Practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday, May 12, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Thirty‑three entries assemble, including nine past winners and five NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions.

Qualifying runs May 16–17 under PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying. The 2.5‑mile oval rewards efficiency, and early mileage will shape trim choices before Race Day on Sunday, May 24.

Defending winner Alex Palou begins preparation seeking a repeat. His 2025 triumph was his first oval victory, secured weeks after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS road course.

Chip Ganassi Racing expects to set the baseline. Palou’s fourth series title in 2025, and third straight, underlines that program’s consistency in traffic, pit cycles, and caution resets at Indianapolis.

The past‑winner cohort is formidable. Castroneves, Sato, Newgarden, Dixon, Hunter‑Reay, Rossi, Power, and Ericsson headline a group sitting one shy of the 10‑winner benchmark set in 1992.

Castroneves already owns four wins. A fifth would set a standalone benchmark and, at 51, make him the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner, eclipsing Al Unser’s 1987 mark.

Five past series champions appear: Dixon, Hunter‑Reay, Newgarden, Palou, and Power. Katherine Legge is the lone female driver, returning after last starting the race in 2024.

Rookie of the Year contention features Jacob Abel, Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger, and Mick Schumacher. Their adaptation to traffic management, pit entry discipline, and gusty crosswinds will define their baseline.

The technical platform is standardized. Every car runs a Dallara chassis on Firestone tires, with engines split 18 Chevrolet to 15 Honda, shaping qualifying punch and stint longevity priorities.

The grid mixes experience and nationality. Twelve Americans, including Ed Carpenter, Santino Ferrucci, and Graham Rahal, are joined by 21 international drivers from 14 countries.

Preparation focus splits between low‑drag qualifying trim and race‑day stability in traffic. Teams will chase clean out‑laps, reliable pit windows, and predictable tire behavior over long green‑flag stretches.

Broadcast coverage begins at 10 a.m. Eastern across FOX platforms and INDYCAR Radio. The green flag is scheduled for 12:45 p.m., pending pre‑race ceremonies and conditions.

With champions and multiple winners throughout the field, execution margins are thin. Expect qualifying brinkmanship, then a race decided by traffic discipline, cautions, and error‑free pit work.

Visual Summary

Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson focuses on IndyCar Series news, from qualifying speeds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to street-course race strategy. He delivers concise feature stories and technical breakdowns on chassis setups, tire choices, and championship standings for open-wheel enthusiasts.