Indy 500 Running Order, Favorites to Win at Indianapolis

The 110th edition of the Indy 500 takes place on Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rain last Saturday funneled qualifying into one Sunday free-for-all and produced some dramatic results. 

Below, we track some of the latest updates from Indy as we are under 48 hours away from the green flag dropping at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

Here is the running order for the Indy 500, plus the favorites to win the race on PrizePicks. 

Make your Indy 500 predictions on Prizepicks — available in Indiana!

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IndyCar Running Order for the Indy 500: Palou, Rossi, and O’Ward Highlight Favorites

The defending champion, Alex Palou, will start from the pole as he attempts to win back-to-back editions of the Indy 500. Other favorites include Alexander Rossi (second) and Pato O’Ward (sixth). Rossi won the Indy 500 in 2016, while O’Ward has come close a few times, including being passed on the last lap in 2024.

The Indy 500 starting grid features quite a few former winners. Again, this is the longest oval the drivers will see by far (2.5 miles) and levels the playing field.

This is the updated Indy 500 running order from 1st to 33rd for the race on Sunday.

2026 Indy 500 Running Order

Row 1: Alex Palou / Alexander Rossi / David Malukas

Row 2: Felix Rosenqvist / Santino Ferucci / Pato O’Ward

Row 3: Kyffin Simpson / Connor Daly / Scott McLaughlin

Row 4: Scott Dixon / Rinus Veekay / Takuma Sato

Row 5: Ed Carpenter / Helio Castroneves / Christian Rasmussen

Row 6: Marcus Armstrong / Marcus Ericsson / Christian Lundgaard

Row 7: Will Power / Nolan Siegel / Louis Foster

Row 8: Ryan Hunter-Reay / Josef Newgarden / Romain Grosjean

Row 9: Kyle Kirkwood / Katherine Legge / Mick Schumacher

Row 10: Graham Rahal / Dennis Hauger / Jacob Abel

Row 11: Sting Ray Robb / Caio Collet* / Jack Harvey*

TE: Caio Collet (10th) and Jack Harvey (29th) failed post-qualifying technical inspection and will race from the back of the Indy 500 starting grid.

Indy 500 Starting Lineup Fast Six

Firestone Fast Six (4-lap average)

1. Alex Palou - Chip Ganassi Racing - 232.248 mph (Row 1)
2. Alexander Rossi - ECR - 231.990 mph (Row 1)
3. David Malukas - Team Penske - 231.877 mph (Row 1)
4. Felix Rosenqvist - Meyer Shank Racing - 231.375 mph (Row 2)
5. Santino Ferrucci - A.J. Foyt Enterprises - 230.886 mph (Row 2)
6. Pato O’Ward - Arrow McLaren - 230.442 mph (Row 2)

Indy 500 qualifying revealed some interesting wrinkles with one day of qualifying instead of the usual two. Drivers and pit crews had to adjust to changing track temperatures much faster — similar to what is seen on race day. 

Six different teams start inside the Top 6 for the Indy 500. Felix Rosenqvist had the fastest car going into the final round of qualifying on Sunday. The Brazilian hit 233+ mph on Fast Friday and again several times on Sunday. Unfortunately, Rosenqvist could not get the balance and adjustments right in the final half hour and settled for fourth.

Alex Palou was 11th in Round 1 but finished second in Round 2. The IndyCar points leader nearly hit 233 mph on the first lap. He dropped off a little but topped 232 mph over four laps.

Alexander Rossi came the closest to Palou and will be on Row 1 along with David Malukas. Row 2 also features Santino Ferrucci and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward. O’Ward wound up sixth after the final round when adjustments to his McLaren seemed to slow his car down.

Make Indy 500 predictions on PrizePicks — including the winner, Top 10 finishes, and more.

Indy 500 Winner Payouts on PrizePicks

Here are the current payouts for drivers to win the IndyCar Indy 500 from Indianapolis on PrizePicks. Make your Indy 500 pick on 'Yes' or 'No' for a driver to win.

Payout multipliers listed below (like 2x) indicate real-money earnings if your IndyCar predictions are correct; for example, 2x on a $100 entry pays $200 if correct on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states, including Indiana. “Yes” payouts represent a specific outcome occurring, whereas "No" payouts indicate the opposite.

• Alex Palou – Yes 3.44x | No 1.28x
• Pato O’Ward – Yes 7.14x | No 1.07x‍
• David Malukas – Yes 7.69x | No 1.06x‍
• Josef Newgarden – Yes 8.33x | No 1.05x‍
• Santino Ferrucci – Yes 9.09x | No 1.03x‍
• Felix Rosenqvist – Yes 10x | No 1.03x‍
• Conor Daly – Yes 10x | No 1.03x‍
• Scott McLaughlin – Yes 10x | No 1.03x‍
• Alexander Rossi – Yes 14.28x | No 1.02x‍
• Scott Dixon – Yes 14.28x | No N/A

Following the top 10 favorites, Helio Castroneves (16.66x) and Takuma Sato (22.22x) carry high payouts to drink the Indy 500 milk.

Don't wait until Sunday — make your Indy 500 prediction on PrizePicks now.

Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

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More Favorites to Win the 2026 Indy 500

The favorite to win the 2026 Indy 500 remains Alex Palou, entering Sunday's race (12:30 p.m. ET), according to PrizePicks Team Picks.

Palou still has a 3.44x payout ($100 pays out $344) if he wins. The Spanish driver dominates even with pit mistakes. His Indy 500 qualifying position over the last several years has been inside the Fast Six. The Chip Ganassi car makes up seconds quickly. One late run could vault him to a repeat triumph.

Add Alex Palou to your Indy 500 picks on PrizePicks now.

While Pato O’Ward continues to chase the Indy 500 milk, Josef Newgarden has tasted it twice (2023, 2024). Unlike McLaren’s track record at the Indy 500, Penske had been a little better until last year. Newgarden did not have the best qualifying efforts and will start 23rd. It could be about those Sunday improvements for Newgarden. 

Scott McLaughlin is a bit of a wild card that possesses a good enough car to be a contender at the Indy 500. He has nudged his way into the favorites and starts ninth on Sunday. The Penske driver was well above 231 mph but slowed to around 229 over his final two laps in Round 2 of qualifying. 

Add Scott McLaughlin to your Indy 500 picks on PrizePicks now.

Santino Ferrucci has mastered the art of the Top 10 finish at the Indy 500 (seven straight). With the Alexander Rossi injury (6.66x down to 14.28x) and move to a backup car, Ferrucci moves up from 11.11x to 10x now. He starts fifth on Sunday but has been close so many times. Is this finally the year?

Make Your Indy 500 Picks on PrizePicks

IndyCar stays in the state of Indiana on Sunday for the seventh race of the season. Does Alex Palou repeat? Does a driver from the back half of the field surprise everyone and win the Indy 500?

Don’t wait until Sunday — make your Indy 500 predictions on PrizePicks now and earn real money if your takes ring true.

There are several unique ways to approach the IndyCar board for this race, including finishing position and more; just pick at least two drivers to build your Lineup on PrizePicks. Or, make your picks on race winners on Team Picks, now available in 35 states, including Indiana!

Keep it locked into the Playbook throughout the season for more IndyCar updates, predictions, and picks every day.