The road to the 110th Indianapolis 500 is officially underway as all eyes turn toward Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most important weekends in motorsports. Qualifying for the Indy 500 will determine the starting grid and ultimately decide who earns the coveted pole position for one of racing’s biggest events.
Fans will be closely following a packed schedule of practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and Pole Day action before the green flag drops on Memorial Day weekend. With stars such as Josef Newgarden, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou competing for top positions, excitement continues to build ahead of the iconic race.
How to Watch Indy 500 2026 Qualifying and Practice
Fans can watch qualifying, practice sessions and race coverage across Fox Sports platforms.
- TV: Fox, FS1 and FS2
- Streaming: Fox Sports website, Fox Sports app, Fox One and Fubo
- Race: Sunday, May 24 at 12:30 p.m. ET on Fox
Indy 500 2026 Weekend Schedule
Friday, May 15
- Noon ET — Fast Friday, FS2
- 3 p.m. ET — Fast Friday, FS1
- 5 p.m. ET — Fast Friday, FS2
Sunday, May 17
Updated schedule; determines positions 1–15.
- 9:30 a.m. ET — Practice 6, FS2
- Noon ET — Pole Day Qualifying, Fox
- 4 p.m. ET — Top 12, Fox
- 6 p.m. ET — Fast Six, Fox
Monday, May 18
- 1 p.m. ET — Practice 6, FS1
Friday, May 22
- 11 a.m. ET — Carb Day Final Practice, FS1
- 2 p.m. ET — Oscar Mayer Wienie 500, Fox
- 2:30 p.m. ET — Pit Stop Competition, Fox
Sunday, May 24
- 10 a.m. ET — Pre-race show, Fox
- 12:30 p.m. ET — 110th Indianapolis 500, Fox
How Indy 500 Qualifying Works
Qualifying for the Indy 500 uses a multi-stage format that builds pressure with each session. Every driver makes a four-lap qualifying attempt around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the opening round setting the back half of the starting grid.
Positions 16 through 33 are locked in after the first qualifying stage. The fastest drivers then move into additional sessions that determine the front rows and the pole winner.
- The top nine drivers advance into Sunday’s Top 12 qualifying competition.
- Drivers ranked 10–15 compete for the final three Top 12 spots.
- The fastest six drivers reach the Firestone Fast Six round.
- The Fast Six determines the pole winner and the first two rows of the starting grid.
The format creates one of the most dramatic qualifying weekends in motorsports, where fractions of a second can completely change a driver’s chances.
Indy 500 2026 Entry List
- 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
Why Indy 500 Pole Position Matters
Starting near the front at Indianapolis can provide a major advantage. Pole position gives a driver cleaner air, better track position and valuable momentum entering the opening laps of the race.
As qualifying unfolds, teams will push their cars to the limit in pursuit of speed and a chance to write their names into Indy 500 history.