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IndyCar Indy 500
How Indy 500 qualifying works: The two-day system in full
The qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500 is one of the most complicated in all of motorsports, so here’s how it works this weekend.
Charles Bradley
Edited: May 21, 2023, 5:54 PM
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Qualifying commenced at 11am local time on Saturday. Each car was given a single, four-lap run to set an average speed – and went in an order selected by random draw on Friday night (see below).
When every car in the qualifying order for Saturday has had at least one chance to qualify, teams may choose from two lanes at the end of the pits for subsequent attempts.
Cars in the Priority Lane (Lane 1) must withdraw their qualified time but get priority access to the track ahead of Lane 2. That second lane is for cars that have already qualified and want to try to improve their position but choose not to risk forfeiting the speed average they have already set.
UPDATE: When the gun went off at 5.50pm, positions 13-30 were set, and those drivers will not re-qualify on Sunday.
13
Ed Carpenter
14
Scott McLaughlin
15
Kyle Kirkwood
16
Conor Daly
17
Josef Newgarden
18
Ryan Hunter-Reay
19
Romain Grosjean
20
Helio Castroneves
21
Colton Herta
22
Simon Pagenaud
23
David Malukas
24
Marco Andretti
25
Stefan Wilson
26
Devlin DeFrancesco
27
Agustin Canapino
28
Callum Ilott
29
RC Enerson
30
Katherine Legge
The 12 drivers who will contest the front four rows of three, and the four drivers who will squabble over the three slots on the last row will now have been defined.
On Sunday, May 21, from 11.30am, the dozen drivers still in the fight for pole will get a one-hour practice session, and this will be immediately followed by an hour’s practice for the desperate quartet due to battle over the last row.
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda qualifying run
Photo by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
Sunday's Indy 500 qualifying format
From 2.00 to 3.00pm comes Top 12 qualifying, in which positions seven through 12 will be determined. Their running order is based on Saturday times, slowest to fastest, and each car is guaranteed one attempt. The quickest of the six then advance to the Firestone Fast Six shootout.
At 4.00pm, the four Last Chance Qualifiers will compete for positions 31-33 – there are 34 entries for this year’s race, so someone is going home on Sunday night. Each car is guaranteed one attempt and may make multiple attempts until time expires at 5.00pm.
The car’s most recent qualification speed will remain eligible for the starting lineup until the time is withdrawn or qualifications end.
At 5.15pm comes the Firestone Fast Six shootout for pole position in the 107th running of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’. Positions 1-6 will be determined and running order is based on times from top 12 Qualifying, slowest to fastest. Each car is guaranteed one attempt.
The top 12 drivers on the starting grid will receive IndyCar Series points, with the P1 Award winner earning 12, the second fastest 11, down to one point for the 12th-placed starter.
Saturday qualifying order after random draw
1 – Ryan Hunter-Reay – No. 23, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet
2 – Colton Herta – No. 26, Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian, Honda
3 – Will Power – No. 12, Team Penske, Chevrolet
4 – Helio Castroneves – No. 06, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
5 – Marco Andretti – No. 98, Andretti Herta Autosport w/Marco and Curb-Agajanian
6 – Marcus Ericsson – No. 8, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
7 – Christian Lundgaard – No. 45, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
8 – Alexander Rossi – No. 7, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
9 – Scott Dixon – No. 9, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
10 – Simon Pagenaud – No. 60, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
11 – Benjamin Pedersen – No. 55, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
12 – Sting Ray Robb – No. 51, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, Honda
13 – Felix Rosenqvist – No. 6, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
14 – Tony Kanaan – No. 66, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
15 – Ed Carpenter – No. 33, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
16 – R.C. Enerson – No. 50, Abel Motorsports, Chevrolet
17 – Jack Harvey – No. 30, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
18 – Conor Daly – No. 20, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
19 – Devlin DeFrancesco – No. 29, Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport, Honda
20 – Graham Rahal – No. 15, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
21 – Rinus VeeKay – No. 21, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
22 – Pato O’Ward – No. 5, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
23 – Callum Ilott – No. 77, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
24 – Stefan Wilson – No. 24, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, Chevrolet
25 – Takuma Sato – No. 11, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
26 – David Malukas – No. 18, Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports, Honda
27 – Santino Ferrucci – No. 14, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
28 – Alex Palou – No. 10, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
29 – Romain Grosjean – No. 28, Andretti Autosport, Honda
30 – Kyle Kirkwood – No. 27, Andretti Autosport, Honda
31 – Katherine Legge – No. 44 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
32 – Scott McLaughlin – No. 3, Team Penske, Chevrolet
33 – Agustin Canapino – No. 78, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
34 – Josef Newgarden – No. 2, Team Penske, Chevrolet
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