IndyCar Indy 500
Rain leads to cancellation of Indy 500 opening practice day
Persistent rain showers have cancelled the opening day of practice ahead of the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Charles Bradley
Edited: May 18, 2023, 3:34 PM
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Track action was due to start today at 9.00am local (Eastern) time, with first practice scheduled to run until 11:15am. But early morning rain soaked the track.
After rain showers washed out the morning session, the track dried out and teams were allowed to bring their cars to pitlane at 1:50pm local time for what should have been practice two.
But just as cars were about to hit the oval at 2:15pm for their installation laps, it began to sprinkle with rain again, and cars were returned to their garages just before 2:30pm.
Another rain band then soaked the track, and IndyCar officially gave up hope at 4:10pm local time over the track drying in time to get any running in.
The good news is that the weather forecast is much better for the rest of the week, with sunny conditions expected tomorrow once the rain bands have blown through.
Track activity is scheduled to resume at 10:00am on Wednesday, with five minutes of installation laps for all cars, followed by a rookie orientation program for driver RC Enerson from 10:15am to noon.
Practice for all cars will take place from noon to 6:00pm.
The only action on track at Indy so far
Photo by: IndyCar Series
Indy 500 practice and qualifying schedule
On Thursday and Friday, the cars will also be on track from 12 noon to 6.00pm. That Friday, May 19, is traditionally when race setups take less of a priority and qualifying simulation runs take precedence.
Fast Friday, as it is known, sees the BorgWarner turbos common to the Honda and Chevrolet engines get wound up from 1.3-bar boost to 1.5-bar, a level at which they’ll remain until end of play on Sunday evening.
The field will be divided in half for two final half hour practices on Saturday morning before qualifying commences at 11am. When every car in the qualifying order for Saturday has had at least one chance to qualify, teams may choose from two lanes for subsequent attempts.
Will Power, Team Penske Chevrolet qualifying run
Photo by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
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.
When the gun goes off at 5.50pm, positions 13-30 will be set, and those drivers will not re-qualify on Sunday. 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.
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 advance to the Firestone Fast Six shootout.
At 4.00pm, the four Last Chance Qualifiers will compete for positions 31-33. Each car is guaranteed one attempt and may make multiple attempts until time expires at 5.00pm. Each 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.
On Monday, May 22, the engines are returned to 1.3-bar turbo boost – race boost levels – for two hours of practice, 1.00-3.00pm. Several teams and drivers say this can be an extremely useful session, since it covers the kind of time frame of the Indy 500 itself, therefore with (hopefully) comparable temperatures and track conditions.
There is no track activity from Tuesday, May 23, through Thursday, May 25, and gates are closed to the public. However, on the Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11.00am to 1.00pm, teams are allowed to do static pit stop practice on pitlane, albeit with no engines running.
Friday, May 26, is Carb Day. From 11.00am to 1.00pm, the cars will hit the oval for the final time before the race.
Read Also:
- Abel Motorsports confirms Indy 500 entry with RC Enerson
- 2023 Indy 500 practice, qualifying, race, activity schedule
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