sunday.
• Cars ranked 10-15 in Saturday’s qualifying session will advance to the Final 15 round Sunday and will have the opportunity to compete for the three spots remaining to fill the Top 12 round. Starting in reverse order of Saturday’s qualifying speeds, each of the six cars will have one attempt to post a four-lap qualifying time starting at 4 p.m. ET, with the fastest three advancing to the Top 12 round. The three that don’t advance will slot in positions 13-15 on the grid.
• At approximately 5 p.m. ET Sunday, the Top 12 qualifying round will begin in order of slowest to fastest cars from previous sessions, with the best six advancing to the Firestone Fast Six, which will determine the pole winner and the first two rows on the Indy 500 starting grid. The six that don’t advance will start on rows three and four.

Indy 500 2026 entry list

With car number, driver, team and engine

• No. 06 Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
• No. 2 Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, Chevrolet
• No. 3 Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, Chevrolet
• No. 4 Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 5 Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
• No. 6 Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
• No. 7 Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
• No. 8 Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
• No. 9 Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
• No. 10 Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
• No. 11 Katherine Legge, HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 12 David Malukas, Team Penske, Chevrolet
• No. 14 Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
• No. 15 Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
• No. 18 Romain Grosjean, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
• No. 19 Dennis Hauger (R), Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
• No. 20 Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 21 Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 23 Conor Daly, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 24 Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 26 Will Power, Andretti Global, Honda
• No. 27 Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, Honda
• No. 28 Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, Honda
• No. 31 Ryan Hunter-Reay, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
• No. 33 Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 45 Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
• No. 47 Mick Schumacher (R), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
• No. 51 Jacob Abel (R), Abel Motorsports, Chevrolet
• No. 60 Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
• No. 66 Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
• No. 75 Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
• No. 76 Rinus VeeKay, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
• No. 77 Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet