The Indianapolis 500 can be decided by the blink of an eye. Six times in the past 10 years, the margin of victory was less than 1 second. In 2023, Josef Newgarden beat Marcus Ericcson in a one-lap shootout by 0.0974 seconds. 

While the drivers and team owners get most of the glory, the work by the pit crews is critical in determining the champion. Here’s more about what goes into an Indy 500 pit stop.

How many pit stops are there in the Indy 500? 

There’s no set number, but the most common number of pit stops among contenders is six or seven. The number of caution flags, and when they occur, play a role in determining how many stops a driver makes. 

Indy 500 pit stop times 

An ideal pit stop takes about 7 seconds. A stop includes changing four tires, filling an 18.5-gallon fuel tank and making any desired wing adjustments to create optimum aerodynamics. 

The pit stop process takes longer, because the driver must not exceed the 60 mph pit road speed limit when entering pit road and leaving the pit box. The driver also must avoid contact with other cars along pit road and not strike crew members or pit equipment.

Infractions bring penalties, often a “drive-through,” which means the driver must bring the car through pit road at the pit speed limit while racing on the track continues. 

Indy 500 history: Here are the 6 closest finishes

Indy 500 pit crew members 

Six people comprise the “over-the-wall” members of the pit crew: left front tire changer; left rear tire changer; right front tire changer; right rear tire changer; fueler, and jack operator. They wear fireproof suits and a helmet, just like the driver.

Jack operator: Operates the pneumatic air jack that lifts the car 4 inches off the ground, allowing the tire changers to do their jobs, and disengages the jack after tire work is done but before the driver leaves the pit box.

Fueler: Attaches a hose to the fuel tank, allowing 18.5 gallons of fuel into the car, then disengages the hose without spillage. 

4 tire changers: Each carries a tire to be exchanged during the stop. Front tires typically weigh about 13.5 pounds, and rear tires 14.7 pounds. The changer uses a tire gun to remove the wheel nut, removes the tire by hand, puts the new tire on and makes it secure, all in less than 6 seconds.

When the right front tire changer has completed a change, he holds up a hand, then drops it to indicate that it’s OK for the driver leave the pit box.

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Other common pit stop terms 

Pit road is also known as pit row and the pit lane. The pit box is also known as the pit stall.

What fuel goes into Indy 500 cars? 

The IndyCar Series uses an 85%/15% methanol/gasoline blend, also called E85. 

How long is pit road? 

Pit road is 40 feet wide and 2,263 feet long (42% of a mile) from the start of the attenuator at pit entrance to the end of the wall at pit exit.

More about Indy 500 pit stops 

Business Insider profiled a pit crew in 2021, showing how tire changers train for the race season.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The 58th annual Indy Strawberry Festival, organized by the Cathedral Women of Christ Church Cathedral, is set for June 13 at Monument Circle.

The event will feature the sale of original strawberry shortcakes from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

This year, festival attendees will also be treated to live entertainment at SPARK on the Circle on the northwest quadrant, which will be adjacent to the festival grounds.

For those craving the full experience, The Works package — homemade shortcake, strawberries, ice cream, and whipped topping — will be available for $10.

Individual items can be purchased separately, with strawberries and ice cream priced at $3 each, and shortcakes and whipped topping at $2 each.

Both cash and card payments will be accepted.

All proceeds exceeding festival expenses will be directly allocated to charities.

The Indy Strawberry Festival traces back to its inaugural edition to June 10, 1965. Over the years, the Cathedral Women has supported organizations across central Indiana through the Strawberry Festival Grants program.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It is National Travel and Tourism week. This year, there are many events encouraging people to visit Indianapolis.

2024 has been proven to be a strong year for tourism in Indianapolis. From events such as the NBA All Star game, the Solar Eclipse and even the NFL combine.

“We can confidently say this is our biggest year in tourism yet for the city of Indianapolis,” says Clare Clark, senior communications manager for Visit Indy. “And what better week to celebrate national travel and tourism week than leading into the Indy 500, [and] the Pacers continuing their playoff run.”

The month of May is traditionally the biggest month for tourism due to the Indy 500. The track has welcomed 500,00 people in the month of May alone, Clark says.

Indy shows no signs of slowing down in terms of tourism. June 15-20 Lucas Oil Stadium will host the U.S. Olympic swimming trials for nine days.

This year’s anticipated tourism is expected to bring an economic boost to the city.

“Each year we, we welcome 30 million visitors annually to Indianapolis. So that equates to nearly $5.8 billion in economic impact. So, think about all the hospitality workers that really helped be those frontline greeters and those that welcome our visitors to the Circle City. We employ nearly 83,000 hospitality members in Indianapolis. So, it’s just a huge industry and we’re excited to celebrate this week,” Clark says.