The Indianapolis 500 field isn't set yet — and this weekend, 33 drivers are fighting for every spot on the starting position. It's the Indy 500 qualifying weekend.
Qualifying for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 spans two days — May 16–17 — ahead of the race on Sunday, May 24, and it's not just about speed. Saturday's lane strategy can flip the starting grid. Sunday's Final 15 round is new this year, replacing Bump Day with a single-shot shootout that sends three more drivers into the Top 12 battle.
The Firestone Fast Six closes out the Indy 500 qualifying session — six drivers, one run each, pole on the line.
Here's how Indy 500 qualifying works in 2026, including session-by-session schedule and format.
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How Does Indy 500 Qualifying Work? 2026 Format & Schedule
Qualifying for the 2026 Indianapolis 500 spans two days — Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17 — and determines all 33 starting positions, including the coveted pole.
Saturday, May 16 | 11 a.m. - 5:50 p.m. ET
Following an 8:30 a.m. ET practice session, there are three Indy 500 qualifying sessions on Saturday:
- 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET on FS2
- 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET on FS1
- 4 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. ET on FOX
Every car runs four laps to set an average speed. After the initial runs, two lanes open up:
- Priority Lane — a car reruns but erases its previous time. Faster? Great. Slower? It's yours.
- Regular Lane — a car reruns without losing its current time, but Priority Lane cars always go first.
Strategy drives Saturday as much as speed. By the end of the day, the following will be locked in:
- Positions 16–33 on the starting grid are set after Saturday.
- Top 1–9 — automatically advance to Sunday's Top 12 shootout
- Top 10–15 — enter Sunday's Final 15 round, competing for the last 3 spots in the Top 12
Sunday, May 17 | 4 – 7 p.m. ET (FOX)
Sunday is one-shot territory — no lane strategy, just execution. After the 1 p.m. ET practice, top 15 qualifying gets started at 4 p.m. ET, and the Fast Six starts at 6:35 p.m. ET.
- Final 15 (positions 10–15 from Saturday): Each car runs once, in reverse order. The 3 fastest advance to the Top 12; the rest lock into positions 13–15.
- Top 12: All 12 cars run once. The 6 fastest advance to the Firestone Fast Six; the rest lock into positions 7–12.
- Firestone Fast Six: The final six run for pole. The fastest four-lap average wins the NTT P1 Award ($100,000) and leads the field on race day.
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Indy 500 Qualifying Day 1: Saturday, May 16
The first qualifying session begins at 11 aa.m. ET on Saturday, televised on FS2. FS1 will televise the second qualifying session, which starts at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Saturday’s final session begins at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX, ending at 5:50 pm ET.
Saturday determines when over half of the grid is set for the Indianapolis 500 next Sunday, May 24.
In these sessions, all 33 cars will complete four laps around the track, aiming to set the fastest average lap time.
Here's where it gets fun. Unlike normal qualifying, this is not the only shot cars will have to improve their position.
Once all 33 cars have set their 'fastest' average speeds, two lanes emerge:
Priority Lane – Any car that enters the priority lane can run again. However, this means that these cars are deleting their prior average speed entirely. So, if the car is slower the second time around? That's the chance you're willing to take.
Regular Lane — A car can rerun without losing its initial average speed. The catch: Priority Lane cars always go first, and if enough teams take that gamble, the clock runs out before Regular Lane cars get another shot.
This set up means that Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day 1 plays heavily on strategy, not just speed. If new runs go even faster, awesome! If not, a driver could be in increasing trouble.
This is important because Saturday establishes pace, but also sets the table for Sunday for the 15 best drivers.
Indy 500 grid positions locked in on Saturday are as follows:
- Positions 16-33 on the Indy 500 starting grid.
- Positions 1-9 are guaranteed to compete in Sunday's Top 12.
- Positions 10-15 move into Sunday’s Final 15 shootout for the final 3 slots in the Top 12 - BRAND NEW
Now, does a team sitting 13th-15th late in the day protect their spot or risk it all chasing that slightly faster run and a guaranteed Top 12 position?
That “lane running” is vital and will play out until 5:50 pm ET.
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Indy 500 Qualifying on Sunday, May 17: Top 15, Pole Position Get Set
Saturday plays into strategy, but Sunday is more about execution for the Top 15 drivers. This now becomes the battle for the front of the Indy 500 field and the pole position.
Unlike previous years, there's no Bump Day in 2026 — the do-or-die session where drivers on the bubble could knock each other out of the field entirely. This year, the field is a fixed 33 cars, so no one gets bumped.
Unlike Saturday, a driver gets only one chance to advance, and that is it.
First, drivers who finished 10th through 15th on Saturday will complete a single four-lap qualifying run, in reverse order of Saturday's average speeds (15 down to 10).
The three fastest will advance to the Top 12, and positions 13-15 will be set for the Indy 500.
Those three join the nine cars that automatically advanced from Saturday in the Top 12 session. All of those cars will run once more, seeking among the fastest four-lap averages.
At the end, the fastest six move on to the Firestone Fast Six, while positions 7-12 will be set on the starting grid for the Indy 500.
The Indy 500 Fast Six is the final shootout for the most coveted starting positions at the Indianapolis 500. Six drivers get the final chance with the pole position as the prize.
The fastest four-lap average earns the NTT P1 Award, a $100,000 prize, and the privilege of leading the field to the opening lap of the Indy 500.
Day 2 of Indianapolis 500 Qualifying runs from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, and determines the final spots of the Indy 500 running order.
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The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 gets started this weekend, as qualifying will set the starting grid for next week's Indy 500 — the greatest spectacle in racing.
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