No bump day: Indianapolis 500 field finalized at 33 entries for the 110th race

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will not stage a bump day for the 110th Indianapolis 500 because exactly 33 cars were entered for 33 starting spots in the May 24 race, according to IndyCar’s official entry list and qualifying rules. Rain on Saturday, May 16, washed out the opening day of qualifying and pushed the entire process onto Sunday, May 17, compressing what had been planned as a two-day format into one day. (indycar.com 1) (indycar.com 2) The result is a qualifying day that still sets the full grid and the pole, but without the usual fight to bump the slowest car from the field. (indycar.com) ### Why is there no bump day this year? The official Indianapolis 500 entry list issued May 9 showed 33 drivers and teams for the 110th running, matching the size of the traditional starting field. (indycar.com) Under IndyCar’s qualifying procedure, Last Chance Qualifying is only needed if more than 33 cars are entered. (usatoday.com) IndyCar said on May 11 that the absence of bumping allowed it to expand Sunday qualifying by adding another round. Instead of sending the slowest qualifiers back out to fight for the final three spots, the series created a “Final 15” segment before the Top 12 and Firestone Fast Six rounds. (indycar.com) (indycar.com) ### What changed in the qualifying format? IndyCar’s revised format starts with all cars taking part in full-field qualifying, with positions 16 through 33 set from that session if there are only 33 entries. (indycar.com) The top 15 drivers then advance to Sunday’s later rounds, rather than the older top-12 cutoff used when bumping remained part of the weekend. (indycar.com) The Final 15 round trims that group to 12. The three fastest cars from the Final 15 move into the Top 12 qualifying order, joining the nine drivers already locked in based on day-one speed, and the fastest six from that round advance again to the Firestone Fast Six to decide positions 1 through 6 and the pole. (indycar.com) (indycar.com) ### How did rain reshape the weekend? USA Today and IndyStar reported that rain washed out Saturday’s scheduled session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, leaving all qualifying activity to be run on May 17. (indycar.com) FOX Sports had published the original two-day television schedule, with full-field qualifying planned for Saturday and the later rounds for Sunday. (indycar.com) Sunday’s compressed schedule meant the entire 33-car field still had to make opening attempts before the later elimination rounds could begin. IndyCar’s live event pages listed qualifying activity underway May 17 and kept the Indianapolis 500 itself on the calendar for May 24 in Indianapolis. (usatoday.com) ### Who is in the field now that all 33 spots are spoken for? The 33-car list includes former Indianapolis 500 winners Josef Newgarden, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power, along with reigning race winner Alex Palou. (foxsports.com) The entry list also includes rookies such as Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger, Mick Schumacher and Jacob Abel. (usatoday.com) IndyCar said before practice opened that the field also featured nine past Indianapolis 500 winners and five series champions. (indycar.com) With no 34th car on the list, every entered driver was assured a place in the race before qualifying began. ### What are fans actually waiting to learn on Sunday? (indycar.com) Sunday’s main unanswered question is not who will make the race, but who will start on pole and how the first 15 rows will be ordered. IndyCar’s qualifying draw and session documents showed the later rounds would determine positions 7 through 12 and then 1 through 6. (indycar.com) (indycar.com) The next fixed date is May 24, when the 110th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to the series schedule. (indycar.com) FOX Sports listed television coverage for qualifying across FS2, FS1 and FOX, with the race weekend continuing at IMS through next Sunday. (foxsports.com) (indycar.com) (indycar.com) (indycar.com)